The Elbo Room

I say that this place is cheap because pretty much anything is going to be cheaper than the bars/clubs in Boston that I am used to. Relatively, you can get a beer for under 5 bucks and a mixed drink for not too much more. If you're anywhere in the near vicinity of this bar, I would suggest you pencil it into your itinerary! Each time I visit this place, I meet the most amazing down-to-earth people whether it be the patrons or the folks who work there. There's always a motley of people from different states and I even met a guy who came all the way from Ireland!

There are no doors to open when entering The Elbo Room. Let me repeat...THERE ARE NO DOORS! You just walk in from the street, it being an open-air pub which is really nice when the hot weather is flushing your skin. Downstairs is a regular bar with live bands for your entertainment. The walls are decorated with license plates from around the entire country, pictures of customers doing 'wild and crazy things' and random souvenirs or notes left by people who frequent the place.

Upstairs, my personal favorite place to be, has a long balcony so you can gaze out at the sea and the palm trees with a cold drink in your hand. Then when the sun starts to disappear, the second floor is a good place to dance because this is where the trance, hip hop and techno music is played and it is loud enough for you to get completely lost in it! :) You can also catch what's going on down in the street, it really is a great atmosphere! Usually you can get a look at the street performers doing what they do best...performing! One of the best memories from my Florida trip in 2006 was looking over the railing to see our friend Jay rave-ing with this beatbox group on the streetcorner. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen, we all died laughing!

If you do stop in for a drink, head upstairs and look for a petite bartender with dark curly hair. I think her name is Kerry (but I could be wrong, I was way too drunk to remember!). She told us her story...she was living in the midwest when one day she just packed up her things and moved to Florida. She's been there for about two or three years now (she was still there when my boyfriend and I went this past year) and she really inspired us to believe that it is possible to do what she did (we want to leave New England behind and move to Florida one day). And if you do end up talking to her, let her know that you read this so she will know that she inspired a couple of "northerners", it'll be a nice ice-breaker for you as well because she is worth talking to if you need a kick in the ass to get you moving and ready to explore this world! And also tell her that she definitely makes the strongest drinks at the joint and I know that from experience...YIKES!! ;)