St. Pete, and the entire Tampa Bay Area, is well known for its impressive array of big-time breweries pumping out popular beers and distributing them across the globe. Their gigantic warehouses full of massive tanks are certainly impressive, but some of the best beer in the bay is quietly being brewed inside a house in Gulfport.
Open since the summer of 2020, Gulfport Brewery + Eatery has quickly built a cult following and is already a neighborhood favorite for those who call Gulfport home. The laid-back brewpub on Gulf Boulevard is housed inside a converted home, complete with couches, easy chairs and dining room tables to match. Outside, lights hang over the expansive beer garden giving imbibers room to spread out under sun or stars.
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Inside at the bar, the expansive beer list runs 16 deep with a tap list featuring the house favorites and rotating small batch brews. Perhaps the most popular selection is the Unsteady Freddy IPA, a 7.3% ABV brew with “a bright profile of mango, pineapple, citrus peel, and cannabis candy,” the menu informs. The Gulf Porter, a hearty and warming ale, is another favorite, but the head brewer really lets his creative side show in the rotating seasonals.
The Snake In My Boot, a pineapple gold ale, is a light and fruity treat, while the beach Bling Pale Ale is a delightfully hazy pint of hoppiness. And those who like sours, get there as soon as you can to try There’s Always Money in the Strawberry Banana Stand, a tantalizingly tart strawberry and banana sour.
The kitchen delivers delicious snacks and comfort food
Of course, it isn’t just the beer that keeps people coming back. The food from the kitchen is some of the best you can find in Gulfport, brewery or otherwise. The menu forgoes any attempt at being light and easy, instead doubling down on the carb-fueled fun one expects when it’s time for a beer.
From flatbreads and sandwiches to tacos and gourmet hot dogs, with plenty in between, Gulfport Brewery + Eatery has put together a kitchen that is quickly growing in reputation for pleasingly gluttonous eats. Highlights include loaded tater tots, a buffalo chicken flatbread, mojo pork sliders and the 420 Nachos, a gargantuan stack of nachos covered in lime rice, black beans, pico, queso, and the meat of your choosing.
Perhaps the most popular features, however, are the rotating weekend specials. Always something different, the kitchen uses the weekends to really show off their culinary chops. Last week, for instance, featured lobster rolls and chicken birria tacos. Others have been stuffed bell peppers, teriyaki pineapple chicken, lamb lollipops and a portabella mushroom burger.
The brewery’s newest event series showcases all of its talents through a monthly boozy brunch every fourth Sunday with beer, mimosas and, of course, beermosas. Food specials change each month, but January’s included bananas foster French toast, biscuits and gravy, and a buble waffle cone stuffed with Nutella, crushed pretzels, strawberries and bananas.
Between fantastic beer, delicious food, and a constant stream of events and live music, Gulfport Brewery’s growing reputation is easy to understand. With the atmosphere of a neighborhood pub, the quality of the area’s best breweries, and a heavy dose of Gulfport’s quirky charm, this boozy oasis is easily one of the best in the bay.
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