Original Floridian Bar and Grill Coming to St. Joe

ST. JOE, FL — Florida Cracker Restaurant Group co-founder Blair Hensley is preparing to open The Original Floridian Bar and Grill, a bourbon-focused bar and grill at 31936 St Joe Rd, Dade City, FL 33525, in the historic St. Joe community, he told Business Debut. The building, which has previously housed several restaurants, is in the final stages of a full interior rebuild.

What to Expect

The Original Floridian will operate as a high-end bourbon bar with a straightforward food menu. Hensley said guests can expect roughly 400 to 500 bourbons on the back bar, along with a strong tequila lineup and other spirits.

The restaurant will seat about 65 to 66 guests and use a hybrid service model where guests order at the bar or counter and then choose their seats while staff handle ongoing service. Indoor seating will be complemented by front and back porches for outdoor dining, plus live music a couple of nights a week and a few televisions without a full sports bar feel.

Décor will lean into local history and Old Florida character. Hensley plans to feature the mounted Sharber Buck, a 164-inch typical ten-point buck taken on nearby Sharber Road, along with a mounted water buffalo and other memorabilia from the surrounding area. A 1964 grove truck from a historic citrus farm will serve as the road-front sign.

Menu and Vision

The menu will highlight wings, prime rib, short rib burgers, fried catfish, fried gator, chicken sandwiches and salads, with plans to add wood-fired pizza at a later stage. Burgers will be ground from prime rib and short rib for a richer flavor profile than standard burger blends.

The Original Floridian is the first concept under that name within the Florida Cracker portfolio, which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, bar and retail locations. Hensley’s brother, chef Ethan Hensley, is behind the brand’s menus, drawing on his culinary studies in New England Institute in Vermont, and fine-dining experience at American Seasons in Nantucket, MA.

Chief operating officer and partner Sean Christie has been instrumental in establishing and growing the Florida Cracker brand, helping translate the family’s concepts into scalable restaurant operations, Hensley said.

Opening Timeline

Hensley said the team is focused on completing the interior reconstruction and systems setup before opening. There is no firm opening date yet, and the official opening timeline will be announced once construction and inspections are complete.

Hours

The Original Floridian is planning to open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Current plans call for:

• Tuesday and Wednesday: 11 a.m.—9 p.m.
• Thursday through Saturday: 11 a.m.—11 p.m.
• Sunday: closing time to be announced.

Hours may be adjusted after opening based on guest demand.

Follow for More

For updates on The Original Floridian and other concepts under the Florida Cracker umbrella, visit their website and follow Florida Cracker on Instagram and Facebook.