Bars 74-100 Key West, Islamorado, Marathon, Key Largo

There ain't no time like the present they say
Let's cruise all the way down A1A
Put the top down and catch a few rays
Baby we'll be outta here 
~ Kenny Chesney


Life is getting shorter so Sarah and I thought it was time that we put a dent in the beach bar list.  We decided to take a trip down to Key West and knock off a few.  It's a long trip so we stopped in Miami for the night.  Sarah's cousin and girlfriend work in the city there so we stopped by a local World of Beer to catch up.  

After that, Sarah and I met up with Sean and Brett who were joining us on the journey. We ate appetizers at the only Ale House-turned-dance club we've ever experienced.  Only in Miami I suppose.  We then rested before setting out on the best trip we've taken in a while...

Bar 74: Alabama Jack's

First stop: Alabama Jack's in Key Largo.  We didn't think this bar existed.  It's in the middle of nowhere.  You keep driving on the road and think that there's no way that there's any civilization out here.  It's nothing but swamp.  

But then, all of a sudden, Alabama Jack's appeared.

They are known for their conch fritters and wow were they good!  No wonder chef Emeril Lagasse featured Alabama Jack's on the TV show that showcases Florida beach and waterfront restaurants.

 Golden Margaritas at 11:20am was only a sign for a good time to come.


Bar 75: Gilbert's Resort

Still on Key Largo was Gilbert's Resort.

The architecture was great.  Quite an impressive Tiki Bar...

Brett and Sean had a beer while Sarah and I split a Pain in the Ass (Pina Colada swirled with a Rum Runner).

After enjoying the drinks, they had a great little beach area for us to relax by... but not for long.  After all, we had work to do.


Bar 76: Jimmy Johnson's Big Chill Tiki Bar

Big Chill had a great atmosphere and a very friendly staff.

We had a tough time deciding on what drink to order so we asked the bartender to surprise us.  Next thing we know, he pulls out 4 different flavored rums.

The result was the Happy Ending drink.

 And it was happy.  

Although, it's always happy with the captain.


Bar 77: Mandalay Oceanfront Grill

Mandalay was a rather small bar but it had a great view.

With it being only 1:45, we decided to take a break from the sweet tropical drinks.  Sarah ordered an Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc. 

As we were leaving, we noticed a Southern Most Point decoration hanging from the ceiling.

We later found one of these decorations in Key West and had to purchase it.


Bar 78: Snappers

Snappers had a great view and we enjoyed all of the drinks.  The waitstaff was amazing and it was a welcome break for our bar hopping. 

The Blue Coconut Margarita, the Bushwacker, and the Dark 'n Stormy were the drinks of choice.  Because we had so many bars to hit, we kept a journal.

Sarah did a great job of putting in the details so we would remember where we were and what we drank.  She even wrote down the time.  

It's 2:30pm for anyone who cares.

We had to say goodbye to Key Largo.  Islamorada was waiting.

Bar 79: Island Bar and Grill

The first bar on Islamorada was the Island Bar and Grill.  

We ordered the Keys Disease (Vodka, Midori, and Pineapple Juice).  

It looked a lot like Hi-C Ecto Cooler but tasted nothing like it :)

Bar 80: Hog Heaven

Hog Heaven may not look like a beach bar from the outside, but when you head to the back, the porch looks out over an inlet and has an amazing view.

Ryan was going to be driving so Sarah had Hog Heaven's own IPA. It was really delicious and the atmosphere was tough to beat. 

Bar 81: Holiday Isle Tiki Bar

This was Ryan's most anticipated bar.  He loves making tropical drinks and Holiday Isle is famous for making the first Rum Runner.

And of course, we had to try one of the famous Rum Runners and it lived up to the hype.

Ryan was pleased.


Bar 82: Holiday Isle Rum Runners

Across the resort was Holiday Isle Rum Runners.

This bar reminded us of the Swiss Family Robinson Tree Houses at Magic Kingdom.

In addition to moreRum Runners (they were just that good), we also ordered a Pina Colada.

For whatever reason (maybe alcohol was the reason?), Brett decided to do his Baloo from the Jungle Book impression and begin scratching his back against this palm tree.

After the back scratch'n was done, it was off to Key West!


Bar 83: Rick's Bar

We finally arrived in Key West!!

After we checked in at our hotel, we visited Rick's as our first bar in Key West. There was a great keyboard player there so Ryan loved this one!

 As for drinks, we enjoyed a Cape Cod...

....Yes, we know,... it's a vodka cranberry.  The complimentary peanuts were a nice touch as we were a bit hungry from all of the day's festivities. 


Bar 84: Schooner Wharf

Schooner Wharf had some of the best live music in Key West.  We stayed here for a long time.

This band had such a great set list and they had an amazing sound.

We didn't have fancy drinks here.  Just some Kona Fire Rock beer and a glass of Prosecco. But the outdoor atmosphere, cigar roller and live music made us stay for a while. This was a definitely highlight on the trip. 

Bar 85: Conch Republic

This bar was getting close to closing.  We made it just in time for them to pour us a few.

You're looking at a Lifesaver, a Tropical Cosmo, and a Guinness.  

They would look cooler if they didn't have a Lifesaver and Cosmo in front of them.

And then there was that.


Bar 86: The Bull

It was a toss up between the best live music of the night.  This bar probably took second place compared to the Schooner Wharf but good nonetheless.

 Sarah enjoyed a Corona Light while we listened to the cover band not play Brett's request of Janis Joplin.  It was worth a shot since the lead female singer sounded just like her.  


Bar 87: Smokin' Tuna Saloon

We raced over to Dante's but when we showed up, they had closed. 

So we decided to go to a beach bar not on the list, but it should be so we counted it :)  

The Mile Marker 0 Beer rounded out the night.

The outdoor patio was a perfect way to end the evening. They had a stage, a couple of bars and the atmosphere was relaxing. We highly recommend this bar if you are in the area. It was a fun but exhausting day.  Time for some much needed rest.  There's a big day ahead of us tomorrow.


Bar 88: Southernmost Beach Cafe

To begin Day 3 (although, this should be Day 2 but we're counting the time to travel to Miami as Day 1 since it was still part of the trip) we went to the Southernmost Beach Cafe. It was a bit overcast, which was actually perfect given the high temps. The clouds made the weather a bit more bearable. 

Some Southern Medicine (Pink Lemonade and Sweet Tea Vodka) along with Sea Dog Wild Blueberry got us going in the morning.

We slept in today so we missed breakfast but lunch was great.

It was nice to see one of these in the windows...

Since this was the Southernmost Beach Cafe, that must mean that we're close to the Southernmost Point.  Might as well see that while we're in the area.  We just had to walk a few blocks but of course, we took pictures along the way.

I love this.  Just put a straw in the coconut and you've got an authentic Key West drink.

I told you I would find these hanging decorations later!  And definitely bought them.

There's a woman goin' crazy on Caroline Street!!!!! 

Enough said...

After all that shananigan's, we finally made it!

Bar 89: Louie's Backyard

After all of the excitement from the Southernmost Beach Cafe and Southernmost Point, we felt like we already put a big day's work in.  We needed somewhere to go and relax.  

As Jimmy Buffett sings...

Squalls out on the gulf stream
Big storm’s comin’ soon
I passed out in my hammock
And God I slept ’til way past noon
Stood up and tried to focus
I hoped I wouldn’t have to look far
I knew I could use a Bloody Mary
So I stumbled down to Louie’s Backyard

Probably should have ordered a Bloody Mary to pay tribute to the Buffett's song but equally good was Louie's Passion, Prosecco, and a Corona.

This also had one of the best views of the bars. You are right on the water!

Bar 90: Margaritaville

Speaking of Jimmy Buffett, wouldn't be a trip to Key West without visiting Margaritaville.

A margarita was a must (we had the Livin' It Up Margarita to be specific) but we also tried the Don't Stop the Carnival frozen drink which was a rum drink with strawberry, banana, and mango flavors.

Bar 91: Irish Kevin's

Next up was Irish Kevin's Bar.

Great beers.  Sarah, Sean, and Brett had a Harp, Guinness, and Summer Ale.

Gotta love a bar that makes durable plastic cups to take home!


Bar 92: Sloppy Joe's Bar

Sloppy Joe's is a classic Key West bar and we couldn't wait to go there.

There was a great guitar player there and he played Michael Jackson's Black or White.  Needless to say, Ryan was in heaven.

We drank a Sloppy 'Rita and there was a dog sitting near us who wanted a taste.  I don't think the bartender served him though because he had been over-served already... after all, who wears a lobster hat in a bar?  No sober dogs, that's for sure.

Although we visited Sloppy Joe's during the day, I love the way it looks at night so had to snap a picture.

Bar 93: Hog's Breath Saloon

The first time Ryan visited Key West, he bought a Hog's Breath t-shirt.  He didn't this time but really wanted to.

A couple weeks before this trip, Kenny Chesney performed live at Hog's Breath and performed on this stage so we had to get a picture by it.

Sarah's dad has his name on a wall plate from a Harley validation runs many years ago.  You can kind of see the wall plates behind Sarah in the picture below.

The Havana Hog Punch is how we finished up our stay at Hog's Breath.


Bar 94: Sunset Pier at Ocean Key Resort

Before going to the next bar, we had to make a stop at Mallory Square to participate in the Sunset celebration.

Now on to the next bar...

We enjoyed a Salty Dog and Sunset Ale to wind down after the great Sunset Celebration.  

This place had great live music but we sat down at the quieter end of the pier and watched the moon come out and ships float by.

Bar 95: Captain Tony's Saloon

We went down to Captain Tony's
To get out of the heat  ~ Jimmy Buffett

As Buffett fans, this wasn't our first trip to Captain Tony's. This has been a favorite for a while and this time was no exception. It was a bit crowded that night but always enjoyable. 

We had the Pirate Punch in a souvenir Captain Tony cup.  

We happened to be there on Captain Tony's birthday so we toasted him before we left!

Bar 96: Green Parrot

The Green parrot was packed when we got there!  It was so busy that you almost had to move sideways to get through.  Great live music and for some reason, I really liked the green hue.

We had a screwdriver and a Sierra Nevada.  This place had a lot of TV screens which we haven't seen a lot of in Key West.  I'm sure this place is popular during football season. They had a Blues band playing which was really good. Due to the crowds this wasn't one of our favorites but we appreciate it for it's Key West history!

With this being the last night in Key West, we took some pictures of our hotel which we highly recommend- it's moderately priced and right on Duval Street.  

In addition to the view from the Pegasus Hotel, we thought it would be fitting to wrap up our last night in Key West with a picture of glow-in-the-dark Darth Vader playing a banjo. 

And although we had already been to Margaritaville we heard the band from the street and went back in. 



Bar 97: Hurricane Hole

Before venturing out on our last day in Key West, Sean got a tip to have breakfast at Blue Heaven.  It didn't disappoint.  Jimmy Buffett knows this all too well..

Those crazy days
And those crazy ways
We never want to undo
We'll be together
Now and forever
At the Blue Heaven rendezvous 

Ok, on to our first beach bar of the day....

Our drink of choice was the Painkiller (Pusser's Rum, Cream of Coconut, Pineapple Juice, and Orange Juice).  Really good!

And wow, I'm so glad we got a chance to try the key lime pie.  We went this whole trip without key lime pie in Key West.  This was our chance and it was amazing.

Bar 98: Sunset Grille

Well, the time had come to say goodbye to Key West.   

Luckily we saved a few bars to visit on our way out. The first one was on Marathon called the Sunset Grille.

We decided to name this bar the "best souvenir glass" beach bar.  Check out that shark and volcano!  Sarah had a bloody mary in honor of her dad's 60th birthday that we were missing-- he had a bloody mary bar at his bash.

Bar 99: Burdine's Waterfront Chikitiki

If the Sunset Grille won the "best souvenir glass" award, I think we should give Burdine's the "best sign" award.

We loved this creative idea of how to deliver receipts without having them blow away.

The drink of choice here was an Oberon.

Bar 100: Lorelei Cabana Bar
On Islamorada is where we found ourselves sitting in cabana to drink and watch the sunset at our 100th bar!!!

 

We were looking for the Key West Sunset Ale all trip and finally had it!

 

Our pockets are a little lighter from this trip but we wouldn't trade it for anything.   Sometimes you need to get away and just enjoy life.  Thanks again to Brett and Sean for joining us.  It was great having family and friends with us. 

What a great trip.  Here's to the next 100!  

Bars 72-73 Flagler Beach

These french fries are perfect! And I should know, I'm a french fry connoisseur ! -Sarah

Bar 72: Golden Lion Cafe

We have been anticipating this bar for a while and are so glad we finally made it out there. We drove over for the night to eat dinner at Golden Lion and while we were expecting it to be good, we never could have imagined! This has been consistently in the top 10 bars since the inception of floridabeachbar.com and now we know why. The staff is really friendly and the atmosphere is laid back. 

We sat on the top deck and got there just in time before the sun went down. The set up is really nice, the upper deck, tiki bar, dance floor below and a cabana where live bands play. 

The menu sporting Pinkie and the FBB logo!

The Golden Lion has a distinctly Caribbean feel, which is no mistake. After talking with Tony, one of the owners, we learned that he and his wife lived in the Caribbean for several years before coming to Florida. They bought this place when it was an old sub shop and turned it in to one of the best beach bars in the state of Florida!

Ryan had the Golden Lion Rum Runner and Sarah had the Suntanned Surfer Girl (Coconut Rum, Pineapple Juice and Coke) AMAZING! We will definitely be making the Suntanned Surfer Girl at home. 

Dinner here was delicious. Sarah had the fish and chips, which has won best fish and chips in the area for the last 20 years. You can definitely see why- the beer batter was thin and flaky, not too heavy. And the french fries were cooked to perfection! Ryan had the lime salmon with rice and vegetables. The fish wasn't overdone and the sauce was really good. (Seriously... cannot say enough good things about the french fries and food!)

We are so glad we made the trip, wish we could be there next Friday when they are awarded their Top 10 Florida Beach Bar trophy for 2013! It's sure to be a party!

Bar 73: Finn's Beachside Pub

This is a couple blocks down from Golden Lion. They too have an upper deck where we sat at the bar. The views are awesome and it's nice to have a drink and be able to hear the ocean. 

They had a DJ playing some awesome throw-back hits! It was fun to listen to the music while sipping our drinks. 

Sarah had a Cucumber Smash (mint, cucumber, fresh lime juice, Bombay Sapphire and ginger ale) Ryan had an Absolute Wild Palmer (Absolute Wild Tea, lemonade and tea)

As we were leaving I noticed the graffiti on the bar that said I love Ryan so I of course had to get a picture by it... cause I do... so I added "me too!"

It was a really fun evening!  

Bars 67-71 Lido Key, Siesta Key, Tampa

I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age. The ending of an era and the turning of a page. Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here, Lord have mercy on my next thirty years. Oh my next thirty years, I'm gonna watch my weight, eat a few more salads and not stay up so late. Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers, maybe I'll remember my next thirty years - Tim McGraw

Bar 67: Lido Key Tiki Bar- Ritz Beach Club

Sarah turned 30 on July 19th and we just knew we had to celebrate at a beach bar, or a couple beach bars! We love the Siesta Key area and had heard really good things about this bar so we knew it had to be one of the stops.

We both were feeling the affects of Sarah's surprise party the night before so we split a Key West lemonade (probably not what Tim McGraw was suggesting in the song). 

This bar really is off the beaten path, you have to know that it is there and search for it, which means it wasn't crowded! The bartenders are really personable, and make it so you could stay for a while. 

Another perk is that it is on the beach! You may not think that is 

hard to find in Florida but it is. 

Overall we enjoyed it and thought it was worth the adventure of finding it! 

 Bar 68: Lido Beach Resort Tiki Bar
The tiki bar at Lido Beach Resort isn't too far from our first stop. We ordered the sangria and it was really good. The bartenders were really friendly and we enjoyed our drinks. We also had the tempura chicken fingers which were yummy! 

Bar 69: Siesta Key Oyster Bar (SKOB)

The next day a few of our friends joined us for a day at the beach and some beach bar hopping at night. SKOB has been a long favorite of us and we had been waiting for a fun occasion to officially mark it off the list. We couldn't think of a better group of people to spend the evening with and starting at SKOB was perfect! 

Sarah ordered an Oberon and Ryan had a Mango Tango. We sat on the patio while we waited for our table and our friends to get showered after a day at the beach. 

We are firm believers that you can tell a bar based on what they have on draft. Any place that has Oberon, Harpoon IPA and ANY type of Kona on draft ranks pretty high on our list.

One of our favorite things about SKOB and Siesta Key in general is that pretty much anything goes. You see all types of people and how people dress varies across the board. Beach bars make anyone feel at home... even this guy, our good friend Anthony who, along with his girlfriend Jaclyn, decided at the last minute to stay that night instead of driving back to Orlando. We are certainly glad they did! 

 

Here is Sarah and our friend Ketan sharing some oysters. 

SKOB has thousands of dollar bills hanging all over their walls. We all signed one in honor of Sarah's 30th birthday and to remember our beach bar trip. 

Jaclyn, Anthony, Ketan, Sarah, Amy, Ryan and Brett at SKOB

Daiquiri Deck and Blu

Yes, we already hit these bars but there is nothing in the challenge rules that says you can't go to a bar more than once. Daiquiri Deck is another favorite of us, the atmosphere, the drinks- we've never had a bad time there. 

 Relaxing in a quite corner of Blu, this bar is a great place to relax and recharge. We definitely needed it before hitting up Beach Club!

Bar 70: Beach Club

Now, going in to this bar you have to realize it is not your typical beach bar. It's a Club where locals go to dance and have a good time. Sarah had a Corona, Ryan had a whiskey on the rocks. I'll let the next few photos speak for themselves. 

I honestly couldn't have imagined spending my birthday with a better group of people. Thank you to everyone that celebrated with us! 

Bar 71: Ricks on the River

On the way back from Siesta Key we stopped at Ricks on the River in Tampa. It is more of a restaurant on the water but we enjoyed eating lunch there and the views were great. 

We split a Rum Runner and it was decent. After a while all of the rum based drinks start to blend together. Nothing really unique stood out about this one but it was good. 

Bar 66 New Smyrna Beach

I LOVE beach bars that serve drinks in buckets! - Ryan

Bar 66: Chases on the Beach

We met some friends at New Smyrna Beach and a stop at the beach wouldn't be complete without hitting up the closest beach bar in the area. We really enjoyed Chases and it was just what we needed after a long day of beach activities.


Ryan's brother Brett joined us for the stop and we were all very happy to sit out on the patio overlooking the beach and the ocean.


Ryan had the Spiked Tiki Torch, Brett had the Flirty Flamingo and Sarah was elated to have her first on-draft Corona!

The food and drinks were really good and the wait staff was awesome so we will definitely be back. It goes without saying that any bar that has a special on any Kona beers is a bar we are going to like!

Things have been a little slow for us on the beach bar front but things are going to be picking up quickly. Stay tuned for some epic beach bar adventures coming soon!

Bars 64-65, Siesta Key

Waitress: A manhattan?  Do you usually order that?  That drink is usually for older people.


Bar 64: The Boatyard Waterfront Bar and Grill

We have a confession to make.  It's been a few months since our last beach bar but we're back at it.  And there's no better way to start off our 2013 year of continuing the beach bar challenge than with Chris and John from Florida Beach Bar!

We had a great time, even though the waitress did make fun of Ryan's drink selection of a manhattan. 

Bar 65: The Sniki Tiki

Ryan made a bar in college called the Sneaky Tiki- not spelled the same as this one but we had great expectations nonetheless. 

It didn't disappoint.

The fire department made an appearance after someone had a few too many tiki drinks.  His face literally fell in his soup.  The Sniki Tiki did a great job of recognizing this and calling in the rescue.  Definitely an unexpected night.

It was a very relaxing night with great drinks (manhattan and a corona- yes, again), a great band, and of course, great company.

During this trip, our friends, Bri and Nate, told us that they passed a Trader Vic's.  Now, although this bar isn't on the list, we had to stop there.  Ryan has been looking for this bar for  a long time.

Why? 

Because he loves Mai Tai's and Trader Vic is known for making the original in 1944.

 

It was the best Mai Tai I've had.  If a bar ever serves you one with pineapple juice, orange juice, or grenadine- send it back.  This is the only way to drink one- Rum, Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, Curacao, Orgeat, and Sugar.  Except no substitutions.

When you go there, ask Janice to make it for you.  She was a FANTASTIC bartender and really made our first trip to Trader Vic's great!

We had a great time and can't wait to go back to our favorite area- Siesta Key!