Fat Tap Craft Beer Bar & Eatery recently opened in Oakland Park with a curated tap list of beers from independent craft breweries both local and national.
The bar/restaurant has an industrial feel with a combination of dim lighting, finished woods, rustic palettes, and distressed metals. Work from local artists is displayed on the walls.
Taking a page from Miami beer-centric establishments such as Boxelder Craft Beer Market and Union Beer Store, Fat Tap offers 24 beers on draft, along with a small selection of bottled beers. The bar plans to expand its offerings with a mead bar and has begun the approval process to set up a small beer-brewing system on site.
Food options include a variety of flatbreads such as the margarita style ($5 for a half, $10 for a whole) and the super fatty mac & IPA beer cheese flatbread ($6 a half, $11 whole). Fat Tap makes its beer cheese weekly, using a different IPA on tap. Sandwich options include a Cuban fatty ($12) and a vegan spicy black bean burger ($10).
The bar also offers a weekday happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. with $2 off full pours and Tuesday evening trivia nights. Every second Monday, the bar celebrates locals with a tap takeover from a local brewery and free food from 7 to 9 p.m.
Yvette and Robert Robayna, owners of Fat Tap, fell in love with the "craft beer culture" years ago, when they tried New Belgium's Fat Tire in 1994. "Over the years we saw how the beer scene changed in South Florida and we were hooked," says Robert. "Our girls' soccer travels turned into beer excursions in different cities. Our passion continued to grow until we decided to be part of the growth in South Florida and open our own place."
Yvette is an educator and Robert comes from a technology sales background. Robert entered the craft beer industry back in August 2017 to better understand it, working several positions including brand ambassador for a local brewery. A year later, the couple found the Oakland Park location for their beer bar and eatery.
Oakland Park is also the home of Funky Buddha, and to celebrate the growing beer scene in the neighborhood, Fat Tap is hosting "The After Party" this Saturday, January 12, starting at 5 p.m. The event serves as the unofficial afterparty to Funky Buddha's Maple Bacon Coffee Porter Fest held on the same day. "We thought we should take advantage of all the traffic of beer lovers in our city and introduce them to our concept, having some fun with our advertising at the same time," Robert says.
Fat Tap Beer Bar & Eatery. 830 E. Oakland Park Blvd. Suite 101, Oakland Park; 954-325-7049; fattapbeerbar.com.