Tony's Spanish & Italian Restaurant 3300 S Dale Mabry 1954

Tony's Spanish & Italian Restaurant 3300 S Dale Mabry 1954- 1966

Tony’s Restaurant. Date unknown.© Skip Gandy. Courtesy of the USF Digital Collection

Tony’s Spanish Italian Restaurant, owned by Charlotte and Tony Noriega, opened in March 1954 and was the second restaurant owned by the pair. It took over the former Pasquale’s Restaurant (opened 1952) at 3300 S. Dale Mabry Hwy. at the corner of San Luis. They featured pizzas “to-go”- a newer concept in the restaurant industry, along with in-house dining. While Spanish and Italian food were mainstays on the menu. “Tony’s Famous Salad,” a concoction dreamt up by Noriega when he owned a restaurant in Long Island, was the feature. Folks came from miles around to eat it. Charlotte also had a popular taste-tempting recipe for onion rolls, which contained onions and oregano, and were served hot and wrapped. In September 1966, Tony’s employees were charged with selling alcohol to minors in July of that same year. It’s the same month records indicate Dino’s Restaurant and Lounge took over the spot.