Tampa

New in Tampa: Liberty Smokehouse's Brick and Mortar Coming Soon

This longterm Tampa Bay pop-up is going brick and mortar.

The former mobile outfit in a tactical military truck | Image from Instagram

TAMPA, FL – Liberty Smokehouse is preparing to open its first brick-and-mortar location at 310 E Waters Ave, Tampa, FL 33604, owner Bryan Jacobs told Business Debut in a recent phone interview.

The barbecue concept has operated as a pop-up and food truck in the Tampa Bay region for four years.

Jacobs said Liberty Smokehouse grew out of personal loss and a desire to support fellow veterans.

“Liberty actually came out of the loss of my younger brother to veteran suicide in 2014,” Jacobs told Business Debut. His brother, Kevin Jacobs, served as a lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps. Jacobs served as a Navy corpsman. He said cooking provided a path forward after combat and grief.

“Food saved me,” Jacobs told Business Debut. “If it saved me, maybe we could save a few others.”

What to Expect

The new restaurant will operate with a hybrid counter-service model. Guests will order at the counter, and members of the culinary team will run food and check on tables. Jacobs said the approach is designed to keep chefs engaged with guests and maintain a hospitality focus.

“It is not about how many tips we got when we go home,” he told Business Debut. “Did we impact a life when it left that building?”

Liberty Smokehouse plans to keep its food truck active, with a shift toward St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, Plant City, Wesley Chapel, and Lutz once the Tampa restaurant opens, Jacobs said.

Liberty Smokehouse blends Jacobs' backgrounds of regional American barbecue and his French culinary training. He grew up in Virginia around pits and whole hog cooking and later earned a master’s in culinary arts in France.

The menu will center on smoked meats with a focus on refinement, preservation, and technique. Jacobs said the team leans on curing, brining, pickling, and Koji aging for brisket burgers, other meats, hot sauce, and kimchi.

At the brick-and-mortar, Jacobs plans chef-driven, seasonal dishes that use smoke and fire as a base. He cited classic French preparations such as coq au vin and cassoulet as inspirations that may appear in smoked or fire-focused form. Desserts will incorporate modern cooking techniques paired with live fire.

Jacobs said Liberty Smokehouse is founded on “faith, freedom, and food” and aims to “feed good people good food for good purpose.” He plans to relaunch a previous program called Vet to Chef, which was designed to help veterans who have lost a sense of service and purpose hone culinary skills.

The restaurant is also filing for a beer and wine license and plans collaborations with local breweries to create pairings for the menu, Jacobs said.

Opening Timeline

An exact opening date is to be announced, but Jacobs told Business Debut the team is “ready to roll” once approvals are complete.

Hours

Jacobs said the restaurant will open with daytime service from 11 a.m. until sold out. The team is considering a future brunch program targeting early next year, subject to seating adjustments and operational needs. Full regular hours are to be announced.