Largo Dives and Bars: Dee's Den Feels Like Home

Drinking-hole nouns are few and ubiquitous. They are usually limited to the likes of tavern, bar and pub. (Think of how many places you have bought drinks which had one of those words following someone’s name. I've had a beer in Joe’s Tavern, Joe’s Bar, and Joe’s Pub, and never actually met Joe).

So I was a bit curious to enter into . It is located off of Ulmerton and Belcher Road, on a section of road that is mercifully removed from traffic or construction.

Like most neighborhood bars, it is tucked into a shopping center, which offers a surplus of parking spots. It's hard to imagine bar hoppers not finding a space at night, which, I guess, is part of the appeal.

The windows on its façade are filled with colorful reminders of its amenities and sympathies. One can find a sign for “Free Pool”, a list of their daily activities, and collage of appreciative words to our soldiers fighting in harm’s way. These scribbles act as a sort of primer to Dee’s Den.

Indoors, Dee’s fosters the same feeling as the room it is named after. There are quilt football clad curtains, which I think might have been in my friend’s grandmother’s basement in the early nineties. Here, they only add to the ambiance.

The ceiling is relatively low and the bar is rather wide. It resembles the ranch-style homes that flood Largo’s streets. In addition to the bar, there are plenty of leather seats and dining tables. The bar is made of faded black wood that adds to the nostalgic appeal of the place.

There are a few staples on tap. I enjoyed a Genesee Cream Ale, a pint of which sold for the remarkably reasonable price of $1.25, but Bud aficionados will be at home here. Jagermeister, and Jagermeister bombs, are also very popular.

Regulars, however, do not stop by Dee’s simply for the booze and ambiance. They like to play games. Karaoke is indulged in on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Poker, usually the newly popular Texas Hold ‘em is the game of choice, is played on Wednesdays, while Mondays allows for pool tournaments. 

Euchre is hosted on Tuesdays for those who like to drink beer while they play cards.

During the football season, many come to watch the big game on anyone of Dee’s old-fashioned “tube” televisions. Customers can drink cheap beer, while smoking cigarettes and watch the game on a television that was first invented when they were children.

In this way, going to Dee’s Den is like reveling in the sublime simplicity of your childhood hangout.