Arnold's Lounge
St. Augustine, FL Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
After a day of visiting the Fountain of Youth, the Alligator Farm, or Ripley's, Arnold's Lounge looks like a good place to take a break from the crowds. The colorful neon sign along U.S. 1 has been drawing in locals and travelers for years, promising a cold drink and a relaxed evening just north of St. Augustine's busy tourist district.
Inside, Arnold's has long been known as an old-fashioned neighborhood lounge with live music, dancing, and plenty of familiar faces. It's the kind of place where visitors can mingle with the locals instead of other tourists, making it feel like you've discovered a different side of the city.
The sign out front fits the place perfectly. Bright, colorful, and easy to spot from the highway, it has been welcoming people in long after the nearby attractions have closed for the day.
UPDATE: Arnold's Lounge remains open today, and its classic neon sign cShowing up behind this arrow sign ontinues lighting up U.S. 1. The sign showing up in this photo was removed around 2015. 07-26
Safari Lounge (Gone)
Florida Keys, FL Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
The big roadside sign pointed the way to Safari Lounge, but it was the giant rhinoceros out front that really let you know you'd arrived. Along the Overseas Highway, this was one of those places that practically begged travelers to pull over and see what was inside.
Nicknamed the "Dead Animal Bar" by locals, the Safari Lounge embraced its hunting lodge theme with an unforgettable collection of mounted wildlife and other unusual décor. It wasn't your typical Florida Keys watering hole, and that's exactly what made it memorable. The lounge even found its way onto television when it appeared in scenes from the series Bloodline.
Whether you stopped in for a drink or just wanted a closer look at the roadside attractions, the Safari Lounge was one of those places you didn't soon forget.
UPDATE: The original Safari Lounge closed after Hurricane Irma in 2017. The property later reopened as a completely renovated restaurant, and the original roadside sign is gone. 07-26
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/Back on Tack for info.
The glowing tiki sign has been welcoming travelers to Bahi Hut for decades. Sitting along the Tamiami Trail beside the Golden Host Resort, it looks like the kind of place where vacation never really ended. Even if you weren't planning to stop, the tropical sign and low-slung building made it tough not to wonder what was inside.
Opened in the 1950s, the Bahi Hut has long been one of Florida's classic tiki bars. Step through the door and you'll find bamboo, tropical décor, and fruity island drinks that feel like they've been served the same way for generations. It's the sort of roadside lounge that recalls the days when Polynesian restaurants and tiki bars were popping up all across America, giving travelers a brief escape without ever leaving the highway.
Bahi Hut
Sarasota, FL Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
The old sign out front has become just as much a landmark as the bar itself. While countless roadside lounges have faded away over the years, the Bahi Hut continues to capture a little of that carefree mid-century Florida spirit.
UPDATE: Bahi Hut remains open today, and its iconic tiki sign still welcomes travelers along the Tamiami Trail. 07-26
Silver King Tavern (Gone)
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". Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.
Inside, the tavern was known for its trophy fish, live music, and laid-back old Florida atmosphere. Baseball fans also made it a popular stop before and after Tampa Bay Rays games just a few blocks away.
UPDATE: The Silver King Tavern closed in the early 2000s. The building has been renovated for new businesses, and the familiar fish-shaped sign is gone. 07-26
Bop City Bar (Gone0
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. Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.
Bop City earned a reputation as a lively neighborhood dive, known for late-night crowds and fresh fish sandwiches served by owner Willie Conner. It wasn't on the main strip, but plenty of people found their way there anyway.
UPDATE: The original bar is gone, but the famous neon sign was saved and can still be seen at New World Tampa. 07-26
Sloppy Joe's Bar
Key West, FL Photo 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. Many thanks to Paul Baukefor info. 01-09
Sloppy Joe's opened on the day Prohibition ended in 1933 and has been a Key West favorite ever since. Ernest Hemingway was one of its best-known regulars, and the bar famously moved across the street in 1937 after a rent dispute. Today it's still the center of the annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest and one of the liveliest stops in town.
UPDATE: Sloppy Joe's remains open, and its familiar neon signs continue lighting up the corner of Duval Street. 07-26
Arnold's Lounge
Safari Lounge (Gone)
Silver King Tavern (Gone)
Bop City Bar (Gone0
