Easily one of the coolest dive bars ever, the Green Parrot is simply a Key West icon. There’s colorful decor, good strong drinks, live music, a liquor store and, of course, a T-shirt shop with all kinds of cool stuff to take home. While you’re out there, make sure to get your photo at Mile Zero, just down the street!
Florida Bars
Key West Bars
Nothing beats the laid-back atmosphere, great drinks, and eclectic live music that can be found at Key West bars! We have many favorites with Schooner Wharf Bar at the top of the list!
Geiger Key Marina
A hidden gem (we drove right past the exit and kept cruising down the Overseas Highway the first time we tried to find it!), the Geiger Key Marina, RV Park & Fish Camp lives up to its reputation as “the way the Keys used to be.” We stopped here for lunch on our way to Key West. Great waterfront view, good drink selection and outstanding food (I highly recommend the Seared Tuna Nachos). Oh yeah, we bought some cool T-shirts as well. In fact, this place was one of the highlights of our Keys trip!
Tarpon River Brewing
We enjoyed a nice lunch (along with some great craft brews!) at Tarpon River Brewing in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale over the weekend. It’s a huge, inviting open-air gastropub (formerly an 11,000-square-foot horse barn called Snyder Stables). I had a pint of the InZane Lager and Amber to Center Stage. Both were amazing! The veggie wrap hit the spot as well. We’ll definitely be back next time we visit South Florida.
Capt. Tony Tarracino
I found the above Capt. Tony Tarracino for Mayor poster (“He Listens To You”) a couple of years ago at my absolute favorite Key West shop, 90 Miles to Cuba, which is located at 616 Greene Street in the Historic Seaport District. A Key West legend, Capt. Tony (1916-2008) served as a shrimper, charter boat captain, gunrunner, proprietor of Captain Tony’s Saloon and Key West mayor from 1989 to 1991. Capt. Tony once remarked, “All you need in this life is a tremendous sex drive and a great ego. Brains don’t mean shit.” He served as the inspiration behind Jimmy Buffett’s 1985 song, “Last Mango in Paris.”
Lazy Day at the SandBar
We spent a recent Saturday at Capt. Hiram’s SandBar in Sebastian and had a blast as usual! There’s nothing like an afternoon at the SandBar where you can enjoy some great food (the Asian Tuna Nachos are highly recommended!), drink some amazing cocktails, listen to live music and simply soak in the laid-back atmosphere. Check it out!
Boat Drinks – St. Augustine
During last Saturday’s torrential storm in St. Augustine, we ducked into a funky, Florida Keys-type eatery in the heart of St. George Street called Boat Drinks, which lives up to its billing as “a nautical tropical bar with frozen cocktails, a rum selection that would sink most ships and a bounty of fresh seafood.” Since it was early and we weren’t prepared for a full-blown meal, we opted to sample a couple of appetizers, including the Crispy Fish Bites (very good) and Plantain Chips ‘n Dips (outstanding). As you might expect, Boat Drinks specializes in an amazing selection of frozen drinks and rum punches, as well as rotating Florida craft beers. We had a great time at Boat Drinks and will definitely return soon! Oh yeah, we also hit one of our all-time favorite St. Augustine spots, Milltop Tavern. All in all, a very rewarding barhop in the “Ancient City” despite the awful weather.
Low-Key Hideaway Tiki Bar, Cedar Key
The perfect, laid-back hangout in Cedar Key (about 1.4 miles East of Dock Street) on State Road 24, the Low-Key Hideaway Tiki Bar is the place to be on a lazy weekend afternoon. Don’t miss it!
Woody’s River Roo Pub & Grill
“Welcome to the Roo with a View!” We planned on driving from Ocoee to Fort Myers and back in one day, so I wanted to find a good place to stop for lunch on the way back. So I Googled “Tiki Bar near I-75” and Woody’s River Roo Pub & Grill on the scenic Manatee River in Ellenton came up. A great place by the way (if you can find it)! I thoroughly enjoyed my Ahi Tuna Tacos. It’s the kind of place you can hang out all day and enjoy the view with an ice-cold beer if you have the time.
