Life in the Tampa Bay area is a blast. You name it we have it: sandy beaches, warm sunshine, hand rolled Cuban cigars, Latin cuisine that is to die for. Oh and of course a Super Bowl trophy and a Stanley Cup!
But when that warm Florida sun sets over the Gulf, Tampa comes to life. The nightlife here is second to none and has many popular bars and night clubs that provide the hottest entertainment in the area. Whatever atmosphere you’re looking for, whether it be dance clubs, sports bars. Irish Pubs or even outdoor patio bars, you’ll definitely find it here. Tampa is a town made for having a good time ( it was invaded by pirates after all) and the best part is that you don’t need an excuse to go out and enjoy yourself. With so many options to choose from, an evening out is a norm any night of the week.
So to help you get an early start on the weekend I’ve put together a list of my five favorite bars in Tampa. There’s something for everyone, so grab your ID’s and let’s party!
The Green Iguana – St. Petersburg
If watching the sunset on the beach makes your to-do list then make this location of The Green Iguana a priority stop.Snug against the intercoastals this picturesque two level building has the best views around. Dine on great entrees like tropical shrimp skewers and salads like the super yumo black and bleu salad while relaxing on the Tiki deck. My favorite is the KEY WEST MAHI, a Fresh Key West Mahi grilled or blackened with mango salsa and caramelized plantains and served up with coconut rice. All this goodness will set you back a whopping $9.49 Most entrees are under $10 making this a pocket friendly place.
Coming by boat? Not a problem! Docking is available and the lower deck is dog friendly. Indoor and outdoor entertainment as well as full bands on weekends are there for your dancing and listening pleasure. Private rooms are available for up to 200 and food served till 1am with plenty of big screen TV’s if you feel like watching the game. There’s also a separate game room with pool tables. The Iguanas as the servers are known are friendly and upbeat, the burgers are monstrous and the drinks are strong. Monday’s are better with $5 burgers all day and get over the hump with $1 drinks on Wednesday! All in all this your best choice for weekday and weekend entertainment.
The Green Iguana
8790 Bay Pines Blvd.
St Petersburg, FL 33709
(727)209-1234
www.greeniguana.com
Open 7 Days
11am-12am
The Blue Martini – International Plaza
Blue Martini is the only bar in Tampa where “Fly Me to the Moon,” “The Good Life” and “True Blue” are not only popular sayings, but also creative cocktail names. The famous concoctions allow customers to let loose and use their imaginations – you’re sure to feel like Bond, James Bond, with a 007 shaken not stirred ‘tini or Sarah Jessica Parker with a Sex in the City Cosmopolitan.
Sleek tables and curving bars sweep around an elevated stage that features live music nightly. Although best known for the more than 20 varieties of 10-ounce martinis which are presented to you with a stainless-steel shaker containing the rest of your cocktail ( so it’s like getting 2 drinks for the price of one), the joint also offers more casual drinks like beer and wine. An extensive tapas menu which they refer to as heavy appetizers, but you won’t find any chicken wings or onion rings here. Instead, the short menu features contemporary Asian-Mediterranean fusion like sesame-seared tuna, chilled beef tenderloin medallions with horseradish sauce, hummus, calamari salad. And don’t miss the killer 6-inch-tall chocolate cake. Most entrees are priced between $10 – $20 but are certainly worth the cost and super filling.
A premium martini lounge located at the International Plaza & Bay Street, the Blue Martini is an upscale jazz bar that serves up signature martinis,elegant appetizers and late night entertainment. It’s a great place to join your girlfriends after work for drinks or to top off a day of shopping. My favorite tini is the Candied Apple Martini: Vodka, Butterscotch Schnapps, Sour Apple Pucker, Caramel Drizzle, and Sour Mix Topped with a yummy Caramel Apple Slice. It’s a grown up version of one of my favorite childhood treats and the perfect end to a crazy day.
Escape reality at the Blue Martini
2223 N West Shore Blvd
Tampa, FL 33607
(813) 873-2583
www.bluemartinilounge.com
Coyote Ugly- Ybor City
Don’t get drunk…. Get Ugly! Or at least that’s the motto around this place. Here the sexy bartenders are quick to hop up on the bar and perform while still managing to drink their patrons under the table. Don’t know what a body shot is? Then you’re in for a lesson from one of the Coyote’s those devilish, sassy and usually gorgeous bartenders. Just as in the Hollywood movie (which was based on the original bar in New York), all-female bartenders drag unsuspecting customers up on the bar for some raunchy drinking, dancing and whatever. The bare-bones room is decorated like the bachelor pad from hell, including a fabulous collection of bras in all sizes.
The Coyote legend began with a girl, a dream, and a little bit of Wild Turkey. In 1992, Liliana “Lil” Lovell, a 24-year-old Wall Street apprentice-turned-bartender was living a good life. She was doing a job she loved, making money, and gaining notoriety for her antics on the bar as well as behind it. Tired of working for other people, Lil was ready to make her move with a very simple plan: open her own bar, make money, and have fun doing it. Determined not to let anyone or anything stand in her way, she drew up a business plan: beautiful girls + booze = money. Coyote Ugly opened it’s doors in 1993 and the rest as they say is history.
But you won’t find a fancy tapas menu or blue cheese martini here. Coyote Ugly serves only beer and whiskey and the shot glass is preferred. There’s drink specials throughout the week( Happy Hour is from 5 – 7 daily) like two for one well drinks and domestic beers on Monday nights from 10 – 12, ladies drink FREE on Wednesdays till midnight and Thursdays grab $3 Ugly Shots. Wanna be a Coyote? Tryouts are every Thursday after 9pm so bring your moves.
The atmosphere is outstanding, the crowd is buck wild and every girl wants to dance on the bar. The Coyote Ugly Saloon isn’t just a bar, it’s high energy, boot stomping fun that brings the movie to life.With a clientele as diverse as its selection of American whiskeys, Coyote Ugly has something to offer everyone and is a must see destination if you’re in town.
The Coyote Ugly Saloon
1722 East 7th Ave.
Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 228-UGLY
www.coyoteuglysaloon.com
Gaspar’s Grotto – Ybor City
Tampa and pirates go together like peas and carrots. So it’s no surprise that one of my favorite places to let loose is Gaspar’s Grotto. A pirate themed dive located in Ybor City on the famed 7th Avenue, that’s renowned for madness, mayhem and fun. Named after Jose Gaspar the scaly wag pirate that invaded Tampa Bay this place is a swashbuckling good time.
An eclectic array of entertainment features magicians, stilt walkers, statue men, contortionists and mimes. Outside of showcasing the strange, the bizarre, the odd and the just plain unexplainable, they also serve savory Cuban and American food (this place serves the best Cuban sandwich outside of Cuba) and has a large outdoor patio with a stage, bar and numerous fountains. There’s several giant screen TV’s so you won’t miss the big game not to mention the largest collection of fine rums and cigars in Florida as well as the largest Beer Pong facility (for those of you that don’t know what beer pong is you should definitely check it out!)
On weekends you can expect to find a full band rocking the patio lit up in tiki torches, strings of light and there’s karaoke every Friday night. While on week nights, it’s a more laid-back atmosphere with live acoustic acts. Pop in on Sunday morning at 10:30 for the always popular Booze Cruize Brunch,which has a large selection of seafood as well as traditional breakfast items, served with champagne unlimited mimosas, make your own Bloody Mary’s and your choice of eight different types of juices.
So if you are in the mood for loud music, indecent dancing, riotous laughter, wine, excitement, delicious food as well as fun,Gaspar’s Grotto is the place to be for all your happy occasions. So eat drink and be merry! ARGH!
Gaspar’s Grotto
1805 E. 7th Ave.
Tamp, FL 33605
813-248-5900
www.gasparsgrotto.com
The Dallas Bull – North Tampa
The Dallas Bull is a country music hall legend. Originally opening in 1979, it has become a launching pad for country acts. Both Big & Rich and Kenny Chesney played there before making it big time — and they still stop by while in town.
In addition to hosting concerts, The Bull (as we locals call it) serves plenty of alcohol, and line dancing. Don’t know how to dance? That’s alright, they offer FREE lessons almost every night! A living, breathing, bucking machine, come ride the only mechanical bull in Tampa. A veritable honky-tonk heaven, this is a place where the only thing sexier than a belle in boots is the intro to Copperhead Road and you don’t need to be 21 to get in, it’s 18 and up here!
This honky tonk is 31,000 square feet (making it Tampa Bay’s largest nightclub),and plays host to 9 bars, 20,000 patrons a month, $95,000 worth of liquor on hand at any given time.If you bored here you’re hopeless! And then there’s this one: $9.95. That’s the cost of a concert ticket to see big name country acts , like Jake Owen who stopped by the Bull on January 22 this year.
Open Tuesday through Saturday the Bull offers frequent contest and daily specials like Happy Hour from 4-7 Tuesday through Friday where you can fill up on $1.75 Domestics and Wells. Tuesday brings you Sink or Swim and Wednesday is Bike Night with $2.50 you-call-it. Thursday, the famous Dallas Bull Ladies Night while Fridays offer up $1.75 Miller Lite, Coors Light, Icehouse and MGD along with live music and Saturdays there’s a different drink special every hour.
Whether you like to line dance, 2-step or get your backside in motion to Top 40, Dallas Bull has it all for you. Don’t miss out on the best time you’ll have at a country nightclub this side of the Mississippi, come visit the Dallas Bull.
Dallas Bull
3322 U.S. Highway 301
Tampa, FL 33637
(813) 987-BULL
www.dallasbull.com
Well there you have it folks the best places to have great time in Tampa. As you can see we know how to party down here in the sunshine state so pack up the sunscreen and pay us a visit!
