Culinary crew elevates pub menu in contemporary setting
Churrasco steak with chimichurri sauce. Pork porchetta. And now, Swedish Meatballs. In its shiny new digs, DEEP Brewing Company & Kitchen, at 2855 Pablo Avenue, is turning out dishes that are nothing like typical pub grub, thanks to Justin Cruz (the mastermind behind restaurants including Tally Mac Shack, SlideHustle and Vato Tacos) and Chef Jeremy Dancer (a veteran of Kool Beanz Cafe).
My husband, friends and I couldn’t wait to check out the new DEEP so we joined the crowd on opening weekend. The place was packed but my husband and our friends managed to grab three seats at the bar (with one generous buddy offering to stand).
We sat at the handsome bar at DEEP and our bartender/servers provided stellar service. Photo / Tallahassee Table
The 50-foot concrete bar was indeed impressive on its own. It was hand-poured and finished by Frank LaPete, father of owner Ryan LaPete.
The location isn’t fancy but it’s contemporary and fun. It’s a gleaming, 5,000-foot structure with high ceilings and lots of glass so it’s bright and breezy. The updated, contemporary DEEP joins our many top-notch Tallahassee breweries.
“When deep-sea diver turned brewer, Ryan LaPete, opens the doors to Deep Brewery & Kitchen’s stunning new 5,000-square-foot facility at noon Friday, Sept. 12, it will mark the nine-year culmination of a purely Tallahassee success story – one built on community, homegrown talent, enormous amounts of overtime, and a shared belief that this city can produce something extraordinary,”Matthew Crumbaker, co-founder of Tallahassee Beer Society, wrote in his column in the Tallahassee Democrat.
The new location for DEEP is filled with light. Photo / Tallahassee Table
“While the main space serves as the perfect backdrop for pints and pours of Deep’s well-crafted beers, the highlight for Cruz might be “Joline” – the massive 6-foot wood-fired grill that serves as the kitchen’s beating heart,” Matthew said.
For starters, even though it was wall-to-wall packed, the bartenders were great. We expected a long wait for food but it arrived pretty quickly.
DEEP’s menu includes churrasco with chimichurri sauce and a scattering of fried onions. Photo / Tallahassee Table
We were pleasantly surprised with the churrasco – tender, flavor-packed grilled sliced beef with chimichurri sauce, patatas bravas (small fried potatoes) and a scattering of fried onions. Other hits: pork belly porchetta and Cuban sandwich.
Miss IKEA meatballs? Deep’s chefs have created their take on the Swedish treat, made with house-ground brisket and pork belly fire roasted in cast iron, topped with a housemade creamy herb gravy garnished with grape jelly and fresh parsley, served with slices of butter toast points.
Appetizers include grilled shrimp cocktail, chimichurri octopus, pork belly burnt ends, crab rangoon nachos, porchetta pork rolls and chicken nuggets.
The porchetta polenta with lots of tender pork belly is another flavorful dish. Photo provided by DEEP
Among the other main plates:
- Brisket meatloaf with a flame-charred cream corn, burnt butter potato, sweet smoked ketchup and toasted ciabatta.
- Churrasco served with chimichurri, patatas bravas and charred scallions.
- Porchetta polenta with pork belly porchetta, cherry tomatoes and sage.
- Sandwiches: Hot Italian beef brisket (called Carmine), sandwich smoked beef cheek taco and Cubano sandwich.
Expect more culinary surprises at DEEP, where it’s a hoot to watch the big game – or any game.
If you go …
- DEEP Brewing Company & Kitchen is at 2855 Pablo Avenue.
- Contact: 850-567-0295 or GM Reid Thorne at [email protected]
- Hours: Open noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday Wednesday. Open 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday.
- For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/2tp5363r
Here are a few more pictures:
