Brickell Is Getting an Izakaya — and You Can Try It First

Miami has a way of making you wait for the good stuff. Uchibā — the izakaya-inspired bar concept from James Beard Award-winning Chef Tyson Cole and Hai Hospitality — is coming to Mary Brickell Village this winter. But before the doors open, you can get a first taste. Starting November 1, the team is running exclusive happy hour pop-ups at Uchi Miami in Wynwood and Uchiko Miami Beach in Sunset Harbour, daily from 5 to 6:30 p.m. through November 15.

Think of it as a preview dinner with a bar stool and no reservation required. The pop-up menu reads like a greatest-hits of what Uchibā will do when it opens: Edamame Jalapeño Hummus with wonton chips and black lime togarashi; Karaage with kimchi caramel, jalapeño and yuzu pear; Uchibā Salad with spicy greens, miso Caesar, hazelnut and Parmesan; and Sunomono with cucumber, mango and spicy ponzu.

Each location gets its own exclusive dishes. Head to Uchi Miami for Chicken Thigh Skewers and Pork Belly. Make it Uchiko Miami Beach for Nasu Bao and Tiger Cry Bao — the kind of bites that disappear fast on a Tuesday evening in Sunset Harbour.

The cocktail program is equally worth the trip. The Dirty Ranch Water (tequila, olive brine, lime, pineapple nuoc mam) is the kind of drink that sounds wrong until it's in your hand. The Shiso Daiquiri and the Uzume — gin, sake, cucumber, Thai chili — round out a list that signals Uchibā is serious about its bar. A zero-proof Lychee Fauxtini is also on offer.

The name means "Uchi Bar" — and the concept leans into that. Where Uchi is reverent and precise, Uchibā is looser, louder, built for lingering. The Dallas original opened in 2018. Austin followed in 2023. Charlotte in 2026. Miami is next, and the Brickell address at 900 S. Miami Avenue, Space 185, will bring vintage Miami influences into a room designed around a central bar, intimate booths, moody lighting and warm wood.

Leading the kitchen will be Chef de Cuisine Juan Esteban Paz, who came up through Uchi Miami as sous chef. He knows the language of this food. The pop-ups are his introduction to Miami on his own terms.

No reservations required — though you can book through SevenRooms if you want to lock it in. The pop-ups run November 1–15, daily from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at both Uchi Miami (252 NW 25th Street, Wynwood) and Uchiko Miami Beach (1759 Purdy Avenue, Sunset Harbour). The full Uchibā Miami opening at Mary Brickell Village follows later this winter.