1. Azalea Lounge

   Editor's pick

   Tampa : 1502 N Florida Ave., Tampa, 33602

   GaYbor might be the best known local district for LGBT drinking destinations, but if you're looking for something a little quieter and laid back, duck into the gay bar (but definitely straight friendly) Azalea Lounge. It's a beautiful old building with a comfy, closed-in back patio. Just pace yo …

2. Banana Boat

   Gateway : 13090 Gandy Blvd. N, St. Petersburg, 33702

   Since it's a waterfront bar, we'll forgive -- heck, embrace -- Banana Boat's dive-ocity. Wear shorts and flip-flops on the deck. Or cool off in the AC inside. No drafts here, but that's okay. Get a load of Banana Boat's makeshift gallery of antique humor, like the faux Great White hanging above  …

3. Barnacles

   Brandon : 926 Providence Road, Brandon, 33511

   With it's 450 TVs, Barnacles may look like a typical sports bar and grill, but there's a lot more going on. The waitstaff walks around singing every tune blaring from the speaker system, handing out trivia prizes.

4. Beer Belly's Cafe

   Tampa : 5016 E Busch Blvd. # 113, Tampa, 33617

   This large sports bar and grill layout features the familiar wood, old booths and a bar half the size of the place that's surrounded by games. They have good beer and food specials on a menu that features every fattening food you can think of. One last note: Fun karaoke.

5. Cooters Raw Bar & Restaurant

   Clearwater Beach : 423 Poinsettia Ave., Clearwater Beach, 33767

   Cooter's is so similar to a Key West hangout that it hurts. The centralized bar is hung with hats, fossils and other trinkets that hurricane outward into all areas of the joint. The bar is usually fairly packed with guys and gals that look like they know what a good night of drinking looks like. …

6. Copper Top Pub

   Editor's pick

   Tampa : 5112 E Fowler Ave. , Tampa, 33617

   Keeping of-age USF students quenched for three decades, the Copper Top is a pitchers-and-plastic cups place, with pool tables, NASCAR on the tube and Cream on the jukebox. It's best known for two things: (1) an actual, shiny copper-topped bar, and (2) spicy air-smoked chicken wings, arguably the …

7. Corner Bar

   South Tampa : 302 S Howard Ave., Tampa, 33606

   Sit back and watch the wildness along Howard Avenue from the Corner Bar porch. Here, the atmosphere is laid back, and the staff friendly. Unlike other places along the strip, it's rarely crowded, so bring your friends. The regulars are a mix of the SoHo socialites who want a break from the scene …

8. Corner Club

   Seminole Heights : 1502 E Sligh Ave., Tampa, 33610

   Don't be daunted by the exterior. The industrial gray-painted and brick building looks like something out of a post-Apocalyptic Western. Inside, it's a cozier and friendlier world, full of down-to-earth regulars who range from guys in punk bands to plumbers and real estate brokers. Get drunk on  …

9. Crums Bar and Grill

   St. Petersburg : 2924 Fifth Ave. N, St. Petersburg, 33713

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner, Angus burgers.Hours: 8 a.m.-midnight Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-midnight Sat -Sun.

10. Dog Saloon

    South Tampa : 3311 W Bay to Bay Blvd., Tampa, 33629

    In the Dog House? Get over your blues at the Dog Saloon. It's in ritzy South Tampa, but has a casual neighborhood feel. The Saloon has one of the most laid-back atmospheres in the area, and is perfect for that Monday or Tuesday when you just wanna grab a beer at a low-key place.

11. Dublin House Pub

    Largo : 479 Seminole Blvd., Largo, 33770

    A neighborhood pub for 25 years with full liquor, 10 brews on tap.

12. Elmer's Sports Cafe

    MacDill Area : 5206 S MacDill Ave., Tampa, 33611

    The second of two Elmers, this is no junior. It's bigger and comfier than its Ybor brother, with a huge U-shaped bar, tall and regular-size tables accommodating around 150 people. Because it's cleaner than your average bar and there's no smoking inside, the brick walls and painted wood paneling  …

13. Elmer's Sports Cafe

    Ybor City : 2003 E Seventh Ave., Tampa, 33605

    No need to get dressed up to have a drink at this neighborhood hangout. If you're not looking for the posh and pomp of the Ybor crowds, look for Elmer's. If you're a Redskins fan, throw on that hog's nose and belly up to the bar. They have great Monday Night Football specials.

14. Fish Tales

    St. Petersburg : 1500 Second St. S, St. Petersburg, 33707

    Laid-back, shanty-esque joint Fish Tales is the rare waterfront restaurant without high-fallutin' pretense. It's a few blocks south off the beaten path but is worth the short drive. An impressive selection of beers on tap -- Weihenstephaner, Stella Artois, Pilsner Urquell, Killian's and Michelob …

15. Fortunato's After Dark

    Downtown St. Petersburg : 259 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 33701

    It's a great spot to slip in on a downtown Pete barhop or a hangout when you're in the mood for something chill. Score a Pabster for a couple bucks, a decent range of weak domestics or a few interesting scores (a la microbrews) on a rotating basis. Check the nightly specials, as they are abunda …

16. Frenchy's Cafe

    Clearwater Beach : 41 Baymont St, Clearwater, 33767

    There are four — count 'em, four — casual Frenchy's locations crowding the Clearwater Beach landscape, each a little different but all fueled by their own fleet of commercial fishing boats. Frenchy's Original Café is the smallest and maybe the quietest. Beyond the annual stone …

17. Frenchy's Rockaway Grill

    Clearwater Beach : 7 Rockaway St, Clearwater, 33767

    The Selling Point is the she-crab soup. (Insert Homer drool here.) It's Frenchy's, so you know the good eats are in the house. They offer more turf with their surf than the other Frenchy's locations, and, of course, seafood abounds. Rockaway offers a nice beachfront experience with great eats to …

18. Frenchy's Saltwater Cafe

    Clearwater Beach : 419 Poinsettia Ave., Clearwater, 33767

    These cozy, hole-in-the-wall favorites on Clearwater Beach serve up seafood fresh from the boat at bargain prices. Served with cold beer, good humor and modest fixings (plus great desserts). The specialty here is a grouper reuben.

19. Fuma Bella

    Editor's pick

    Ybor City : 1318 E Eighth Ave., Tampa, 33706

    We're serious. Fuma Bella is, quite literally, a hole in the wall, a room carved out of the side of a building. It's the size of one of those mock-up apartments inside IKEA. Two dozen people can drink there in comfort, if they're skinny. None of this matters to the proprietors, who cherish Fuma  …

20. Green Parrott Pub

    Carrollwood : 11759 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 33618

    The beauty of a dive is there is always more than meets the eye. One glance at Green Parrot might have newbies shying away - there's graffiti scrawled in old varnish on the bar, torn vinyl bar stools, billiard-chalk-dusted wood paneling and beer lamps, and the pervasive smell of fryer grease. We …

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