by the eu professional drinkers
Our professional drinkers really
get around. EU has been bringing the pub crawl to readers for
a year now, and we’ve gotten to review many of the finest establishments
on the First Coast, but there is still plenty more to do. After
reviewing this list, I realized that we have barely made a dent
in the fabulous world of libations that this part of Florida has
to offer. Which means that John Dooling, Christina Wagner, Johnny
St. Thomas, Oscar Volge, Katie Veltri and Erin Thursby are going
to be doing a lot of drinking in 2008 (and we’ll probably have
to recruit a few more). We’ve provided a listing here of some
of the pubs we crawled. Check out eujacksonville.com and search
by the name of the bar we’ve mentioned here to read our full review.
Erin has also picked out some of the neat eats you can find in
local bars along the way.
A couple of reminders before you
hit the bars. Jacksonville is a very spread out town and this
guide covers bars from Fernandina down to Crescent Beach, so make
sure you keep about $50 aside when you go out to afford a taxi
home, even if you think your designated driver will actually stay
sober. Keep a close eye on your drink (unless you’re hoping someone
will slip something in it), liquor before beer – in the clear;
beer before liquor – never sicker, candy is dandy but liquor is
quicker and, of course, when drinking beers and hoping to wake
up with a new lover, monitor your FPOs (Farts Per Ounce – the
darker the beer, the less they’ll hear – I made that one up).
Remember, don’t be a Harvey Wallbanger (may he rest in peace)
and try to crawl all of these bars in a single month. And don’t
drink and drive. And for the love of God don’t drink too fast.
Bar and restaurant at 222 N Oceanfront Dr.
Serving: Full bar with domestic
and imported drafts and house wine
Atmosphere: this is Jacksonville’s
beach bar, so it owns the beach bar atmosphere in Jacksonville
beach.
Amenities: nice bathrooms,
tabletop games, and sometimes they have acoustic acts playing
on the patio.
Barbecue restaurant and full bar at 1500 Beach Blvd, next door
to The Homestead
Serving: Newcastle, Blue Moon,
and Yeungling on tap. Many domestic and imported bottled beers
and a selection of red and white wines. Also featuring a variety
of top shelf and well liquors.
Atmosphere: The original blues-inspired
folk art perfectly complements the shanty blues bar décor.
Amenities: Live blues music
on stage, a large bar, 2 flat screen televisions and some of the
best barbecue in town.
A very punk rock beach bar and restaurant at 1013 Atlantic Boulevard,
Atlantic Beach. In the Publix shopping center.
Serving: Domestic and imported
drafts and bottled beers, house wines, and hot sake.
Atmosphere: This is a punk
rock beach bar and café with rock and roll décor that is welcoming
to every type of person.
Amenities: Live music ranging
from punk rock and ska to reggae, sick video games, pool tables,
and patio seating.
Martini bar and fine dining restaurant on Ocean Drive in Atlantic
Beach across from the Sea Turtle Inn
Serving: Bottled beer, top
shelf liquors, and fine wines from their wine bar.
Atmosphere: A rotating gallery
of original art on the walls.
Amenities: Live music on the
weekend and on some weeknights.
Family-style casual dining restaurant with 3 bars at 207 Atlantic
Blvd. on the corner of Atlantic and Ocean, Atlantic Beach
Serving: Imported and Domestic
Beers, Wine, Liquor, and full menu, as well as their own freshly
brewed beers.
Atmosphere: Open with very
family friendly dining areas and fun bar areas and a patio.
Amenities: Live music in the
Tap Room, a full menu of Award-winning entrees, appetizers, soups,
and salads.
bar and restaurant on Atlantic Boulevard just West of Penman
Serving: Domestic and imported
draft and bottled beers, full liquor bar, and a variety of wines.
Atmosphere: Sporty beach bar
with a surf theme and several televisions.
Amenities: Watch the game,
play pool, darts, or one of their video games. Featuring every
kind of live entertainment from live bands to karaoke.
A Smoky Full-Service Beach Bar (that doesn’t accept credit cards)
on Ocean Avenue
Serving: Domestic and Imported
Beers, House and Top-Shelf Liquors
Atmosphere: Filled to the gills
with surfers, frat boys, real beach people, and old school whiskeys
that have whiled their years away in the joint. Enter the bathrooms
at your own risk.
Amenities: $.25 pool, 1 free
pool table, free ping pong, pinball machines, digital jukebox,
2 large bars.
Watch your step when you walk into Pete’s bar. The place has been
open since 1933 and I swear I saw some of the founding customers
still there enjoying themselves. Pete’s brings the bar scene the
way it should be: 25 cent pool, cheap drinks, and dirty bathrooms.
God I love this bar. Oh…because of the ping pong table. Seriously,
Pete’s IS the beach bum hangout of Neptune and Atlantic Beach,
so if you’re in the neighborhood and want to hear what the swells
are like, or the latest news on what happened to Joey the other
night after the party, stop in. You will be back. -John Dooling
Family restaurant with a nightlife at 207 Atlantic Blvd.
Serving: A Full menu and bar
featuring imported and domestic draft and bottled beers, as well
as a great selection of wines and top-shelf liquors.
Atmosphere: Hip, clean, comfortable,
and well-lit. This isn’t a dive bar, but it isn’t too fancy for
a sloppy good time either.
Amenities: Lift your leg in
their nice, clean bathrooms. Featuring live music, video games,
and several televisions that are viewable from the bar.
at 177 E Sailfish Drive, just off of Atlantic Blvd.
Serving: Imported and Domestic
Beers, Wine, Liquor, Specialty Drinks (Lunatic Soup)
Atmosphere: Rustic Euro-Irish
with an outdoor patio.
Amenities: Darts, Live Music,
Open Mic Night, Sunday brunch
Irish Pub and Restaurant at 333 1st St N, next to the Ocean Club
Serving: Full liquor with a good selection of
imported draft and bottled beers.
Atmosphere: Large traditional Irish pub, but
a bit on the corporate side. No smoking inside, but there is a
large patio in the back.
Amenities: Authentic Irish food with an Americana
twist to the menu. Scotch eggs were pretty good. The bartender
seemed pretty nice, but my whiskey shot cost way too much. (I
tend to prefer the scummy bar’s pricing)
in Jacksonville Beach at 514 1st St N for 13 years
Serving: Imported and Domestic Beers, Wine,
Liquor, Specialty Drinks, and full menu
Atmosphere: Dark and cozy with authentic Irish
décor.
Amenities: Karaoke Sundays; A full menu of entrees,
appetizers, soups, and salads; Irish folk music, rock bands, 28
import beers on tap.
at the corner of Atlantic and Penman at Atlantic Beach.
Serving: Full liquor with a good selection of
imported draft beers
Atmosphere: Large traditional Irish pub on the
upscale side. No smoking.
Amenities: Authentic Irish food (even Blood
Pudding), great bathrooms, outstanding service, occasional Irish
storytelling, and live music.
Latin restaurant and bar at 21 East Adams Street
Serving: Full liquor, great wines, domestic
and imported beers. tacos, burritos, salads and more.
Atmosphere: Metropolitan drinking inside and
out.
Amenities: Live music, eclectic DJs, outdoor
seating, great art.
is bar none the best bar and restaurant downtown. When they have
music, it’s usually cool music (jazz, indie rock or avant-garde)
on the patio (which they call an “urb garden”). When you don’t
like the band, it’s easy to slip into the bar where the holler
of the evening crowd ricochets off of the bare brick walls. This
urban chic restaurant has excellent fish tacos that they usually
serve almost until close. Enjoy their full liquor bar and great
draft beers while you can, but save some sobriety for down the
road. Burrito Gallery is only the first stop on the downtown bar
strip. –Johnny St. Thomas
Bar and Dance Club 331 East Bay Street
Serving: Full liquor, fine wines, a wide selection
of domestic and imported draft and bottled beers.
Atmosphere: This is what you thought a bar was
like when you were fifteen. It is brightly Disney.
Amenities:
Black light room, softcore porn in the bathrooms, and
a cigarette machine.
Sushi Bar, Bar and Restaurant In the Jacksonville Landing
Serving: Full liquor with domestic drafts
Atmosphere: This urban skybar gives you more
loft than most downtown bars, it’s where Asian meets the St. Johns.
Amenities: Great Kimchee and the best view of
the river at the Landing
Bar and Night Club at 315 East Bay Street
Serving: Full liquor, fine wines, domestic and
imported beers on draft and in bottles.
Atmosphere: LA hip bar that radiates “nice oxford,
man.” To which the reply is, “Urban Outfitters”(it used to be
Banana Republic)
Amenities: Spacious dance floor hidden from
the main bar area, separated seating booths, immaculate bathrooms.
Bar and Night Club at 333 East Bay Street
Serving: A great selection of imported draft
beers, domestic and imported bottled beers, a fine selection of
wines.
Atmosphere: Show your tattoos, get your haircuts
out and get ready to be hip.
Amenities: Pool tables, old school video games,
an art gallery upstairs and an outside DJ and bar area.
European-Style Deli and Bar at 2753 Park St (other locations on
Beach Blvd, at Jax Beach and San Marco)
Serving: A full menu of delicious soups, salads,
sandwiches, and desserts. A HUGE selection of imported and domestic
beers and wines.
Atmosphere: Quaint cafe-style indoor dining
area with a small outdoor patio.
Amenities: More types of Euro-beers than you
could try in a week; really, really delicious sandwiches; decadent
desserts; and a wide selection of imported chocolates, candies,
and confections (not to mention a miniature European market).
Restaurant, Bar and Hookah Lounge 3628 St. John’s Avenue
Serving: A wide variety of domestic and imported
draft and bottled beers, a terrific selection of great wines and
flavorful hookah tobaccos. LIQUOR COMING SOON! Not to mention
some of the best Middle-Eastern cuisine in town.
Atmosphere: Feel sexy in this sultan’s den.
Sit in the hookah lounge, take a table, sit at the bar, or enjoy
their spacious outdoor patio.
Amenities: Hookahs, belly dancing, and hot waitresses.
This is the original hookah bar in Jacksonville. When you want
to go someplace sexy, hit up the quaint little Riverside treat
that makes you look oh-so-chic. Not only do they have some the
greatest Middle Eastern cuisine (try the fool and some stuffed
grape leaves), but they have the best imported beers on draft
(Guiness, Bass, and Stella, Tucher, Lambic, and more). Their selection
of wines is outstanding. They also carry a selection of champagnes.
Finish off your night with some live jazz or enjoy the belly dancers
while you puff on your apricot hookah. Look for full liquor there
later this year. -Johnny St. Thomas
Restaurant and Bar 1521 Riverside Ave.
Serving: Full liquor, imported draft beers and
a terrific selection of wines.
Atmosphere: Historic early 20th century bar
in a historic 20th century home.
Amenities: Besides a decent wine list and good
selection of beers, they’ve got a full bar for those who like
the stronger stuff. Happy Hour is offered Monday-Friday from 5
to 7 with two-for-one draft beers, selected wine, and well brand
drinks.
Bar and Restaurant at 1537 Margaret St in Five Points
Serving: Full liquor, domestic and imported
draft beers and a decent selection of wines.
Atmosphere: Southwestern cuisine served in an
oh-so-LA folk-art sort of restaurant and bar.
Amenities: The only rooftop tables in town and
a nice upstairs bar area.
Full Bar at 1044 Park St
Serving: full liquor, domestic and imported
draft beers and some house wine
Atmosphere: A punk rock bar where anyone is
welcome.
Amenities: Live bands play almost nightly and
they make a stiff cocktail. They also have a hard rock jukebox
and art by local artists on the walls. There is a pool table.
Down Home Bar and Grill at 3210 Roosevelt Boulevard
Serving: Bottled and Draft Imported and Domestic
Beers; Bar Foods
Atmosphere: Casual interior bar and dining area
with a large outdoor area.
Amenities: Uncle Louie entertains with yarns
of life and love, there’s a juke box loaded with your favorites,
horseshoes by the highway, and electronic bowling.
Tex Mex Restaurant and Watering Hole at 3644 St. Johns Avenue
Serving: Imported and Domestic Beers, Wines,
Margaritas, and All Types of Liquors; A Full Menu of Tex Mex &
American Fare
Atmosphere: Spacious bar with an attached package
store. Also a patio in the front.
Amenities: There are pool tables, a digital
juke box, and video games to keep the kiddie’s occupied, as well
as live music and an open mic night.
Live Music Venue and Bar on Hendricks Ave near Lasalle
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
(with bathrooms – sort of).
Bar and “grill,” but I wouldn’t order any food. It’s like an airport
hotel bar without the airport or hotel. On Kings Road, next to
Endo Exo
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.
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
Period. San Marco Boulevard, under I-95
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.
Yuppie Bar (with the occasional cool cats) on San Marco Ave in
the middle of San Marco Square
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.
Cigar, Wine, and Martini Bar and Restaurant at 4372 Southside
Boulevard, Suite 101
Serving: A wide selection of mixed drinks and
flavored martinis, very good scotches and whiskeys, gourmet food,
and 700 different types of cigars.
Atmosphere: Upscale establishment with a private
club.
Amenities: Very clean dining area and bars,
a large humidor with any kind of cigar you desire and a cool ice
bar to keep your drink cold without watering it down.
Pizzeria and Full Bar at 9734 Deer Lake Court (and on Fleming
Island in Orange Park)
Serving: Specialty pizzas, hoagies, calzones,
pretzels, salads, and a full bar.
Atmosphere: A comfortable, casual, retro 60’s-style
dining room with a small bar and an outdoor patio.
Amenities: The restaurant is very clean from
the dining area to the bathrooms. 24 imported beers on tap, bottled
microbrews, and liquors range from top-shelf to well drinks. Live
music 6 to 7 days a week.
Restaurant, Microbrewery and Full Bar at 9735 Gate Parkway (Next
to Tinseltown)
Serving: Microbrews, premium and call liquor
drinks, house wines and a full menu.
Atmosphere: Expect brick and steel everywhere
you look in this spacious one-room restaurant with plenty of outdoor
patio seating, including a beer garden.
Amenities: Tournament-sized pool tables, live
acoustic music on Thursday and Friday nights, open mic in the
beer garden on Monday nights.
Is there such thing as corporate chic? This Southside bar boasts
microbrews. The beer may be brewed here on the premises, but the
crowd is all owned by Merrill Lynch, Blue Cross, and other area
mega-employers. Find yourself a wife with high-expectations or
land a man on his way up the corporate ladder. Try to ignore that
nagging desire to put your resume on Monster.com. -Johnny St.
Thomas
Nightclub (that thinks it’s the China Room) at 8206 Philips Hwy
(corner of Baymeadows and Philips)
Serving: Full liquor, wine, and bottled beers
Atmosphere: Tres chic unless the Russian mob
shakes you down for the twenty dollars your single cocktail costs.
Amenities: A door guy and a VIP room. Are those
amenities?
Dance Club and Bar at the corner of 1st and Main just north of
Downtown
Serving: Full liquor, dozens of imported and
domestic draft beers, a decent selection of wine.
Atmosphere: Dance party USA. There are plenty
of tattoos and haircuts, but the crowd is generally a little more
mature than TSI but not all plastic creeps like at Endo Exo or
Leopard Lounge. Indie music means the vibe is usually good.
Amenities: A light-up dance floor, trees inside
the building, a pool table and a big patio area in the back.
Neighborhood Pub at 22 W 6th St, just one building away from Main
St.
Serving: An outstanding selection of imported
draft beers and exotic bottled beers.
Atmosphere: This is Springfield. The bar area
is cramped, the tunes are always good (from indie hip-hop DJs
to live jazz bands to punk and metal bands) and the back yard
is a great place to relax.
Amenities: The back yard, dog, totally.
Irish Pub and Restaurant at 23 Orange Street
Serving: Good selection of Import and domestic
Drafts with even more bottle selections
Atmosphere: Quaint and authentic. No smoking.
Amenities: Beautiful historic building with
a huge front porch that hosts the most amazing breeze I’ve felt
in years.
213 Anastasia Blvd.
Serving: Imported draft beers (plus Miller Lite
and Yeungling), draft cider and all sorts of bottled beers. They
also serve a delectable traditional sausage roll wrapped in a
flaky pastry and scotch eggs.
Atmosphere: It’s a delightful hole with walls
coated in “football” jerseys and British memorabilia. Dave, the
proprietor, makes every Yank feel like a fellow Brit.
Amenities: An Internet juke box, a dart board
and a small stage for performers.
Restaurant, Beer and Wine Bar on Menendez between A1A Aleworks
and OC Whites.
Serving: Featuring 50 beers on tap, more than
100 bottled beers, 25 wines on tap, fine wines, champagne, cigars,
and a full menu.
Atmosphere: This spacious bar has gorgeous wooden
fixtures, fabric-covered chairs and plenty of tables. Enjoy the
bar area or have a seat in the champagne room.
Amenities: Featuring a small smoking patio,
a selection of cigars (make sure its not stale before you buy
it) and plenty of flat screen televisions.
I didn’t expect much from this spacious bar with a yankee, wooden,
classic tavern look. They have a “cellar,” which is actually just
a cooler, separated room. One that the manager (Lauren) called
a “champagne room.” To her credit, there are cases displaying
wines and Champagne, but it is not like a champagne room at your
local show bar. They also have a pressurized system of wines on
tap. Since I’ve never actually had a Pilsner Urquell on tap, I
thought the bright, refreshing flavor of it was indicative of
the brand. It was so delicious it shocked me. When I tried another
brand, Smithwick’s, which I have had on tap before, it gave me
the same surprise. This beer is delicious! Apparently, according
to the owner who I chatted with on the smoking patio, most draft
beer is carbonated with some percentage of benzene, but the beer
at Henley’s is benzene-free, meaning no draft beer headaches and
a vastly reduced hangover effect. They also have glass beer lines,
so the beer is never bitter from invisible buildup. So when you
want a truly superior beer, check out JP Henley’s. –Johnny St.
Thomas
10 Anastasia Blvd
Serving: Domestic draft beers and domestic and
imported bottled beers with a full bar.
Atmosphere: Sports bar all the way. Smoky, slightly
intimidating and dirty as hell. Always.
Amenities: Several TVs (one big screen) pool
tables, Internet juke box, a cigarette machine, some tabletop
touch screen games and an outdoor patio.
THE St. Augustine Bar. 116 St. George St
Serving: Full bar, great imported and domestic
drafts.
Atmosphere: A bar’s bar. It’s dirty, smoky,
and dripping with loud, intoxicated, authentically St. Augustine
charm.
Amenities: Some pinball games, and ATM, the
loudest juke box in town and a scenic view of historic St. George
Street.
is located inside the Casablanca on San Marco Boulevard, across
from the Bridge of Lions
Serving: Shelf and call liquor drinks, bottled
beer, and a selection of wines.
Atmosphere: An intimate, elegant little bar
that could easily be referred to as “charming.” They even have
a mini grand piano.
Amenities: Featuring a player piano and live
music on Thursdays, usually jazz.
Casual Gourmet Restaurant, Beer Bar and Music Venue at 11th and
A1A in St. Augustine Beach
Serving: An outstanding selection of draft beers,
some select wines and great food.
Amenities: Live music, patio dining, steps from
the beach.
A1A South Crescent Beach
Serving: Liquor drinks and bottled beers.
Amenities: Pool tables, a jukebox, televisions,
and an ATM machine.
It’s a Hooters! They have “great wings” (breasty waitresses).
There are 6 in the area. We went to the one at 4521 Southside
Boulevard, near Tinseltown.
Serving: Bar food, casual seafood, hot wings
and beer. Some locations have a full bar.
Amenities: Do we really have to tell you? The
ladies, the ladies!
Atmosphere: “Delightfully tacky yet unrefined.”
Restaurant and Sports Bar. There are 3 locations, We are at 3105
Beach Boulevard.
Serving: Domestic draft beers, domestic and
imported bottled beers, house wines, and full liquor.
Atmosphere: A great nostalgic sports atmosphere
complete with commemorative bats, pictures, and Wheaties boxes.
A bit heavy on the baseball theme, but hey, this is where Casey
Jones struck out. I however hope not to…
Amenities: A slew of video games, televisions,
and pool tables. There’s plenty of seating too. Also, on Wednesdays
they have Karaoke and Thursdays there is Trivia.
Sports Bar and Restaurant at 111 Beach Blvd in Jacksonville Beach
Serving: Full menu, full bar.
Amenities: Hi-Definition televisions everywhere.
8 Brunswick Pool Tables, Golden Tee, Dart Boards, 3 full-service
bars, 7 Big screen (22-foot) TVs and more than 80 other TVs.
Atmosphere: All sports all the time.
Sports Bar and Restaurant at 910 King Street in Riverside.
Serving: Full lunch and dinner menus, imported
and domestic draft beers, all kinds of bottled beers and a full
liquor bar.
Amenities: Outdoor tables, trivia nights, many
TVs and a sometimes bi-curious crowd.
Atmosphere: Casual.
Often referred to by locals as “Brokebacks,” it is no surprise
that the gayest sports bar in town is in Riverside. That doesn’t
mean it’s a gay bar, it’s not. And that doesn’t mean it isn’t
a good place, it is. It’s convenient, cheaper than most of the
bars in Riverside, and it’s easy to feel comfortable there. It
just so happens there will be more homosexuals in this particular
sports bar than is common at sports bars. Don’t worry, they aren’t
going to hit on you (unless your really cute and alone) and they
aren’t going to look over at you in the bathroom (it’s too small…the
bathroom, that is), so have a reasonably priced pint of Yeungling
and watch the game with friends or meet up there to play trivia,
but don’t be mad when you get beat in the musical theatre category.
–Johnny St. Thomas
8206 Phillips Highway on the corner of Baymeadows Road
Serving: Domestic and imported draft beers,
some bottled beers, house wines, and full liquor.
Atmosphere: Sporty as all get out with an open,
spacious dining area, and private booths.
Amenities: Sports video games, flat screen televisions
everywhere you look, including in each booth, and a patio that
looks like a football field.
Restaurant and “Sports” Bar at 3225 Southside Boulevard, Suite
8 (On the corner of Southside and Beach).
Serving: They have a full bar however, all of
the beers come bottled and all of the liquors are on tap. No shit.
There is also a huge menu with daily specials available.
Atmosphere: Although it’s a sports bar, you
really feel like you’re in a strip club. There’s a bar, a few
booths and stand alone tables, and a stage featuring a pole. Rad.
Amenities: Sports video games, a coupla pool
tables, 8 flat screen televisions, and a large projection screen.
Who doesn’t love throwin’ back some suds whilst watching a match
of athletic competition? It was as staggering as learning that
there were no draft beers, so…I settled for a draft Crown and
ginger. Seriously, the liquors are ALL on tap. The crowd was miniscule
and it really doesn’t have a “Sports Bar” feel like it used to.
It does have potential, and they are working on it. You probably
won’t see me back in here until they get it up to par. But hey,
be your own man and give it a look. After a couple cocktails,
maybe you’ll use the stripper pole. –John Dooling
Sports bar & grill at 4329 Blanding Boulevard Wilson & 103rd.
Serving: domestic draft beers, bottled imported
and domestic beers, house wines, and liquor bar as well as a full
food menu.
Atmosphere: The service is great, the facilities
are fairly run down, but this is a neighborhood bar. A Westside
institution, which isn’t always saying much.
Amenities: Pool tables, bunches of arcade games,
televisions everywhere, two inside bars and a patio bar.
John Dooling just turned to me and said “This place has class…Class
C Hepatitis.” Unlike Chicago Pizza, this IS the sort of place
where alpha meatheads go to get drunk and rumble with Westside’s
best. When we pushed our way through the rowdy rabble of men outside
who were leering at the teenage waitress in short shorts and sneering
at us, our first instinct was to leave, but we didn’t want to
let Westside rednecks smell our fear, so we went on inside. Once
they warm up to you, this can be a very friendly bunch, but when
the beers wear off, going four-wheeling at “Smokey’s cousin’s
house” might not sound like as much fun as it did when you were
all beer-faced. –Johnny St. Thomas
(and Restaurant) Prudential and Hendricks in San Marco/Southbank
Serving: An outstanding selection of exquisite
wines.
Amenities: Covered patio seating.
Drink Specials: Tuesday through Saturday, from
5 pm to 8 pm, a free bottle of wine with dinner for two.
Restaurant and Wine Bar in the Town Center, next to Kilwins Ice
Cream
Serving: More than 120 domestic and imported
premium wines by the glass or by the bottle.
Atmosphere: Upscale and intimate wine bar.
Amenities: They feature live jazz every Friday
and Saturday night.
Wine and Tapas Bar at 2012 San Marco Boulevard, in San Marco Square
Serving: Eighty wines by the glass and even
more by the bottle, tapas and bottled import brews.
Amenities: Knowledgeable and courteous staff
willing to answer any questions, great location, covered outside
seating.
Drink Specials: Weekly wine tasting every Thursday
from 6 to 8 pm
Wine Bar and Restaurant at 1515 Prudential Drive, next to the
Chart House.
Serving: An overwhelming selection of wine,
brews in the bottle and on tap, full menu.
Amenities: You get to freaking pour your own
freaking wine!
This place is truly like no other. This little jazzy joint is
every wine rookie’s dream. First you purchase a card, where you
can put as little or as much money on it as you choose, then you
insert the card into a machine and choose which wine you’d like
to try whether it’s a taste, half glass, or full. Brilliant! No
more harassing the bartender, no more settling for wines you “kinda”
like, just charge up your card and float around like a kid in
a candy store. There are eight machines with eight bottles each
and they even scroll through the prices for you. The staff is
extremely knowledgeable and are willing and ready to answer any
questions you have, there are even books lying around with everything
you might want to learn about your new favorite wine. They have
a full menu, serving up salads, sandwiches, desserts and gourmet
flatbread pizzas. It’s tasty. –Christina Wagner |
EU Critic’s Choice Awards
