Manila Bay Sails Into Former Pirate’s Bone Crossroads Space

By Kevin Collison

Manila Bay Express, a Filipino restaurant, is opening in the Crossroads space previously occupied by Pirate’s Bone, replacing its former tenant’s all veggie menu with such delicacies as pata, crunchy pork skin enclosing tender meat.

Co-owner Brandon Boyd said this will be the second Manila Bay in the metro, the other is in Grandview, and the owners are responding from Kansas City customers asking for a closer place.

“We like the Crossroads because of the diversity here,” he said. “The streetcar also is great and our foot traffic is nice. We like the whole demographic here.”

Manila Bay currently is holding a soft opening, a grand opening is expected Oct. 2. Hours are from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and the hours should expand to earlier, for breakfast, and later, for drinks, once its fully up and running.

Manila Bay Express is taking over the former Pirate’s Bone Burger space at 20th and Main.

The menu includes rice bowls; Bilao platters with crispy pata, lechon, a roasted suckllng pig dish, and sisig, chopped pig parts with chicken liver in a spicy and sour dressing; Pancit Palabok, rice noodle with cream mushroom and shrimp sauce; broasted chicken, and liempo, marinated pork belly.

Manila Bay, which is located at 20th and Main, has a full liquor license and Boyd said Filipino beers including Red Horse and San Miguel will be available as well as specialty cocktails from the Pacific Island nation.

“There are enough bars around here where you can get a Bud,” he said.

Manila Bay will be the second Filipino restaurant to open downtown recently. Ting’s Filipino Bistro opened this week in the City Market.

As for Pirate’s Bone Burger, the vegetarian restaurant that opened in September 2019 closed in mid-August. The owners could not be reached for comment. Pirate’s Bone also opened a place in Midtown last March but it closed in July.