The first time I went to Tobacco Road was a bust. I remember sitting in the very-hot upstairs area, listening to a band with audio problems, and generally not enjoying it. So, I didn't review it. I mean, this was a well-loved place, and deserved a second opinion right?
I returned for the first time in a long time yesterday, for their Corona "Find Your Beach" sponsored event, Waterloo. What a bizarre experience.
I settled into a seat inside for some beer and food. The layout is quite narrow, so if you're there on a crowded day, even your own table won't prevent the sardines-in-a-can feeling. A person standing nearby spilled their beer, it landed in my cup. That's how close we all were. Behind me, a waiter tripped while holding a burger, then left half the food on the floor. He had a look that said "I hate my life right now".
In front of me, a lightbulb shattered over the head of a family, seemingly out of nowhere. Glass got in their food, but thankfully nobody was hurt. The waitress moved them, but for the next 30 minutes nobody did ANYTHING to clean up the glass. The table sat there, covered in it, as did the floor below. That seemed irresponsible to me, and as I watched the guy that was originally sitting at the table stand up to snap some photos of it on his phone, I guessed he was planning to complain about it.
Then my food arrived. The "loaded nachos" were simply laughable. Exactly 6 chips, with melted cheese, and some jalapenos. Please google "loaded nachos" for an idea of what I was expecting. Definitely not 6 tortilla chips. I snacked on my sister's order instead, which was actually not what she ordered at all, but whatever.
The atmosphere inside was stuffy as I remembered, very dive-y and dark. We finished the crap meal we were served, and went outside. The parking lot, which they had tried to convert to a beach for the event by bringing in tons of sand, was completely flooded in at least a foot of water. Now, it's not their fault it rained, but if you're the oldest bar in Miami... surely you have had some time to figure out that this happens when it rains for five minutes.
Bent on making lemonade out of this Corona event, several of us played with beach balls and ended up having a grand old time. The reggae band was very good, and the ambiance in the parking lot was much better than inside. I'd have given the event 3 stars, but this review is for the place. And the place, well, wasn't my cup of tea.
Came for an event, went inside for food beforehand. Service took forever, but that's okay because it was getting kinda packed.
While there, we saw a lightbulb break and land on a couple's food.
I didn't really care since it wasn't our food. I didn't like that the servers ignored us. My sister ordered the nacho chips. Her plate came with literally five chips. I ordered the CHILLI CHEESE FRIES, I *got* the loaded fries. But we'd already been waiting an hour for the food, and our server was nowhere to be seen... We didn't want to send it back.
All in all, won't be going back.
The only good thing about this place, in my opinion, is the happy hour. Otherwise, it's very crowded and difficult to get a drink. The few times I've been here, the bands have all been pretty terrible.
We ordered food once and it took a while. The beer is pricey for such a dive, but the location is excellent. I wouldn't valet your car here...they cram them in there pretty well.
Again, good for happy hour, not so much outside of that!
I would've gave this place 4 stars if it wasn't for this DICK bartender that is almost always there when I go that is always in a shitty mood and gives crappy service, he's this moderate sized white male with some stubble and dark hair. I've had some cool experiences here, seen some great music, enjoyed some awesome food and even got to see the original Mickey Munday (cocaine cowboy) here once. But I'll tell you what...it only takes one a-hole to ruin everything and make me not want to come back.
Review Source:I used to come here a lot when I lived here in Miami and I thought about the place often once I left this town. I used to meet co-workers here after 5 on Fridays during happy hour and once on a Saturday in August I met Gloria Estefan and her family here and we all danced and had a fun time. Now I am back in Miami and will definitely return but this time with my wife whom I am sure will love this hole-in-the wall as much as I do. P.S. try the jalopeño burger if they still offer it! Mmmm!
Review Source:Went to try their all you can eat barbecue last week. Our thought was wow can't  beat all you can eat at 11.99 wings, ribs, and pork sliders. Price great portions not so great.
The first plate was heaven a huge portion that included a corn on the cob, macaroni n cheese, and coleslaw. All were decent but the pork sliders were delicious.
When we were done with our first plate the waitress came and  got our plate and just walked away. I would think if they are going to advertise the all you can eat the least that they would do was ask if we would you like some more.
After getting her attention we asked her if we could order some more pork sliders and wings. We each got one pork slider n two wings in a side dinner plate.
I understand you want to be conservative but then why offer all you can eat.
Don't think I would be back for the barbecue but they did make a great patron margarita.
We also sat outside and in this Miami heat not a great option for a muggy humid night.
Stop the presses! There's a dive bar I actually like? Well, yes and no.
Yes: The place has history. In such a relatively young city that tends not to give a lot of credence to its past (at least with respect to architecture), it's nice to see that the old girl is still alive and kicking. And like most people of a certain age, she doesn't give a damn and says what she wants. It's to be expected. In any event, as a resident you owe it to yourself and the city to come to the 'Road and pay homage. Businesses come and go like traffic lights change from red to green. Buildings get abandoned like Kim Kardashian runs away from husbands without high Q ratings and credit scores. TR has avoided both of these fates. That's respect.
No: Valet. A dive bar has valet parking. Oh, Miami.
Yes: Beer. Don't come here expecting the latest in seasonal craft varietals (heck, don't go to a lot of Miami bars expecting that). But, paying attention to the walls around you and people bumping into you, expect cold, cheap beer and get it from the bottle. This ain't a 'pour it in a glass' type of spot. You want a draft? Sit by the window.
No: It sort of cracks me up to see people take umbrage with the food and cocktail selection here. Where do you think you are? With that said, I'll pass on the food offerings. I have it on good authority that the grub is pretty tasty but I don't come to dive bars to eat. I come because I want to hang with friends who like dive bars, drink cheap beer, give people side eyes, and refrain from sitting on anything that isn't metal or wood. Shocked that you can't order your favorite handmade 30-minute cocktail? [redacted because that's just not nice, mister] Come come, now.
Yes: The characters. Off-season Santa (awesome name, Glenn) is someone you need to meet. Whether you annoy him or stay below the radar, he's someone you need to know exist -- just like that pesky Virginia who kept bellyaching about meeting the man with the bag so she could get her presents on. Also -- something VERY cool about TR -- you really should take advantage of their music program. If you close your eyes and concentrate solely on the humidity and music, you might think you're in pre-Katrina New Orleans and that's a good thing.
No: (At times) The fratty crowd -- but I'm sure people say that about me. It's a melting pot. Blend in.
So, 3.5 but I rounded up. Longevity (especially, here) counts. It's like a pig with personality.
By the Numbers. Yelp Style.
97: The years Tobacco Road has been open serving as Miami's oldest bar, however it should be noted it has had different names through the years
90: Amount of time left before it closed for the night.
5: The amount of people that came with me to join in on the drinking festivities.
4: The amount of PBR's we each had.
2: The price of the PBR's. How can one say no that kind of cheap price?
1: The band playing on that night rocked it pretty good.
oo: Fan for life.
I suppose that is not infinity since I will pass one day and Tobacco Road will go on living.
Oldest liquor license in Miami... number 1 I believe...
I have seen dozens of shows here over time. Small bands, big bands, medium bands, dj's, solo acts, and alike...
It is a great place to hang out and drink, the food is typical bar food but definitely not terrible. Great for lunch if you work in the Brickell or down town area. There is an attached parking lot behind the bar.
I hear there are talks that they will knock this place down after the lease is up in three years... say it ain't so?
To start off, I've liked this place since I walked in 2 years ago, I really enjoy the look and yes it is a dive but its 100 years old and i dont expect much.
The service can be iffy, but I've been there on slow days and extremely busy days. The management is cool, Â the food is good, burgers, their wings are really good, and thats about all ive had. Also the cheese fries/chili cheese fries are good but i wish the cheese was sauce and not shredded cheddar cheese. Those are just preferences not a downside. The food is good never bad.
But im a fan I havent been lately but I used to go every week and watch monday night football with my boyfriend and his friends, spent my birthday there, and have also ate there with my firm for a wedding engagement. So i am a fan :)
This watering hole is "every man's bar"
Heard of Tobacco Road but never really thought to go out of my way to visit it; Â nor did it really register on my "To Do" agenda. Â I read an article recently that they only have a 2 year lease now and I never really understood why that was a big deal.
I happened to be in the Brickell area and friends say this is the place we are all going to hang; Â so of course I'm game.
First steps into the bar registers thoughts of "what a dump" followed by "I hope this place isn't filled with douche bags"; Â but it only takes a second or two to see how inaccurate those assumptions were. Â It's all about a good time with good peeps.
The bar is old, dumpy and grungy and yet it still has it going on. Â For me, the place is very reminiscent of the Purple Porpoise (RIP) from Gainesville (memories of some very good times).
The bar tender was huge and had a scruffy, unkempt beard (kinda like Santa Claus in the off-season). Â Though he also resembled a Hell's Angels biker, he was surprisingly nice and very funny. Â Some girl ordered a girly named drink off a specials board and he replied "tell me what's in it and I'll make it, otherwise I am very good at opening bottles of beer". Â She ended up with a beer.
The bar tender educated me on the bar's history... Â It was Al Capone's hangout and they own liquor license numero uno; Â that's number one for those non-espanol speaking yelpers. Â
Now I understand why that 2 year lease is such a big deal. Â I hope they work out a way to remain the landmark it is... in the meantime, I am glad I made it before they possibly disappear for ever.
I had been dying to go to this place for a looooong time and once I had the opportunity to do so I was not that thrilled To begin with, the night I went they had a teenage girl band perform outside... crickets. Seriously? Next to the stage they were handing free tequila shots... Am I cray or is something wrong with this picture...
DO NOT GO WHEN IT IS HOT & HUMID OUT. No, seriously. Don't. I love the feel of the place but it. was. so. hot. The great thing about this place was the ample space to dance and the great music. It's as if they were using my ipod and it was on shuffle...Not to say I have great music taste because I don't but they were songs you can shake yo butt too- my kind of stuff.
The service was decent and parking wasn't too bad. I'll say this: I'll be back when it's cooler outside & give it another shot.
OK....I know this place has it's history, but really? the 100 yr old bartender in the sweet crocs rocked the environment to its fullest outside. Of course only second to the dickish bartender inside, who you could tell really didn't want to work much less be alive made my visit soooo amazing. .thanks Tobacco Road for the amazing experience
Review Source:We came here on a Thursday night which apparently was college night. The inside bar was OK. It was when we went outside that I was surprised. There were a bunch of people playing beer pong and acting crazy. The DJ was ok but the people were extremely rowdy. Took a bathroom break and the girl in the stall next to me was puking in the stall. Absolutely disgusting...I mean what do you even say to that? We left shortly after...be prepared for a total dive bar! If you enjoy them, then you will like this place but I would say to avoid their Thursday night.
Review Source:1) Smells pretty bad.
2) Nachos consist of five chips. Really: FIVE chips--they are about the size of two Doritos each, so 10 Doritos-worth of chipage with chili, cheese, and a jalapeño on top for $7.95. What a rip.
3) I needed a little more food following aforementioned diet-portion nachos so I got a cup of chili. It's served in a skinny coffee shop plastic coffee cup with a packet of busted Sysco soda cracker shards. Chili was pretty good, just wasn't much of it.
In all, I felt ripped off and adding the fact that a couple bartenders openly and often complained about being at work, I think I'm  more than fair giving the place two stars.
I am not sure if I was always slightly inebriated when frequenting this establishment or it has been while since the last time I had been to this fine bar. Â However; when I attended a Happy Hour here last Friday, I was a little disappointed to find out that they raised their Happy Hour prices a bit. Â Not that I can't afford their $2 drinks as opposed to the previous $1 price. Â It was just like going home and seeing your Mother has turned your bedroom into a exercise room...it was just a shock.
With this being said, it is home and it will not stop me from enjoying a few libations after a long work week.
After the Yelp event "A Generous Pour" a bunch of Elites drug me over to Miami's oldest liquor-license owner... Tobacco Road. Â A bar. Â A pub. Â A house of ill repute.
All of these don't do it justice.
Firstly, we found what Santa Claus does in the off-season: he tends bar here. Â Not only did he get totally sassy with practically everyone he met, but he asked me where the Patron was.
That being said, I had a great time and will be back on a weekend or for Happy Hour. Â I expect my update review will score Tobacco Road another star or two.
Looooooove meeeeeeeeee some Tobacco Road.
Seriously. Honestly and truly. Cross my heart and hope to die.
Tobacco Road typifies the words "staple" and "mainstay."
Really and truly.
I first started frequenting this place during their 96th Anniversary celebration, and if the dive decor and pretty awesome patio area weren't enough to win me over, the then Happy Hour special was: that is, all drinks for ninety-six cents for ninety-six minutes.
It was like luring me into a van with candy.
And now, though the Happy Hour isn't quite the same, Tobacco Road still does well in offering a particular beer alongside a mixed drink for a ridiculously low price (each).
I really do think it's the best Happy Hour in town.
Show up on a Friday, and you'll usually find a DJ or live band (or both) entertaining thirsty yuppies outside, and if it's a bite to eat you require, Tobacco Road is often selling some small snack for a buck or two during Friday's Happy Hour also.
And all I've talked about thus far is Happy Hour!
Outside of the post-work rush, Tobacco Road is far and away a respectable bar/restaurant. In fact, respectable is an understatement. RESPLENDENT.
How 'bout 'dem apples???
The kitchen is top notch. Now, I'm not talking five-star-restaurant "top notch;" I'm talking dive-bar-with-character "top notch." My dish of choice is the Mo 'Betta, which is a chicken Philly-type deal with cheese, mushrooms, and a mound of fries. And if you're in the mood for barbecue, just this past weekend I had an opportunity to try some, and I can tell you it's smoky and tender in all the ways that barbecue should be.
And if you don't want anything from the kitchen, you can often find a cavalcade of food trucks parked right outside, so really, there's always an assortment of delicious, fatty goodness just waiting to be traded for greenbacks.
I mean, there's a reason this place has been around for so long, and more and more, there are reasons why it'll be around long after you and I are gone.
Get your butt over there now. And look for me. I'll be the guy licking the walls like a character in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
Oh, Tobacco Road...you have a special place in my heart. The fact that this bar has stuck around for 100 years speaks for itself. Fun, grungy, down and dirty bar where I know I can get my drink on in exchange for chump change. My favorite nights are Wednesday, when ladies can get beer, wine, and margaritas for just $2 and Fridays, when all drinks are $2 for girls AND guys. It's a steal.
Despite its run-down appearance and lack of clean bathrooms, this bar has a great ambiance. Lots of young people show up for the great drink specials, live music, and occasional food trucks. Great way to kick off any weekend, take it from me.
80/20 hit or miss... I'd bet on that!
Stop by tobacco road for drinks, live music and shoulder on shoulder action. Somehow even though it is in a quite upscale area, it maintains the integrity of a rough, live music playing, rock and rolling out establishment.
Drink and rock and roll...tobacco road.
Not impressed. Beer selection is abysmal, 100 year ild food smell is all over the place, and there's no better way to describe the staff other than: they suck.
But then again, I enjoy my time here, and that's whats important. The crowd is a lot nicer and my friends love chugging along the perfectly ridiculous music selection.
Two opposites make for an average rating.
Theres 2 types of people, those who dig this place and those who don't...i'm of the latter.
-I've been here 2 times, once for drinks, once for lunch.
-I realize this is the oldest bar in Miami... but I've also been to the oldest bar in Manhattan and it didn't have roaches trolling around on the tables.
-They have lame beer selection and I wasn't overly impressed with their liquor selection either.
-The food was OK... but I'll never eat here again after seeing the roach on my table.
-I dont have anything against dive bars...there's some I actually like, but I can't say I'll be coming back to this one any time soon.
Usually I hate the places that claim to be the best, or the oldest, or the first. Â But Tobacco Road fit my palate. Â
Let's get this out of the way... Per their website, they are the oldest bar in Miami. Â I think they're celebrating their 100 year anniversary this November. Â Whatev... don't care. Â Just pour me a drink already.
It's got a roadhouse feel, with a hot tattooed Asian bartender... at least the day I was here... I think her name was Laura. Â And I was playing hooky from work. Â They had Wi-Fi so I was online. Â Although this is not the place for a biz meeting. Â In fact, I felt like a douche for breaking out my laptop. Â But oh well. Â
Drinks were stiff. Â Plenty off booze choices. Â Service was in your face... but in the way that I like. Â You don't like it... tuff up buttercup.
As our longest-running bar, Tobacco Road is a piece of Miami heritage. This place has been around about a hundred years and is definitely a Miami fixture. The drinks are cheap and the food your standard bar fare for Miami, which of course includes local favorites like empanadas and conch fritters. Don't expect fancy drinks at this place - stick to basics because the bartenders look at you silly if you try to order something weird.
What is really wonderful about Tobacco Road is their event schedule. Thursday nights they sponsor a local kickball league with drink specials (go team Pink!) and they always have live music, DJs or some sort of wacky thing planned. Most recently it was the Tomatina Bash. A huge tomato fight with literally a ton of tomatoes... I am still washing remnants of that fight out of my car!
The service is getting a little rough around the edges and don't get me started about the attitude of the parking attendants, but Tobacco Road is Miami's dive bar and can be forgiven for a whole heck of a lot in my opinion.
What can you say about TR? It's a standard.
Their burgers are good, their smoker smells like heaven on Tuesday night, but I didn't order anything for second dinner. The drinks are standard and the DJ is usually pretty solid.
It's a dive, through and through, and a great place to end the night after an exhausting crawl of Brickell - namely because it's one of the few places open until 5 AM.
It's good - it's not GREAT - but if you're looking for a comfortable place to sit down with some old friends over beers, burgers and some cocktails - this place does the trick every time.
Lord knows I love this place, but customer service ain't exactly their strong suit.
I left my card here one night (my fault, I know), and called the next day to see when I could come pick it up. They promised to return my call - never did.
So I showed up there the following day. The waitress looked for my card, but apparently no managers were in yet, and she couldn't find it. She told me she remembered seeing a card matching that description the night before though. So, I left a note, asking them to PLEASE call me so I could determine whether to order a new card. Surprise, they never did.
Not cool. I know it was my fault I left the card, but the least they could do would be to call me back. Plus I know the card was there, so God knows what happened to it ...
They also routinely tack on a $50 authorization every time you use a debit card, and it hangs around for days. Rather annoying.
I recommend cash-only when you hit up T-Road, and don't expect a lot of TLC from staff. It's cheap, and fun - and that better be enough.
Something about this particular corner has always left me driving right past without stopping. Today, hubby said "we are coming here". Cool valet is a cheap $2, with really nice attendants. We walk straight into the outside patio area where we plopped at the bar. Oldest bar in Miami, I would say so.
They had huge fans outside which kept it so comfortable. Both bartender's were very friendly and knowledgeable. Every Wednesday they have a dinner special of all you can eat ribs for $10.99, cool deal. We just wanted a snack as we were going somewhere else afterwards. The friendly bartender told us they have daily dinner specials, including Tuesday lobster night.
We drank a couple of beer's and ordered some chicken nachos. They were so good we had to order another one. Chicken was diced up, good flavor with nice flaky thin tortilla chips that were fresh, loads of cheese and sour cream, with salsa on the side. The salsa was very good, oh and jalapenos too. Yummy delish!!
Very relaxing outside watching the dude's that come in wanting to score with a lady. It is a cool place that I am looking forward to coming back to. Dive bar that is very old, but cool. I like the fact that you can walk in basically with any type of outfit on and feel right at home. This is not the kind of place you come to all dolled up. Grab some short's and a tank and you are ready to fit right in.
See you soon!! Thanks hub's for making me check them out.
The quick and dirty guide to T-road in 700 words or less --
PARKING: dealing with the valet service is worse than a penectomy, more agonizing than going blind from gonorrhea, and almost as bad as finding your dad in bed with your ex-girlfriend...
The risks include --
Damage - with 5 extraordinarily observant valets saying, "you brought it like that."
Joyriding - check your miles cuz they'll drive it 'till the wheels fall off.
Theft - especially of sunglasses, comp passes to clubs, and spare change.
Undone Settings - radio station is on Power 96, your Navi is set to find the closest Wendy's, and your seat is in a position more suitable for a Lay-Z-Boy.
The benefits --
Dedicated Parking - you don't have to attempt to park your Hummer in a space meant for a Smart car. Your friends won't have to endanger their lives trying to cross the street to hold a spot for you while you make a U-turn. Spaces in Brickell are scarce, but there's no need to bang your head on the steering wheel in frustration; they have their own lot.
Delivery - with your AC on full blast.
Relief - from those pesky $1 bills.
Thanks but no thanks! I believe I've shown that the risks aren't worth the benefits. Drive right past the attendants and self-park. Just make sure you have $5 (+1 tip) in hand.
FOOD SPECIALS: there is a 2 drink minimum for the specials, but don't worry it's like the Florida law against sodomy; it's dirty but rarely enforced.
Daily Lunch Break: some random thing on their menu is $5, including fries and pop, from 11:30-2:30.
Monday Night: all you can eat wings for $12.
Tuesday Night: Maine Lobster with taters and slaw for $12.50.
Thursday Night: all you can eat ribs for $11.
DRINK SPECIALS: every Friday T-Road celebrates their birthday. Back in 2K8 they had 96¢ drinks...ANY and ALL DRINKS (including a BBQ ticket) for 96 minutes starting at 6pm. After I went there every Friday for 6 months straight with all of my friends, they started to notice their profits dwindling.
Now it's 99¢ for 99 minutes with select "premium" drinks going for $1.98. Every year it gets better and worse. It costs 1¢ more, but also adds a minute. That means that at my retirement party in 2044, drinks will cost $1.32 and will last 2 hours and 12 minutes. You're all invited.
LIVE MUSIC: outside, next to the band is the best place in Dade-County to catch a glimpse of the Endangered Miami Caucasian. Why? Their natural habitat is outside while listening to live music and Tobacco offers both. It can be any style (I've heard blues, rock and reggae) and it can be anywhere (upstairs, patio or outside).
Late-night at the front door there's usually someone's girlfriend or a part-time personal trainer charging $10 cover. I bypass the front and head for the hallway between them and Indochine. See the bouncer at the back door and say, "remember me? I went to put money in the meter." He'll pretend he didn't forget you and you'll pretend you're not stealing food out of the mouths of the touring musicians.
STAFF: The staff is very accommodating. They let me get away with just about anything...except for that one time I wanted to sacrifice a virgin during the Summer Solstice...they had to say something about that. I guess it was that county ordinance banning male nudity. One of the few times I've been drunk in my life, I started calling one of the servers "Me So Horny" because she has a vague resemblance to an actress in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket;
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DJEEWE7gcPw0&s=cfe460d87bb0372d9cce800c60728d4d8c70bd74c71e06c6e49dd70918668e2e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
Now I don't know if it was too loud, or if she was ignoring my blatantly offensive remarks, or  has a similar sounding name like, Mei-Seo Huan Ni, but she's just about the most flexible and compliant server ever. I celebrated my 30th birthday there, and we were so loud that (Tarpon Bend take some customer service notes) she opened the usually closed 2nd floor for us.
It's a dive and it isn't necessarily cheap (except during happy-hour) but I'm willing to bet you'll enjoy the oldest bar in Miami. Especially when you're there for 98 minutes en route to BBO aka Blackbird Ordinary.
Tobacco Road is starting to act it's age meaning it's getting grouchy and cranky and really that's not what I want from it.
I came here late night on Tuesday and the service was subpar. The fries were bad at best. Isn't it awful when fries are bad. I mean really? Crisp, hot, and seasoned; Not limp, lukewarm, and bland. And the honey mustard was pretty rough too. It took a long time to even get service initially so I guess I should have taken that as a sign.
I kind of love this place.
I didn't even know all about the institution/oldest bar in Miami angle, mostly from my hunger-related inability to focus on anything that wasn't directly printed on the menu. Â
But in retrospect, it makes sense that their brand of awesome is long-lasting and enduring. Â Service was friendly and unobtrusive and the burgers were delicious and cooked to our liking. Â Aside from the tasty eats, Tobacco Road serves up a great neighborhood atmosphere, with colorful locals, a chill vibe, and a jukebox that won't quit. Â
A staple for surviving the encroaching South Beachification of Miami.
On a lark, and frankly, mostly because I had some time to kill, I picked up a copy of the Townes Van Zandt documentary 'Be There To Love Me' at the Austin airport while I was killing time waiting to catch a flight. That may not seem like an important (or even a semi-relevant) fact just yet, but it is.
I'm lucky in that often when I get to visit new towns (no relation to the aforementioned) I often have a little time to kill. And I learned a little something about Miami last night, namely, that if you're staying downtown and the weather's waxing finicky (in this case, read rain), it's somewhat more difficult to grab a cab. Which is a bummer, cause sometimes what can be great fun is to book it to some place that's well vetted and try it on like a sweater or a rain slick..if for no other reason, than to grab hold of what makes (in this case Miami) locals tick.
I'm by no means an expert, but I took the local advice on Tobacco Road for a couple of beers, and it proved worth the trip. By now the popular particulars have been quite covered: the fact that it's the oldest bar in Miami (my cabbie said something like 1912), the Capone appearances of lore, and the framed issue of Details from the late 90s (complete with a framed and wall hung cover shot of Matt Damon who looked about sixteen), the place is dripping with history.
Interesting sidenote: the place is a low-slung shotgun setup of a joint, and there are a couple of support beams (that kind of look like ladders to nowhere) in the middle of the room. This would be interesting, kinda, but I found it more so by virtue of the fact that they placed the house band for the night in what appeared to be a former seating area beside the suports, so if you were sitting, say, at the bar...you'd have to peer between the rungs in order to follow what was going on visually. My guess is that like most places with character they make the surroundings into what they need to be. Either way I was really in the mood for some acoustic fare after spending a few hours on the place with Townes, and these guys had the goods.
And on this night, with the rain cascading from the sky, a little Tobacco Road proved just right.
I went for the 96th anniversary party, not nearly as fun as going on a normal week day.
It's one of the few bars I enjoy going to every time I walk in. On a normal week day, it's low key, and relaxing. Sometimes the music is good, the burgers are normally tasty enough.
Really it would have to be in the top 3 bars of Miami for me.
Not for pregnant people.
I've gone out a lot while pregnant, and it was never an issue. But I physically couldn't fit in the bar. I had to ask people to move so I could make it outside.
This was Friday night, the Road's 96 year anniversary. The place was beyond packed. They had the parking lot in back transformed into additional party space.
A little to crowded for me, but you could see that they had planned for the numbers well.
Plenty of places to buy beer.
Live music.
Extra space.
Extra porta potties.
But I don't think I got a good feel for the real Road. I need to come back on a normal night.
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