Nestled amid its downtown Dadeland neighbors, B&S Gastropub’s reputation for providing inventive pork-centric cuisine and a wide variety of beer from Florida-based breweries has made it the talk of the town among adventurous foodies near and far. Throw free valet parking, outstanding service and reasonable price points into the mix and you have all the makings of a novel dining experience that, despite its unconventional menu, is a “can’t miss” experience.
“We do really honest, good and simple food,” says head chef Jorgie Ramos, who is co-owner with his father Jorge Ramos Sr. “People who come in who have never had pig ears or heart tartar in their entire lives see our menu and the way that we prepare and present the food and, because we serve it in such a familiar way, they aren’t intimidated by it. They’re able to tell people, ‘Guess what I had last night? I had pig ears,’ or ‘I had pig tails,’ or ‘I had pork cheek vaca frita.’ We make it approachable and, more importantly, absolutely delicious.”
Notable items on their menu – which rotates dishes in and out every few days in accordance with what their suppliers can provide them – include their aforementioned beer-battered, fried and chili-tossed sticky pig ears; slow-cooked smoked pork belly, served in a homemade sweet chipotle corn cream modeled after a Cuban dish called “tamale en cazuela”; 21-day aged prime rib eye; and their signature spreadable bone marrow, which is removed from the bone, tossed in flour, fried and served with red pepper jelly, chimichurri sauce and toast. For their less swine-inclined clientele, they provide a catch of the day, imaginative burgers, octopus, and their signature macaroni and cheese. Every dish served at B&S Gastropub was prepared the very same day, a reason general manager Ramos Sr. cites when explaining why, with the exception of the last Sunday of every month (when they are open for brunch between noon and 3 p.m.), they are only open for dinner.
“We are not willing to compromise on our quality for any reason whatsoever,” he says. “We begin preparing tonight’s food at 11 a.m., everything is prepared fresh and from scratch, and we use the highest quality products we can possibly use.”
Between 10 and 12 of their 30 craft beer taps are always dedicated to Florida-based breweries. Current selections include Wynwood, Funky Buddha (Ft. Lauderdale), Cigar City (Tampa), Shnebly’s (Florida City), Due South and Swamp Ape (both from Central Florida). To keep the beer as cool as possible and ensure that it remains crisp and fresh in taste, they’ve employed a “direct-draw system,” which places the beer cooler directly behind the wall of taps, shortening the distance the beer travels.
“Until just a short time ago, there were maybe only two or three breweries in the entire state,” says Ramos Sr. “Now, many more are beginning to open up. We’re trying to promote our local people and the fact that they are doing some great and interesting things with their beers.”
The location’s layout provides an open, modern atmosphere with an aesthetic throwback to the English and Pacific Northwestern gastropubs after which it is modeled. Chalkboards with pigs and Roald Dahl poetry, agriculture photography and culinary literature are strewn tastefully around the area amid the tables, booths and bar. Arguably its most distinguishing characteristic, however, is the open kitchen, which is visible from anywhere in the restaurant, and customers who sit at the kitchen counter are encouraged to interact with the kitchen staff.
They call it “The Dinner and the Show.” B&S Gastropub is located at 9059 SW 73rd Ct. For more information, call 305-397-8678 or go to <www.barleyandswine.com>.
