BARS THAT WERE.....THE GRAVEYARD!

Im having fun going down memory lane!!!

This page is dedicated to all the Bars and Nightclubs that are no longer with us.


If you are looking for a place to party in Tampa Bay and you know you have been there before but you don't see it listed on the main Bars and Clubs page, chances are it will be listed here in the Bar Grave Yard.

Annex

In Tampa on Kennedy Blvd. Died in 1997. If you liked The Annex, you will like Metropolis.



Angel's

In Tampa on South Dale Mabry. Died in July 1998.

Backstreet Mall

In St. Pete on Fifth St N. Died in the eighties. Backstreet Mall once, Brothers is no longer.



Bedrox

In Treasure Island on Gulf Blvd. Died in the 1997. Bedrox was one of a kind - the only Bar and restaurant in Tampa Bay right on the beach. If you are over on the beach, check out The Backroom Bar.



Bridge Club

In Tampa on Hillsborough. Died several years ago. Bridge Club was the only after hours bottle club in the area.



Brothers

In St. Pete on Fifth Street. Died a long time ago. It was Backstreet Mall after Brothers. Today, Grand Central Station is in the same general neighborhood.



Carousel

In Tampa on Platt. Died a few years ago. The Carousel was a sleazy stripper/cruise bar (the best kind).



Chaps

Chaps was a Country Western bar originally in Pinellas Park on 49th Street (I think it used to be a straight club called 49th Street Mining Company) then moved to Gandy Blvd by the dog track.



Club, The

On Central Ave in St. Pete. Died in the Eighties. Downtown St. Pete currently has one club called Grand Central.



Copa

The Copa was where Chaps (by the dog track) was. The Copa was well known for it's Sunday T Dance. It turned into The Saint, then Bender's and it's now called Club DeNile.



Cove, The

In Tampa on Henderson. Died a few years ago. The Cove changed owners and was then The Wet Spot. Later, it became The Jungle, complete with a big tree behind the bar. In the same building today is City Side. The big tree is now gone.



Dallape's

In Dunedin on Main St. Died several years ago. Dallape's is now 1470 West with new owners and a new look.



El Goya/Tracks

In Tampa's Ybor City on Seventh Ave. Died in the early eighties.



Engine Room, The

In downtown St. Pete. Died many years ago. We are dating ourselves now! Downtown St. Pete currently has one club on Central Ave. called Grand Central.



Flamingo

In downtown Clearwater. Died in the Eighties. Flamingo was a nice little bar and restaurant. There is currently nothing like it in Clearwater.



Flavour

In Ybor City. Died several years ago. Flavour was not around for long. To some, it was around longer than it should have been! It tried too hard to be everything, but not hard enough to be anything.



Golden Arrow, The

In St. Pete. Died late 2001. Was a regular hangout for the over 30 crowd with significant bias towards leather. A bear watering hole, the Arrow was a fun place to hang out, play pool, play darts and meet men. The bar and the infamous play house behind the bar were bull-dozed and removed.



Impulse

In Tampa on S. Nebraska. Later, it became the Tampa Eagle, and then Rain.



Jack's 809

On Pass-a-grille. Was around in the late sixties. The Hurricane (well-known by straight tourists) currently stands in it's place.





Sue remembers:



"[It] had an outside bar open during the days in the summer and on the weekends all year round. Small, intimate club with small light-up dance floor, A place where everybody knew everybody else

-like a neighborhood club. My first gay bar and real "coming out" right after college. I ended up working in the outside bar on weekends there '71-72. A warm and friendly place that really contributed to a positive coming out for me. I really miss that intimacy and friendliness!"



Lighted Tree, The

In Pass A Grille Beach. Died several years ago. This was one of the best beach bars ever. I was a fixture there every Sunday. Although there is currently nothing like it, check out The Backroom Bar in Madeira Beach.



Mangos

In Clearwater on US 19. Died in 1997. This space is currently vacant. The closest thing to Mangos in existence is The Pro Shop.



Marilyn's

In St. Pete. on 4th Street North. Died several years ago. In its place now is The Hideaway (formerly Hank's Hideaway).



Mariposa

In Redington Beach. Died in '97. This place wasn't around very long and I'm not quite sure what happened to it. It was Fort Knox and now is again.



Moody's

In Tampa on Moody (first) then combined with Baxter's on S. Dale Mabry. Died several years ago. Moody's was a restaurant and bar. Currently, the closest thing Tampa has conceptually is Tropics.



New Connection, The

In St. Pete on 31st Street behind the post office. Georgie's Alibi, who gutted, disinfected, and remodeled the building is now in it's place.



Northside Lounge

In Tampa on N Florida. Died in 1998. Northside Lounge is now called Joey's.



Oasis

In Tampa on Dale Mabry. Died in 1997. Oasis was a bar for the ladies. Check out Sahara, Cherokee Club, The Hideaway, or The Sportspage Pub.



Old Plantation (The OP)

In Tampa on Kennedy. Died in the Eighties. This was my first gay bar - and it was for a lot of people. It changed hands and names to Village Station in the Eighties. Neither exist today.



Paradise

In North Tampa on Nebraska. Died a few years ago. No longer in existence. Check out Keith's in the same neighborhood.



Parthenon

In Downtown Tampa. Died several years ago.



Puzzles

In Gulfport on Gulfport Blvd. Died several years ago. It is now called Sharp A's.



Rainbow

In St. Pete. on Gandy and then on US 19. Died several years ago. Rainbow was a club for womyn. Womyn now go to The Hideaway and Sportspage Pub.



Rascals

In Tampa. Died in '99.



Red Zone, The

In Downtown Tampa. Died several years ago. Well known for its Sunday T.



Rene's

In Tampa on Kennedy. Died many years ago. This was once Tampa's premier Drag Queen Club which featured an outdoor swimming pool. There is nothing like it today anywhere!



Sherwood/Wedgewood, The

In downtown St. Pete. on Beach Drive. Died many years ago. A reader who remembers The Sherwood fondly writes:



"The Sherwood was downtown St. Petersburg on Beach Drive, across the street from the St. Pete Yacht Club.



Very popular in the 70's and early 80's. Many LTR got their start there. It was owned by two successive straight couples, Mary and Joe. Then Ed and Sharon and Sharon's parents. Nice people.



The bar clientele was mostly upscale, well-behaved and nicely dressed. It was no dive. The decor was campy Sherwood Forest murals and heavy velvet drapery. It had been a restaurant - "attached" via dumbwaiter to a straight restaurant, 10 Beach Drive, next door.



David Wood, a large and jolly person was a very popular pianist at The Sherwood. He was later killed in an auto crash near Sebring, FL. His death began the demise of the institution. He was wildly popular both as a musician and bringer-together-of-people.



Many older people from out of town always remember The Sherwood and many probably still wonder what ever happened to it. It was a gentleman's bar and, sadly, it's gone. There will probably never be another like it."



Another reader fondly remembers the Wedgewood:



"The Wedgewood was also an old motel. It had a large, glassed in dance floor, and a stream going through the property. One night they found an alligator in the yard! Wedgewood's was where I was taught how to dance the tango. . . all of the upscale dance teachers went there. Of course this was in 1977 (don't tell anybody, Please! I am dating myself!) But it was an exceptionally nice bar. With the piano lounge separated by a large space to the dance floor, it was an excellent place to have come out right out of high school for me! Oh, for the old days!"



Another reader remembers:



": . . .the Wedgewood was where I met my first Love (it may have been a mistake and I do regret the nude pictures) but I could tell you about some of the best times in the world."



Side Trax

In Clearwater on Gulf to Bay Blvd. Died several years ago. This was a video/stripper bar.



Silks

In Downtown Clearwater. Died several years ago. No longer there, but The Pro Shop still is!



Solar

In Downtown Tampa. Died in 1997. Solar was a fun place to dance in Tampa.



Stuffed Pepper, The

In Downtown St. Pete. Died several many years ago. It was then D.T's. It's now called Grand Central..



Triangles

In Clearwater on Roosevelt. Died several years ago. It was then Lost and Found, then Lost Boys..



Turtle Club

In Clearwater by the Airport. This was a straight club that was gay on Sundays and then on Tuesdays. It was bull-dozed and removed.



Wet Spot

In Tampa on Henderson. Died in 1997. It then became The Jungle (with the big tree). In the same building today is City Side, which is nothing like the Wet Spot was.



V.I.P.

In Treasure Island. Died in 1997. This was a combination Mexican Restaurant/gay bar. We really don't have anything quite like it today. On the beaches, check out The Backroom Bar.