Gaspar’s Grotto
An Ybor City Tradition
As my
friends and I entered Gaspar’s Grotto on Ybor City's famous 7th Avenue early on a Thursday night, we were greeted by a
gigantic pirate statue staring menacingly at us from the doorway. A
no nonsense 300 something pound bouncer with a similar gaze gruffly demanded ID's. When we were allowed to enter, my friends from
out of town were struck by how huge the bar itself was. The oval shaped bar wrapped all the way
around the entire inside of Gaspar’s, leaving space only for pool tables, a jukebox and
dart boards towards the back, and shaded outdoor patios on each side of
the bar.
The bartender was a no
nonsense, yet friendly bearded guy in a Modest Mouse t shirt who informed us of some pretty impressive
specials. Because we were at the bar
before midnight, we could take advantage of the 2 dollar “beer and a shot”
deal, which gets you a 12 ounce draft of PBR beer, and a shot of Canadian Mist
whiskey. Nothing that’s been written up
by Food and Wine lately, but hey, a deal’s a deal. I felt almost like a bad ass cowboy from an old western movie as my warm shot of whiskey burned it's way down my throat. My icy cold Pabst Blue Ribbon draft was actually the perfect accompaniment to wash it down with. Two bucks and in a few minutes I would have a decent buzz going for our night out. Our bartender joked about how some customers are upset that the "2 dollar beer and shot" special does not apply to expensive drinks, like shots of Patron Silver Tequila, and Chimay Belgian Beer. These people have two options, he said, "Take it" or "Leave it." Nicely said. There's no room for snobby drinkers at Gaspar's.
There were some other specials written up on
a chalkboard at the bar, including 3 dollar Jack Daniels drinks, and 4 dollar
Ketel One drinks. Pretty nice,
considering how at some bars along South Howard Avenue, that tend to cater to
University of Tampa students and South Tampa’s upper crust, you could expect
to pay at least twice as much for those liquors. I liked how at Gaspar's you had three choices
for seating ; comfy padded bar stools, spacious wooden booths that lined the
bar on either side, and outdoor patio furniture. There are bars at each of the outdoor patios
that are only closed on extremely slow nights, and heaters are provided during
winter months. (This, of course, will probably only
be an issue for 2-3 days a year here in Tampa.)
By midnight, the bar had completely filled up, yet service remained
extremely efficient. I really appreciate
a bartender who will see a glass that’s 2/3 empty, and get right on to making the
next drink.
I’ve always
considered Gaspar’s to be a good, go-to dive bar. But they also have a large menu featuring
traditional Tampa favorites such as a “world famous” Cuban sandwich, Spanish bean
soup, fried oysters, ropa vieja (which is a shredded beef dish, sautéed in
tomatos and served over rice), and pescado fresco a la rusa (a Spanish
style breaded whitefish.) It's
difficult to find anything on the menu pricier than 10 dollars. Brunch is served from 10 am to 2 pm every
Sunday at the main patio.
I’d recommend Gaspar’s as a first
stop at the beginning of a crazy night out in
Ybor City , or even as a relaxing lunch spot where you can enjoy a Cuban sandwich
and a locally made Cigar City Jai Lai for just a couple bucks.
