St. Augustine Round-up Pt 4: Bars & Breweries

St. Augustine has a jumping bar scene, and on any night of the week you can find free live music.

This is the last post in a series of four that outline the restaurants and bars I’ve visited over the past months. The posts will be organized by Latino, Caribbean, and Spanish dining; casual dining; casual upscale dining; and bars and breweries. I will continue to return to these posts and update them as I visit more places – there are many many more to be savored! And, I’d love if you left any recommendations you might have in the comments section.

Everyone knows A1A Aleworks. I would highly recommend their beer tasting, which offers a sample of all six of their brews (from left to right): King Street Light Lager, Porpoise Point Pale Ale, Bridge of Lions Brown Ale, Red Brick Ale, Strange Stout, and the seasonal summer ale. My favorite is the Red Brick ale.

The food is not as stellar as the beer, but people dine here all hours of day and night. I tried a fish special that was drowning in cornbread stuffing and a crab cream sauce, and the crab didn’t taste as fresh as I would have liked.

I most enjoyed the fried mac n cheese bites that came with it – boy, you know you’re in America when this is on the menu!

Phil’s crab BLT was nothing spectacular, and again, the crab was a bit too fishy. Go for the beer, the crowd, and the views over the Bridge of Lions. http://www.a1aaleworks.com/ 1 King St, St Augustine, FL 32084 (904) 829-2977 Tini Martini Bar has an excellent menu of specialty martinis. They’re pricey, but just one will really get you going. The bar is located in an impressive building with impressive views. Sit outside on the front porch on a breezy night. http://www.casablancainn.com/martini.html 24 Avenida Menendez, St Augustine, FL 32084 (904) 829-0928

There’s always an interesting local crowd at the Milltop Tavern, and every time I’ve been there a bluegrass band has been playing. The bar is on the top floor of historic building, nestled among the branches of a sprawling old tree and seating is on the open-air decks. They have bar food. Go for at least one drink! http://www.milltop.com/ 19 1/2 Saint George St, St Augustine, FL 32084 (904) 829-2329

Rendezvous has one of the best beer selections in St. Augustine. I was excited to find Chimay, Le Fin du Monde, Coopers Sparkling & Vintage, and many other favorites. Live music most nights. 106 Saint George St # H, St Augustine, FL 32084 (904) 824-1090

The British Pub at the beach really does feel like a proper British pub, with foosball tables and a display case of trophies won in dart-throwing competitions. Good selection of draft beers (Guinness, Newcastle, Yuengling, among others) and British pub snacks. http://www.thebritishpub.net/ 213 Anastasia Blvd, St Augustine, FL 32080 (904) 810-5111

Cellar 6 feels out of place in historic St. Augustine – in a good way. It has an urban feel and extremely impressive by-the-glass wine options, such as the excellent Tempranillo-Grenache blend from Spain and Argentine Malbec I tried on a recent visit. Menu includes salads, wraps, paninis, and seafood-based appetizers. On quaint Aviles Street. http://www.cellar6.net/Welcome.html 6 Aviles St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084 (904) 827-9055

McLean’s friendly owner from the North of England will chat you up and enthusiastically recommend a brew and a meal. He introduced us to a Jacksonville micro brew similar to Newcastle brown and let us sample fried oreos. (! they were good!). Menu includes typical British pub food, like fish n chips, shepherd’s pie, and bangers n mash (the sausages are made specially for him by a British butcher). Nothing on the menu is over $15. Cathedral Place, St. Augustine, FL 32084

Stogie’s Jazz Club & Listening Room offers soothing live jazz every night, a spacious outdoor deck, and lots and lots of wines and ports and liquors and beers by the bottle and on tap. As the name suggests, you can smoke cigars inside. One of my favorites. http://www.stogiesjazz.com/ 36 Charlotte St, St Augustine, FL 32084 (904) 826-4008