1201 NE 38th Street

Oakland Park, FL 33334

954-440-0046

Happy anniversary Funky Buddha Brewery!

The warehouse brewery located in Oakland Park, Florida celebrated its second year with an old-school block party style bash. The festivities included an all-day street festival complete with bands, food trucks, and, of course, beer.  This extravaganza featured Funky Buddha’s everyday drafts as well as dozens of limited and special release beers. There were several food trucks on hand and while I did not sample every cuisine, I did treat myself to a unique craft beer, an amazing entree and a cool dessert. Just beyond the festival gates, I was immediately greeted by one of the more unique food concepts I have ever seen. Ever heard of cake pops? Well, local eatery Cutie Pie Pops put a spin on that concept and with pie pops. Yes. Pies on a stick. They were offering cherry, apple and a few other varieties.

Since this was my first time at Funky Buddha, I wanted to make sure I sampled a beer that was unique to the location. I read through the extensive beer list and choose a beer that would mix my love of breakfast with my love of dark ale. Drumroll please….

I had the French Toast Double Brown Ale and it was amazing. I love Ambers and Dark Ales, but I usually choose the lighter varieties like Hefeweizen or Golden Ale. It’s hot in this Florida sun and dark beer reminds of fall days in the Midwest. I guess that’s why I took it back to my Midwestern roots and choose something bold. The French Toast Double Brown Ale delivered. It had a cinnamon-like taste on first sip that spiked into a taste similar to a Red Ale before settling into the full-bodied bitterness of a Brown Ale. With this beer, Funky Buddha Brewery definitely earned a fan in me.

I made my way to the food trucks after finishing my beer. There were several that offered numerous types of cuisines. There was gourmet pizza made in a food truck with a full-service brick oven, standard American cuisine of hot dogs and fries and so much more.

There were a lot of great choices but I settled on the food truck located all the way at the end of the festival. No matter where I go, I am determined to find the hidden gem. Rolling Chefs of the Palm Beaches offered a simple but interesting menu. I decided on the ahi tuna salad with chipotle raspberry dressing. I have never had ahi tuna, ever, and I have to say the Rolling Chefs of the Palm Beaches made it so well, I feel like I’ve been missing out on biggest thing since bread. It was so good I started doing on-the-spot promotion, sending people to their food truck.

They have several other food trucks located around the city and you can “like” their Facebook page for more information on where they will be this summer. You can follow them on the Food Truck Finder USA app as well.

By the time I finished my salad it was seriously smoking hot outside and I wanted to cool down with something light, refreshing and fruity. Enter Pop Lab. They specialize in making delicious all natural, handcrafted ice pops.

I had the strawberry lemonade pop and it did just the trick to cool me down. It was less of a popsicle and more flavored ice, which is why I enjoyed it so much. This pop had a subtle lemon flavor, but was heavier on the strawberry taste. And just look at those chunks of fresh strawberries tucked inside. Believe me, it tasted as good as it looks.

Funky Buddha Brewery put one on heck of a festival and I’m glad I could make it out. If you are a serious beer lover and ever find yourself in the Fort Lauderdale area, be sure to check them out. You won’t be disappointed!