Tobacco Road to Pop Up in Brickell

Tobacco Road appears set to return (sort of). Photo by Alex Markow

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When Tobacco Road closed in 2014, a page was torn from Miami's history book.

For 102 years, the Road served as a bakery, a brothel, a gangster hideaway, and a speakeasy. Its liquor license was issued in 1912 and within its walls, nearly every major blues act performed.

When Tobacco Road closed in the wee hours of October 26, 2014, owner Patrick Gleber vowed to reopen. A new location was announced — just across the street from the original — along with plans of taking the iconic bar to sea. The bar did open on the Norwegian Escape cruise ship, but the new Miami version didn't materialize.

Until now.

New Times has learned that Tobacco Road appears set to return to Miami as a collaborative project between Kush Hospitality's Matt Kuscher and Tobacco Road's Gleber.

Instagram

Kuscher has confirmed to New Times that he intends to open A Tribute to Tobacco Road by Kush in the former River Oyster Bar location in Brickell, not far from where the original Tobacco Road once stood.

The story leaked out earlier this week when a menu mockup was posted as an Instagram story. In a phone call, Kuscher emphasized that nothing has been finalized but he hopes to open as soon as January 2021. The new Road will open as a pop-up for about a year.

Fully aware of the monumental task of bringing a beloved bar back to life, Kuscher said the new iteration is intended as a tribute to Tobacco Road, not a re-creation.

"No way can I ever re-create anything as iconic and special as Tobacco Road," Kuscher told New Times.

New Times was unable to contact Gleber for comment. We'll follow this story as developments warrant.