Sarasota Brewing Company

May 25, 2008
Visited on 5/24/08. Bar and restaurant decor consists of stones, wood and fireplaces giving it a mountain lodge-like feel. Unfortunately, the aroma of the entire brewpub was consonant with stale spilled beer and alcohol giving the dim-lighting an even more unpleasant ambiance. TVs abound throughout the venue thus detracting from the quaint European feel to this establishment. Bartender was rude and obnoxious to many guests (not us, fortunately) frequently dropping the F-bomb and talking in unflattering ways about patrons. We did not sample the food, but what we saw looked mediocre at best. This brewpub has a long way to go to be any type of venue worth visiting a second time.

November 6, 2007
this can be hit or miss. I have been patronizing since it opened in the late 1980’s and the place used to really be about the beer and now it’s really is just a sports bar that makes beer. Sad, I wish it could return to the glory days!

August 13, 2006
From 8/12 late afternoon visit: Nice sports theme restaurant. Service was average but the Rueben was excellent. Not a huge selection of house brews (about 6 on tap). Brews are good but not excellent. Nice place to watch sports and drink some Micros. I’ll be back!

June 4, 2006
I go there for the Winter Spice when it is season.

April 20, 2006
We were vacationing in the area. Not worth a long trip, but a solid brewpub and aparently the only option south of the Tampa Bay area. I found the service OK and the food pretty good. The Pale Ale was mediocre, but the Porter was quite good as was the Blue Marlin Marzen. Sorry I missed the honey-mead, Vince the brewmaster (who happily chats up customers and gives tours) said a new batch was almost ready. My nephew echoes crizay’s verdict on the Reuben!

March 25, 2006
Visited here in March ’06. Set on a street full of bars, tatoo parlors etc. - but warm and friendly once you get inside. Looks like an old fashioned midwestern bar inside especially with all the snowbirds sitting at the bar with their fanny packs and playing backgammon. Have five rotating beers of their own on tap and a few guest taps. The beers were about average for a brewpub, really enjoyed the porter. Only had the nachos for a snack, they were pretty decent. Worth a visit if you are in the area - but if you have the kids, come during the day - area looks pretty rough at night.

January 22, 2006
Pretty cozy atmosphere with all the old wood and stone in there, I loved the midwest thing’s I was picking up the Ohio State Banners along with other Big Tens teams on the ceiling, Cleveland Indians’s License Plates, Awesome food we had Shark Bites which for the first time kicked ass, Reuben kicked ass, Burger kicked ass, Oh Ya the beer, It also kicked ass but only 5 to choose from, the winter solstice was awesome and the porter, couple other’s to hold you over were good. I wouldn’t drive all the way to Sarasota just to go here but plan a Sunday like we did and go to Siesta Key beach for the day then hit this place up, the woman was very pleased.

November 25, 2005 [ Updated June 5, 2007 ]
Nice enough atmosphere. Sports bar-ish and the setting is fairly intimate, but the crowd definitely seems on the older side so no boisterous crowds I’d imagine. Beer isn’t great (in a push the boundaries kind of way), but it’s solidly average to quite good and the food is so/so to good...though they make some pretty damn impressive from scratch blue cheese dressing...we actually inquired after the brand so we could buy some.

Definitely worth a visit if you are in Sarasota and I saw about THREE Irish Pubs ALL in walking distance so it seems to be a great pub crawl area.

November 22, 2005
Second time I have been here and the service and brews were much improved. Sports pub with games and TV’s with good size bar. Had the sampler of six brews. Four were standards and two new brews. Had two other local brews and was pleased with the selection. Mug club and appears to be standard crowd. Wing selection was large and spicy. Worth the visit and will try again in spring.

October 14, 2005
Nice little sports bar with many games going on. I tried their sampler platter and ended up having a couple of Porters. The micro-brews were good, but nothing extrordinary. The pizza was good!