Fort Lauderdale’s latest craft beer bar and restaurant The Keg On 6th opened up last week in the Airport District (more on this later), and although we weren’t invited to the soft opening, we were excited to check out the new spot as soon as possible, which ended up being The Keg’s second night in business. Before we talk about the new bar though, let’s talk about the new district we just named…
The Airport District
I don’t think the Keg On 6th intended on completing the triangle that is now The Airport District, but it has (at least according to us). With porn-laden Bimini Bay Bar (funny blog post found here here) and rockabilly venue Monterrey Club about a quarter mile away, FTL has an area of 3 bars that are all different and all walk-able. And when LauderAle opens up soon(?), we’ll happily lump that in too.
[Click To Tweet] A new nightlife district in Fort Lauderdale has emerged, and it’scalled The Airport District #AirportDistrict
Back to The Keg though…
The Keg On 6th
Let us start by writing that we believe The Keg is in the “working out the kinks” stage, and to be honest, it wouldn’t be fair to give a final grade right now. We saw a lot of potential in this place, and we wanted to help get the word out so locals can decide for themselves.
To help you envision what it looks like inside (because our pictures came out horrible), it’s an intimate-sized, darkly lit square building, half full of dinner tables, with the other half dedicated to the bar. The walls are laden with conservative graffiti and beer logo art. The bar itself has double digit taps (correct me if I’m wrong), a fridge full of craft beer, and a clearly-written chalkboard menu with all the selections.
What We Liked
- The beer menu — Pretty extensive craft beer menu with lots of room for additions (scroll to the bottom for a snapshot of the menu). Fair prices too, all craft beers generally $5 to $7.
- Cheap beer too — Among the craft beers, they had the option for a $3 Narragansett. We love that.
- The bartenders — We spoke to 2 of the bartenders, and both were personable and helpful. Pro tip: talk to the male bartender about Washington DC sports and you’ll get on his good side immediately.
- The music — Playing music in a bar is tough because you have to appeal to a wide array of patrons, but we feel their selection of mindie music– think Two Door Cinema Club, Joy Formidable, Passion Pit, Empire Of The Sun, etc. — was a good/ safe choice for the crowd they’ll probably attract. Also, glad it’s not a jukebox.
- Food menu — I didn’t order food, but Fat Hand ordered the grilled fish tacos. Fat Hand, care to comment?
- The proximity – Bimini Bay is across the street, Monterrey is .3 miles away, and LauderAle is probably a 10 minute walk– a one stop shop of vintage pinups, vintage money shots, and craft beer.
- Outside seating — There were a couple picnic tables outside.
Where They Could Improve
- Marketing – We were surprised at the lack of people for a new bar on the second night. The only reason we knew it was open was because New Times wrote about the soft opening. We’re sure they’re working on this though.
- The bathroom – Bathrooms are one of the more underrated aspects of a bar. A memorable bathroom can put a bar over the edge, if you ask me. Also, the paper towels were resting on top of the toilet, a big no-no for selective germaphobes like myself.
- Local art — Maybe the graffiti inside was done locally, but we’d like to see some more art to help shape the bar’s personality.
What We’re Excited About
- Happy hour — The bartender informed us that they are still deciding on the happy hour specials. We can see this as a good after work spot for those seeking something a little less crowded (for now) than Tap 42.
- More local beers — They had Funky Buddha Floridian on tap and Cigar City; we’d like to see even more from those brewers, plus some Wynwood, Due South, Miami Brewing, Holy Mackerel, LauderdAle, etc.
- The personality — Right now, it feels very Tap 42-ish. We look forward to The Keg coming into it’s own.
Check out the bar for yourself. It’s located on 3218 SE 6th ave, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316. If you think you’re lost, you probably aren’t. Follow them on Facebook for updates: The Keg on Facebook
If you like crappy iPhone photos, check out a couple bonus photos below: