Outpost Neighborhood Tavern adds a bit of queer cheer to the sports bar experience

Outpost Neighborhood Tavern Credit: Matt Keller Lehman

Most sports bars — check that; all sports bars I’ve ever visited have been of the certifiably hetero, hyper-masculine, bro-cultured sort. And when a sportsball event of consequence takes place, the vibe typically rises to eruptive levels of testosterone-fueled hooliganery. Of late, however, I’ve been more inclined to parade any unbridled sports passion in the comfort of my home — honestly, it’s just safer for everybody (my wife notwithstanding). So when my sportsball-loving pal and I found ourselves inside the friendly confines of Outpost Neighborhood Tavern, I made sure it was at a prudent lunchtime hour on a weekday afternoon. And while there’s no shortage of boob tubage in this former home of Persimmon Hollow Brewing, we found that the space has been tastefully, and expectedly, queer-eyed.

Outpost, you see, is a sports bar, but one amplifying the world of the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, owner Devon Tillman (who formerly ran Island Time in Thornton Park) and OUT Sports League creator John Teixeria bill their tavern on the sink-holed shores of Lake Eola as a “fabulous place for dining, drinks, drag and sports.” And fabulous it is. The interior refresh allows the bright space to sparkle, while the decor gives as much emphasis to Ronaldo as it does to RuPaul.

“I’ve never been to a gay sports bar,” said the pal.

“Me neither,” I replied. “Let’s drink to being rookies!”

And we did, but Outpost’s bill of fare is less sports bar and more grandma’s country chicken. There are as many Southern flourishes on the menu as Bear Bryant had in his wardrobe. Black-eyed pea hummus ($13), deep-fried collard green chips ($8) and whipped feta topped with a pecan-mint gremolata ($14) are snackables that Alabama and Auburn fans can agree on. But they were also of a caliber that had us excited about trying some of the menu’s heavy hitters.

Outpost Neighborhood Tavern Credit: Matt Keller Lehman

The appropriately named “Southern comfort burger” ($17), a half-pounder loaded with pimiento cheese, hot honey and chow-chow, was one of the best burgers I’ve had all year. In fact, that tangy chow-chow was so good, we got it on the corn dogs ($13), smothered in more cheese and an Alabama white barbecue sauce. When Tillman told us the “big mamma” fried chicken ($26) was his great-grandmother’s recipe, it made our decision easy. The pickle juice brine lent a unique flavor angle to the crispy chicken that we appreciated, even if it didn’t suit our tastes. However, the warming spices in the sweet potato cornbread served with the bird did.

I mentioned there were a lot of TVs in the place, and it was likely a match of some sort playing on them that distracted me from reading the description of a dish called “hearty meatloaf” ($24). I expected a plate with slabs of meat slathered in gravy, but what we got were meatloaf meatballs, just as the menu said. No matter; the orbs glazed in a guava barbecue sauce served over coconut-plantain mashed potatoes were as substantial as Jimmy Johnson’s coif. The lone quibble? Baby carrots weren’t cooked all the way through. Not a big deal as we ate the rest with, umm, gay abandon.

Speaking of, a drag brunch ($60-$75) goes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday and it’s proven quite popular. Hardly surprising, given that Outpost serves food and drink fit for a queen.

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Outpost Neighborhood Tavern adds a bit of queer cheer to the sports bar experience

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