Photo courtesy of Ariana Fromm.
By Matthew Restrepo
TAMPA, Fla. — Restaurants serving food from shipping containers, shops, sit-down restaurants, entertainment, and bars call Sparkman Wharf home.
It opened in 2019 and sits on what used to be Channelside Bay Plaza.
Art is found throughout Sparkman Wharf, especially on the shipping containers and surrounding walls.
Walking around, you’ll smell the fried food coming from various restaurants.
Omar Bet, who recently moved to the area, visited Sparkman Wharf for the first time.
“It seems like a great place,” said Bet. “There’s a lot of community, a lot of people around, and a lot of places to get food and drink, and socialize.”
Sparkman Wharf has eight options under the restaurants tab on its website. Under the dining garden tab, there are nine different options.
The dining garden is the first thing visitors see at the entrance. One vendor serving chicken and donuts. Another serves hot dogs. Another serves fish and more.
Sparkman Wharf is also home to restaurants recognized by the Michelin Guide.
Noble Rice is a Japanese restaurant that has four Michelin dollar signs, which is a symbol of its high price level.
According to the Michelin Guide, “The real draw here is their à la carte sushi-focused menu with some izakaya and small plate options (think shrimp toast and karaage; skewers and ramen).”
This is not the only restaurant that has ties to Michelin ratings.
Michelin-starred chef Joe Isidori, owner of Jotoro, serves Mexican cuisine.
Jotoro earns 3.8 stars on Yelp, 3.6 on Tripadvisor, and 4.6 on OpenTable.
Sparkman Wharf also has a few different ice cream shops.
At the higher end, Jeni’s is made with all-natural ingredients, while Hampton Chocolate Factory sells a variety of trendy desserts. One of those is their Dubai Chocolate sundae, which has recently grown in popularity.
Hampton Chocolate Factory is known for its five-pound ice cream cone, which has gone viral on social media.
Glenn McGuire, a junior at the University of Tampa, mainly visits Sparkman Wharf to bowl at Splitsville, which also offers food and billiards.
Morgan Causey, 25, said she comes to Sparkman Wharf often.
“Everything down here is a little bit overpriced,” said Causey.
Her favorite part is that people are a little nicer than in nearby areas, including Channelside and Water Street.
The only place she’s tried so far is the Doggy Boutique, which has become her favorite.
This is not the only shop people can buy goods from.
Joyful Notion sells accessories and clothing for women. The last place that has a shop is Hampton Chocolate Factory, which sells a variety of chocolate, sweets, and soft serve ice cream.
David Finn sometimes visits Sparkman Wharf. One thing he likes about Sparkman Wharf is the beer garden, which has local beers at several of the venues.
The beer garden also has many classic alcoholic beverages alongside local flavors. According to Visit Tampa Bay, there are more than 40 kinds of beer available for purchase.
Fitness looks different at Sparkman Wharf as well, ranging from Pilates studios to community-based gyms to F45, which takes a fast-paced workout approach. Public exercise classes are sometimes hosted to expand access and community involvement
Different events take place each week, with an upcoming winter event taking place on Nov. 14, from 5 to 9 p.m.