SFG Neighborhood Guide

Downtown Tampa Dive Bar Guide

Tampa, Florida

The Hub And An Array of Downtown Options

As with any major metropolitan area, downtown Tampa does not lack for options, and though the area isn’t quite as densely packed as far as urban centers go, there’s a lot of run-of-the-mill crap to wade through in search of a cheap meal or a good dive. I will admit that the itinerary below involves a little bit of backtracking for the sole purpose of ensuring that Tampa institute The Hub served as the crawl’s end destination, an absolute requirement given the uber-generous liquor pours that have made the Hub a dive bar institution.

Thankfully, Yoke White & Associates provides the perfect bookend to start the trip, an early hours-only food cart (not even a truck, really) stationed in one of Tampa’s downtown pedestrian parks. In between, a handful of bars, dives and breweries have been selected here to provide maximum authenticity with the least amount of extraneous walking (the horror).

And it must be said that though Tiny Tap Tavern is a bit too fair afield of downtown Tampa proper to include here, consider it an honorary mention or bonus selection that I cannot recommend highly enough as the capper to any trip, let alone a dive bar and brewery crawl through downtown Tampa. If The Hub doesn’t knock you out, Tiny Tap beckons.

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Downtown Tampa Dive Bars

Downtown Tampa Breweries & Non-Dives

Reviewed Downtown Tampa Dive Bars

SFG Rating

10

Downtown Tampa

Tiny Tap Tavern

Tampa, Florida

Because the linoleum could use another layer worn off.

SFG Rating

9

Downtown Tampa

The Hub

Tampa, Florida

Where 2 for 1 drinks refers to liquor content, not pricing.

SFG Rating

7

Downtown Tampa

Anchor Bar

Tampa, Florida

Sometimes one room is enough.

Other Recommended Downtown Tampa Bars & Breweries

Not every drink has to be a divey one, we suppose. Other great bar and brewery options are listed below to round out your travels in slightly more sophisticated surroundings.

Retreat

123 S Hyde Park Ave

(813) 254-2014

retreattampa.com

Across the river and dangerously close to overly-posh Oxford Exchange (a building as if a bookstore and a Nordstrom’s had a baby), Retreat features one of the great bar murals in Tampa, a collection of stylized drinkers opposite the bar. Originally opened in 1938, Retreat is now on its second iteration, thankfully with original mural both celebrated and intact.

Hattricks

107 S Franklin St

(813) 225-4288

hattrickstavern.com

Shocker, Hattricks is a sports bar, but Tampa’s best to be sure, a tribute to hockey housed in a building that feels as if it might predate the city’s team. There are jerseys and banners and ubiquitous televisions throughout, of course, but this is a sports bar that feels authentic to the city rather than a copy of the local BW3.

Yeoman's

202 N Morgan St

(813) 224-9367

yeomanstopgolfswingsuite.com

Yeoman's has seen an interesting evolution over its life in downtown Tampa with roots as an old-school British tavern that have now grown to include a partnership with the TopGolf Swing Suite just behind the main bar. When the weather cooperates, Yeoman's transforms into a vibrant, open air beer garden of sorts that serves as an entree to gamified golf.

Magnanimous Brewing

1420 N Florida Ave

(813) 415-3671

magnanimousbrewing.com

Yeoman's has seen an interesting evolution over its life in downtown Tampa with roots as an old-school British tavern that have now grown to include a partnership with the TopGolf Swing Suite just behind the main bar. When the weather cooperates, Yeoman's transforms into a vibrant, open air beer garden of sorts that serves as an entree to gamified golf.

Hidden Springs Ale Works

1631 N Franklin St

(813) 226-2739

hiddenspringsaleworks.com

Though Cigar City may be the more widely known Tampa brewery, Hidden Springs is in the running for local favorite. The beer menu is typically extensive, owing to the on-site brewery on the other side of the taproom wall. Though Hidden Springs features an extensive selection of sours, this is a full-spectrum brewery with a logo that features a stork in a top hat as icing on the cake.

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What did we miss? Where should we go? We'd love to hear your ideas, your favorite spots, your profound disappointments and anything in between.


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