Kilts and Beer, The North End Tap House joins Gulfport Art Village
Kelly Wright and Houston Gilbreath tapped the kegs and let the crafted beers flow Saturday, February 29, during the grand opening of The North End Tap House located at 2908 1/2 Beach Blvd. S., sandwiched between Stella’s and Low Tide Kava Bar in the Gulfport Art Village.
“Sixteen months ago, we were saw this space and said, ‘Let’s do something here in the courtyard,’” stated co-owner Kelly Wright. “We really had a vision for this space, with the courtyard and the craft beer and we have more ideas coming that will benefit everyone in the courtyard and Gulfport.”
“It started out with the idea of us doing a nano-brewery,” explained Gilbreath. But, due to city code and space constraints, the tap house was born instead. “We wanted to bring the Bay-area craft brewery scene to Gulfport,” said Gilbreath. “The closest is downtown St. Pete; there was nowhere you could just walk to.”
It was a long 16 months of renovations and unsavory structural and code surprises. The building is now ADA compliant and sports an open-air design, with roll-up windows along with indoor and outdoor seating. The tap house offers over 30 beers, house-made sandwiches and wine.
“Everyone is welcome, just be cool,” said Gilbreath.
The North End Tap House is open Tuesday through Friday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to midnight. Saturday 12 p.m. to midnight. Closed on Mondays.
Sea Dog Cantina Joins Local Gulfport Community
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank the whole community of Gulfport. It’s been a very welcoming and unique experience,” said brand owner Fred Forsley during Sea Dog Cantina Restaurant and Tequila Bar’s ribbon cutting on Monday evening, February 17. Sea Dog Cantina is located at 2832 Beach Blvd. S.
“The Sea Dog brand is family-owned,” said Forsley. “My daughter will run this location.”
The location is family friendly and sports a fun atmosphere much like their two other related pubs.
“You can come here with your friends to hang out or bring the whole family,” said Forsley.
“We decided on the Mexican concept because of the architecture of the property,” continued Forsley. “And it’s a cuisine that the waterfront district didn’t have before we came here.”
The locally inspired cantina restaurant boasts scratch made Mexican and Latin recipes, craft cocktails, locally brewed beer, and serves over 30 tequilas in two full-service bars.
“There’s something for everybody,” said Forsley. “We even have plant-based food options. We tried to hit all peoples’ interest. If you want something else on the menu let us know, we’ll try to accommodate.”
Sea Dog Cantina is open Monday to Thursday 4 to 10 p.m. and Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
