July 8, 2009
DUmpy little joint in an old-ish strip mall. Seemed like everything there has been there for a while. Lots of Italian beers which I thought was odd. Surprisingly decent selection. Prices were average. The old man working called me "Feller" so that gives this place points in my book. Not a bad shop.

May 7, 2009 [ Updated August 2, 2009 ]
This is a rating that I want to delete but can’t figure out how.

March 20, 2009
Pretty small selection but some decent finds. Prices are a bit high. The beer girl was not there the 2 times I went.

July 4, 2008 [ Updated October 30, 2008 ]
This is a great little beer store in Lutz. It is in the Kmart plaza, but they have a great selection of rare beers, Belgians, and Micros. Service is VERY helpful, and they will bend over backwards to help. Nikki is doing a great job with the beers. Just want there 10/30- they have a few cases of 120 Minute left with Thomas Hardy, some Belgians like Saxo, Foret, Urthel, and lots of American Micros like DFH, Ommegang, and more.

April 13, 2008 [ Updated May 6, 2008 ]
Outside of Tampa, a great place to buy beer. Mitch and Chris know what they’re talking about, and will make every attempt to get what you want in. 330+ beers, and growing every week. Heavy on the Belgians (is that bad though?), but overall a great selection. They can get things there that most places overlook. Update: As of May the 4th, Mitch is no longer at Willow Bend. He has gone into the USCG. We wish him well in his venture. Chris is leaving as well June 3rd. Nikki will be taking over the beer section.

April 3, 2008
I would say this is the closest and best place to buy beers in the area. Just got back from the store, and I spoke to Chris. Really nice and helpful fellow. Overall it was a very pleasant experience, not to mention the prices are very good, considering the price it would cost to go somewhere else pick up the beer, and pay for the gas to get there. I will definitely be back, not to mention I am going to tell everyone about it. It’s really nice to go somewhere and have people know what they are talking about and be able to recommend similar beers to what you like.

March 14, 2008 [ Updated October 3, 2008 ]
I wanted to share with everyone in the Tampa area that Willow Bend is starting to carry some beers that I have not seen elsewhere in the area. This week when I visited the store (October 3, 2008), I noticed some outstanding additions: Weyerbacher Autumnfest, Malheur 10, Malheur 12, Gouden Carolus Ambrio and a few others. The woman overseeing the beer selection, Nikki, is really trying to bring in some new and outstanding beers. She has even started selling some beers by the bottle on a rotating basis. This week, the entire line of Sam Smith was mix-and-match for $10 for 4 bottles. Not bad. If you have not been in here in a while, you owe it to yourself to stop by. The following is my rating from March 14, 2008. Most of it is still accurate with the exception of asking for Chris or Mitch who are no longer with the store. This place has been around for quite a while stocking some of the best beers in the Lutz/Land O Lakes area. Excellent selection of Belgian and German beers with a very strong selection of American Craft brews as well. Some are warm, some are cold, so make sure to look around and don’t forget to scan the overstock area in the back right corner just in case something is not presently on the shelf or in the cooler. Probably close to 200 beers (depending on the week) most of which some of the staff have tried and can talk about fluently. Ask for Chris or Mitch they won’t lead you astray. And prices are very competitive with the major stores in the area. All around, this is an excellent beer store a real jewel in the area.

July 22, 2007
Luckily I found this place! If you live in Land O Lakes or Wesley Chapel, then this is the closest place to stock up on Belgian, German, and microbrews. About 75 or so varieties are in coolers with another 100 or so on shelves. However, they keep the store at between 60-70 degrees, so everything is fresh. The staff was knowledgeable and helpful and willing to special order. The prices were slightly high, but the convenience is worth it.