Arnold's
St. Augustine, FL Photo and info courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
After a rough day of taking in the Fountain of Youth, Alligator Farm
and Ripley Museum, travelers may want to duck into Arnold's Cocktail
Lounge. The local dive is located just north of the attractions
in St. Augustine, Florida on Route 1 and seems the perfect place to escape
the crowds and shake-off the tourist stress.
Safari Lounge
Florida Keys, FL Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
This sign points the way into the Safari Lounge. Tired
of all the sights and wild animals? If you're in the Florida Keys, then
this lounge is an option for a rest stop.
Bahi Hut
Sarasota, FL Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
The Bahi Hut Lounge has been filling
peoples tiki mugs for the last 30 years with their "secret"
mai tai recipes. The lounge is part of Best Western, although it is in
a separate building. Inside is a Polynesian paradise complete with bamboo,
palms, and coconuts. The Bahi Hut is on North Tamiami Trail in Sarasota.
Locals call it the Bye, Bye H. You are limited to only two mai tais due
to their potency.
Many thanks to Steve from Back on Tack for photos and
info.
Silver King Tavern
St. Petersburg, FL Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
This grand old sign hangs outside the second floor of the Silver King
Tavern on Central Ave in St. Petersburg. It is a short walk from Tropicana
Field. It is primarily a lunch place claiming to have the "freshest
of fresh Gulf seafood" but it does bring in a lot of jazz acts certain
evenings and weekends. The older scene it attracts is in sharp contrast
to the booming techno club next door. There have been many plans to restore
downtown St. Petersburg, but none have passed the city council. Every
Friday night they close off the streets for free music concerts called
the "Get Down Town Music Series".
Bop City Bar
Ybor City, FL Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
Ybor City is a large Cuban community in Tampa. At one time it was well
know for its many cigar factories where immigrants from the island would
hand roll stogies. Today it is a Tampa’s club district. The tiny
streets, which resemble New Orleans, are packed on the weekends. Bop
City is off the main drag of Seventh Avenue. The bar is a simple,
concrete, oblong, reggae dance hall. It is shoulder to shoulder bopping
in the almost pitch dark. Three buck imported beer from Jamaica is the
drink of choice.
Sloppy Joe's Bar
Key West, FL Photo and info courtesy Paul Bauke
Here's the famous Sloppy Joe's Bar located in the town of Key West, FL. Sloppy Joe's originated as a saloon back on December 5, 1993 when Prohibition was repealed. Ernest Hemingway was a regular customer at the once called Russell's Bar and encouraged the name change to Sloppy Joe's.
Today, Sloppy Joe's still remembers its Hemingway ties and hosts the annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest. In addition, the Hemingway Days Festival began here at Sloppy Joe's.
Arnold's
Safari Lounge
Silver King Tavern
Bop City Bar
