Hoppers Grille And Brewery

Hoppers Grille and Brewery is located smack dab in the middle of the upscale area of Tampa in a shopping center. Careful when you drive by because you might miss it. Hoppers has an outdoor patio section with some tables. The weather is usually pleasant enough that it's open year round. Inside is clean and neat, with the brewing stainless and copper to the left, and the spacious restaurant and ten stool bar are straight forward. The restaurant benches are slightly narrow, and the wood interior mixed with the stone slab floor makes for a comfy feel.

This joint is clean and it passes the "Could you take your Mom here for a beer?" test. Decent bathrooms to boot, as well.

A good selection of beer is available for a brewpub. Take my advice and order the sampler flight. For a meager $10 you get a healthy serving of each of their brews on tap. There were two that were off tap because they were being brewed while there. Other than that, no qualms whatsoever for Hoppers. My bartender was a guy in his 20s named Jason, who couldn't have been more enthusiastic about discussing our favorite topic. Another guy there named Dave understood my beer apreciation so he took the time to explain EVERY beer in detail with a brief description of the style and flavor.

Grubbage wise, the food fits the bill with a standard pub grub fare, done quite well. My choice: Hawaiian chicken and a side 'o slaw. After two hours of brew sampling bliss, I exited completely satisfied with all aspects of my beer experience. Too bad Florida does not allow growlers, although the 'keep told me that they used to do them anyway 'til they got busted by the man. Best brew overall was the Hefe, and the Lambic was untamed creativity, although I question the acuracy of the style adherence.

Last swigs: Glad that I ran across this place in my travels. I will definitely go back again if and when back in Tampa, FL. The brewer is 100% Austrian, so his Germanic brewing prowess is pronounced.

Visited the north tampa location a few nights ago. Its tucked away in a strip mall in one of those upscale country clubish communities that Florida is rife with. From what I gathered from their website, their are 6 Hoppers in the greater tampa bay area.

The location I visited was very spacious inside. The decore-beer signs and parapanalia, an abundance of polished wood- was attractive though somewhat standard. Kind of like they told the design "make this look like a brewpub. The brewing kettles are displayed behind glass, which gives the place a classy yet remote feeling, Personally I perfer the up close and personal arrangement at the Tampa Bay Brewing Company.

The beer was excellent. Their sampler is one of the best beer baragins I have come across. For 10 bucks we got a mini chalice(filled to aprox 6 oz) of each of the TWELEVE beers the currently had on tap. The Flying Gator Ale was my personal fav. Hoppy and medium bodied with a good lingering head and ABV above 6. I also enjoy their Belgian Pale Pear ale. The name pretty acurately descibes it, a good quality Belgian pale ale with pear aromas, added sweetness, and pear favors underneath the malt and yeast character. Their Tampa Red was also excellent and would make a great session beer.
I'm always a bit disapointed by brew-pubs that are afraid of experiemention. Hoppers did not disapoint. They offered a Mango Lambic, what was described as Medieval Style Belgian Sweet/Sour Ale(Very tasty at first, but I struggled to finsh the glass and my girlfriend wouldn't touch it. Dark brown, very sweet, with a lambic like sourness that creeps up and lingers), and one of the most flavorful Hefe's I come across. It was golden, cloudy, with the bannana and clove flavors typical of the style, but sweet to the point of being cloying IMHO.
The food was tasty, but relitivly perdictable. Steaks, Salads, Sandwiches, Fish, Burgers. A wide selection and well presented, but overshadowed by the excellent beer. Sadly, it seemed about half the patrons were drinking bud lights, Mich Ultras, and wine coolers. Go figure.
Overall a very worthwhile visit. Just don't split the sampler between two people if either of you plan on driving anytime soon. Though wandering drunkly up and down the strip mall can be fun, as me and my girlfriend found out.

As a UK visitor to Tampa FL (May 2004) and having read the existing two favourable reviews of Hoppers, was keen to see Hoppers for myself!

Everything said in the other two reviews I heartily endorse. Went a Saturday evening and again mid-week, sat outside on the patio and was made very welcome by the owner/brewmaster, who was happy to tell a UK visitor about his beers and to chat. Tried theFischers Hefe Weiss beer, which was excellent, just as - in my opinion - a true wheat beer should be. Crisp...dry....light textured, fruity (that typical 'banana' aroma) very refreshing, easy do drink and thirst quenching -making you want more. Maybe a little sweeter than ideally, but the best US wheat beer I have had while here, and very like those 'on tap' in German and Austrian bars. Then tried the Bohemian Maerzen Pils, a darker stronger (6.1) beer with a malty full character that I enjoyed very much.

Also tried the Fischers Hefe Weizen Bock beer at 8.2% which was also excellent, dark fruity rich...heavy but very enjoyable, but I think you would only need one! The Tampa Red Ale also very drinkable, darkish, malty slightly sweet ale, more typical of US beer styles.

The service very good, and the food is also good with fair selection from snacks to main meals and the menu prices very reasonable.

More of a restaurant than a bar, but they happy to serve beer alone if not eating. Not a huge range of beers available as in some of the top recommendations in Beer Fly....but those available are very good, I think about 12 available on tap. I will sure be going again before I return to UK, and try the rest! Highly recommended. Easy to find on Linebaugh Ave, in a Shopping Mall at crossing with Countryway Blvd, just east of the junction with Racetrack Rd. In my limited experience of Beer Bars in Tampa area, this is the best one yet !

Other beers shown on their menu at June 2004 in addition to those already reviewed here in BA -
Flying Gator Ale 6.8
Belgium Blonde 6.6
Hammel Burger Mearzen 5.7
Cat Tail Pale Ale 6.4
Tampa Red 4.8
Old Porch Dog 6.0
Belgium Brown 7.0
Belgium Apple Blonde 6.8
Katharina's Wit 3.9




John W (Birmingham England)

This is an exceptional venue for beer and food. This Hoppers location is located in a very upscale area of extreme northwest Tampa. As such, it is located on a very nice strip mall area with great parking and a very nice outdoor seating area to the front of the store itself. The inside is cavernous for a brewpub, easily twice the size of a typical Hops location and with high ceilings and great decor. At this location the brewery equipment fills the left side of the store, is behing glass walls and is easily viewable by all diners and drinkers.

The single bar is huge and nicely equipped and appointed. The waitstaff is plentiful, but only some of the staff is well-versed on the beer, placing more emphasis on the excellent food offerings. The food is excellent with dishes ranging from seafood to steaks and the pricing is quite good for the quality and quantity.

The beers brewed here are quite good and the range of styles impressive. The brewmaster is from a long line of German brewers and very picky as to how the beers are presented and served. Expressing an interest in the beer will easily earn you a complete tour of the brewing facilities, a feature in which the brewers here take great pride.

This is a very well decorated and appointed location, with great beer and food. Highly recommended.

One of, I understand, 5 locations of "Hoppers."

So there's that 5.0 for selection and here's why: Hoppers brews both lambics and two kinds pilseners, one extra hoppy. After visiting a gazillion brewpubs, I have got to say that combination rates a five. I didn't try the lambic (damn you, rental car!) but found the two pilseners (which gestate a long time and are expensive as hell to brew) noticeably different (quietly tasty and tasty with a bit of swagger.)

The restaurant and bar are located in one of the Sunshine state's inescapable shopping centers, but the interior is above average in decor. Lots of black on the walls (which is cool in the land of aqua.) Unique "spigot" taps behind the bar and a dedication to proper glassware for each style. One wall dominated by tanks behind glass, each clearly marked to let the patrons see what's on the way. Florida's obsession with sports is in evidence; high on two of four walls, there are TV's showing the Lightning, or college or NFL football.

The food runs a range of pub-to-sports munchies-to-restaurant standards: quesadillas with grouper or shrimp, dynamite boneless insanity sauce chicken, blackened scallops, snow crab, steak, veggie reuben etc. etc. You'll find something you like, at the very least, and the presentation is thought out beyond just throwing items on a plate. My companion and I went for the specials which were more individualized and unique (conch fritters! yum!) and I'll bet you'll have the same experience.

Service at the bar was brisk, and (best of all) the young female bartender was PROUD of the beer Hoppers brewed, happy to be working at this great restaurant, and happy to share personal opinions about the various brews. It all seems so simple when it's done right, but that's the service sector for you.

Highly recommended.