Da'Shrine: An African Caribbean Restaurant

  T he building has been sitting for a while. Lets explore what finally took over.  Da'Shrine, 2023 L et me start this one off by stating that I am in no means an expert on Africa, their cuisine, or their culture. Da'Shrine claims to be a mixture of African and Caribbean cuisine. They are sporting a restaurant with a rooftop bar. If you had been to The Refinery prior to coming here, you'll know how the rooftop bar was set up. Unfortunately, the bar wasn't open when we went due to some maintenance that needed to be done before they could open. They did manage to use the space well, though, given how small the building actually is. They also have music playing from the TV, which is fine, but you can't hear the bartender over the bass. But that's not why you're here. Old Fashioned, 2023 T he bar is a square bar sitting against the back wall when you walk in. They have a decent selection with six beer taps as well. The bartender was telling us about some unique

CLOSED: Hey Giant! Biscuits on a Mission

It's morning in America. Time to get some breakfast.

Hey Giant, 2018

When Stormy and I had first heard about the Seminole Heights Society Wine Bar opening, we saw a lonely pizza shop next door called Crusty's. I made the comment to Stormy many times that we should, one day, check it out. Needless to say, that never ended up happening and Crusty's moved. The building sat vacant for a little while before work started happening. When the new paint scheme went onto the old building, it was clear that something completely different was going into the space. New life came to the old building. The concept is so simple that it shouldn't work, but it does. Biscuits and waffles by day, educational center and event space by night. I was never sure that it was open as it always seemed like they were doing work on the inside. My doubts were put to rest during last year's Small Business Saturday event, when we stopped in to get our stamp on our passport. The problem now was their hours. Let me state, for the record, I am not a morning person. But that's not why you came here.

Customers, 2018

Lets get one thing out of the way: You see that table in the back with the three women sitting at it? That is the only indoor seat (on a typical day). If they get busy, I assume they'll open up the classroom area (or it could've just been on this particular day). Their outdoor backyard patio seems to be the best seat in the house, though I didn't get a chance to check it out or get pictures (rain, rain, go away). I'll have to take everyone else's word on it. Now, to those of you who aren't in the know (aka: Me before writing this article), Hey Giant is a community based establishment. The sale of their biscuits, waffles, teas, and coffees go back into Hey Giant to fund their classroom and other events for the community. They host film festival, writing centers, and they have an impressive display of Lego's. I'm not even going to pretend to know all of the details or pricing, but if you're interested, be sure to check out their website

Biscuits, 2018

The first biscuit I ordered was the Brisket on a Biscuit, I also got a Cheddy Guava Biscuit, Stormy got the Honey Ham Biscuit and the Cheddy Ham Biscuit. So, they essentially serve you two of any biscuit that you order. They are mini biscuits. You probably wont get full off of one, so I'd suggest going for two. Right off the bat, the Brisket on a Biscuit caught my eye. This is (obviously) brisket with coleslaw, on a buttermilk biscuit with their signature, in house BBQ sauce. The gentleman behind the counter (whose name I, very stupidly, didn't get) informed us later on that a lot of their food has a kick to it (spice wise) and that they add it to taste and hope that everybody else is ok with it. I will state that the sauce was good, but I didn't get a kick from it at all. The meat was very tender (I was cutting it with a fork), the biscuit was fluffy and moist, and the slaw... Well, there was slaw. The sauce topping everything added a nice touch that managed to bring this complex breakfast together. Stormy seemed to really enjoy the Honey Ham Biscuit, going as far as to compliment the spice of the honey mustard they used on this biscuit. That's impressive as Stormy usually hates spice. The Cheddy Ham Biscuit was good, but it is nothing to write home about. Given all of the other amazing biscuits that they manage to serve, this one seems to be their safe bet. You order this one for picky eaters and they should be fine. And then the Cheddy Guava Biscuit. This biscuit shouldn't work. It shouldn't at all. Guava jelly on a cheddar cheese biscuit? I'm not a huge fan of guava, fruit and cheese has always been a weird combo for me, and just no! I'm going to tell you right now: Whatever is holding you back from ordering it, ignore that feeling. Go all in and trust the guava. The gentleman behind the bar told me that this was their signature biscuit and I can see why. The flavor jumped off that biscuit before I even took a bite. If you stop in, try this biscuit. You're welcome.

Coffee and Tea, 2018

Alas, we couldn't eat biscuits without something to help wash it down. I went for the blueberry pomegranate tea and Stormy got herself an iced coffee. She didn't say anything about her coffee which is usually a good this, as when she does say something about coffee it's usually not very good. She did not equate this coffee to "dirty dish water," so it's a positive. The blueberry pomegranate was overwhelmingly blueberry, which isn't a bad thing either. I didn't taste much pomegranate, which was a slight bummer, but the blueberry more than made up for that. I added no sugar to my tea, perhaps a little sweetener may have brought out some more flavor. Alas, I was being responsible (what's up, doc?). I can't complain about the tea, it was exactly what I needed at about noon. 

Cheedy Guava Biscuit, 2018

Things to know before you go:
- There is almost no parking. Seriously. If you can walk, bike, take a bus, Uber, what have you, I would strongly suggest doing that. I believe there are four parking spaces on the side. Good luck fighting for those.
- The inside of this place is also really small. It was set up as a take out pizza place and Hey Giant didn't stray too far from the original design. Seating is limited as well. 
- The staff is incredibly friendly and willing to help you out with suggestions. If you're not sure what you're looking for, order the Cheddy Guava and ask the staff what you should get for your second.
- Portions are small. You will need more than one biscuit!
-It is perfectly acceptable to snort and grunt while eating your biscuits.

What is your favorite biscuit to order? Have you ever attended one of their events? Leave a comment below. If you'd like more information on Tampa, check out our YouTube Channel and if you'd like to support my efforts, don't hesitate to buy a shirt from our Spreadshirt or become a donor at our Patreon.. Also, don't be afraid to click subscribe and you'll instantly be notified whenever a new entry is posted. If you'd like to meet other people who love Tampa, consider joining our Facebook Group. Thank you all and I will see you next time!

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