Sure, every bar on the First Coast serves beer. But for the beer-drinking aficionado, simply having a few taps and a handful of bottled brands isn’t going to cut it.Jacksonville Magazine scoured the region, from Amelia all the way down to St. Augustine, in search of the bars with the most pleasing array of taps, bartenders and atmosphere. We reached out to our readers on Facebook and Twitter for their input. And we narrowed down a list of 40 contenders to produce this, our picks for the 25 best local beer bars.
Don’t agree with our choices? That’s fine…we can argue about it over a pint. Or two…
3 Lions Sports Pub & Grill
Soccer and football (or futbol and football?) fans can sometimes clash, but not at 3 Lions. With a sports package that includes NFL Sunday Ticket and Fox Soccer Channel, fans of both can co-mingle with their favorite pints. 2467 Faye Rd., Northside • 647-86251
Aromas Cigar Bar/Beer House
The cigar humidor and martini list draw a crowd, but head for the LED ice bar in the Beer House to enjoy 18 craft beers on tap and a wide selection of domestic, import and craft bottles. 4372 Southside Blvd., Southside • 928-05151
Brix Tap House and Bar
Inside this red brick building (hence the name), beer lovers will find 32 brews on tap. With an indoor and outdoor bar, Brix is a damn fine choice for Jax Beach beer drinkers. 300 2nd St. N., Jax Beach • 241-46681
Burro Bar
The guys behind the new Burro Bar are the same people who brought Lomax Lodge and Shantytown Pub to life. Look for a similar slightly seedy appeal, a crowd of bikers (of the pedaling variety, not the Daytona Beach kind), live music and 20 taps pouring hipster-approved labels. 100 E. Adams St., Downtown • 353-46861
The Casbah Café
Trust a restaurant with belly dancers to have one of the most unusual and exotic beer lists in town, with imports from Lebanon, Turkey, Belgium, Holland, the Phillipines and more, plus a hefty representation from regional craft brewers. 3628 St. Johns Ave., Avondale • 981-99661
Cliff’s Bar and Grill
Nothing fancy here, but regulars and newcomers alike can appreciate a weekday happy hour that starts at 2 PM. Live music, karaoke, trivia and poker keep the atmosphere lively well into the night. 3033 Monument Rd., Arlington • 388-95511
Engine 15 Brewing Company
Take your pick from over 100 options, including 35 draughts. And if you’re really picky and can’t find a beer you like, you can brew your own batch on site. 1500 Beach Blvd. #217, Jax Beach • 249-23371
European Street Café
All four E Streets cater to the serious beer drinker with 200 varieties from around the world and right around the corner. Plus, happy hour from 2-7 PM every day knocks $1.50 off bottles and transforms draughts into two-for-one mugs. Order a “tall” one while you’re at it. Check out the Listening Room live music schedule. 1704 San Marco Blvd., San Marco • 398-95001
Fly’s Tie Irish Pub
For all the people who end up singing at Fly’s Tie, the bartenders could collect talent agency fees. It’s a cozy and unpretentious neighborhood joint ideal for downing a Guinness or two and making new friends in the process. 177 Sailfish Dr. E., Atlantic Beach • 246-95951
Island Girl Cigar Bar
Who knew hand-rolled cigars and beer flights could go so well together? Friday is combo beer night, offering $1 off half and half mixed beers, and Saturdays bring a dollar off pricier high alcohol-content beers. A second Island Girl is on the Southside. 108 1st St., Atlantic Beach • 854-60601
JP Henley’s
Henley’s boasts 50 taps and over 120 bottles of stouts, ales, lagers and pilsners. The owners earned their stripes in the beverage biz before opening shop, so you know the selection is well-researched. 10 Marine St., St. Augustine • 829-33371
Kickbacks
Hands down and bottoms up, this Riverside watering hole is Jacksonville’s beer heaven. Unless, of course, there’s another bar that carries over 600 bottled beers and 84 draughts. 910 King St., Riverside • 388-95511
King’s Head British Pub
Full, hearty beers complement a menu of traditional British fare at this pub, the one with the red phone booth and double-decker bus out front. Go ahead, find a seat near the fireplace and order some fish and chips to accompany your pint. 6460 U.S. 1, St. Augustine • 823-97871
Lynch’s Irish Pub
Lynch’s isn’t so much a bar as a Beaches institution. All the Irish brews one would expect are present and proudly served alone or in combinations (you know, for the beginners). 514 1st St. N., Jax Beach • 249-51811
Mellow Mushroom
Mellow Mushroom is ultra laid-back, as the name might suggest. The circular bar is stocked with an assortment of taps as colorful and eclectic as the décor and clientele. Two more locations are at Deer Lake Court and Jax Beach. 1800 Town Center Blvd., Fleming Island • 541-19991
Monkey’s Uncle Tavern
Monkey’s Uncle is a low-key night spot that opened its doors in 1985. This is not the place to sit at the bar and drown your sorrows, so play a few rounds of beer pong or grab the mic on karaoke night. Don’t worry, listeners expect you to stink. “Freebird,” anyone? 1850 S. 3rd St., Jax Beach • 246-10701
O’Kane’s Irish Pub & Eatery
Guinness, Killians, Murphy’s, Smithwick’s… check, check, check, check. O’Kane’s is a friendly spot in Fernandina for enjoying the luck of the Irish, or at least their brews. 318 Centre St., Fernandina Beach • 261-10001
Pete’s Bar
No bar list is complete without Pete’s. Between the 25-cent pool games and the annual Thanksgiving Day party that spills into the streets, Pete’s has mastered the art of encouraging its patrons to stay for one more round. Even on national holidays. 117 1st St., Neptune Beach • 249-91581
Philly’s Finest
Eagles, Phillies and Flyers fans will feel right at home in the sports bar, which is stocked with ten 50-inch plasma TVs. Not a fan of Philly sports? You’re still welcome to pull up a stool and order a brew at the ice bar, but you might want to order a cheesesteak and keep quiet. 1527 N. Third St., Jax Beach • 241-71881
Rendezvous Beer Bar
Instead of saying that Rendezvous’ international beer list is extensive, we’ll say this: it has brews from countries whose names start with every letter of the alphabet except K, O, Q, R, W, X, Y and Z. 106 St. George St., St. Augustine • 824-10901
Ritz Bar and Lounge
The Ritz has a rotating list of daily specials, like $2.50 pints during happy hour, plus daily deals like $1 Newcastle pints on Monday, $2 Mexican beers on Tuesday and $1 Guinness on Wednesday. Enough said. 185 3rd Ave. N., Jax Beach • 246-22551
Sneakers Sports Grille
The word that comes to mind when talking about Sneakers is “huge.” The sheer size of the dining room and televisions on each wall can satisfy a sportsman, but they take it a step further with cheap beer specials all through the week. 8133 Pointe Meadows Dr., Southside • 519-05091
Stogies Jazz Club & Cigar Bar
Stogies is a stellar craft beer bar in St. Augustine that caters to the kind of crowd that appreciates a carefully-made brew, an outdoor patio, live jazz and a fine cigar, too. But you can still come just for a cold brewsky. 36 Charlotte St., St. Augustine • 826-40081
Tap’s Bar and Grill
Tap’s offers a few standard sports bar draughts, but the rest of their taps pour a mixture of permanent imports and crafts, like Guinness and Magic Hat #9, and a rotating selection of seasonal and independent beers. Cheers to that! 2220 CR 210 W., St. Johns • 819-15541
Underbelly
Underbelly is arguably the coolest (if not the only) bar in Jacksonville that is hidden behind a hip clothing boutique. Step into the backyard to enjoy a great beer selection, a DJ spinning tunes from the treehouse and live music. 1021 Park St., Five Points • 354-7002
