Tiny Tap Tavern Serves Cheap Beer and Good Times

Located in the shadows of SoHo’s row of glamorous bars and restaurants, the has served as a smoky bastion of liquid refreshments for three generations of patrons.

However, if you ask them, the Tiny Tap is more than that.

Despite its lack of frills, the Tiny Tap has endeared its customers for over 50 years by providing an endless supply of Pabst Blue Ribbon and plenty of charming quirks.

It’s a place that honors deceased patrons by putting their favorite beers on the walls. It’s also a place that serves Thanksgiving dinners and hosts potlucks during Tampa Bay Buccaneers road games. Regulars know each other well and incessantly rib each other about recent drunk exploits.

“The people here are like family. No one judges you; people can come as they are. It’s really like home for a lot of people,” said Kasey Mitchell, Tiny Tap longtime bartender. Mitchell also said that all types of folks come and go from the bar, including Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon, on occasion.

Ironically, home is not the first thing you think of when you cross the Tiny Tap’s threshold.

A wave of smoke immediately penetrates your nostrils as you enter the dimly lit space. As you advance to the bar, you walk by a mix of tattoo-clad pool players in white t-shirts, drunk geezers and SoHo socialites. When you reach the bar, you’ll likely run into Mitchell and her feisty, radiant personality, which seems to be the ingredient that ties this diverse stew of people together.

“Kasey is crazy, honest, and fun. She really knows how to work a crowd. I think she should have her own reality show,” said Erin O’ Brien, a 20-year Tiny Tap patron.

If Mitchell did have a show, it would be filled with exploits that have made both her and the Tiny Tap legendary. Like the time when she wanted to see if anyone would notice the music deviating from its normal playlist of 70s classics.

“I thought it would be funny to play ‘Me so Horny’ on the juke box," said Mitchell. “When the music started, people kinda froze for a minute, then it got wild. People were singing, dancing on the pool tables. It was a great night.”

She’s also been known to make first time visitors to the Tiny Tap - Tap virgins -  shotgun a beer. Mitchell mentioned that this indoctrination into the Tiny Tap family has become so popular that people come just for that.

They also come to play, perhaps, the cheapest pool in town (25 cents per game). According to Tiny Tap owner, Casey Powell, about 400 games a week are played on their tables.

When talking with the staff and patrons of the Tiny Tap, the word family comes up repeatedly.

While Tampa has its share of dive bars where to indulge in cheap beer and play pool, this place is different. Patrons passionately talk about the Tiny Tap. They’re protective of it.

And while other bars spend a small fortune on lights, craft beers and specialty cocktails, the Tiny Tap has built a loyal following at a fraction of the price.