Florida Cracker Kitchen is a family-friendly fast casual seafood restaurant featuring an adult bar. Their menu highlights Florida and East Coast fish species sourced directly from local fishermen as well as coastal cuisine imported from around the globe - all products adhere to strict quality and freshness standards.
Blair and Ethan Hensley, proprietors of Mallie Kyla's Cafe in Brooksville for decades, established Florida Cracker Kitchen as part of their mission to preserve and celebrate "Cracker Cuisine", which originated among American pioneers and cowboys during colonial Florida during colonial era. Since 2012 they have opened multiple locations all across Florida devoted to this cuisine which emerged among rural settlers during that era.
The menu pays tribute to their family's Southern roots with recipes passed down over generations. You'll find everything from Okeechobee gumbo and fried catfish to fresh smoked mullet dip and buttermilk pancakes on offer here - not forgetting those delectable desserts such as popular smothered bananas with pecans and an old-fashioned pie known as a "pound cake".
At the Jacksonville location, Hensley said ServStar will run back-of-house operations and has an established track record in the region. He expects the restaurant to feel similar to its original version - "they have a real knack for ensuring people have an exceptional dining experience" Hensley explained. Diners who visited during a recent weekend visit expressed delight at seeing this new location open nearby their workplace while providing local flavor she craved. One such diner, Holly Garman was particularly delighted that it opened so close - one frequent diner as Holly Garman commented on how close she found it is, offering her local flavor she craved so much.
