The Bricks in Ybor City is the latest stop on our Taste Tour of 813, our weekly review of beloved restaurants around the Tampa Bay Area.
The Bricks has established itself as a reputable mid-day eatery in Ybor City since its premier in back in July 2010. Owned by the same folks at the Skate Park of Tampa, the Bricks aims, and largely succeeds, in fostering a laid back vibe rife with local art spotting the brick walls, live music, art events, and some creative-minded food and drink apt for the casual culinary explorer in Tampa.
Entering The Bricks on a bleak Wednesday afternoon, it was easy to see happy hour was in full effect. A full line of seemingly regular Ybor-ites - suited business folk to the blue jean-d and tatted - sat at the bar commiserating over end of day drinks and grub.
Kicking things off, I opted for the special cocktail of the day, the Island Thyme - a concoction of coconut milk, coconut water, Bacardi rum, lime and a thyme-infused simple syrup of brown sugar, allspice and clove. Quirky cocktail drinks come and go, many intriguing by name and not much else, but this was a solid drink all around; a culmination of uncommon cocktail flavors blended to make a desirable drink equal parts light, refreshing, and most importantly (at least in this book), strong. Someone behind The Bricks bar definitely knows what they're doing when it comes to crafting a creative cocktail.
Black bean dips and chip felt like a suitable appetizer for priming the palate and still leaving room for the main meal. Served as a mound of questionable-looking black mass surrounded by tortilla chips, the black bean dip was anything but questionable when it came to flavor; well-seasoned, speckled with minced onions and heartily portioned for a modest $5 price tag, the majority of the bowl was gone before I realized it. A few points off for bagged, store-bought chips, but still pleasing nonetheless.
The Bird and Pig sandwich is the stuff of legend and a personal stand-by for a Bricks lunch. Roasted chicken, bacon, brie, apple slices, and agave nectar pressed between soft Hawaiian sweet bread, the bird and pig is heaven between two sweet buns, plain and simple.
Pacific rim pulled pork is another specialty sandwich at The Bricks packed with slow roasted, Ponzu/coffee-marinated pork, and Asian slaw nestled between that familiar Hawaiian sweet bread. This monstrosity of a sandwich was more than ample for the price tag, but I wish the pork packed more of a punch; fork-tender and well cooked, no doubt, but overshadowed by the sweetness of crunchy Asian slaw and Hawaiian roll.
If you haven't checked it out, The Bricks is definitely worth a visit if you're in Ybor. I didn't even get to touch upon the ridiculously awesome-sounding peanut butter bar - where you can opt for a custom PB sandwich with toppings like fluff, bananas, jelly and more - but The Bricks has done enough to validate another visit, and one after that, and another, and....well, you get it. Check 'em out soon and see if you agree.
