DRINK

Dos Gatos

Downtown

Just like their Jacksonville location, Dos Gatos is a journey back to LA in the 1990s. It revels in the tattoo art of the Ed Hardy era, while providing cocktails that are free-poured and a decent selection of liquor choices.

Menu Highlights: Their craft cocktails are top-notch and unique. You can get a classic here, but I recommend perusing their specialty cocktails. Get something with jalapeno in it.

Insider Tip: Scarlett O’Hara’s next door used to be a terrible place with mean people and bad food, but the Dos Gatos owners took that place over too, so it has completely turned around. Order some wings from Scarletts and enjoy them at Dos Gatos if you need to sober up a little.

Dunes Cracker House

St. Augustine Beach

Dunes has the cheapest stiff drinks at the beach and a decent menu that they serve until 10pm. After 10pm, all the retirees clear out, and it turns into a college dance party. Sometimes they do free drinks from 11pm until 12am. Sometimes they have drinking games. The music will be too loud once the DJ starts. You will get black-out drunk.

Insider Tips: Pay cash. They have a reputation for double-charging credit cards.

Ice Plant Bar

Lincolnville

Hands-down the best cocktails in St. Augustine. The guys that purchased and restored this turn-of-the-century ice plant into Ice Plant Bar and Restaurant and the St. Augustine Distillery created the model for what is possible in both building restoration and local business rejuvenation. The location is beautiful. The restoration of this building was done completely by the owners, who are all St. Augustine locals. They traveled all over the country to find era-appropriate elements for the restoration.

Menu Highlights: Cocktails are their thing. They make their own sodas and shrubs. They may be the only bar with a real ice program in the state. They shape each cube specifically for the cocktail. Their selection of fine liquors is unparalleled. (But when it comes to food, their menu is also top-notch. Try the Devils on Horseback–dates wrapped in bacon. The house-made ketchup served on the hamburger is like icing on the icing.)

Insider Tips: Ask for a whisky flight any night. Tuesdays are the night for cheap cocktails. And they have a late night happy hour from 11-2.

The Legion

Downtown

This place is a little creepy, but it has some of the cheapest drinks in town in a historic building.

Insider Tip: When you’re doing the St. Augustine pub stumble, get drunk at the Legion first. The White Lion and No Name will be more tolerable this way.

Mojos Old City BBQ

Downtown

Before Ice Plant opened, Mojos had the best whisky selection in St. Augustine. To be honest, as a local, it was a little embarrassing to tell visitors that the best local whisky bar was a barbecue place from Jacksonville, but that was in fact the case. It is still the best local barbecue place.

Insider Tips: The food and drinks are great (only place in town that serves a Pimm’s Cup). The live music is usually obnoxious. Welcome to St. Augustine.

St. George Tavern

Downtown

This is a regular St. Augustine institution in the heart of Downtown. Don’t come here for a craft cocktail. Don’t ask for anything “small batch.” This is where you get a cheap, stiff drink and leave with your clothes smelling like cigarettes. That is the way a bar is supposed to be.

Insider Tips: It seems unthinkable, but locals love the food they serve at the tavern during the day. Some say they have the best burger in town. I wouldn’t know, I never get there before dark.

Tradewinds

Downtown

When someone comes to town to visit, Tradewinds is the first place I will take them. Not because there is a great dish or drink, but because it is the quintessential southern culture on the skids experience.

Insider Tip: Go here to watch the drunk people dancing on the stage to the right of the terrible live music on stage. Bikers welcome.