Clearwater Beach has welcomed a fast-casual restaurant that doesn't serve your average beach cuisine. Badfins Food + Brew, a spin on the song "Badfish" by Sublime, opened at 215 S. Gulfview Blvd. — at the bottom of the young Wyndham Grand's south tower — on Sept. 1.
Bill West and Eric Miller, who worked as developers for the resort, wanted to bring something new to the Clearwater area. With the green light from Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach owner Kiran Patel, Miller and West built their concept with an "independent, be yourself type of attitude."
"Badfins is really promoting everyone to find their inner badass," Miller said. "It is that positive spin to promote being just a little different, to not be the norm."
The 80-seat, indoor-outdoor food spot cooks up comfort food with Mexican and barbecue roots. Selections from the fusion-style menu include tacos, sandwiches, bowls, "dawgs" and salads. According to Miller, one customer favorite is the Cubano Dip, a classic Cuban sandwich served with house-made pork au jus for dipping.
Badfins does breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings, too. Guests choose from sweet options like Waffle Wangs (Belgian waffle and wings topped with honey drizzle and powdered sugar), or go for items like Green Toast & Eggs (guacamole, fried egg, cotija cheese, cilantro and smoked paprika over toasted ciabatta) on the savory side.
The newcomer operates with a fast-casual dining model — order at the counter, grab a number and scope out a table — but don't expect to repeat this familiar process for seconds. Instead, a food attendant handles any additional orders from a tablet, allowing diners to enjoy a Florida sunset and their drinks without interruption.
Speaking of drinks: 34 taps are available, with 24 dedicated to beer and 10 to wine. The goal is to keep things local by spotlighting craft breweries such as Escape Brewing Company and Tampa Bay Brewing Company, alongside wines from an Italian company whose owner has lived in the Bay area for more than 30 years.
And if cocktails are desired, there's a lineup of specialty libations made with sake, wine and beer.
"Jessie Wohlers, a mixologist from New York who also developed the drink menu at Ichicoro in Seminole Heights, developed our craft cocktail list. They are craft cocktails with low ABV, so you can drink to drink for all of the different flavors — and discovering those flavors is what makes those fun. It's about experiencing the drink," said Miller.
The Badfins space itself, featuring a 1,500-square-foot dining room and a beachfront patio that also weighs in at 1,500 square feet, evokes a West Coast vibe that keeps the eye entertained. Here, the interior is equipped with TVs airing travel, skateboarding and surfing videos, as well as one-of-a-kind artwork — including a few mural walls by St. Petersburg artist Chad Mize.
To enhance the restaurant's experience, the founders also thought to offer residents and tourists the opportunity to rent electric fat tire bikes. These crusiers can go as fast as 20 miles per hour, taking riders for a spin within a 50-mile radius.
A grand opening for Badfins kicks off at 5 p.m. Nov. 30. The celebration includes a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Clearwater Mayor George Cretekos, live music, drinks and food samples.
"This is really a time to bring in the locals, vendors and people who have supported us the entire way," Miller said, "get them in here, and have them experience the concept."
This article appears in Nov 9-16, 2017.