Unearth The Voyage
There is a second-floor spot on the Gulf Coast of Florida that keeps pulling people back, and it is not just because of the ocean view. The vibe is part sports bar, part seafood shack, part neighborhood hangout, and somehow it all works together in the most satisfying way.
Locals from Tampa drive over just for the crab cakes, and visitors who stumble in by accident end up booking a return trip before they even leave the parking lot. What makes this place tick is a mix of genuinely good food, a staff that seems to actually enjoy being there, and a balcony view that turns any ordinary afternoon into something worth remembering.
If you have not been to this corner of Pass-a-Grille yet, you are missing one of St. Pete Beach’s most entertaining and delicious secrets.
Where to Find This Beach Bar Gem
Most beach bars blend into the background, but this one announces itself with a Maryland flag snapping in the Gulf breeze. Brass Monkey sits at 709 Gulf Way, Suite 200, in St. Pete Beach, Florida 33706, right in the Pass-a-Grille neighborhood near the southern tip of the barrier island.
The address puts you steps from the Gulf of Mexico, and the second-floor location means the views are genuinely elevated, both literally and figuratively. You reach the restaurant by heading upstairs, and the moment you clear the top step, the water stretches out in front of you.
Parking on Gulf Way can be tight, especially on weekends, so arriving early is smart. The restaurant opens at 11:30 AM every day of the week, which means a late-morning beach session followed by a long lunch here is a completely reasonable life choice.
The Maryland Soul Living in a Florida Body
Walk through the door and you will immediately notice something unexpected: this place has a serious Maryland identity. The walls are decorated with Baltimore Ravens and Orioles memorabilia, a Maryland flag hangs proudly out front, and the menu reads like a love letter to the Chesapeake Bay.
The story behind the name and theme is rooted in the owners’ roots on the East Coast, and they have brought that Mid-Atlantic sensibility all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. It is a quirky combination that somehow feels completely natural once you settle into a seat.
Ravens fans who relocated to Florida have found a genuine home base here, and during game days the bar fills with people who know exactly why they showed up. But you do not need to be a sports fan or a Maryland transplant to enjoy the atmosphere.
A View That Does Most of the Talking
The outdoor deck on the second floor is the undisputed star of the whole operation. From up there, you get an unobstructed look at the Gulf of Mexico, and on a clear evening, the sunset turns the water into something that looks almost too good to be real.
Multiple reviewers have called the view spectacular, and that word is not an overstatement. The combination of the salt air, the sound of the waves, and the wide-open sky creates an atmosphere that no interior decorator could replicate.
It is the kind of setting that makes you put your phone down, at least for a few minutes.
The outdoor seating is also dog friendly, which means you can bring your four-legged travel companion along for the experience. Tables fill up quickly, especially around sunset, so arriving before 5 PM on weekdays or before noon on weekends gives you the best shot at a prime spot.
One local Tampa reviewer described it as their go-to destination for a sunset dinner, and after sitting out on that deck with the Gulf glowing in front of you, it is very easy to understand why.
Monkey Balls: The Dish Everyone Talks About
Every great restaurant has that one dish that becomes its calling card, and at this spot, the Monkey Balls have claimed that title without any competition. These are Maryland-style crab cakes, and they are the reason some regulars make the drive from Tampa specifically for dinner.
Reviewers consistently describe them as the best crab cakes in Pinellas County, and the details back that up. The crab meat is plump backfin, the breading is minimal, and the seasoning hits the right notes without drowning out the natural flavor of the crab.
One guest wrote that eating them felt like being back on the Chesapeake Bay, which is about the highest compliment a Florida crab cake can receive.
Even people who came in planning to order something else end up ordering the Monkey Balls after hearing another table rave about them. The dish arrives looking simple and unfussy, which is actually part of the point.
Seafood That Goes Well Beyond the Basics
The crab cakes get the most attention, but the seafood menu here stretches well past that single star. The ahi tuna appetizer has quietly developed its own fan base, with guests describing the sear as perfect and the seasoning around the edges as genuinely creative.
The seafood chowder has been called award-winning by the restaurant, and based on the reviews, that claim holds up. Guests describe it as rich, hearty, and packed with fresh seafood rather than the watery, starch-heavy versions that show up at too many beach restaurants.
The lobster tail has also drawn praise for its freshness and preparation, and the salmon earns points specifically for being wild-caught rather than farm-raised.
The artichoke crab dip is another crowd favorite, described by one visitor as packed with flavor, though a few guests wished it came with bread instead of crackers. The grouper Reuben and the crab cake Reuben both showed up in multiple reviews as standout sandwich choices.
The Wings and Bar Bites Worth Knowing About
Not every visit to a seafood-forward beach bar needs to revolve around fish, and this spot knows it. The chicken wings have built a loyal following among guests who come for the sports and stay for the snacks, with multiple reviewers calling them great without any hesitation.
The jerk chicken wrap and jerk chicken tenders have also earned real enthusiasm, particularly the dipping sauce that comes alongside the tenders. One reviewer called the sauce specifically delicious, noting that the flavor combination made the whole dish memorable rather than just filling.
The steak sandwich has shown up in reviews as a sleeper hit, described as perfectly cooked and packed with flavor.
The burger gets decent marks, and the chicken cheesesteak arrives hot and well-assembled. For a bar menu, the range is genuinely solid, covering enough ground that a table with different preferences can all find something satisfying.
Service That People Actually Remember
Good food at a beach bar is expected, but service that people mention by name in their reviews is something rarer. At this spot, the staff has generated enough personal shoutouts in online reviews to suggest that attentive, warm service is genuinely part of the culture here rather than a happy accident.
One reviewer specifically praised a server named Coco for making the entire table feel taken care of, and another highlighted Cole as friendly and fast. A bartender received a separate mention for going out of their way to accommodate a guest with dietary restrictions, adjusting a recipe on the spot without making a fuss about it.
The owner responses to reviews are thoughtful and specific, which signals that the people running this place are paying attention to what guests experience. That level of engagement tends to filter down to how the staff operates on the floor.
Sports on Every Screen, Everywhere
The television situation at this bar is not subtle. Screens cover most of the available wall space, and the setup is clearly designed so that no matter where you sit, you have a clean line of sight to whatever game is on.
For sports fans, this is less of a feature and more of a requirement, and the restaurant delivers on it completely.
The bar becomes especially energetic during Ravens games, when the Maryland-themed decor suddenly feels like more than just decoration. Fans who moved to Florida from the Baltimore area have claimed this spot as their unofficial headquarters, and the energy during a big game is noticeably different from a typical quiet lunch crowd.
The combination of outdoor Gulf views and indoor sports coverage is genuinely rare. Most waterfront spots in Florida lean fully into the beach aesthetic and treat sports as an afterthought.
Here, the two identities coexist without either one compromising the other. You can sit outside and watch the water, then duck inside for the fourth quarter without feeling like you changed venues.
That flexibility is one of the practical reasons locals keep this place in their regular rotation, especially on Sunday afternoons when both the games and the sunsets are worth watching.
Pricing That Makes Sense for the Location
Beachfront dining in Florida carries a reputation for charging premium prices for average food, using the view as justification for whatever number appears at the bottom of the bill. This spot operates differently, and the contrast is noticeable enough that multiple reviewers specifically called out the value as a reason to return.
The menu falls into the moderate price range, marked as double dollar sign on most platforms, which puts it firmly in the category of accessible without being cheap. The portion sizes are consistently described as generous, and the quality of ingredients, particularly the seafood, punches above what you might expect at that price point.
The seafood chowder, the crab cakes, and the ahi tuna all cost what you would expect to pay at a dedicated seafood restaurant in a tourist area, but the execution here justifies the number on the menu.
The Atmosphere: Comfortable, Quirky, and Unapologetically Casual
The interior design here is best described as enthusiastically lived-in. The space is not polished or minimalist, and it makes no attempt to be.
The carpet has been mentioned in a few reviews as needing an update, and some guests have noted that the outdoor furniture shows wear from the salt air. None of that seems to deter the regulars.
There is something genuinely charming about a place that has personality built up over years of actual use rather than manufactured through a decorator’s vision. The Maryland sports memorabilia, the mismatched coastal touches, and the worn-in quality of the space all contribute to an atmosphere that feels honest rather than curated.
The casual atmosphere makes it easy to show up in sandy flip-flops straight from the beach, which is exactly the kind of freedom a good beach bar should offer. For visitors who want a relaxed, no-pressure environment with real character, the interior here delivers something that a freshly renovated waterfront restaurant simply cannot fake.
Sunsets That Justify the Drive
Florida has no shortage of places claiming to offer the best sunset view, but the deck at this restaurant earns that description through geography alone. The second-floor elevation, combined with the westward-facing position over the Gulf, creates a front-row seat for the kind of color show that makes people stop mid-sentence.
The light shifts from gold to orange to deep pink over the course of about thirty minutes, and the water picks up every color change in real time. Guests who time their arrival for about an hour before sunset tend to get the full experience, from the warm afternoon light through the dramatic final minutes before the sun drops below the horizon.
One Tampa-based reviewer described making a specific trip just for a sunset dinner, calling it a go-to for a night out, and that level of intentional repeat visiting says something real about the experience. The upstairs outdoor seating fills up quickly as the afternoon wears on, so arriving early and ordering appetizers while you wait for the light to shift is a strategy that works well.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Visit
A few practical details can make the difference between a good visit and a great one. The restaurant opens at 11:30 AM every day, and arriving right at opening is one of the best ways to secure outdoor seating before the lunch crowd fills the deck.
On weekends especially, the wait for a table with a view can stretch significantly by midday.
Street parking on Gulf Way is limited, and it fills up fast on busy days. Arriving on foot or by bike, if your accommodation allows it, removes that stress entirely and fits the casual pace of the Pass-a-Grille neighborhood.
The restaurant is on the second floor, so there are stairs involved, which is worth knowing if that is a consideration for anyone in your group.
The menu is available at brassmonkeyspb.com, and browsing it ahead of time helps you move quickly when you sit down, especially if you have your heart set on the Monkey Balls or the seafood chowder before they sell out.
What Keeps Locals Coming Back
Repeat visitors are the most honest review a restaurant can receive, and this spot has built a genuinely loyal local following. Tampa residents make the cross-bay trip regularly, Pass-a-Grille neighbors treat it as a neighborhood staple, and Maryland transplants return specifically for the crab cakes and the sports coverage that reminds them of home.
The combination of factors that create loyalty here is specific rather than generic. It is not just the view, though that is a major part of it.
It is the fact that the food quality is consistent, the staff is genuinely friendly on most visits, and the atmosphere has a distinct personality that does not feel interchangeable with every other beach bar on the Gulf Coast.
Regular guests have mentioned coming back multiple times a year, discovering new menu items on each visit, and bringing out-of-town friends specifically to show off the spot. That cycle of discovery and recommendation is how a local favorite sustains itself over time without relying on tourist foot traffic alone.
