Originally posted by http
Here's my take:
--------Dunkirk
O'Hallorans: Ok place. Gets VERY crowded. Nice folks. Very local but nice. Food but never had it. Irish type. Ok selection of beer. Loud and hot. I wouldn’t even attempt to actually get a meal there with the crowds though.
-------Ches Beach:
Rod N Reel: Actually a restaurant/casino. Smokey, loud, frozen food entrees, large TV but the bartenders don't know how to change the channels, Keno and smokey and loud and smokey and loud. Unless you're gambling, bingo or there for Sunday brunch, avoid if ya ask me.
Smokey Joes-next door to Rod n Reel: Quiet, clean, bright, good food, crabs in season, nice staff, fun at night 30s something crowd. Closes early, usually 11 most nights. Crowds have migrated elsewhere over the last couple of years. 2 big TVs, great for Sunday sports.
Rod N Reel Tiki Bar: Fun, don't order food, understaffed you'll never get it. Great late night. Stays open till the county allowance and then some (you didn't hear that from me). Open all year round now I think.
Vics: Quiet, clean, local, 30-40s something. Place where the fisherman and crabbers meet after work to trade stories over decent Italian food. Good food. Big bar. 3 TVs, great for Sunday sports.
Vics upstairs Deck: Open Fri, Sat, Sun. John Lusky and friends or Bluegrass bands Sat and Sun. Great for sunsets. Long waits for food. Otherwise fun. Closes at 10, so you migrate downstairs.
Abners: Crabs on the left, bar on the right. Just recently remodeled. Trying to clean up its image. Bar is twice a big now with seating outside. Actually turning out to be a decent place. Very rough and local crowd. But staff is around more keeping things under control. Country on the jukebox. Pool for money. Bikers looking for local chicks.
Traders: Still a lesbian bar. Great for girl watching. Smokey as h@ll. Food ok. Excellent breakfast.
Chaney's: Quintessential biker bar. Ok for happy hour. Quite possibly the rowdiest bar in the county at night. Classic. They do have pool and cheap drinks. Volleyball and a Tiki bar believe it or not in back, but no one knows that. Other than that go at your own risk. I have seen gun fights there.
Stinnets: Quintessential retired biker bar. 40-50s crowd. Go there to trade Daytona bike week stories. Foods ok. Big but crowded bar.
Beach Cove: Family restaurant. Small bar used basically for waiting for dinner tables. Used to be lagoons with bands and DJ. New owners trying to get away from that crowd. Go there for dinner only (not that great) not for drinks only. I think they're starting to pickup bands again. Small, acoutstic though.
Griffins: Tiny sports bar. Nice size TVs. A couple of games. Locals. Probably won’t be around long. Always empty. Cops basically sit in the same parking lot pulling people over. Just a terrible location.
Lazy Jays (I forget their new name): Very local. Very young. Basically the Lagoons crowd after it closed. Underaged-20s. Fun though. Ok TVs. Pool, lots of games. Nice crowd. Fairly clean. EXCELLENT PIZZA. Best kept secret if you ask me. Warning, if you go on Fri. Sat. night, you might as well just find a cop and ask them to give you your DWI before you go in, just to save you some time.
----------North Beach
Neptunes: Temporarily closed due to small fire. Excellent food! Basically you don't have to look at the menu, just order and they'll make it for you. Bar area is tiny but cozy. Natives take over on Fri and Sat night when dinner is over. Fun crowd 20s-30 somethings that migrated over from Smokey Joes and Beach Cove (previously Lagoons).
Thursdays: Local. Standard fair food. Nice dark woody bar. Great selection of beers. Simple, nothing great. Small patio area. Ok crowd, 30s-40s.
-----------South County AA
Herrington Harbor/Surfside South: Just re-opened. Manager tried to shut it down but was required to keep open on property. Ok food. Ok crowd, sailor territory. Discuss your sailing stories from the week. Decent menu, nothing special. Best lobster in the county though. Great specials every night. Kareoke and the whole 9. Outside bar on Sat and Sun during summers by the club pool.
Calypso Bay: I guess you know. Ladies night Thursday is the best.
Happy Harbor: Biker bar. Enter at your own risk. Most of the times harmless. Very local. No sign. 20s-50s. In otherwords, fathers getting their undergaged daughters in. Know what I mean?
Skippers Pier: Great powerboat bar. Crabs. Big restaurant. Big deck. Outside seating. Great for the summers. Tropical drinks. Bikini’s. Lots of drunken fare. Our version of Red Eye on the Western shore. Great crowd.
Pirates Cove/Big Mary’s: Pirates cove is the restaurant, big marys is the bar. Both fun, great crowd, boating crowd. Trade stories power and sail. 20s-50s. big marys outside for night. Quiet, not too rowdy. Big mary’s is local, the cove is more out of towners.
