This place is always a solid fun time! I agree that of the people in Jacksonville, they have the most attractive crowd I have seen, which also attracts some creepy guys. I guess most guys think this is a bar to hook up with people. This place is very crowded, has long lines and gross bathrooms, but it is a very fun atmosephere and just enough room to awkwardly dance against a juke box. I like the music they play, I like that the bar is in the middle so you always have an exit to avoid people, and they have great drink choices. It can take a while to get a drink though, and the bouncers are anal about people sitting on the window sills and blocking walkways. But other than that, its a place to have fun, get crazy, and dance a little.
Review Source:A strange corner of Jax beach. I can say that the price is definitely right here. They have a large draft selection, and seem to put out reasonably tasty mixed drinks. Low and behold, they even mix up a decent bloody mary.
Here are a few take aways from the couple of times I've been to the Ritz. First, if you stop by you will leave smelling like the Ritz. It does not matter how long you are here, it's just going to happen. Which brings me to my second point: people smoke here. Not just casually, but pretty heavily all day. On the upside, they have an enormous bar. It takes up probably a third of the square footage of the bar, so you should never have any trouble getting a drink.
The crowd is more local than some other spots. There are quite a few old barflies here during the day posted up on their stools. What a great place to watch old people hook up. At night I understand it gets a little louder and definitely younger.
The charm is the divey-ness. Music is just on the trashy side of normal, but it fits. Decor is minimal and smoke stained and the crowd is here to party. Don't forget to tip your ratchet DJ, because apparently he has a tip jar.
Oh, the Ritz. Like most people at the beach, I have a love/hate relationship with this place. It's slogan "A Great Place to Meet" may very well be true because you'll usually find it overwhelmingly packed on Friday and Saturday nights. Still, a large percentage of the clientele is obnoxious and overserved on these nights. I generally steer clear unless its a special occasion.
However, for Happy Hour or to watch football on a Sunday afternoon, the Ritz is actually a great bar. Barstools that are hidden away on busy nights are repositioned around the huge, central bar, TVs all around, three pool tables as well as foosball are available for enjoyment. It's really a completely different vibe.
The service is usually efficient even on the crazy, busy nights, and I actually love a few of the bartenders. All in all, I'd say the Ritz is a little overrated as far as beach bars go, but it's still "a pretty good place to meet." :)
This is where all the beautiful people in JAX beach go to hang out for a fun night. I rolled in here with my buddies Saturday and even at close to midnight there was a 10 minute waiting line out the door.
The place is very spacious and sits close to the beach. You can hang at the bar, dance it up or chill in their patio area. It was a good mix of everything at a bar --- people were dancing, dudes were hitting on all the women, TVs were all over the place to catch up on sports and they have pool tables and a foosball center (really? foosball?). Obviously with a line out the door this place gets really packed and for good reason. For me it was as simple as standing around sipping on a beer people watching while chatting it up with the fellas. The place appeared to have a lot of young professionals although I felt like I was in college again. For a really busy place they do a great job of keeping their restroom clean. It does stink that they let people smoke inside although your clothes won't reek of smoke like other places.
Of all the bars I've been to this weekend I'll be sure to come back when I'm in town again. Now if I can only leave there without whiplash next time I visit.
Definitely not a bad place to hang out at all. Â Everyone here is beautiful... literally. Â They always have good drinks, although when it's busy it could take a while to get one. Â
On a side note, I know they're notorious for tossing people out, both guys and girls. Â And this can be for absolutely no reason at all.
Also, it seems like they always have music going, yet nobody dances; just a lot of standing around in groups, but like I said, not a bad place to go!
FREE entry and you get to relive your college years. Yes, you are surrounded by them, it's like an unofficial frat party. Â Crowd is diverse and mainly in their low-to-mid-20's and 30's. Music is top 40, hip hop, and of course a sprinkling of the standard 3 or 4 80's songs you hear all over Jacksonville whether or not it is 80's night, including Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (Yes, that song followed us into every single place we went to that night!)
They have a little patio area where you can smoke outside and if you're lucky, grab a table to chillax. There's a bar in the middle of the place, but plenty of room to dance and it was pretty packed but you could still move your arms, so that was a plus.
For the free entry, I'd definitely come back.
I feel that some of the previous yelpers missed the boat on this one. Ritz is a watering hole I frequent often, but make no mistake there are issues with this spot.
I will start with the positives.
The drink prices are very good, especially if you show up during the week for an afternoon drink.
The bar is large enough to find room to order even on the busiest weekend, though this should never be a problem. (Who are these people that hover at the bar? They already ordered. Move along chump.)
The bar tenders are awesome.
There tends to be a good amount of pretty people that show up.
On to a couple of the negatives.
There tends to be a good amount of pretty people that show up. (Some absolute douche bags hang out here)
The music might be the worst part about the place. (If I hear that freakin' Journey song one more time I will explode. Guess what? I have, in fact, 'stopped believing'. )
Nobody dances. (My theory on the popularity of this place is based on the assumption that most guys can't or won't dance. Maybe that's why they are glued to those bar seats.)
Great drink prices!
Great bar tenders!
Great ambiance!
Great Location!
Who could ask for anything more!
They have great drink specials every night of the week, there are TVs for sports or entertainment. Â There is usually a DJ, but they do have a pretty awesome jukebox. Â They have pool tables and Foosball. Â They have the nicest and cleanest men's room I have ever seen in a bar.
The place gets crowded later at night, and there is almost always a high percentage of beautiful people here.
The only way to improve this place would be for them to offer some kind of bar-faire snacks, but if they did that, I'd move in. Â They do have a pretty awesome food-trailer vendor that pulls up outside around 10 pm most nights, and their food is pretty good!
My son is active duty military, he and 4 of his shipmates went to this bar. One of the guys ordered a drink, it was $5.00. He pulled $5.00 out of his wallet. The bartender rudely plopped a tip jar in front of him. He ignored it, next thing he had bouncers escort him out. My son yelled to the other shipmates "Let's go..." and out the door they went. My son went up to the bouncers, hands in the air in a somewhat surrender position and asked politely why their shipmate had been tossed. They explained the bartender wanted him out because he didn't tip. The kid didn't even get a sip of his drink, he wasn't refunded his $5 and he was tossed out like yesterday's news.
I'm sorry a tip is given for services received and pouring one drink then having a tip jar slammed on the bar in front of you... that doesn't get a tip in my book. The bouncers were polite to my son in answering his question as to what happened but I think it is stupid they toss someone out for not decorating the mahogany quick enough! Everyone beware of this joint... it sounds like a rip off joint if ever there was one!
If you get treatment like this, hit them where it hurts, their pocketbooks! Stay clear and the only ones being tossed out will be them on the street when they start losing clientele! Â I answered not sure on almost all of the questions for the simple fact that my son & his friends weren't there long enough to find out anything about the place.
The Ritz is the one of the most reliable good times in Jacksonville Beach, and actually a great barometer of how the area as a whole is doing on any particular night. Â If Ritz is dead, all of Jax Beach is dead, and you might as well move on.
I think their secret is pretty simple: strong drinks at good prices and lowest common denominator decor and entertainment. Â That last bit isn't really a put down either--there's an art to being "something for everybody" and these guys have it down.
Sure, you'll have to to witness some embarrassing scenes and a fight or two will break out. Â But hey, its large numbers of drunk people in one place, what do you expect? Â Its all a good time, if you're looking for that kind of party, and if you're not, get out of Jax Beach for the evening.
I think the key recommendation though is that "even the Ritz is dead tonight" is a cliche in the area for a totally dead night. Â Whatever else it may be, its a reliable party and a must try at least once.
The Ritz, what can one say??? Â I remember it from days of old when it was run down and sad. Â Even after I turned 21 my parents wouldn't allow me to go there and I never did. Â Scary.....
Now, that has all changed. Â It seems to be the happening place at the beach on the weekends. Â I tried to go on St. Patricks Night but the line was around the parking lot. Â FORGET IT!! Â I don't need green beer that bad! Â If you go during the week and for happy hour it is a more relaxed crowd, easy to get an inexpensive drink and nice to us older folks who will be gone shortly anyway cause we get up and go to work the next morning. Â
The happy hour prices are amazing and I am surprised they don't bring in more business. Â Maybe I was just there on the wrong (or right!) day. Â The have completely remodeled it from days of yore and the woodwork is beautiful. Â I am so happy to see a Beaches Icon come back into grand style.
Like the other reviews reference, this is the adult 'frat' party at the beach. It was fun when I was in my young 20s, but now it's just packed to the max and not my cup o' tea. They do play some good music, but being packed like a sardine and taking forever to get a drink - even though they're good - is not worth it to me.
If you're not here on a Friday or Saturday, you might have a pretty decent time. Avoid the popular nights if you can.
Depends on yer needs I guess. Â If you want a big, $3, "I don't care it's just to get drunk" drink and lil college girls running around, then hit up the Ritz. Â It's always packed and personally, I've had a good time there. Â Not the ideal spot for a sophisticated night on the town, but it's the beach. Â It's like a frat party there.
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