Seaside Spirits: Riptides

This week, we’re going with an obvious, yet quite justifiable, establishment. It’s fewer than two years old, yet it’s managed to become a bar scene mainstay for locals and tourists alike (any place other local hospitality workers congregate after hours has our vote). Here are a few aspects of the place that make it big draw.

The location. If you’re coming from Pasadena Avenue, this place is among the first to greet you. It’s among the first bars you’ll see when coming from the north as well. It makes an excellent start to a beach bar crawl, though it’s not exactly a bad place to end one, either.

The food. Don’t get us wrong; Riptides itself doesn’t serve food (that is, unless you count the pretzels they dish out to hungry patrons). Instead, it has this arrangement with Nori Thai, the yummy Thai/sushi place next door. If you crave both food and drink, the folks at Riptides let you nosh on takeout from there (as well as any other nearby restaurant) right at the bar.

The staff. We’ve never met a bartender here who wasn’t genuinely friendly, not to mention attentive. 

The bizarre. We often rave about those places that mind their aesthetic. These guys go old Florida all the way, and in some spots go beyond eye-pleasing kitsch to truly bizarre. The mural on the wall by the pool table is pure St. Pete Beach chic (a phrase that’s, as yet, nonexistent). The pinnacle of Riptides décor has got to be the odd monkey painting (pictured). Staff will not reveal where they purchased this fine piece. What a shame. 

Drink specials. Some places offer cheap booze in a time frame during which most people who work probably shouldn’t be anywhere near a watering hole. Not this place. Where else can one find a two-dollar rum and Coke on a Saturday?