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Pass-A-Grille Beach is considered by some to be the “hidden gem” of Tampa Bay beaches. Boasting a prime location off the coast of St. Petersburg, and as a division of St. Pete Beach at its southern end, it allows you to escape the carefree “Old Florida” island lifestyle while still being close to the continent.
Pass-A-Grille Beach is tucked away off the beaten path, literally. If you are heading toward Gulf Boulevard, continue until you can go no further, then turn right onto Gulf Way. You will immediately know when you are there. It seems pleasantly unknown. Where St. Pete Beach is crowded and chaotic with hotels and vacationers everywhere, this small town is peaceful and quiet. The pace of everyday life slows down.
You will notice that people walk a lot in Pass-A-Grille. The historic downtown district lends itself to casual sunset strolls along the beach. You can pay to park in metered parking and you choose where you want to go. There are eclectic shops, boutique hotels, local restaurants, homemade ice cream parlors, and art galleries lining the streets of Pass-A-Grille.
Unlike St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach and Clearwater Beach, where there are many hotels and condos facing the gulf, Pass-A-Grille Beach has more unobstructed views of the water than any other beach in Pinellas. You can literally drive down Gulf Way at night and gaze out over the moonlit waters. You can pull up, park and go at virtually any time for a stroll on the beach or a bite to eat at the world famous Hurricane Seafood Restaurant.
A big reason the area has escaped major commercial development and kept its ‘Old Florida’ charm is because of its historic designation and because the community fought hard to keep Pass-A-Grille’s 31 blocks of real estate. mainly residential. Therefore, you will see families everywhere. Parents will take their sons and daughters to Merry Pier to fish, which has been a part of the Pass-A-Grille lifestyle for centuries.
Pass-A-Grille Beach was inhabited by the Tocobaga Native Americans between 1000 and 1700 AD, who enjoyed a fishing lifestyle. The Europeans who landed in 1528 also enjoyed the fishing lifestyle and found the area perfect for that need. The name “Pass-a-Grille” actually comes from the French “Passe aux Grilleurs”, which means “broiler aisle”, and the grillers are fishermen who cook the fish on the shore.
In 1857, visitors began to vacation in the area for short trips, and in 1886 the first hotel and ferry services were offered. Hotels soon began to spring up along the Gulf beaches. The wealthy began taking day and weekend trips to the area. The first church in Gulf Beaches was built in 1917 and now houses the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum.
Many houses that were built in the 1950s and 1960s are still the same today and epitomize the old Florida ‘beach house’. If you get the chance, get off the beaten track and experience the charming seaside town of Pass-A-Grille. You will surely fall in love and possibly never want to leave.