Good Liquid Brewing started back in 2017 with their original location at Fountain’s Plaza on 14th Street West. This location closed a few years ago and made room for their expansion with full restaurant menus at Waterside in Lakewood Ranch, Downtown Bradenton, and Creekside Commons in Parrish. 

Their first goal was to brew some fantastic beers, and they achieved that, even winning the Gold Medal in the Experimental category of the Best Florida Beer Competition. Then they opened their first Brewery, Distillery, and Restaurant at Waterside in 2021. Now all 3 locations offer the same award-winning beers, craft cocktails, and food menu. 

I’m here to tell you about their food. Unlike many other breweries, Good Liquid didn’t leave food as an afterthought. They put it front and center by developing a menu that suits everyone, from those who just want to grab a sandwich to those who want to have a full restaurant experience. 

Their menu has some great appetizers that you can enjoy while sipping a beer or cocktail in a casual gathering with friends.  Items like the Cali Egg Rolls with avocado and cilantro in a crispy wonton, their very popular Not Your Mama’s Meatballs with a house blend of veal, pork, and beef, or the BBQ Pork Nachos with BBQ pulled pork and GLBC beer cheese. 

The nachos tray is my favorite app. I say tray because they’re served in a large pizza pan. And you don’t want to miss their Wings & Drums with flavors such as Buffalo, Nashville hot, and Garlic Parmesan.

I have to say that salad portions are large, if not huge, and of course delicious. The Napa Chicken Salad is my favorite so far. It comes with a mound of chicken salad made from roasted pulled chicken breast, grapes, toasted almonds, celery, cranberries, avocado, and tomato on a bed of lettuce and Greek dressing. 

Not to be outdone is the Santa Fe Salad with romaine, avocado, tomato, cheddar, fire-roasted corn, black beans, and crispy tortilla chips. The Caesar Salad is a good staple, too. 

Running down the menu, we find sandwiches and burgers. You can choose from delicious options like the Black + Blue Burger with applewood smoked bacon and bleu cheese, the Just a Cheeseburger with American cheese, or the Haymaker with applewood smoked bacon, onion straws, and guacamole. Other sandwiches include Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Grilled Buffalo Chicken, or the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich. 

Let’s get to the full meals now. One notable entree is the hearty Bolognese with Tuscan sauce made with veal, pork, and chuck. This large plate of spaghetti is simmered for 4 hours with tomatoes and served topped with sweet butter and parmesan cheese. 

Other offerings include the Sugar Reef Coconut Shrimp deep-fried with apricot sweet chili sauce, GLBC Blonde Ale battered cod for the Fish ‘n’ Chips plate, or the Beef Short Rib Hash with a GLBC beer-braised short rib. There are a few more that I’ll let you discover on your own. 

If all of that is not enough for you, go for the pizza. You’ll find classics like their Cheese Pizza or Pepperoni Pizza made with homemade pizza sauce, cheese blend, and basil. Or get adventurous with options like the Maui Wowie with BBQ sauce, Canadian bacon, and pineapple, Buffalo Chicken Pizza with buffalo sauce and diced chicken, or the All In, which is exactly that – a whole lot of cheese, pepperoni, hamburger, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, bacon, and red onion. 

No matter what you choose, you should definitely finish it off with their Bread Pudding with Berries or the Fudge Brownie Skillet with espresso chocolate glaze. 

One visit, and you’ll quickly see that this is not your usual brewery food. Good Liquid Brewing has put a lot of thought and effort into bringing a full restaurant experience to their establishments. The concept has obviously been well received, because they’re usually very busy. 

See what the fuss is all about by trying it for yourself. Reserve your table and be sure to tell them you heard about it on Discover Bradenton!

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