A Sarasota bar and music venue with a loyal following and decades of history has reopened with classic rock, barbecue and a packed crowd welcoming its return.
Cock & Bull at 975 Cattlemen Road opened to the public at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, following a private event. Patrons filled the indoor bar and covered porch, which has a second bar, while Ellipsis performed on the covered outdoor stage.
The band played classic rock favorites including Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” and Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do.” Between the music, drinks and smoked pulled pork from Smokin’ Momma Lora’s Kitchen, Cock & Bull stayed busy throughout the evening.
Thursday marked the soft opening, with a grand opening weekend
scheduled to feature Pitbull Toddler on Friday, Oct. 23, and Kettle of Fish on Saturday, Oct. 24, according to partner Dean Lambert.
Lambert, former regional operations director for Sarasota’s Big Top Brewing Company, has teamed up with Frank Giuffre, manager of F&H Properties Sarasota LLC, which purchased the Cock & Bull property in February.
Open at its Cattlemen Road location since 2002, Cock & Bull operated in recent years as Big Top Live and briefly as The Parrot Live before Giuffre bought it. A Cock & Bull patron since he moved to the area in 2007, Giuffre wanted to clean up the space while maintaining the Old Florida feel that he found welcoming almost two decades ago.
“I think people will definitely be pleasantly surprised, spending the last eight weeks just cleaning it up and painting it and redoing ceilings,” Lambert said before the reopening. “So it’s not like a gutted renovation, but it’s a cleaned up renovation. The place looks amazing.”
What does the reopened Cock & Bull offer?
While Big Top Live centered on Big Top’s craft beer for its beverage menu, Cock & Bull’s announced lineup includes popular beer brands and ready-to-drink cocktails alongside craft options. Also unlike Big Top Live, live music will focus on locally and regionally based musicians rather than nationally touring acts, Lambert said.
Lora Miller, known for her Smokin’ Momma Lora’s BBQ food truck, now has what she described as “a permanent kitchen on wheels” on-site, branded Smokin’ Momma Lora’s Kitchen at Cock & Bull.
Her slow-smoked pulled pork anchors several sandwiches, including the OG Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich with house barbecue sauce and the Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich with tangy Carolina barbecue sauce, both $15.
On opening night, Miller recommended combining the regular red barbecue sauce and yellow Carolina-style sauce on the pulled pork sandwich. Yeah, you should give it a try.
Another standout was the Pulled Pork Truffle Parmesan Fries ($25), a generous serving of crispy fries tossed in house-made truffle sauce and topped with slow-smoked pulled pork and shaved Parmesan.
Those are distinct from Momma’s Loaded Fries ($25), which come with house queso, pulled pork, a barbecue drizzle and a Parmesan finish. Other shareables include loaded nachos ($20) and truffle Parmesan fries without pork ($13).
The burger lineup ranges from Momma’s Original Cheeseburger ($15) to the Pig & Cow Burger ($17), topped with four ounces of pulled pork, barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, lettuce, onion and pickle. There’s also a plant-powered burger ($15).
Taco Tuesday brings a choice of pork, seasoned beef, chicken, vegan filling or a weekly taco special.
“Cock & Bull has always had my heart, so I’m just so tickled that we can finally get over there permanently,” said Miller, who added that Smokin’ Momma Lora’s BBQ will remain on the road.
Lambert previously announced plans for Cock & Bull to open daily at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and close at 10 p.m., with later closing times on weekends. For more information, call 941-906-7493 or visit cockandbullsrq.com.
What is the history of Cock & Bull?
After originally opening on Main Street in downtown Sarasota in 1997, Cock & Bull moved into the Cattlemen Road space in 2002. It developed a following with fans of craft beer, with BeerAdvocate naming it the sixth-best place to have a beer in the U.S. in 2006. The venue also hosted live music, including local music festival Noise Ordinance, and served pizza and other foods over the years.
In 2021, Big Top Brewing Company took over the space in what Cock & Bull called at the time “the biggest tap takeover ever,” with Big Top leasing the space from owners Dawn and Howie Hochberg while renaming it Big Top Live and continuing to feature concerts, including national acts, and Big Top’s craft beer.
In 2025, the owners of local restaurant The Parrot Patio Bar & Grill announced plans to purchase the property and operate it as The Parrot Live.
However, Parrot owners Jeff and Melanie Gambino later backed out of the deal, citing permitting issues, undisclosed code violations and unpaid tangible property tax they had discovered.
Wade Tatangelo is the executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota bar roars back to life with classic rock and BBQ | Exclusive
