One of Tampa’s most highly-anticipated new food and drink experiences is finally set to make its debut. D.G. Yuengling & Son, America’s oldest brewery, will open Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen on June 15.
The sprawling new facility is on the same site as the brewing production facility Yuengling opened in 1999 at 11111 N 30th Street, but this first-ever concept for the company will invite the public inside for the brewery’s celebrated beers and history inside a beautiful space. The completed facility will include the restaurant and taproom, a lobby café, a massive beer garden with dozens of taps and yard games, private event and dining spaces, and a sleek ground-level tap room with sweeping views of the campus grounds.
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We got a sneak peek at the space last week, and based on the design alone, this project has been worth the wait. The Yuengling family – who was on hand for the ribbon cutting – took their time and spared no expense to create a truly unique space in Tampa.
Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen brings beer-fueled adventure
Of course, what we’re most excited to try is the food from Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen. Everyone knows their beer (Flight is our personal go-to), but this type of venture is a first for the company – opening a full restaurant. The menu is very beer centric, with listed beer pairings for each item, and the majority of the dishes either being made with beer or made specifically to pair with Yuengling.
We’re told more tweaks are coming for the final product, but the early menu we got a look at is absolutely tantalizing. The Crispy Fish Banh Mi, for example, uses Yuengling’s Flight for the beer batter and includes Light Lager pickles.
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Other intriguing handhelds include a surf and turf burger, blackened snapper tostadas, and the open-faced “Chetty” chicken Fasnacht. Meanwhile, entrees are calling our name with options such as potato crusted Gulf snapper, grilled angus beef skirt steak, and a chicken and dumplings plate made with smoked jerk-rubbed chicken, tiny duck fat tamales, and a chocolate porter mole. Chef recommends pairing that one with a Black & Tan or their Dark Brewed Porter.
We also wouldn’t say no the drunken drumsticks, the lobster fries, the smoked Gulf fish dip, or the crispy fried Gulf oysters Rockefeller.
Inside the new facility, Yuengling is planning to have a full calendar of events, from live music on weekends to a curated list of interactive activities and experiences. There is also a huge new gift shop attached to the tasting room where guests find all things Yuengling, including several coolers full of beer. There are even taps for growler fills in the gift store. And the beer garden, which will open later this summer, has its own bar, tons of games, and firepits for those few weeks a year when the weather cools down.
Yuengling Tampa is aiming to become yet another must-visit destination in the area, with Busch Gardens just a couple blocks down the road, and USF’s proposed on-campus football stadium just a hop, skip and jump away upon completion.
Stay tuned to That’s So Tampa for the latest, and follow Yuengling Tampa on Instagram for more updates.
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