Tradewinds Tropical Lounge & Grill

Cool dive
Small bar, smoking inside, good prices, live bands, what else do you need?

Great Music! Great Fun! Great Place! Great Staff!
If you enjoy live music and quality performances this is the place for you. My girlfriend and I stopped in off the street when we heard what must have been a jukebox playing when it turned out to be a band! Keith Godwin & Rio Grande were over the top great! What are these guys doing in a bar when they should be in Nashville? The staff is great, the drinks are reasonably priced, and the atmospherics is old Florida. Too bad they don't serve food. We will definably be back.

Tradewinds most definitely has a reputation around Saint Augustine as a place that draws an older crowd with cougars and bikers being the main group of patrons. And they live up to that reputation- but you know what I discovered? An older crowd means more mature folks who love to let loose, who can handle their booze, and not act like idiots! What a concept!
I stopped in here last weekend for a friends birthday, and it had been years since I'd been in. I was a little offset by the complete dickheads that were bouncing at the front door, but once we were inside, we all had a BLAST. The band that was playing was loud, but they were good, cranking out great classic rock tunes. They didn't have a lot of beers on tap, but the bartenders were on point, and the drinks were cheap. The place was really smoky, but EVERYONE was having a good time. A lot of folks dancing up on a side area next to the band, a lot of folks hanging by the bar making small talk, and a lot of groups of people enjoying each other's company at the number of tables available throughout the lounge.
I wasn't expecting a whole lot walking in here, but I gotta be honest, I had a great time. I enjoy going out drinking with my wife and friends, and there's nothing I hate more than drunken drama and people acting like idiots after a couple beers. I saw NONE of that here, and that made me think that a place that caters towards older people might be a good thing, even if it means I'm getting old.
If you're pretentious- just keep on walking by and find your way to the wine bars downtown. This is a great dive bar with great music, a smoky atmosphere, cheap drinks, and good people. Minus one star for the bouncers that were dicks for absolutely no reason. Other than that, I had a great time. Keep on truckin'