BEACH BAR BEAT: Craig

Craig Greenwood

Craig Greenwood

Name? “Craig Greenwood.”

Where are you from? “I’m originally from Woodstock, New Hampshire.”

How long have you lived on SPI? “Twenty years.”

How long have you been bartending? “Thirteen years.”

How old are you? “I’m 30 years old.”

Where else have you bartended? “I’ve bartended at Tom and Jerry’s and Palm Street Pier.”

Why do you like working at PadreRitaVille? “It’s a good atmosphere, good people, and the owners are nice. The drinks are fun and they smoke. If you can make your drinks smoke, it’s always a good thing.”

What are your favorite drinks to make? “Martinis and the Miami Vice, a frozen daiquiri with piña colada mixed together.”

What is the most requested drink? “Margaritas – we have a list of 25 margaritas and you can get them frozen or on the rocks.”

What sports do you follow? “Football, basketball, baseball – really anything I can watch while I’m working.”

What are the most popular dishes at PadreRitaVille? “We won the Shrimp Cookoff the last two years in a row. Both the Shrimp Bayou and Shrimp Diablo are pretty high sellers. Bacon wrapped shrimp with jalapeños and cream cheese is also pretty good. That’s why we won.”

What keeps customers interested in PadreRitaVille? “It’s a fun atmosphere. We have live music seven nights a week and we like to have fun. We’re not one of those uptight strict places where you come and there are candlelit tables.”

What’s the least fun thing about bartending? “Dealing with really drunk people. They come in and get mad because we won’t serve them. It’s never fun when you have to cut somebody off.”

Are you active in any organizations? “I do the Surf Rider Foundation. I like to help out with cleaning up the beaches. Besides working and that (Surf Rider volunteerism), I don’t have much time.”

You can visit Craig at PadreRitaVille five nights a week at 5 p.m. until closing.

To recommend a bar or bartender for the Beach Bar Beat, please email bbb@portisabelsouthpadre.com or visit our Facebook page. After summer, bartenders featured in the Beach Bar Beat will be rounded up to compete to be this year’s champion. To participate, you can vote for your favorite in the second annual South Padre Parade’s Beach Bartender Competition.

Feel free to join me for a drink when you see me working the Beach Bar Beat. It is a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.portisabelsouthpadre.com/2013/05/22/beach-bar-beat-craig/

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