Huc-A-Poo’s Bites & Booze
Tybee Island, Georgia
Huc -A-Poo’s Bites & Booze is the epitome of life. It’s where stories are born. It’s the kind of place Pat Conroy and Earnest Hemingway write about in novels. It’s a genuine, local bar with an environment that can’t be created. It’s not store-bought. It’s not forced. No one has a care in the world. It’s a place where nothing matters–what you wear, who you are, where you come from. You can just be. It’s care free, non-judgmental. It’s come one, come all. It’s family owned and operated. It’s the kind of place where time and seasons escape. Laid back. Eclectic. It doesn’t have a website. You won’t find brochures on it. It’s not touristy. It’s unpretentious, unassuming. The slogan on the paper menu reads: Huc-A-Poo’s – Where the Mind and Spirits Meet. I would imagine heaven to have the same vibe.
The Cast of Characters
The people in a place make all the difference. It’s the characters who create the atmosphere. These folks along with my friend, April (pictured left above) inspired my experience.
Steven – He wore a multi-colored Beanie hat and liked to call me brat, but oddly, in an endearing way. He said, “My brother owns this place. Wanna meet him?” He led me into the kitchen and I got a behind the scenes tour. Throughout the night, he would look at me across the room and put his finger to his lips and say, “shhhhh.” He wandered from table to bar top, to staircase and his brothers referred to him as Huc-A-Poo’s PR guy. He was right at home.
The Bartender – He would pop out from behind the bar and groove to the music, moving from customer to customer bringing drinks, taking checks. He had a beard and obviously loved his job.
The Band – The Royal Noise: Jazz, Funk, Soul – Each band member bled music. It ran through their veins. They felt every note. They expressed pure passion in a saxophone, a drum set, a bass and electric guitar. It was evident they were born to play. Take a listen.
The Staff – A close-nit group of folks who appeared to be all related. They were long-haired, free-spirited and kind with tanned skin worn from the sun. Very welcoming. Really hospitable. No uniforms, they wore whatever they pleased. Shorts, T-shirts, flip-flops, even in November.
The Food
Pizza. Beer. Saturday night.
We ordered a $15 specialty pizza – The Federale: Mexican pizza with grilled chicken, red onions, bell peppers, fresh tomatoes and jalapenos. It was massive and only $15 bucks. We’ll get at least four meals out of it from the leftovers! Landshark Lagers with lime slices only made sense to drink. You can order pizza by the $4 slice or a whole pie. Make your choice from 12 different specialty pies or build your own. Wraps, nachos and hot dogs are on the menu too, even low carb salads. The food tasted great, but honestly it wouldn’t have mattered.
The Cost
Nothing on the menu is priced over $7 with the exception of the $15 whole pies, which would cost at least $30 anywhere else. Amazingly affordable.
The Location
Located in the Tybee Oaks Shopping Center just a few miles from the beach off of Highway 80, Huc-A-Poo’s has over 2,500 Likes on Facebook. Let’s help them get to 3,000.
The Crowd
On a Saturday night in early November, the age group ranged from 25 – 60 with the majority of the crowd being locals, others, first-time visitors like myself. With the exception of a young, drunk athlete who tried to eat my face upon arrival, everybody there was awesome.
Huc-A-Poo’s combined all my favorite things in one place-Good food and good company, and live music in an incredible atmosphere on the Georgia coast. It’s the kind of environment you happen upon once in a blue moon, the kind of place that has the potential to make me relocate. Huc-A-Poo’s is a place that sets the standard, that you’ll continue comparing other environments to again and again. They’ve found a new regular in me.
