When you’re hot, you’re hot – and St. Pete’s newest brewery is absolutely on fire lately. Voodoo Brewing Co., which has been earning rave reviews and a massive following in recent months, is in the news yet again. At the annual Battle of The Breweries last week in St. Pete, Voodoo was up against some of Tampa Bay’s most elite and beloved breweries, and the new star came away as the winner for Best Beer in Tampa Bay thanks to its Ghostbusters-inspired sour ale, Lacto-Kooler.
The green beer is one of the most popular selections at Voodoo since opening, an ecto-green Berliner Weisse-style beer that’s packed with flavor and the perfect amount of mouth-puckering sour bite. Fans of sour beers absolutely need to check this one out (and if you’ve never dared to try a sour ale, now’s the time – imagine your favorite sour candy as a kid, but with 5.5% alcohol now that you’re an adult).
Voodoo Brewing Co. (220 4th Street North) has become a fast favorite for its massive space inside a historic building, its full bar, its surprisingly delicious scratch kitchen, its games and TVs, and its sun-drenched patio and outdoor bar. But we’d be remiss not to point to its namesake product as a true standout: the beer.
Lacto-Kooler is deserving of praise (as the voters clearly proved), but Voodoo has a deep roster of excellent brews beyond its star sour. The Cowbell is a personal favorite, a double-chocolate and oatmeal imperial milk stout that’s practically dessert in a pint glass.
You also can’t go wrong with their “Empty Calories.” It’s their take on mass market light lagers, delivering supremely smooth flavor while still keeping carbs and calories down. When you just want a cold, refreshing, beer-flavored beer, this is your answer. For hopheads, we also recommend the Thunder Lizard, an ultra-hoppy, ultra-malty, and unabashedly boozy imperial IPA. That one checks in at 9.2% ABV, so you may want to get a pizza or an order of mussels to pair.
Celebrate all types of gameday at Voodoo
We’re already been eyeing Voodoo as an excellent spot for March Madness, thanks to the lineup of huge TVs mounted high over the bar, easily seen from any spot in the giant tasting room. Plus, they’re open for lunch every day, so you can skip out on work to catch the afternoon games and enjoy a couple pints. But televised games aren’t the only ones drawing throngs of people to the downtown hotspot.
Voodoo has one of the biggest pinball collections in town, and as dedicated local pinball fans know, there are only a handful of places in St. Pete that have any at all – and exceedingly few in the downtown area. A full half of the second floor overlooking the bar is dedicated to games, with popular pinball machines lining the wall and a new pool table in the middle of it all.
And when you need a break for a burger or beer (why not both? You’ve earned it.), there is a full dining area full of tables right next to the games. On a nice day, they even crack open the windows so you can enjoy a little breeze and sunshine as you look over the ground-floor beer hall. Voodoo is also open to all ages, so feel free to bring the kiddos to play a couple rounds of pinball. There’s even a “micro brewers ” kids menu to order from, as well.
Great eats in DTSP
It’s only fitting that the grand space formerly home to one of St. Pete’s historic cafeterias is now one of the best casual dining and drinks spots in downtown – featuring what may be the best wings in downtown St. Pete. Voodoo Brewing Co. has quickly earned rave reviews not just for its popular beers and cocktails, but for the elevated pub fare being produced by the talented team in the kitchen, including huge burgers, wild pizzas, and much more.
Famous as the former home of the historic Orange Blossom Cafeteria, the Mediterranean Revival building now home to Voodoo turns 100 this year, and perhaps no concept could be more fitting for the grand space than this. With two floors of seating and games, a winding bar, outdoor seating and an open-air entrance, Voodoo Brewing has quickly become a community gathering space since opening its doors in the final months of 2024.
One of the pleasant surprises, at least for us, has been the excellent eats being served up at Voodoo. On our first visit, we were just excited to try the new beers (we had been eyeing the Lacto Kooler for some time). But after ordering the first round, we took a look at the food offerings and discovered something a bit more unexpected: this was an ambitious menu, particularly by brewery standards.
Elite chicken wings at Voodoo
To start, they have what may very well be the best wings in downtown, which is a high bar to meet. House-smoked and tossed in your choice of house-made sauces, these are wings worth leaving the house for. Their soft, doughy and fresh-baked pub pretzel is as big as a small child, and the house-made mustard it’s served with is one of the best dipping sauces we’ve had anywhere. Voodoo even has a full menu of various beer mussels, for the seafood-inclined.
Moving onto the mains, the sizable pizzas have become a fast favorite (the dill pickle pie is a stunner for the pickle fans in the audience). They also have a nice mix of healthy options (salads, chickpea burgers, or the pressed turkey BLT) as well as the more indulgent eats, such as the “Chicky Chicky Bang Bang” fried chicken sandwich, or the Tortilla Burger overflowing with pepperjack cheese, jalapenos, cheddar, and house-fried tortilla strips.
Learn more about Voodoo Brewing Co. and check out the full menu here. Voodoo is open Monday – Thursday from 12-11 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am – midnight, and on Sundays from 11 am – 10 pm.
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