Bar Hwrd: A SoHo No-No

1 1/2 Snaps! Not worth your time

Bar Hwrd box lunch

Soho in Tampa is known more for partying than it is for good food. However Bar Hwrd  opened in the heart of the district and I try it in with moderate expectations. Going on trend, grub here is served from a food truck run by the folks from Taco Bus, so it’s got potential. The truck is aptly named Soho Fuego (fuego is defined in the urban dictionary as something so cool no English word can define it) and is located in the former Drynk building on Howard Ave. 

Food is served from a truck behind the bar and is run by the folks at Taco Bus

​No one greets me at the door or host stand. After waiting, I ask the security guard- who is wearing a scowl on his face- if I should just sit anywhere. He says yes. After taking a seat on the patio I wait at my table for 10 minutes while servers play Jenga a couple of feet away in an otherwise empty space. Frustrated I walk to the bar and order. The bartender is friendly and affirms the people playing Jenga should have taken my order. It is, to say the least, confusing as though the staff are just here to socialize. The service never improves. No one comes to the table as my drink sits empty. There is no follow up after my food is delivered. Peculiar.

Food is presented kind of mangled in a cardboard box along with sauce.

​The menu consists of simple bar food. As one might expect from Taco Bus, it’s tacos, quesadillas, burritos along with wings. Food is all prepared in the truck outside and served in cardboard boxes.

The Grilled Marinated Shrimp taco- pico de gallo, purple cabbage, lime cream sauce

​I start with Grilled Marinated Shrimp Taco ($4.50). Presentation wise, it’s a soft taco crammed in a square  container. Eye candy it is not. There are three medium size shrimp in a barbeque-like sauce served on a soft tortilla that is doughy. It has some nice heat and a reasonable garlic-y flavor balanced by a lime cream sauce.
I follow that up with a grilled chicken quesadilla ($5.00). It is one and a half tortillas folded in to quarters, filled with chicken and served with a roasted red pepper cream sauce that is smoky and dominating. Both dishes are unapologetically bar food but it leaves me wondering why make the effort at all?

The Grilled Chicken Quesadilla- with pico de gallo and roasted red pepper cream.

​Food (and service) at Bar Hwrd is secondary to partying. It is reasonable to believe the theory here is people come to SoHo to drink. Serving elevated bar food might be a waste so they put energy in to creating a place that lends itself to drinking and hanging out. 

​There's a mural outside that reads "Southern Hospitality". Given the service and food it's hard to imagine what south they are speaking of. I was born here. My Bar Hwrd experience is anything but.

​Parking anywhere in Soho is a problem. Here they charge $5 to valet even on an empty Saturday afternoon. The patio and interior have numerous flat screens for sports and an adult play area outside with Jenga, Corn hole, and large chess board. They are also pet friendly outside. There are two bars inside, one servicing the patio and the other is a large area with cool lighting and a huge screen in the back of the bar.

Bar Hwrd is located in the former Drynk building in SoHo

Bar Hwrd is not the place to go for food. There are two other taco places on the same block with better service and a higher quality of grub. However, if you want to watch a game or in get some adult play time, check it out. Just be prepared to serve yourself.