CJ's Tavern

I've driven past this shady-looking dive bar for years.  I mean years!  I had always wondered, "Who the hell would go into a place that looks like that?"  Well, me and La Chica were feeling frisky last night, so apparently I'm the kind of person who go to a place like CJ's.

The place is small!  The bar dominates the interior, but there is enough room for a pool table, a few arcade-type games and a couple of dartboards.  We went up to the bar and were promptly greeted by the bartender.  We ordered some beers and hit the pool table, which was available as Joda D's review suggested it would be.  After pool, we returned to the bar for some Mega Touch and more beer.  I asked the bartender if she had any hefeweissen beers and she brought me a damn Franziskaner.  Really?  A Franziskaner at this dive bar?  GTFO.  Not many people carry this beer, so imagine my surprise when she handed it to me.  Folks, if you like the wheat beers (weissbier), then I higly recommend this one!  It had been almost a year since I found a place that serves it (until last night), so I drank two!

"Don't judge a book by it's cover," I guess.  Everyone was friendly and the place was very comfortable.

CJ's is located on the south side of Linebaugh Ave between North Boulevard and Armenia Ave.  You'll find it amidst residential homes, very small businesses, churches AND ALMOST within sight of Chamberlain High, Adams Middle AND Forrest Hills Elementary.  It's a pretty rare occurrence in Tampa for a bar to even think about a location like CJ's.  It's really no surprise that all the patrons seem to live "next door", "across the street", "'round the corner" or "up the road".      

CJ's Tavern has literally been around forever... At least as long as my 27 year-old memories go back it's been around.   There's a sign out front that usually advertises the going rate of their wings... by the wing.  Since I grew up a few blocks away, I can sort of gage time by memories of driving by the sign and remembering how much a wing costs.  I can distinctly remember when the going rate was $0.27 a wing.

The inside of CJ's is small and unadorned with unfinished plywood walls and concrete floors.  But the (one) pool table always seems to be available, the bathroom is very clean and they usually have a pretty decent southern rock band on Saturday nights.  CJ's is defiantly not a Hot Spot as much as a Safe/Convenient/Cheap Spot to spend a few hours with a small group.

If you want excitement - if you want Jagerbombs - if you want to shake your booty to the top twenty hits - go pay the cover at Whiskey Park North.  Otherwise have a wing at CJ's.