Stubbies & Steins

scottyshades

Florida

4.44/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

What can I say about this place that hasnt already been said...
Atmosphere: it is a very small bar that has about 15 high tables but it is very narrow and a little tight. Most people who frequent here have a good knowledge of beer for the most part, so that makes for very good conversation and comparisons with others

Service: All of the servers that I have come across have been more than helpful and they all have a good knowledge of what beers they carry and are able to navigate through their beer menu with precision. They are also very patient if you have a tough time deciding on which beer to have (it will happen)

Selection: This is their beer menu from their website...(PDF file)
http://www.stubbieshirtpub.com/pdf/beer-menu.pdf

Food: They have told me that they are adding a German food menu soon but I have not been back in a long time (school work) so when I try the food Ill re-rate this

Value: Most beers are in the $5/6/7+ range, but others such as the Sierra Nevadas, the Warsteiners, and any others on tap are closer to $3.xx

This is the best beer bar in Gainesville, and to be honest one of the best that I have been to in Florida. Overall I highly, highly recommend this place

11-13-2007 22:52:01 | More by scottyshades

IPAcraig

Tennessee

2.81/5  rDev -37.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 1 | selection: 3.5 | $$$$

The atmosphere for this place was pretty good. A lot of people in the tiny bar, all their seemigly to drink quality beer. A little bright for a bar, but that allowed you to view all of T-Shirts lining the walls. There was no smoke haze, which was excellent.

They serve their beers in the appopriate glassware when they have them. They dont have every glass for every beer, but they do have a lot.

This bar, however, has the most pretentious, arrogant waitstaff that I have ever encountered, ever. I asked if they had any Weizenbocks, to which I received the reply that there is no such thing. Not only was I told that they dont exist, the waiter said that the name of the style doesnt make sense because "bocks have wheat in them, so to say WeizenBock would be redundant".

Their selection was solid (despite not having any Weizenbocks), however they could offer a few more beers on tap (only about 5-6). They have a nice selction of Belgians from which I had an Orval and Boon Gueze. However the were a bit pricey as they set me back almost $20 for the pair.

I had to knock their selcetion because as their name says, they are a "Shirt Pub". So I asked about buying a few T-Shirts that they were selling. I first asked about a Duvel shirt, but htey didnt have any left. The I enquired about 4-5 other shirts, which were all sold out as well.

Overall I would have a nice time at this bar, but the waitstaff was extremely obnoxious. I will not be returning to Stubbies and I dont recommend you frequent the place either.

07-16-2007 02:35:01 | More by IPAcraig

Portertime

Florida

4.64/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

This is literally a tiny hole in the wall bar in the heart of downtown Gainesville. The atmosphere is very nice. On the walls are all the t-shirts that Stubbie's sells. They offer shirts with official beer logos as well as very humorous cartoons and saying. Their selection of real imported beers is awesome including ones I've never heard of from all over the world with at least 150 different varieties. How they fit it in that little place I do not know. There is a little bar to sit at or a few high top tables. TV's play sports in the corners. The bartenders are really bubbly and friendly which adds to the pleasant atmosphere. If you're ever in the area be sure to stop and enjoy a frosty brew.

09-10-2006 21:44:08 | More by Portertime

teletype1

Florida

5/5  rDev +11.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$$

for mature beer drinkers, this is gainesville's one and only haven. one needs only to go in and talk to any one of the bartenders to realize that Stubbies' goal is to bring a quality selection chosen by the pub owners to the barren landscape of meat markets that pepper the city of Gainesville.

sure, you can spend a lot less at Gator Beverage, Dorn's, or any other place in G'ville on the same beer -- but, part of going to a pub is to interact with the people who go there. If you want to meet smart, selective, astutue folks, this is the place to go. The owner Berkeley is one of the most brilliant, tasteful, and beautiful people i've ever met. You can't help but fall in love at Stubbie's.

08-22-2006 07:16:06 | More by teletype1

geetlord

Florida

4.11/5  rDev -8.1%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I found stubbies to be a rather odd place. Inside it is decorated with T-shirt designs, and has an Australian theme to its decorating. It is a very small bar, located downtown, so it gets claustrophobicaly full on the weekend. I found it had an excelent selection, with a great selection of Belgain beers which I am partial to. The bartenders were friendly, knowledgable and helpfull in picking beers, but they were also being run ragged by the crowd. I liked most everything about the place except for the extreme crowdedness, if I can go back on a less busy night I probably will.

05-09-2006 20:25:53 | More by geetlord

kingjames1

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev -4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Overall, this is a great place to get some rare beers (unlike anything else in North Florida, that i know of). The beer selection is quite good and exceedingly broad. The only weakness, imo, is there tap selection. Very limited for a beer pub. The owner and servers are very well-informed and very helpful when looking for that special beer you're craving but can't pinpoint. As noted already, they typically serve the beers in their appropriate glasswear (its a rare experience in Florida to get an obscure Belgium beer served in a glass from that same obscure brewery).

The atmosphere is good - not great. I enjoyed hanging out in the cozy joint (it is a bit too small), but the whole T-shirt theme is just lame (and the shirts themselves even more so), and the Australian/Aboriginal decor is a bit odd, almost trippy. It all seems a bit out of sync, incoherent as a 'theme'.

Another relative weakness is the lack of food. I don't hold this against them, as they are relatively new, and I was told that you are allowed to bring in your own food! As I said, overall, this is a unique place for unique beers, and worth checking out.

12-15-2005 03:57:03 | More by kingjames1

dmbgator

Florida

5/5  rDev +11.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

By far and away the best place to drink beer in Gainesville. I found out about this place only this past summer, and I now frequent it at least 2-3 times a week. With 200+ beers to choose from, in no way can you go wrong. The owner of Stubbies might possibly be the nicest person ever, and boy does she know her stuff. The rest of the staff is also great. Although the bar is small and it gets cramped on some of the busier nights, in no way should that turn you away. Beyond just the beer, they have a plethora of beer t-shirts that range from clever to borderline insanely hilarious. If you are ever are in the area DO NOT hesitate to stop in and experience Stubbies. Oh and if you do, bring a sharpie and use the restroom.... youll see!!!

11-02-2005 19:45:24 | More by dmbgator

SetarconeX

Florida

4.55/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$$

Hands down the best place in Gainesville to get quality beer. Stubbies, despite being compressed into one of the tiniest spaces of any bar in town, manages to have the largest selection by many orders of magnitude. If I have an objection, it's the somewhat claustrophobic space, and the logical followup of a smoking ban (more than one or two cigarettes would fill the room with smoke). Also, they seem to have occasional supply problems with the small number of beers on tap, but with over 200 beers, you'll always find a workable second choice.

And as if the beer wasn't enough, the owner of the establishment is one of the sweetest human beings I've ever met, and the rest of her staff isn't far behind. A real treat!

08-13-2005 20:54:15 | More by SetarconeX

ridedammit

Massachusetts

4.86/5  rDev +8.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This is one of the many reasons I hated to move away from Gainesville...no more stubbie's. Stubbies has the firiendliest, most insteresting, and interested proprietor I have met in a long while. Berkley, the proprietor, is a lovely human and will gladly share her knowledge of beer, and will also listen if you know something that she does not. The bartenders are not beer snobs, and the patrons range from homebrew geeks, to those interested in trying something other than the usual college town beer-swill. They are always interested in bringing in new and interesting beers, and enlightening Gainesville about real beer.

08-08-2005 20:17:42 | More by ridedammit

SierraDrinker

Florida

5/5  rDev +11.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I searched for a good bar in Gainesiville for nearly 18 months before finding Stubby's. It wasn't until a brewer friend of mine told me about the place before I realized the kind of quality establishment it truly is. If you are familiar with Gainesville, you are aware that most of the bars downtown are crap. The Library, next door to Stubby's has 12 beers on tap: 8 from Budweiser, 2 from Coors, 2 from Miller. The head bartender/proprieter is one of the nicest beer pourers you will ever meet. She provides an incredible selection of imports, domestic, and even PBR for those who don't like good beers. She knows every beer. If you ask for a recommendation, just describe what you like and she won't steer you wrong. Her staff is knowledgable, prompt (when they aren't swamped), and kind. I describe Stubby's as the bar to go to if you want to get a beer. You don't want to hook up, dance, eat, or anything else. You want to BS with your friends and drink a good beer.

My one knock against the place. The over emphasize Belgian style which I don't particularly enjoy. I'm from California, so I enjoy the northwest breweries.

08-03-2005 17:01:35 | More by SierraDrinker