The real drinker's guide to St. Pete's essential dive bars

Dead Bob’s

6717 Central Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33707, (727) 317-2627
A dive bar with killer Americana comfort food. A spot to hit for some beers and dinner on your way back from St Pete beach. Parking can be difficult at this plaza pub, but once you try those drink and dinner specials once, they’ll have you back fighting for a parking spot.

Photo via Dead Bob’s/Facebook

Ruby’s Elixir

15 3rd St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, (727) 898-7829
Come for the jazz music, stay for the drink specials and extensive liquor selection. Ruby's Elixir stands out in downtown St. Pete, where the bars are on a corner than drinks you had tonight. You can enjoy their no cover, live music jams almost any night of the week.

Photo via Ruby’s Elixir/Facebook

Mahuffer’s Pub

19201 Gulf Blvd, Indian Shores, FL 33785, (727) 596-0226
It's likely that Mahuffer’s Pub will be the most eclectic, uniquely decorated dive bar you’ll ever grab a cheap beer at. Most of the decor consists of underwear, dollar bills, and a bar cat––think dive bar meets flea market. The ultra-casual, neighborhood bar that you’ll just have to tell your friends about after.

Photo via Mahuffer’s Pub/Facebook

Bottles Pub

5619 Park Blvd N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781 , (727) 545-4102
Bottles Pub is the type of spot where the bartenders will probably know your name after a few visits, and there’s a back patio that’s guaranteed to make your cold beer taste even better. Join their in-house dart league if you dare.

Photo via Bottles Pub/Facebook

49th St. Pub

860 49th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710 ,(727) 328-2337
Where the bartenders will treat you like a local even when you’re not. Their cheap beer and stiff drinks can be accompanied by a menu filled with the salty and fried bar food. No worries, you can burn those calories off with a strenuous game of pool and darts.

Photo via Google Maps

Double D Saloon

974 58th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710, (727) 343-0304
A built by locals, for locals kind of bar. With live music and karaoke throughout the week, Double D Saloon is the place to grab a cheap beer (or four) and talk smack with other bar flies. Never underestimate a strip mall bar!

Photo via Double D Saloon/Facebook

Jwag’s

2312 4th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33704, (727) 258-4881
Jwag’s exemplifies the ‘hole-in-the-wall’ stereotype, as it really is a tiny dive bar. Although small in size, this dive certainly leaves a lasting impression as it’s packed with locals most nights. They don’t have draft beers, but compensate with their strong mixed drinks.

Photo via Google Maps

Mad Pub

12933 Village Blvd, Madeira Beach, FL 33708 , (727) 397-7693
Mad Pub is an open air bar right off the beach, that looks too inviting to pass up after a day in the sun. With a variety of craft beers and a friendly staff, Mad Pub doesn't necessarily have the expected "dive bar" prices, and it doesn’t have the dinghy demeanor or inside smoking like most dives do either.

Photo via Mad Pub/Facebook

Abbey Road

974 58th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710, (727) 343-0304
This is where you go if unfiltered bar smoke doesn’t bother you. It’s part of the charming, relaxed nature of a dive bar, right? The Abbey’s cheap beer and many bar activities like video games, flat screens, darts, and pool will nonetheless distract you from the smoke.

Photo via Abbey Road/Facebook

Boardwalk Tavern

2600 54th Ave N Saint Petersburg, Florida ,(727) 507-1200
This stand alone, beige building holds years of drunken memories between friends and strangers alike. They have local country bands, karaoke, and drink specials throughout the week. You know you’ve stumbled upon a true dive when the sign is hand painted.

Photo via Google Maps

Mastry's Bar

233 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 , (727) 822-3070
One of the oldest bars in St Pete, Mastry’s is a true neighborhood bar–an escape from the large, fancy establishments that keep popping up downtown. St. Pete locals keep coming back for the cheap drinks, live music, and most importantly, the camaraderie.

Photo via Mastry’s Bar/Facebook

One Night Stand

149 1st Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, (727) 350-5822
Probably one of the only southern, honky tonk kind of bar in downtown St Pete, One Night Stand has $5 shots and $7 specialty drinks that are hard to beat, especially accompanied by their bar food menu. Oh, and they have a freakin’ mechanical bull.

Photo via One Night Stand/Facebook

Pelican Pub

18 2nd St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, (727) 898-7829
Don’t feel like paying to go to a show at Jannus Landing? Go to Pelican Pub and you can probably feel the bassline of the song in your chest as you drink that beer. With it’s $2 brews, writing all over the walls, dartboards, and jukebox, this is the go to dive in downtown St. Pete.

Photo via Pelican Pub/Facebook

The Emerald

550 Central Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, (727) 898-6054
The 600 block on Central has pushed out a lot of the original, homey businesses, but the Emerald remains tenacious. It has cheap beer, a jukebox, and absolutely no frills or BS. Be prepared to smell like smoke when you leave.

Photo via The Emerald/Facebook

Rudy’s Sports Bar

11100 66th St, Ste 40 Largo, Florida, (727) 546-2616
A no frills, old school bar where you can watch any sports game your heart desires, or play pool and darts if you’re in the mood to compete yourself. Yes, you can smoke inside, and no, there is no smoke filtration system in place. It’s old school, remember?

Photo via Google Maps

Smokin’ 19

3080-3090 34th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713 , (727) 202-8943
A dive bar with cheap drinks, but also a restaurant serving up burgers, ribs, brisket and pulled pork specials, to absolutely ensure you that you’re never leaving. You can’t miss it on 34th street N, it’s the building painted in large pool balls with huge meat smokers outside.

Photo via Google Maps

Pasadena Bar and Grill

796 Pasadena Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33707, (727) 345-3312
A hole-in-the wall, joint bar filled with older regulars, but the bartender will treat you like a regular whoever you are. They serve great burgers, but only until 2pm. Easy to miss, as it’s on the corner of a small plaza on Pasadena Ave. S.

Photo via Google Maps

The Bends

919 1st Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33705 , (727) 202-8931
Perhaps a little too hip to be considered a dive bar, but its inside smoking and it’s lack of space will maybe let the Bends slide. Its narrow hallway ensures that you will definitely run into someone you don’t want to talk to on your way to the back room where they host local and touring bands.

Photo via The Bends/Facebook

Slizzy McGee’s

6201 12th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 , (727) 289-3118
With walls covered in your typical dive bar decor (AKA neon beer signs), and bar food menu that will go along perfectly with your cheap beers, Slizzy McGee’s is the go to dive bar. Be prepared to search for this little hole-in-the-wall, as it’s sandwiched between a Chinese restaurant and a Pizza place.

Photo via Google Maps

Steve’s Tavern

933 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33705, (727) 894-1004
Steve’s Tavern is an unassuming, almost hidden storefront on the increasingly suave Central Ave in downtown St Pete. It has everything you love about a simple dive bar, jukebox, darts, a single pool table and, of course, $2.50 bud lights and $3.50 wells.

Photo via Yelp.com