by the eu professional drinkers
San Marco is Jacksonville’s little Europe, and there is nothing more European than drinking, so we hit the streets to check out some local bars. Obviously, there is a wealth of places to get a little salty in San Marco, on the upscale and the down and dirty, but we tried to select a few off-the-radar places in addition to a few of the staples. If we missed your favorite hangout, just email us at pubcrawl@entertainingu.com.
Address or Directions: On San Marco Ave in the middle of San Marco Square
Type of Place: Lawyer and yuppie hangout with the occasional cool cats.
Serving: Draft and Bottled beer most domestics and imports. Decent wine list and an excellent selection of liquor and legal advice
Atmosphere: Clean, rich, lavish and almost regal.
Amenities: An attractive happy hour that fits any budget with some great local cover bands.
Drink Specials: Happy hour is Mon-Fri 4 to 7, Saturday 5 to 7. All draft and bottled beer $2, All single liquor drinks $2.50, All house wine $2.50. ($2 up charge on Martinis.)
I checked out this joint on a Tuesday and was pleasantly surprised, much to my dismay. I hate yuppie joints, but this place had something that I can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it was the band playing that night, the quite hilarious 9 to 5ers attempting to dance, or the delicious Jack and Cokes that kept flowing my way via the golden fingertips of a splendid young man named Bob. Whatever it was, I liked it. The later it got, the better the scene. All of the bad dancers started to clear and made way for my kind of people, the alcoholics. Most of them had to be restaurant industry, a good bit of them were musicians, and all of them were fun drinking buddies. If you’re like me and like a nice laid back night, go there on a Tuesday night and ask for Bob. At two bucks a drink for service industry, you really can’t go wrong. -Harvey Wallbanger
Address or Directions: On Kings Road, next to Endo Exo
Type of Place: Bar and “grill,” but I wouldn’t order any food. It’s like an airport hotel bar without the airport or hotel.
Serving: Liquor bar, featuring top-shelf and well liquors, domestic and imported bottled beers and house wines.
Atmosphere: Smoky with loud televisions and low low lighting.
Amenities: A pool table, a juke box, and a big screen television.
Drink Specials: Happy hour is from 4 – 7 pm Monday – Friday. They serve stiff-ass well drinks for $2.75 (juice is an extra .25), domestic beers for $2.75 and import beers for $3.
Featuring a perfect mix of creepy oglers and weekend warriors, Locals is the ideal setting for a TNT original movie starring Michael Madsen as an ex-detective searching for a petty crook that hangs out in not-so-seedy bars. How a place like this avoids having a karaoke night is anybody’s guess. Their flagship event is Lingerie Night, which attracts the finest selection of off-duty waitresses and their misogynistic boyfriends anywhere on this side of the tracks. Nothing makes you appreciate your life more than watching “models” prance around in their undies after a long day of serving blue plate specials. Enjoy your drink but don’t stare too long. -Oscar Volga
Address or Directions: On San Marco Boulevard, under I-95
Type of Place: Bar. Period.
Serving: Liquor bar. Don’t worry about beer or wine, although they have them, Sherwoods is known for serving the cheapest, stiffest drinks in town.
Atmosphere: It is smoky but riotous at all times. This is THE local bar in San Marco. Anyone who says they don’t go to Sherwoods just doesn’t remember it.
Amenities: Five pool tables, dart boards, and video games, as well as a juke box that is as annoying as it is rewarding.
Drink Specials: Happy hour is Monday – Friday from 4pm to 7pm $2 domestic, $2.75 import beers. $2.50 well drinks, $3.25 call drinks. And they are stiff!
It’s hard to appreciate the true Sherwoods on the night that the Gators win the National basketball championship, because sports usually has very little to do with the constant enthusiasm of this bar. Usually it is generated from a strict intoxication level. When you scan the bar, it is easy to find the designated drivers. They are the morose lot without the “crazy eye.” Sherwoods is the perfect bar because it is unassuming, everyone feels welcome here, and after a few, you can’t help it. I would tell you more about how much I love this bar (and have ever since I was “21”) but I’m getting too drunk to type. Time to ask the bartender about the old “Sherwoods Cab,” which they are happy to call for you. And me. -Johnny St. Thomas
Address or Directions: On Hendricks Ave near Lasalle
Type of Place: Live Music Venue and bar
Serving: Wide variety of import and domestic beers and ciders; draft and bottle. Basic wine choices.
Atmosphere: Cozy authentic rock bar, smoking allowed, with a laid back local feel.
Amenities: Great local and national live music, clean (sometimes) bathrooms with metal walls (interesting).
The walls tell the tale of this quaint live music venue down in historic San Marco, literally. They communicate through tiny adhesive circles and squares in the form of stickers and they keep the conversation going long enough to cover the entire length of the wall behind the bar. As I find myself carefully mulling over them, my left ear steals a bit of conversation next to me. It’s a familiar setting. The slutty girl, the lonely band member, each with the same amount of makeup. The place just feels right. It’s not intimidating; the bar prices are right and the staff seems friendly enough and willing to pour out a bit of the club’s history. I’ll never think of the band “A Static Lullaby” the same way again. –Harvey Wallbanger
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