Ocean Ink Raw Bar is Barterhouse owner Ken Emery’s second restaurant concept in Ybor City. (Ocean Ink).
On the menu at Ocean Ink Raw Bar in Ybor City, you might notice something called Little Cleo.
Literally, it’s the name of a small spoon-shaped metal fishing lure created in the early 1950s by the Acme Tackle Company. Ocean Ink owner and founder Ken Emery explains that, on a menu, Little Cleo refers to a bycatch, or unintended catch of non-target species during wild deep sea fishing, which might include squid, octopus, or other crustaceans. Rather than being thrown back or discarded, the bycatch can be integrated into seafood smorgasbords as a ceviche.
Emery isn’t a typical restaurateur. He looks more like a windblown fisherman—tanned, scruffy, and excited to share his passion for shrimp and lobster. In case you didn’t know, Maine lobster is served with mayonnaise; Connecticut lobster is all about the butter.
Emery first found success in Charleston with Burwell’s Stone Fire Grill (surf and turf) and Balao, a raw bar named for the small baitfish found exclusively in the Western Atlantic Ocean. The latter was shuttered after Hurricane Dorian in 2019, so Emery shifted focus to his native Tampa. He opened Barterhouse in Ybor City in 2019 with small plates and craft cocktails. Ocean Ink is his latest creation — a genuine seafood raw bar that seeks to educate and invites exploration.
“I’m in love with Tampa and I’m in love with food,” Emery says. “I want to bring a little bit of the magic of being on a boat and tasting fresh fish right from the water.”
The menu states not all ingredients are created equal and Emery wants patrons to get curious about pricing and quality. When ordering, “Make it Key West & Boutique” adds a small premium and refers to sourcing from family-run fisheries and local fishermen like Versaggi Shrimp and KX Seafood.
“The option of specifying local at a slight premium helps illustrate how shrimp, lobster, and oysters can vary, and the pricier product is almost always better,” Emery says.
Ocean Ink’s outdoor bar features a curated drink menu. (Ocean Ink)
But he stresses that he wants to be approachable to all with a range of price points.
Chef Curtis Brown leads the kitchen with an attitude that less is more, and dishes are better with minimal dressing.
“I want people to really taste and appreciate the seafood,” Emery says.
On a cool evening recently, with a light breeze floating through the outdoor bar, I tried the Key West shrimp roll, a lighter take on a lobster roll, and six Gulf oysters that taste like little pockets of the salt life. An approachable and curated drink menu accompanies Ocean Ink’s fresh fare. Led by Ryan Yount, former beverage talent from Pluma in St. Pete, cocktails like the “old salt” are smooth as velvet. The agave old fashioned is a smoky delight. The service is also excellent.
Emery’s next venture is Tommy’s Chophouse, a modern, “feminine” take on the steakhouse concept with lighter portions and cuts — perfect for date night. It’ll live inside the Kress building, adding to the critical mass of new, exciting, innovative food and drink options arriving in Ybor City.
Ybor is Tampa’s most dynamic neighborhood, blending old and new, traditional and contemporary. Try to change my mind.
For more information, go to Ocean Ink Raw Bar