Hales Blackbrick—a modern Chinese restaurant helmed by Tampa native Chef Richard Hales—will debut a second location in Hyde Park at 1809 W Platt St. sometime this fall.
Hales Blackbrick’s OG Tampa restaurant resides at 4812 N Dale Mabry Hwy., located at the former Pop N’ Sons diner that Hales acquired in early 2021.
The new spot plans to offer the same menu of dumplings, fried rice, noodles and stir-fried veggies, plus protein-packed plates like Peking duck, General Tso-style alligator, char siu pork belly, bison ribeyes and 40-oz tomahawk steak served with Hunan sauce.
While its Raymond James Stadium-adjacent, Drew Park location pays homage to the building’s diner roots with refurbished booths, checkered tiles and retro lighting, design renderings shared by Hales Blackbrick depict its upcoming Hyde Park restaurant as a bit more modern, with sleek decor and gold accents.
In addition to dishing out its menu of Chinese-fusion favorites, Hales Blackbrick also offers a variety of beer, wine, spirits and craft cocktails. Its extensive wine program helmed by Chef Hales even snagged an “Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator Magazine a few weeks ago.
Hales worked at several high-end restaurants throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia before returning to Miami to open his first restaurant in 2009. Over the years, he continued to open other concepts under his company, Grateful Hospitality Group. He returned back to his hometown with his wife, Jenny, and their two kids after 2020’s pandemic to open their debut Tampa restaurant, which was originally going to be a Texas-style barbecue eatery, and then an American restaurant called Bird & Bone.
Tampa’s Hales Blackbrick made its long-awaited debut in late-2022 and quickly made a name for itself for its unique, Florida-fusion approach to traditional Chinese cuisine.
While the flagship Hales Blackbrick restaurant in Miami quietly closed its doors sometime last year, the restaurant’s social media teases a re-opening in 2025, in addition to its new Hyde Park eatery.
Head to @Halesblackbrick on Facebook or Instagram for the latest news on the opening of its second Tampa location later this year.
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter