Our Visit to Welton Brewing CO and Oyster: A Piece of New England in Pinellas Park, Florida

We all might travel and visit something new. At times we go to a new city, a new state, a new country. We want to explore and try something new and different. It might be the people, the culture, the history. And, at times, we need to try something new to eat. Not just another chain restaurant or bar that we expect. We need to try something interesting. Maybe a place that has been around for some time and no one really knows about it.

Then there are times when we find something different. And not just because it is new. But because it is a new place that is new in the area we did not expect it. It might be something to expect from where it is from, but here, even in Pinellas Park, Florida (next to St. Petersburg) we did not expect to see this.

It found a place that was ready for something new to happen. A place that would invite new guests, bring in new food, and even new IPA beers that are more common now. And, along the way, it brought New England with them. And not just the food, but the atmosphere. So as part of our Florida Travel and Food tips, let’s delve into the wonders of Welton Brewing Co & Oyster Bar.

Welcome to WELTON BREWING CO and OYSTER BAR.

Located at 8098 66th Street N, Pinellas Park in the St. Petersburg region, you will truly find a hidden gem. It sits right behind the German-American Society Center that has been in that area since 1951. But right next to it is the location that has been waiting for a difference to happen. That is when Welton Brewing Co & Oyster Bar arrived. And we are glad it did.

You can check them out on Instagram.A NEW START TO GETTING A BEER AND A LOBSTER ROLL.

When you get to the bar, and step inside, you can feel like you are back in New England. It might be Maine. It might be Rockport (where I used to always go). This is definitely not what you expected. You have found a new way to enjoy the atmosphere.

It is simple and plain. But you are not here for that. You can sit at the bar and order what you need. There are also tables and chairs if you come with friends or families. 

The bar is the palace to start. There is a menu of what is available to try. It is not a large menu of pages and styles. This is a simple selection of fresh seafood that is brought down from Maine every week. It is truly fresh and tasty. You do not need additional spices and herbs in this category. Instead, it is fresh from the sea itself, as if you were fishing yourself.

Next to the menu are the taps that lead to the BREWING choices themself that create the IPA beer special here, and for you to try. It is a combination of styles that are sure to please everyone. Samples are offered before you select the one to try. Of course, the best option is to ask the bartender or owner which one is their personal choice. It is always a good way to start since it is the one they would select for themselves. It does help you decide which one will become your own favorite.

The team is ready to help and answer any questions you might have. You can also ask about what they would recommend you try to start. What is great is that when you select your beverage you can even start a tab. After all, this is a Brewery pub,  and if you are alone or with friends you can start the tab and select what you want and when you want it. As more friends might drop by you can have them order on the tab. It is a good way to keep the tab going, and when to stop. It could be for an hour or two, or make it a longer period of time with those you are with. What could be better.

START WITH A BEER. IPA OF COURSE.

It is all freshly made IPA beers to select from. And they are made right here. There is a wide selection to choose from at a great price. The way it is set up at Welton Brewing is that the top five (5) selections on the beverage sign are in “yellow”. These are the ones made directly by Welton here on site. It is based on their concept and recipes. The combination is based on what their style is all about. Some are light. Some are heavier. Some have hops. Some have double hops. Some might have a fruity taste. Others are a pure beer you would choose. It really is up to you. Or, as I recommend, ask the bartender or the owners. They will let you know about this and the flavor to expect.

The Maine’iac

I asked the owner, Brandon, what was his choice. He told me about the Maine’iac. It was a heavier hops style to try. It was what I decided to go with. Having already selected the meal that would go with this, it was the right choice to make. With one sip it felt like it was a good pilsner that I would have back over in Europe on the ocean coast. It was a perfect compliment to the seafood that you would have from the coast here, and cooked the way to be expected.

The Rasp Lemonade

We also ordered something lighter with a slight touch of fruit inside. This is called Rasp Lemonade. It is made by the Three Daughters. It had a slight sweet flavor, slightly fruity. A perfect compliment to what was being ordered to have for the meal also from the coast, and that would be more fresh and light in taste itself. It is a good way to start, especially if you prefer something not too rich in flavor.

Slap My Azz

Later on, we needed to have another IPA from Welton Brewing. This time we asked Sean, the other owner, what his recommendation would be. As the Maine’iac was already sold out for the day, his personal choice was the flavor he liked. This was Slap My Azz. Yes, it is an interesting name. But as for the taste, it was ideal. This seemed a bit lighter than the first, but it was an excellent compliment to the meal and the first choice I had. Which is ideal. Having a variation in the IPA style, it is good to know that they do make a good selection to try without feeling it does not work together. Here at Welton Brewing it is a good mix to explore and enjoy.

THE FOOD IS FRESH WITH SEAFOOD

Rolls. Plates. Fresh Oysters and clams that are shucked for you. There is even fresh Haddock to try. It really depends on what you are interested in while you are there trying the brew.

The great thing is that the menu is not large. It is short and direct. You, of course, start with fresh raw oysters. You can have it as an Oyster Shooter, or try a Half Dozen, or Dozen Oysters that come down from Maine.

The Seafood Rolls

Then there is a selection of Seafood Rolls that include Lobster, Shrimps, Scallops, Clams or Haddock. Or try the Seafood Basket of fried Clams, Haddock, Shrimp, Scallops, Oysters, or a Fisherman’’s Basket, which is a combination of several different fresh seafood for the day. And with the basket, you can have fresh fries, or even a bag of chips. Nothing fancy.

There is even an order of New England Clam Chowder, if you need to have some chowder you do not normally find in a restaurant, not even in some seafood restaurants in the region.

And, for those who do not eat seafood, there are Chicken Tenders, Hot Dogs, or, as Welton was first known for, a Wennie Dog. That is an addition to any beer.

AN ORDER OF DELIGHT.

Once you order your beverage and your meal at the bar, you can sit at the table and enjoy the place. Naturally, the first thing to arrive was the Raw Oysters. This is the best way to start. Especially in a seafood establishment where you are having your drink.

These oysters were fresh. They were not salty. But they had the touch of the ocean. When you took an oyster it was as if you had picked it from the ocean yourself. It had the taste you wanted and expected. Nothing was added. They are shucked and placed on a dish of ice. They are chilled properly. And that was it. Truly the way to have an oyster. They did come with a dipping sauce of cocktail sauce with a drop of horseradish. Nothing more. If you want your oyster raw, it is the way to take it. If you want a bit of spice, then the sauce was an addition to try. There was also a second dipping sauce which was a bit of champagne as a vinaigrette. A different aspect, and one that was a good option that made the oyster have a lighter taste.

The New England Clam Chowder 

Along with the oysters came the New England Clam Chowder. This was a chowder many do not recognize. We usually assume it will be thick and creamy, added to the clam soup that starts it. Potatoes thrown in with some bacon and bread crumbs, onions and spice. There are also fresh clams put in. But here, it is different. It was lighter. Less creamy. It had milk to lighten it up, along with clam juice. The potatoes were cooked right. Not soft and mashed. They were a good size. There were some onions, some spice, and a little more. As for the clams, they were very fresh. These were not out of a can. They were sucked and placed into the chowder to keep them fresh and whole. They did not vanish in chowder. You could see them and taste them. It is rare to find this chowder.

(The interesting aspect of this chowder was that it is the way my own grandfather made it. And he was a fisherman who made his chowder. Not creamy, but light and simple. Even he put the clams in towards the end to keep them solid and fresh. This was a great dish to have and remember.)

After the first course, we waited for the next course. And this is a reason to be here as well.

The Lobster Roll

Nothing says more than that. It is what you might expect. Lobster on a slightly toasted roll. Every place can make it, and make it in their own way. But with Brandon and Sean coming from Maine they made it the way you expect to have it if you went to Maine. It is a lobster!

The roll is made of the lobster tail and the claws. There is nothing else in this. It is cooked as a lobster should be cooked. It is soft, tasty, no additional flavor added. Once more, it is as if you picked this lobster from the ocean. It is chopped but in pieces you can still see in shape and form. It is then combined with some melted butter and a little amount of mayonnaise. That is it. Some places put a larger portion of mayo on it. But not at Welton Brewing. Here it is the lobster that you want and what you see. Nothing else. It is a good portion from one lobster itself. As for the taste, you cannot beat this. It is a fresh lobster with each bite you have. And you will enjoy it along the way, knowing what it should taste like to savor. And you will.

Oyster Basket. Fried

This is a compliment to having a Lobster Roll. It is a selection of fresh oysters that have been shucked and then dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs and then deep fried quickly. The result, a well fried oyster that, when you open it, is still fresh and moist inside. It is not fired through the core. Instead, it is as if you shucked off the breadcrumb coating and have eaten a fresh oyster from the shell itself.

It is that fresh. There are no additional flavors or spice or seasonings. The oyster is, once more, fresh from the ocean. It is slightly salty to the bite. But in the crisp fried coating it is slightly warm and tasty to take a bite out of. There is nothing else. Instead, you have about a dozen fried oysters placed on top of a side of fresh french fries that compliment the dish. That is it. 

There is no dip included such as cocktail sauce or another dip. Having it by itself is enough as this is fresh out of the pan and presented to you. However, to compliment this, I did take the dipping sauce from the raw oysters before (the cocktail sauce with horseradish) and used that to dip the fried oyster. It was good. It added a little spicier touch to an otherwise good dish you would not expect.

In fact, for the Lobster Roll and the Fried Oyster Basket you really did not need to have anything else. These dishes alone were what you hoped to receive when ordering a meal like this. Only this time it was fresh and tasty and is something we do wish to have from a fancy establishment. In this case, it was a new brewery that had some of the better seafood entrees that actively compliment you.

A DRINK TO A NEW SEAFOOD ESTABLISHMENT.

Being from New England, when it comes to seafood we expect a great deal. We know how the seafood is made. We know on all accounts it is fresh. It is not bought and placed in a freezer for a few weeks before it is being used. At that point it loses its taste and texture.

Yet, you walk into a new establishment here in Pinellas Park, part of St Petersburg, Florida, and you find a part of New England right here in the backyard. A place that established itself as a new IPA brewery. One that started and then transformed itself into a place that could be enjoyed on all levels. 

If you wanted just to have an IPA beer, then Welton Brewing had something to offer. It too was fresh and tasty and different. It was able to combine the tastes of a new establishment brewing firm, with a touch of New England, and even a bit of the influence of good European beers many of us have come to know. It was a version that was lite and simple, but had a taste and flavor that comes from a concept and reasoning. It has created something where you can try one sample, and then another. You can try one beer and then try another. You can even try a sampling of four (4) smaller samples and decide which one truly becomes the one you want next time you arrive. 

As for the seafood, again this is New England. It is fresh from Maine, but spending time in Cape Cod this was so much what we recall everytime we go there. Again, it is fresh. Simple. No fancy items added. This is what true seafood is like. It even reminded me of what my grandfather, as a fisherman, would make in his marina. Nothing added to a good seafood.

The Team

For the team, the service is perfect. They work the entire setting. They might work behind the bar. They might be serving the food. They spend time talking to everyone. It is a very friendly, family affair here. You feel like you have been welcomed home thanks to the founders Brandon and Sean Welton, who are truly cousins. Their hard work and devotion to the brewing process has led to the establishment, and to the visitors who will want to come back for more.

Also, a special thanks to the chefs who make the rolls and the fried baskets. They have the secret to make things perfect to the touch.

WELTON BREWING CO & OYSTER BAR. It is a brand new establishment that is a hidden gem, literally. It is sitting right next to an older establishment. But being hidden is something you need to find and save for yourself. It is a place with a taste that is not just for the food, but for the individual who goes inside to see what is there. 

So, here is a toast (or should we say a roll) to a new place were you can have a new IPA (or two) and a good Lobster Roll and Oysters to put it all down. The time is now. The place is here.

As we say in Maine (and now at Welton Brewing Co & Oyster Bar): THE WAY LIFE SHOULD BE!

Location:

WELTON BREWING CO & OYSTER BAR

8098 66th Street N 

Pinellas Park, FL 

(sits right behind the German-American Society)

Phone: (813) 820-0050Web: weltonbrewingcompany.com