The Story
Brothers Blair and Ethan Hensley, born and raised in Brooksville, drew an upside-down boot on a napkin years ago and now, they have six restaurant locations and counting.
Florida Cracker has a Kitchen (South Brooksville), a Cook Shack (North Brooksville), a Feed Lot (Webster), a Lunch On Limoges (Dade City) and even a Monkey Bar (Homosassa), with new locations on the way, including in San Antonio — and each has its own distinct menu.
Now the Hensleys also have a location in Citrus Park — the Fish Company — which took over the old Ballyhoo Grill and completely renovated the place to reopen back in October 2022.
“The opportunity was presented to us, and as it was always known as a fish place, we decided to keep it a fish place and put our twist on it,” Blair Hensley told the Tampa Beacon in 2022. “We’re bringing our brand, our culture, and our identity.”
Growing up, the brothers were fortunate enough to have their Granny Lewis live with them, who would regularly cook three meals a day the old-fashioned way. With their mother, Larie, known for her long-lasting restaurant, Mallie Kylas, the boys both started working in the restaurant industry at a young age.
Ethan has a culinary background, having participated in the “Hernandough” Catering program in high school and later studying culinary at NECI and working in Nantucket at American Seasons.
Blair has a sports medicine background, but it didn’t stop him from acquiring a Coney Island Drive Inn hot dog stand for eight years, before he and Ethan opened the Florida Cracker Kitchen in 2012.
Being a couple of “Florida Crackers” themselves, the Hensleys wanted the cooking to pay respect to the lush natural beauty and abundant natural resources in Florida. Those cracker cowboys — usually early pioneers, small farmers and cattle ranchers — would search the swamps and round up all of the cows with the aid of whips and cattle dogs and are also distinguishable by the style of their frontier homes, musical traditions, and food ways.
Their simple recipes made with bursts of regional Florida spices is the inspiration behind the all-original classics served at all locations.
The Dunedin Grouper Reuben
If there’s one dish to grab at the Fish Company, says general manager, Eric Case, it's the Dunedin Grouper Reuben, because, after all, “this really is in the style of your old-fashioned fish shack,” he added.
Like most restaurants with fish and seafood, the grouper can be grilled, fried or blackened, but then it's done up like a reuben would — Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, homemade remoulade sauce and service on a brioche bun. It comes with a side, and Case recommends Glammy’s cornbread.
And the sandwich, as well as all dishes, are made fresh to order, plus the fish is freshly caught and brought from nearby markets. It’s a delectable take on the grouper sandwich, which is synonymous with Florida, but especially the Tampa Bay area.
The Old Cracker
The Fish Company is all about fish including drinking like one, too.
Kidding aside, the Bourbon Bar and Taproom side of the restaurant features about 200 bourbons and loves to have Florida-brewed beers on tap, up to 16 of them. In fact, it has even collaborated with some microbreweries, such as Marker 48 in Weeki Wachee.
That being said about the bourbons, Fish Company has a fun spin on a traditional old-fashioned cocktail, Case says — The Old Cracker. It is, basically, an old fashioned, made with Old Forester bourbon, brown sugar and bitters. Plus, it can be served smoky, which is highly recommended. Additionally, Fish Company has several types of old-fashioned drinks including Sweet Tea Old Fashioned and the Nutty Professor.
Case says the bar will also feature specialty liquor nights, like Tequila Tuesdays, so margaritas, and Whiskey Wednesdays, so Hells Bay Mules. Some of their other signature cocktails also include, with very fun names, Westchase Lemonade (Florida Cane Vodka, lemon, lavender) and The Real Housewives of Odessa (Papa’s Pilar Rum, strawberry, lemon sorbet, prosecco).
The Rest of the Menu
Case may be partial to a few items and, of course, recommends anything on the menu, but he does point out that there are land options also available, such as burgers and chicken sandwiches and meals. “The menu is about 85% fish and seafood,” he added. “We are a fish company (laughs).”
As for apps, there are things like fried green tomatoes and fried pickles, plus there are also salads and soups — really chowder and gumbo — also available. There is also a plethora of sides, such as grits, tomato gravy, collard greens, mac ’n’ cheese, baked beans, potato salad, and coleslaw.
But if we’re talking grits, Case said, then there’s the Old Florida Shrimp & Grits, which are crispy grit cakes made with tomato gravy, bacon and green onions.
“Just like Glammy used to make,” Case said. “A Florida dish if there ever was one.”
Pro Tip
Sit outside on the Florida Keys-style patio or the outdoor seating area that includes Adirondack chairs, cornhole boards, a play area for the kiddos and even a large fire pit for the rare, cool Florida evenings. Speaking of kiddos, Fish Company also holds kids’ night on Tuesdays, and features face painting and impressive balloon animals. Oh, and Fish Company, as well as every location, is dog-friendly.
Final Verdict
The Florida Cracker Fish Company really is like an old fish shack, so it's for true Floridians, transplants who want to feel Floridian and snowbirds who love the taste of Florida when they’re here in the winter months. Fish Company puts its truly unique, but still somewhat familiar, Florida spin on every dish, side, drink and even atmosphere, so if you want to feel just like a cracker, you’ve come to the right place.
Florida Cracker Fish Company is located at 7604 Ehrlich Road, Tampa, and open Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.flacracker.com/fishcompany or call 813-336-6460.
