Tarpon Springs: Much more than the Sponge Docks

Tarpon Springs is a slice of old Florida best known for its seaside Greek village, the Sponge Docks. However, on a recent weekend getaway, I learned that its revitalized historic downtown offers visitors a slice of old Florida that is increasingly difficult to come by these days.

While I’ve always enjoyed an occasional day trip for some souvlaki, dolmades, and spanakopita at Hellas Restaurant and Bakery, the unpredictable traffic on the stop-and-go drive—very little of which can be done via the interstate—had been enough to spoil more than one such weekend hankering.

However, our trip began with the pleasant discovery that the vastly improved stretch of U.S. 19, starting in northern Pinellas County, continues all the way to Tarpon Springs. So, on what has been a rare 80-degree and sunny Friday, Melissa and I dropped the top on the Mustang and got some much-needed sun on our faces during an unexpectedly pleasant ride.

There are few hotels in town, but we were pleased when we checked into the Tarpon Shore Inn, a well-preserved old-Florida motel complete with retro signage and a front-facing swimming pool reminiscent of those dilapidated ones on U.S. 41 back when they were in their heyday. The staff was friendly, the rooms were spacious and spotless and the full kitchenette was very convenient. We began Valentine’s Day with an early dinner at Rusty Bellies, a very popular spot on the wharf reminiscent of Cortez eateries such as Swordfish Grille or Cortez Kitchen.

The meal began with their version of bread service, which is a warm paper bag of the very best hush puppies I have ever tasted, brought to our table with our ice waters. It was happy hour and they had my native Yuengling on tap, and things only got better when they brought me my pound of steamed shrimp harvested in local waters. The dense guacamole-based ceviche and an excellent fish dip were also standouts in a delicious seafood meal.

We made our way out to the legendary “Boat Club,” a rustic dive bar on the Anclote River, which I was thrilled to see had survived our hellacious Hurricane season. However, the cash-only bar had lost its ATM machine to several feet of flooding and could not find anyone willing to risk another unit. With no cash in hand and having taken an Uber, a sweet barmaid named Cici offered to front us a tab until the next day, and we enjoyed some rather good live music with a friendly group of regulars. If you’ve ever been to Mahuffer’s in Indian Shores or the Alafia River Beer Shed in Riverview, the Boat Club is a similarly enchanting old Florida adventure.

Downtown Tarpon Springs is as quaint and charming with as many preserved elements of the old Americana Main Streets as towns such as Arcadia and Ocala. There was plenty of free parking on and near East Tarpon Ave, where most of the action lies. Replay Museum offers unlimited play on its impressive collection of vintage arcade and pinball machines for just $14, and it’s sure to bring the kid out in any Gen Xer who was brought up in a world of shopping mall arcades. Next door, your inner child gets another shot of endorphins at Bear Haven Land Company Vintage Toys, where we shamelessly spent nearly an hour browsing the incredible collection.

Tarpon Springs has a surprising number of excellent craft breweries. Two Frogs Brewing Company is the OG of the Tarpon Springs brewing scene, and founder/brewmaster Chad Croake serves an impressive variety of award-winning brews. Our favorites were the Blonde and Nitro Irish Stout. We enjoyed some late-night eats at Johnny’s Taphouse and loved the vibes at local hangout, The Brew ha ha.

Our favorite watering hole of all, however, was Muzzie's Hangover, a newish spot a couple of blocks off Tarpon Ave, where Chris makes the tastiest bloody Marys in town and can create downright spectacles with his accouterments (no, I didn’t order the one pictured, the guy next to us did). Formerly 5 Branches Brewing, Muzzies still serves the veteran-owned lineup of quality local brews. If you happen to drop in while Werner is manning the bar, you’re in for even more of a treat!

There are a number of places to get a great burger or a slice of pizza for lunch, but we had to try the $20 toasted cheese sandwich at Fat & Happy's to find out if there is such a thing as a cheese melt-worth $20. The fact that everything else on the menu was similarly overpriced should have dissuaded us, but it was a damn good sandwich worth maybe $10-12, given there was no side. Muzzie's and Tarpon Tavern are much better options at far better prices, and while we didn't make it to Toula's Trailside Cafe, the consistently heavy crowds suggested it's definitely worth a try. There are a couple of fine dining restaurants, but the crown jewel is H'ours Creole Smokehouse, where you can get the best Creole standards this side of Louisiana. Stop next door at Unrefined Brewing, which, like H’ours, serves a memorable experience inside a beautifully reimagined vintage home.

Perhaps the highlight of the entire trip was Tarpon Springs Castle Winery, where Joseph and Diana, a criminally adorable couple in their 80s, import grapes to make some of the tastiest American wines you will likely come across. Their current quintet consists of an excellent cabernet with grapes from Washington, a solid Pinot Noir with grapes from Michigan, a tasty Merlot via grapes from Long Island, and a downright remarkable Sangiovese made from grapes grown in Oregon.

A $40 Groupon gets you a tour for two in which the couple entertains with their well-honed schtick while demonstrating how they make all the wine in-house via a custom setup to accommodate the fact that they are both in motorized wheelchairs. The experience includes a generous tasting of their four wines (along with some chocolate) and a bottle (which retails for $30) of your choice to take home. We took advantage of the by-the-case discount and will be enjoying Tarpon Springs Castle wines for months to come.

Dennis "Mitch" Maley is a novelist, as well as an editor and opinion columnist for The Bradenton Times. In addition to his regular Sunday column, he hosts our weekly podcast and does travel features, as well as theater, restaurant, and wine reviews. He is a graduate of Shippensburg University and later served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. Click here for his bio. His books are available here.