Sea Dog Brewing takes second straight Taste of the Beaches title

Sea Dog Brewing Co. in Treasure Island has won the 2026 Taste of the Beaches.

The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce announced the result on Oct. 31. This is the second consecutive year the restaurant has taken first place.

The event ran from Oct. 3 to Oct. 11. Residents and visitors visited more than 50 restaurants along the Tampa Bay beaches to sample featured dishes. Winners were determined by the number of Taste tickets redeemed at each establishment.

Sea Dog’s winning entry was a Texas beef barbecue sandwich paired with a pint of beer. The sandwich contained a half-pound of slow-roasted shredded beef in a house-made smoky barbecue sauce. It was topped with coleslaw and served with house-made Cajun chips. Diners chose between Blue Paw Blueberry and Owl’s Head light lager.

Angry Pepper Waterside in Madeira Beach finished second in the competition. Chill Restaurant & Bar in St. Pete Beach placed third. Coco’s Crush in Indian Rocks Beach took fourth, and Taco Bus in Treasure Island finished fifth.

In related local news, the Gulf Beaches Public Library at 200 Municipal Drive in Madeira Beach has scheduled a full calendar of events for November. The library offers weekly groups including a Writers Group on Mondays at 10 a.m. and a Mah-jongg group on Thursdays at 11 a.m. New and returning players are welcome for mah-jongg. The library also hosts an Adult Coloring Book Group on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to noon. Storytime runs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for children ages 2 to 4.

The library is introducing a Collage Club on Nov. 9 from noon to 1 p.m. Participants will create their own collages with materials provided. An Open Mic event is set for Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. An Adult Watercolor Class takes place on Nov. 24 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and costs $30. The library is accepting donations of gently used books but is not accepting textbooks.

The Gulf Beach Masonic Lodge No. 291 has adopted Ms. Heather McShane’s classroom at Gulf Beaches Elementary School for the 2026 to 2027 school year. Lodge members said supporting schools is a meaningful way to invest in the community. They noted that teachers often spend their own money on materials. The lodge also participates in the Adopt-a-Highway program. It provides an annual $3,500 college scholarship and distributes holiday food baskets to families in need. The lodge awards 12 bicycles each year to outstanding elementary school readers.