Jacksonville Dive Bar Guide

Look For The Mermaid Ghost

Jacksonville is the Florida city that seems to fly just under the radar, a growing beach-adjacent urban area that doesn’t seem to get quite the coverage its neighboring cities generate. But as with any somewhat overlooked city, conditions are usually ripe for a stalwart collection of dive bars and Jacksonville certainly fits that bill.

The center of gravity for Jacksonville’s best dive bars is the beachfront strip east of downtown along the Atlantic Ocean, stretching from Neptune Beach southward. A pair of the area’s best dive bars live here, Pete’s Bar in all of its 1933 Neptune Beach whitewashed glory and Ginger’s Place, the unmissable home to the ghost of its past owner who rose to prominence as a mermaid, yes, mermaid.

And there are other stops to be made, including that rarest of phenomenon, a “new” dive bar worth visiting. In this case, Shantytown Pub’s post-2000 opening date can’t be held against the Jacksonville dive bar, its murals, wall decorations and budget-friendly pours fitting the dive bar bill. These and other dive bars around the city sit just under the surface, just as Jacksonville somewhat does in Florida, a pairing that yields some good dive bar results.

Dive Bar Map

Jacksonville Dive Bar Reviews

Ranked Order

Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Pete's Bar

Review Rating: 9 out of 10
Opened in 1933, Pete's Bar is the whitewashed king of Neptune Beach and a must visit.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Ginger's Place

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
If you need convincing to visit a dive bar haunted by a mermaid, you're on the wrong site.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Shantytown Pub

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
Not all dive bars have to be 1940s classics, case in point Shantytown Pub's paint and mural explosion.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Harbor Tavern

Review Rating: 7 out of 10
Florida overpasses aren't good for too many things, but shelter for dive bars is one worthy purpose.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

The Jug Saloon

Review Rating: 7 out of 10
Biker hangout, garage, dive bar, makeshift collection of furniture, all describe the Jug Saloon.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Bull Tavern

Review Rating: 7 out of 10
Sample a slice of a classic Southern dive bar in the urban heart of Jacksonville.

Jacksonville Bar Crawls

Bier Stube - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Jacksonville Beaches

East of Jacksonville, a string of dives, food trucks and cheap eats borders the Atlantic Ocean.

Jacksonville Dive Bars Not Yet Reviewed

Must Visit Recommendations

Unfortunately, we have not yet been to every single dive bar in the city, but there probably a few more punch cards on our livers, so we’ll make it there soon. In the meantime, the curated list of dives below comes highly recommended by a variety of friends, online sources and drunks.

Atlantic Beach

Fly's Tie

177 Sailfish Dr E
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
Google Map

Other Dive Bar Options

Bald Eagle Pub

5398 Timuquana Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32210
Google Map

Barking Spider Pub

10092 San Jose Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32257
Google Map

Broken Spoke

1529 University Blvd N
Jacksonville, FL 32211
Google Map

Locals'

1216 Kings Ave
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Google Map

McB's Lounge

6217 St Augustine Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32217
Google Map

Park Place Lounge

931 King St
Jacksonville, FL 32204
Google Map

Rogue

927 King St
Jacksonville, FL 32204
Google Map

Scoreboard Sports Bar

6051 Merrill Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32277
Google Map

St. Nick's Lounge

3116 Atlantic Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Google Map

The Pour House

3325 Plymouth St
Jacksonville, FL 32205
Google Map

Tradewinds

955 Edgewood Ave S
Jacksonville, FL 32205
Google Map

Wall Street Lounge

1050 Park St
Jacksonville, FL 32204
Google Map

Wild Bill's Saloon

1746 Talleyrand Ave
Jacksonville, FL 32206
Google Map

What Did We Miss?

5 + 13 =

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