Long awaited on the corner of Ybor City’s Eighth Avenue, Barterhouse focuses on fresh meat, seafood and veggies that are transparently and ethically sourced. Restaurateur Ken Emery, who also operates restaurants in Charleston and Detroit, has made it a priority to know the individuals producing the ingredients in Barterhouse’s dishes. He and his team buy as much as possible from local farmers and serve responsibly farmed products like Panacea Oysters from the Florida Panhandle and steaks from Brasstown Beef and Snake River Farms. Barterhouse’s menu pays homage to classic Florida, with dishes like blue crab chilau, “hog and hominy” with hogfish and hominy salsa, and fried oyster toast, plus roasted chicken, pork shank and fresh fish. The bar is a throwback to the era of Prohibition, with classic cocktails that are perhaps less familiar to casual drinkers — think the Old Cuban (rum, lime, bitters, Champagne and mint), the Naked & Famous (mezcal, Aperol and yellow chartreuse) or the Last Word (gin, green chartreuse and maraschino liqueur). Barterhouse is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m., while the bar continues serving up cocktails and light bites until closing.
WHAT TO KNOW: Barterhouse | 1511 N. 15th St., Suite A | (813) 542-1710 | barterhouseybor.com
Wed-Sun, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (dinner), 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. (bar)
