Cock & Bull, the Sarasota bar and music venue that first opened on Main Street in 1997, drew a packed crowd to its Cattlemen Road comeback on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The venue at 975 Cattlemen Road opened to the public at 6:30 p.m. following a private event, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported. The band Ellipsis played classic rock on the covered outdoor stage while Smokin' Momma Lora's Kitchen served barbecue and burgers from a permanent food truck on-site.

A grand opening weekend is set for Oct. 23-24. Pitbull Toddler plays Friday, Oct. 23, and Kettle of Fish takes the stage Saturday, Oct. 24, partner Dean Lambert told the Bradenton Herald.

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. Giuffre's company purchased the property in February.

"I think people will definitely be pleasantly surprised, spending the last eight weeks just cleaning it up and painting it and redoing ceilings," Lambert told the Bradenton Herald before the reopening. "So it's not like a gutted renovation, but it's a cleaned up renovation."

The bar moved from downtown Sarasota to the Cattlemen Road space in 2002. BeerAdvocate named it the sixth-best place to have a beer in the U.S. in 2006. The space later operated as Big Top Live starting in 2021, then briefly as The Parrot Live before Giuffre bought it.

Live music will now focus on local and regional musicians rather than nationally touring acts, Lambert said. The beverage menu includes popular beer brands and ready-to-drink cocktails alongside craft options.

Lora Miller, known for her Smokin' Momma Lora's BBQ food truck, runs the on-site kitchen. She described it as "a permanent kitchen on wheels." Pulled pork sandwiches cost $15. The Pulled Pork Truffle Parmesan Fries run $25, and the Pig & Cow Burger topped with four ounces of pulled pork is $17.

Lambert said Cock & Bull plans to open daily at 11:30 a.m. and close at 10 p.m., with later hours on weekends. Call 941-906-7493 or visit cockandbullsrq.com.