THE DISAPPEARING DIVE BAR AMI
BY P J QUINN
An exploration of AMI dive bars
They hide in the shadows, in the corners of the island, nicotine- and rum-drenched
interiors, tattoos and torn board shorts, tank tops, and beards. Woman in flip flops and cutoff jeans contrasts to the cover-up clad beachgoers and the expensive but mediocre beach scene establishments that have taken over Anna Maria Island (AMI).
The local dive bar is disappearing and with them a bit of the soul of AMI.
The local haunt where the characters are as colorful as the paisley dresses of the tourist. Where stiff drinks are poured and stories told of a yesteryear when AMI was still a sleepy little backwater. The talk of the day was fishing or the scandal of the week. The past hangs in the air never to be replaced by the present. A hold on the island as it vanishes to the whims of politicians and developers. Being there, you become part of the story whose closing chapters are slowly being written.
The island used to boast of Fast Eddy’s, Feeling Swell, Oar House. You could walk from Anna Maria to Bradenton Beach and never have a thirst as you stopped in grab a quick one and began your journey again. Now Anna Maria has none, Holmes Beach two, and Bradenton Beach, the last hope as we journey to revisit the disappearing dive bar.
What makes up a dive bar? What separates them from the others? Drink! Food is never a thought – not even an afterthought – nor are frozen drinks which most drinkers consider food. You go to drink. Music is sometimes a nice diversion, along with some bar poker, bingo, or trivia, but you go for a shot and beer, catch up with your friends, run into ex girlfriends/boyfriends, or swapping tales with your newfound friend for the day.
Our journey begins in Holmes Beach as we work our way south.
(Side note: Bortell’s in Anna Maria as of this writing has discontinued serving food and now back to basics, after an extensive remodel. Maybe, just maybe we are seeing a resurrection of the dive bar.)
Our first official dive bar D Coy Ducks. A life-size portrait of Brad welcomes each guest as they enter, a long-time bar tender who has sadly passed but whose memory lives on with each story and Rays victory. The home of the Bucs and the Bolts where you are likely to see the Stanley Cup twice or a Super Bowl replica trophy. Order your pizza delivered from Feast next door. Just make sure you offer some to the bartenders. Sit back, enjoy a game, a conversation, or just soak in the island atmosphere. Always a local crowd, non-smoking, the servers will take credit/debit cards, with lots of TVs to watch the local team. The late crowd will be entertained by a band playing into the wee hours.
Trending south about three miles you will hit The Anchor Inn. Your journey has taken you from the northernmost end of Holmes Beach to the southern end. It’s mostly a bar and pool tables with a jukebox. Double Deez next door will serve you a killer Chicago style dog or beef sandwich. Bring quarters for the pool table. Sit and relax with a tale or two from a local who has “seen it all.” Cash only and smoking with a friendly atmosphere. A local haunt for the service workers getting off the night shift to spend a bit of their tip money and take a deep breath before heading home. Owners Bob’s or Darla’s friendly smile welcomes all, as long as you behave.
The journey to the last stand of the island dive bars hits its crescendo in Bradenton Beach, while the north end brags of two bars. Bradenton Beach hosts the last of the
truly island bars.
Starting with Tommy Knockers: Imagine a neighbor with a two-car garage who had no idea what to do with it. So, he decides to put a cooler in the back, stocked with a variety of beers, a couple of tappers, a few surfboard tables. Hire a couple of good-looking bartenders, along with 13 mermaids hidden though out the décor, and start serving. This makes for the perfect neighbor bar. Casual beyond casual, it’s not uncommon to see bikini-clad patrons and sandy feet at the bar. Sit amongst the regulars and those idling away the time ‘til their table is ready at Wicked Cantina, as the jukebox plays Journey or Tennessee Whiskey for the fifth time that evening. With its garage door open, you get a very airy open feeling in the bar. There’s smoking, and they will take credit cards. In the fall, celebrate with the Bills Mafia as they bring a bit of Buffalo to the island.
Sports Lounge is aptly named with its ring of gaming tables around the main bar: billiard tables, bar shuffleboard, and various other gaming tables. This is the place
to test your skills or realize how much of your skills you have lost. A smoky old-time
atmosphere, friendly attentive staff, credit/debit cards accepted. A stiff drink, a round of pool or shuffleboard with your buds and an evening well spent.
As you spill out of Sports, you see the granddaddy of them all, The Drift In, or The Drift. It was owned by Babe Ruth at one time, who was unceremoniously kicked out of the bar. Swearing that this will never happen again, he bought the place in the 1930s. Yes, 1930s. It was long-established when this was a fishing village, and the fishermen, after bringing their catch to market, would come to have a stiff drink to wear off the fatigue and cold at 7 a.m. Now it is home to the vivacious Manny (the mannequin) who has flirted with many a patron only to rebuff their advances. This is a smoking and cash only bar. On weekends during the season it resembles more of a block party with the patrons spilling out to the tiki bar to listen to a local band and soak in the winter sun. You are as likely to see a retired executive along with a lifelong fishermen exchanging tall tales over a cigarette, a scotch, or bourbon. At night, the indoors hosts the dance crowd as the local band breaks into song. You can dance like no one is looking because no one is.
So our journey ends in the wee hours of the next morning. You played a couple of
rounds of bar poker or took a chance on bingo, tested your trivia knowledge. Now, with a cool drink in your hand, you realize the one thing they all have in common, a place to sit and reflect and wonder, what happened to all the dive bars?