Fill out this form to email this article to a friend

Your name		Your email
Recipient email	You may enter up to 20 multiple email addresses, separated by commas.
Your message
Validation Code	Hear validation code
	Enter validation code

We were unable to send your email.

Click here to try again.

Linksters Taproom's rockin', laid-back vibe

By Jessica Brady, tbt* columnist
In print: Friday, March 28, 2008

Nick Steff, Paul Gotshall and Cali DeCarlo enjoy some drinks and laughs at Linksters Taproom.
	[Leigh Armstrong | tampabay.com]

Story Tools E-mail this story Contact the editor Print this story Comment on this story Social Bookmarking Digg Facebook Stumbleupon Reddit Del.icio.us Newsvine

ADVERTISEMENT Related Links Restaurant review: BayWalk's Banbu, Grille 121 need work

Vitals: 1911 W Brandon Blvd., Brandon. (813) 654-3333. Sunday through Saturday, noon to 3 a.m.

The spot: There are a lot of bars in Brandon, but Linksters Taproom is by far one of the most laid-back and rockin' establishments. The goal of the owners was to open a Cheers-like bar, where everyone feels like family. I didn't exactly feel like a member of the family when I was there, but I did feel welcome. Inside, there's a subtle golf theme (hence, the Linksters name), with relaxing photos of pro golfers. A long wood-paneled bar is stretched across one side of the room, with 10 flat-screen TVs lined across the top of the wall. The televisions create a border of NASCAR, golf, news, poker and everything one might want to watch while drinking beer. Below the TVs, wooden signs read "Relax." On the other side of the room are a dozen or so high-top tables with a couple of golf and bowling arcade games. In the back, there's a pool table and two large mirrors that expand the room. The room's clean wood panels give it a cabin-like feel. Smoking is allowed inside, but the smoke was barely noticeable.

The crowd: The crowd did what the signs told them to do: chill. This is a Generation Y bar, with few people who looked older than 33. Everyone was dressed casually — it's obvious that people here are not looking to judge or impress. For the most part, patrons stayed with their group, but they do shoot occasional smiles across the room. Interestingly, all the high-top tables were empty and the bar was lined with people. No one seemed to care that they were crowding themselves together for no reason.

The juice: Linksters is a full liquor bar with a handful of good import and domestic drafts — Yuengling, Stella, Magner's Irish Cider, Bass, Blue Moon and Guinness. To make the beer even better, the mugs are chilled perfectly. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday, noon to 7 p.m. But if you want grub with your brew, sorry — there's no food served.

Tunes: A small Rock-Ola jukebox sits near the bar and provides a mix of tunes ranging from Snoop Dogg to Elvis to Pantera. The music stayed pretty regular though, with a mix consisting of a ska remake of Radiohead's Creep, the Beastie Boys, Bush and Rage Against the Machine. I knew this placed rocked when Zach de la Rocha from Rage began belting "F--- you, I won't do what you tell me!" through the speakers and everyone remained totally calm, save for a few nodding heads.