Mike Loves Beer

For quite awhile I have been told, “If you go to Orlando you have to go to Redlight Redlight.”  I’ve read reviews about the place and it tends to be rated and said to be the best beer bar in America and in the top five in the world.  Big words from many people and only a couple hours from my home.  Luck will have it that I found myself going to Orlando this past weekend to visit my friend Sheila and it gave me a perfect reason to go see what the place is all about.

Just off of Colonial by the Fashion Square Mall and across the street from a trendy looking night club, Redlight Redlight has a small parking lot that is full.  Overflow heads down the street and behind the building.  As the club across the street didn’t seem to be open you could pretty easily assume the people were here for the beer.  Walking in the place has the feel of a homey pub.  Blue walls with wood accents and support beams are covered with craft beer tackers, signs and neons.  There are a few tables along the wall leading up a decent sized bar with some more tables beyond that.  A lot of the tables had classic games on them like Jenga, checkers and Battleship I believe I saw.  There is an outside patio area for smokers and just those that want to be outside.  But behind the bar is where the pride and joy of the place is.

Around 20 taps including a hand pump and 3 nitro taps consisting of numerous styles of craft brews.  Their bottle lists is quite impressive too and everything is broken down into style.  There is even an impressive vintage and rare bottle selection for those that want to indulge themselves.  Oh yeah and they have a good selection of mead and wine as well.  The service is top notch.  Even with the bar beginning to get busier the later it got the each of the bartenders took the time to help out anyone that had questions or needed a recommendation.  Their knowledge was very high and at no point did they make you feel lower than them if you didn’t know.  True class and true love of beer right there.  Each beer is served in an appropriate glass for the style.  The amount of glassware on hand here was absolutely amazing.

I enjoyed a few rounds that including Cigar City Jai Alai IPA, Shipyard Nitro Pub Ale, Lagunitas New Dogtown Pale Ale and Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro.  And my friend enjoyed a couple Ommegang Wittes and Brooklyner Weisse.  One might think that with that much good craft beer to expect a big tab.  Nope!  Our total came out to be $28.  Everything there was extremely well priced.  I would probably pay quite a deal more for the same stuff in a similar place down here.

Of course with any place there are some things of note but these are so small they really wouldn’t both most.  They do not have a full kitchen.  So if you are looking for a meal along with your brews you are not going to get that.  They do have some snacks that you can purchase and there was a cart vendor right outside of the bar selling food.  They are also a cash only bar.  There is an ATM in the bar that has a quite modest $2 service charge on it.  But that ends anything that one may think as a bad thing about this place.

Overall me and my friend had a blast.  I can completely see now where all the hype on this place comes from.  It stinks that it is not closer to my place and I envy my friend that she is only 30 minutes away.  But I highly encourage anyone that goes to Orlando to stop by Redlight Redlight if you want a great beer in a great atmosphere at an amazing price.

Redlight Redlight
745 Bennett Rd.
Orlando, Florida, 32802
407-893-9832

Posted on November 9th, 2009 under Bar Review •  Email This Post • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback