Crabby Bill’s, Sloppy Joe’s, Jimmy B’s…
It appears to be a rule: If you’re opening a bar or restaurant along the beachy boulevards of Pinellas, it’s best that the name contain one or all of the following three ingredients:
1) A man’s nickname
2) A word ending in “y”
3) An initial or two
Sure, there’s Middle Grounds and The Pub and Salt Rock Grill and lots of other fine places that buck the trend. But the formula pops up everywhere from Clearwater Beach to Gulfport, and now — what with Crabby's proliferating and Frenchy's everywhere — the average beachgoer could get just a little confused (and maybe even a little, well, crabby). To help out, we give you this quick guide to who’s where in the Beach Bar Name Game.
The Indian Rocks Beach location is the only Crabby Bill’s still owned and operated by the restaurant’s founding family, the Loders. Bill (the crabby one) and Dolores Loder were Jersey expatriates with experience in the seafood biz (particularly blue crabs) who arrived in Florida in the 1960s and opened the restaurant in IRB in 1983. The Loders own two other IRB spots — Lulu’s Oyster Bar and Jake’s Mexican Cantina — as well as Seabreeze in Redington Beach. But a different ownership group runs Crabby’s Bar & Grill and the new Crabby’s Dockside in Clearwater Beach. And still another owner operates the Crabby Bill’s in St. Pete Beach. Here’s how to tell them apart:
The Original Crabby Bill’s
401 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach, crabbybillsirb.com
Classic relaxed beach vibe, although the beach is across the street. A rambling establishment with a restaurant, gift shop, fish shop, live music and multiple indoor and outdoor bars, The Original keeps things casual with picnic tables and nautical knickknacks, serving up tasty grouper and other standards to young families and jovial beach people.
Crabby Bill’s St. Pete Beach
5100 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, stpetecrabbybills.com
A big menu with somewhat less of an emphasis on local provenance than The Original, but what this CB’s does have is a great location on the beach side of Gulf Boulevard, which means you get smashing views from the upstairs tiki deck along with your conch fritters and shrimp scampi.
Crabby’s Bar & Grill
333 S. Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach, crabbysbarandgrill.com
Located on south Clearwater Beach’s winding Beach Walk promenade, it happily partakes in the area’s recreational spirit with cornhole, colorful benches, a palm-tree motif on its second-floor deck, and specialties like the Beachwalk Feast (shrimp, clams and Alaskan crab) and the Key West Combo (mahi mahi and shrimp over rice and conch fritters).
Crabby’s Dockside
37 Causeway Blvd., Clearwater Beach, crabbysdockside.com
A sleek monument to all things seafood that literally takes the beach bar concept to new heights — or at least several stories. Read Jon Palmer Claridge’s review.
You can’t turn a corner in Clearwater Beach, it seems, without bumping into another outpost of the Frenchy’s empire founded by Michael “Frenchy” Preston. You can’t go wrong eating and drinking at any of them, either.
Frenchy’s South Beach Cafe
351 S. Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach
If you need a handy guide to which Frenchy’s is which, this might be a good place to start. The cornhole board outside this Beach Walk-situated bistro (next door to Crabby’s Bar & Grill) lists all of the locations. So watch out for beanbags and start scoping out the Frenchy’s landscape, or simply hang here and have a grouper eggroll or two. (Alternative planning option: Go to frenchysonline.com, which has info on the five Frenchy’s spots.)
Frenchy’s Original Cafe
41 Baymont St., Clearwater Beach
Opened in 1981, this neighborly downtown spot is distinguished, among other things, by a killer jukebox and the invention of the Super Grouper sandwich.
Frenchy’s Saltwater Cafe
419 Poinsettia Ave., Clearwater Beach
Not just family-friendly but pet-friendly and even boat-friendly, with its own floating docks across the street at the south side of Mandalay Channel.
Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill
7 Rockaway St., Clearwater Beach
My hands-down favorite Frenchy’s. Situated directly on one of the most beautiful stretches of white-sand beach in America, it’s got the view, the food and the good-times ambiance that makes it, in Preston’s words, “the quintessential beach bar.”
Frenchy’s Outpost Bar & Grill
466 Causeway Blvd., Dunedin
You didn’t think a force as strong as Frenchy’s could be contained in Clearwater alone, did you? This is a perfect stop for diners on their way to and from Honeymoon Island.
Jimmy B’s Beach Bar
The Beachcomber, 6200 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, beachcomberflorida.com
This place is unexpectedly splendiferous — an open-air sprawl of wooden pavilions and cushy outdoor lounge furniture, with live music, lush plantings and a long, beautiful boardwalk leading to the beach. Even the approach from the lobby is elegant — just head out past the palms-framed fountain. And watch out for the staffers making food deliveries from the hotel restaurant, transporting your orders via bamboo boxes on “Jimmy B’s Express,” aka fancy tricycles.
PCI Beach Bar
Postcard Inn on the Beach, 6300 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, postcardinn.com
PCI, the beach bar attached to the the Travelodge-turned-surfer-chic Postcard Inn, was once the Swigwam, now relocated to Corey Ave. PCI has retained the laid-back feel of its predecessor, including the license plate-adorned tiki hut and smack-on-the-beach location, but now it attracts a young, diverse crowd more into EDM than “Brown-Eyed Girl.”
PJ’s Oyster Bar
415 Second St., Indian Rocks Beach, 727-596-5898
PJ’s Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant
7490 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, pjsoysterbar.net
Two restaurants with basically the same name, yet two different sets of owners (none of whom are the folks who opened the original PJ’s — the one in IRB — in 1985). The IRB location is distinguished by its aura of kitschy fun, with dollar bills and license plates plastered all over the place, while the St. Pete Beach PJ’s, now owned by the Umstead family, is tucked away off Gulf Boulevard and offers a wide array of fresh seafood, including a mammoth combo featuring 8-ounce lobster tail, ribs, shrimp and crab (bring a friend). PJ is each restaurant’s resident parrot, viewable on the logo, or live and in person.
Sandbar Bill’s Bar & Grille
Bon-Aire Resort, 4350 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, bonaireresort.com
One of the most idyllic little hideaways on the beach, cooking up Best of the Bay-winning burgers you can smell on the grill as you approach the restaurant. That approach (though not the parking at the Bon-Aire) is part of the fun — down a nicely landscaped path thats opens onto a small patio adjacent to the beach, with tables under striped umbrellas and a small kitchen/bar that makes all the goodies.
Sloppy Joe’s Bar & Grill
Bilmar Beach Resort, 10650 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, sloppyjoesonthebeach.com
The big yellow Bilmar is one of those resorts that looks a lot more appealing from the beach than from the boulevard, and among its hidden treasures is a restaurant with a pedigree. Sloppy Joe’s is one of a three-restaurant franchise that originated in Key West back in the 1930s; the image of Ernest Hemingway in the logo harks back to a legendary visit by the author himself, who suggested the name (borrowed from that of a reputedly sloppy bar in Havana) to the proprietor, Joe Russell. Nowadays the not-at-all-sloppy Sloppy Joe’s, with its two-tiered deck on the beach, is a prime spot for sunset-watching and tropical drinking.
Harry’s Beach Bar
Sirata Beach Resort, 5300 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, sirata.com
CL is happily familiar with one of Sirata’s two beach bars because we’ve enjoyed many a holiday party under the thatched roof of the Rum Row Tiki Hut at Rum Runners Bar & Grille. But for Name Game purposes, we draw your attention to Harry’s Beach Bar — a spacious covered bar with an adjacent fire pit, a wide-angle view of the beach, and the same good food you can enjoy at any of the resort’s restaurants.
Larry’s Ice Cream
6595 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, larrysicecream.com
My husband, Larry, insisted for years that we visit his namesake ice cream parlor, and when we finally did, Larry’s did not disappoint: delightful ice cream, a friendly, small-town atmosphere, and a really cool (in all senses of the word) mailbox.
Woody’s Waterfront
7308 Sunset Way, St. Pete Beach, woodyswaterfront.com
“So close to the water your burger will get wet!” proclaims the menu, and that ain’t far from the truth. Situated directly on Blind Pass, the former bait house makes you feel like you’re practically in the water. That view, combined with friendly service, eclectic clientele and great seafood (love the fish and chips), makes for an inimitably Florida experience.
Guppy’s on the Beach Seafood Grill & Bar
1701 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach, 3bestchefs.com
Despite its small-fry name, Guppy’s is one of the best restaurants on the beach, final “y” or no final “y.” Its lineup is more fine-dining than beach-standby, showcasing delicious creations like Kona coffee-dusted scallops with mango vanilla bean sauce and caramelized plantains, and bacon-wrapped, char-grilled swordfish with chorizo, Asiago grits and chipotle cream sauce. Conveniently located directly across the street from a public beach, so you can towel off and chow down.
Caddy’s on the Beach
9000 W. Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, caddysotb.com
Parking (and the Sunset Beach neighbors) can be a bitch, but this is the ultimate beachside party palace, featuring its own proprietary stretch of sand complete with cabanas, outdoor picnic tables, and a gigantic two-tiered restaurant with multiple bars and fun for all. (And there are three other Caddy’s, if you’re counting, in Bradenton, Indian Shores and downtown St. Pete.)
BUT WAIT, YOU MISSED…
I know, I know. There are so many other nicknamed, y-inflected, well-initialed beach bôites out there, from JD’s to TJ’s Italian Cafe, from Screwie Louie’s to Mickey Quinn’s to Dockside Dave’s (not to be confused with Crabby’s Dockside). And I didn’t even get to mention Gulfport’s dynamic duo — Salty’s and O’Maddy’s, neighboring destinations for strong drinks, good food and dynamite karaoke.
Let me know what else I missed — but in the meantime, remember: By any other name, your favorite beach bar would still smell like beer. And that’s sweet.
This article appears in Aug 31 – Sep 7, 2017.