Greater Tampa Bay is a growing community, adapting and changing all the time to stay fresh and exciting. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Sparkman Wharf, located in downtown Tampa near Channelside. This grand setting, which opened officially in late 2018, hosts a number of new restaurants, biergartens and recreational spaces all in one enclosed, interconnected area. Visitors should come with an appetite. Some of Tampa’s most well-known and celebrated chefs have opened new eateries here that no guest can afford to miss.
The Corners Pizza introduces Detroit-style square pies for personalized takeout. Between a buffalo wing pizza, Caesar salad pie or egg, bacon and cheese, try some truly unique and delicious creations.
Flock & Stock offers classic roadside American favorites such as the Hugh Heifer Swiss cheese, bacon and mushroom burger, and the Dixie chick maple bacon, pickles and buttermilk fried chicken sandwich.
BT-in-a-Box serves up portable Vietnamese/French fusion snacks, such as banh mi sandwiches and crispy spring rolls.
Boat Run Oyster Co., which also appears at Oxford Exchange on weekends, specializes in Floridian hand-raised oyster selections. Raw, chargrilled or on a roll, Boat Run delivers fresh takes on fresh oysters. Mise en Place operates Montados, a tapas and wine offering with a sampling of the greater eatery behind it. That is not all to Sparkman Wharf, which hosts pop-up stands and new vendors all the time, truly serving as a testament to the spirit of continuous evolution of Tampa Bay.
Historic Ybor City has seen its fair share of change over the years. However, the secret of its charm is the heritage it retains throughout all of this progress. Flor Fina, new to Ybor in 2020, embraces the old while introducing the new.
Located within the Hotel Haya, Flor Fina is a Nuevo Latino-style restaurant that harkens back to an old Havana feel. Noted for its various ceviche options, as well as meat cooked on a live-fire grill, Flor Fina also offers a unique delicacy — its porchetta suckling pig. This three-course feast is stuffed with pistachios, rosemary, salsa verde and various veggies. Extravagant, elegant, cultural and inventive, Flor Fina fits into Ybor City with a fresh new style.
Armature Works, yet another top-notch Tampa Bay attraction, features a slew of restaurants, stores and bars located within a restored Tampa Heights building. This space, opened originally in 1912, is the home to Muchachas, a restaurant that opened in late 2020. Its street-style Mexican food is straightforward and easy, with classics executed to perfection.
Muchachas’ quesatacos feature cilantro, beef and Monterey Jack cheese among other fragrant ingredients, and it is a top option among guests. Other familiar favorites are street tacos and “Big Ole Burritos,” made to order. An old classic with a mind for new concepts, Muchachas knows what it does, and does it right.
Noticed the theme yet? Pickford’s Counter, which opened late summer of 2020, has a goal in mind — “pay homage to a piece of Tampa history.” Longtime locals might have heard this name before. Pickford’s Sundries was once a soda shop in the Wellswood neighborhood. Revamped and reimagined, its bright pink façade now graces Tampa once more, serving breakfast favorites and milkshakes. Take a look behind the veil of time and check out this new classic restaurant, as it is sure to be a local legend yet again.
At the very end of the newly built St. Pete Pier is a very interestingly shaped building. Within it on the fourth floor is Teak, a seafood-focused restaurant with a nautical influence. Elegant, elevated casual dining awaits inside, with 360-degree waterfront and skyline views. Oysters, shrimp, scallops and grouper are on the menu in various forms of delicious preparation, while beer, wine and a wide-ranging assortment of mixed drinks are offered to complement them. The Florida feel is alive and well in St. Petersburg, and Teak, much like the tropical hardwood it is named for, is an excellent reminder.
These are just a few of the many new restaurants appearing all over the greater Tampa Bay region! Make sure to stop by and show your support in the best way possible!
Written by Ryan Walsh
Photo credits to Jensen Taylor
