History of FSU bar scene?

[TampaNole12]

I recently read the following article from the WSJ:

How One University Stumbled In Its Attack on Alcohol Abuse - WSJ

As Industry Resisted Change,

www.wsj.com

While maybe I had the wrong takeaway from the article, something that struck me was how much has remained the same in the FSU bar scene 15+ years after that article was written. If anyone has any interesting insight into what the FSU bar scene was like historically, that is something I would be really interested in. Whether just anecdotal stories/pictures, or something more unknown or niche, I'd be curious to gain more of understanding what weekends in Tallahassee have looked like over the years. Bonus points if you have came back to Tallahassee within the last few years and can compare/contrast.

Unfortunately football has been less than ideal during the time that I've been here, but I'm sure that when we were good that was a huge part of the appeal and culture of the town. Any stories or insight into how everything tied together culturally would be great!

 

[AllNoles]

Why is this an FSU thing? It's the same at all colleges.

They need to reduce drinking age to 18 and as a society we need to make it less an issue by normalizing proper use.

 

[ChiefWB]

Why is this an FSU thing? It's the same at all colleges.

They need to reduce drinking age to 18 and as a society we need to make it less an issue by normalizing proper use.

I’m not sure if lowering the age is the answer. But in my experience kids that are taught how to respect the use of alcohol tend to fair better than their counterparts. I was brought up with zero tolerance parents. Got to Tallahassee at 18, on my own and quickly turned into a younger version of Nicolas Cage in the film “Leaving Las Vegas”. I chalk it up as severe immaturity combined with having no idea how to respect the drink. Bad combination in my experience.

 

[FisherWilcoxTaggart Survivor]

College kids have abused alcohol since Day One. It's a combination of freedom, ignorance, "being cool," peer pressure, and any number of other things. The big difference, as I see it, is that kids today (a) increasingly drink hard liquor, as opposed to mainly beer; (b) openly telegraph their immature exploits on social media, as in "keeping up with the Joneses"; and (c) are frequently on "other stuff" too, be it drugs, steroids, Ritalin, whatever.

Add it all up -- plus the increased public awareness when something bad happens, and the attendant political/legal/PR pressure on schools to "crack down" -- and here we are. But no one should carry on like students of yesteryear were innocent and responsible. LOL. They absolutely were not. What we see today is not "new." It's just slightly different.

 

[TampaNole12]

While the article itself is certainly a fair topic of discussion, I didn't really intend this thread to be a discussion of drinking age/responsibility. I was moreso linking it because it talked about some of the places that haven't changed such as Pots, Yianni's etc. I know that Ken's has been around for a while but I was just wondering what else nightlife was like in Tallahassee historically.

 

[goldmom]

One way they're cracking down now is kicking fraternities off campus - and the fraternities apparently aren't wising up very well to reverse the trend, at least not nationwide. In the last two weeks two young men have died in hazing events that included alcohol at other schools.
Deaths directly attributed to Alcohol abuse just didn't seem to be a thing back in the day, or maybe they just weren't reported. I don't think kids had the disposable income back in the 60's and 70's that they do now, and getting trashed every night just didn't happen. Yes, there was plenty of drinking, but pot and other drugs became more popular around 1970 and at many parties people were doing drugs rather than Jell-O shots.
Historic watering holes were of course Kens, the Keg, and then the Electric Eye. With the drinking age at 21 and pretty strict enforcement we just didn't do a bunch of bar stuff. Plus the fraternities could all serve booze in their houses.

 

[MagNoleA]

One way they're cracking down now is kicking fraternities off campus - and the fraternities apparently aren't wising up very well to reverse the trend, at least not nationwide. In the last two weeks two young men have died in hazing events that included alcohol at other schools.
Deaths directly attributed to Alcohol abuse just didn't seem to be a thing back in the day, or maybe they just weren't reported. I don't think kids had the disposable income back in the 60's and 70's that they do now, and getting trashed every night just didn't happen. Yes, there was plenty of drinking, but pot and other drugs became more popular around 1970 and at many parties people were doing drugs rather than Jell-O shots.
Historic watering holes were of course Kens, the Keg, and then the Electric Eye. With the drinking age at 21 and pretty strict enforcement we just didn't do a bunch of bar stuff. Plus the fraternities could all serve booze in their houses.

Thank you for sharing.
Otis of Mayberry

 

[goldmom]

Thank you for sharing.
Otis of Mayberry

🙄

 

[ChiefWB]

While the article itself is certainly a fair topic of discussion, I didn't really intend this thread to be a discussion of drinking age/responsibility. I was moreso linking it because it talked about some of the places that haven't changed such as Pots, Yianni's etc. I know that Ken's has been around for a while but I was just wondering what else nightlife was like in Tallahassee historically.

It would take a few generations of Noles to piece together the history of Tallahassee nightlife. It is very cyclical and very few establishments last more than a handful of years. SugarMill, The Phyrst, Club Palm beach, Doc's, Grand Finale, The Pub, Rooster's etc were all very popular when I showed up in 1987 or while I was a student and were gone in that same time period or shortly thereafter. I remember Yanni's opened as a coffee bar and you could smell the love cigarettes coming from the place down at Ken's. Yanni leaned very quickly that cheap drinks and live cover bands were better for his bottom line so he leased the parcel next door, knocked down the wall and the rest is history.
I worry that the strip where Ken's and others are located days are numbered. Not sure how viable the businesses are with collegetown etc. And the land is relatively valuable. A lot of memories in that building.

 

[TampaNole12]

It would take a few generations of Noles to piece together the history of Tallahassee nightlife. It is very cyclical and very few establishments last more than a handful of years. SugarMill, The Phyrst, Club Palm beach, Doc's, Grand Finale, The Pub, Rooster's etc were all very popular when I showed up in 1987 or while I was a student and were gone in that same time period or shortly thereafter. I remember Yanni's opened as a coffee bar and you could smell the love cigarettes coming from the place down at Ken's. Yanni leaned very quickly that cheap drinks and live cover bands were better for his bottom line so he leased the parcel next door, knocked down the wall and the rest is history.
I worry that the strip where Ken's and others are located days are numbered. Not sure how viable the businesses are with collegetown etc. And the land is relatively valuable. A lot of memories in that building.

I haven't heard of any of those places you mentioned lol. The Strip is still very lively with the younger crowd. They let under-21's in (obviously with a band that states that they are under 21). Regardless, it's not really competing with Madso and Township for clientele. Madso and Township are strictly 21+, with Township you can't even get in to eat on a Friday/Saturday night without being 21. There is a pretty clear divide once people turn 21, with Bullwinkles being the sole cheap bar-only (no food served) option that I can think of that draws a strictly 21+ crowd. For reference, I went to Madso the other day and had solely a beer (granted, it was 8% ABV) and with tip and tax my bill was over $10.

Recess is really the only place that I can think of within Collegetown that under-21's will go to on a Friday or Saturday night. Potbelly's and Clyde's are other popular places that will allow those 18+ to enter, both of which are on College Ave. With their popularity, I really don't see much cause for concern there in terms of viability.

 

[squiffynole]

Street fights at 2 in the morning are trending up - one led to a shooting outside of Potbellys last weekend.

 

[goldmom]

Street fights at 2 in the morning are trending up - one led to a shooting outside of Potbellys last weekend.

Back in the way back, shootings and anyone at a bar with a gun weren't even in anyone's realm of thought.

 

[FisherWilcoxTaggart Survivor]

Back in the way back, shootings and anyone at a bar with a gun weren't even in anyone's realm of thought.

Times have changed, obviously, over the past 50 years. If we have the same degree of change over the next 50 years, you wonder what that looks like. Potentially very scary. Thank God I won't be here to see it.

 

[AllNoles]

One way they're cracking down now is kicking fraternities off campus - and the fraternities apparently aren't wising up very well to reverse the trend, at least not nationwide. In the last two weeks two young men have died in hazing events that included alcohol at other schools.
Deaths directly attributed to Alcohol abuse just didn't seem to be a thing back in the day, or maybe they just weren't reported. I don't think kids had the disposable income back in the 60's and 70's that they do now, and getting trashed every night just didn't happen. Yes, there was plenty of drinking, but pot and other drugs became more popular around 1970 and at many parties people were doing drugs rather than Jell-O shots.
Historic watering holes were of course Kens, the Keg, and then the Electric Eye. With the drinking age at 21 and pretty strict enforcement we just didn't do a bunch of bar stuff. Plus the fraternities could all serve booze in their houses.

There were lots of alcohol and other deaths going back decades. But just like crime stats, until 15-20 years ago the vast majority of our info was local. If the deaths happened in middle America, we did not hear about it. Part was the way news worked/traveled, but a big part was we did not freak out about all aspects of life as we do now.

I don't know if kids are ever going to change totally on this stuff, but I will say I think having a more relaxed attitude about drinking at our home has led to less wild kids. Of our four, none drink to extremes. Not close. They have been able to have a drink or two since 16, though they could not drive then. We did NOT serve to any other kids unless parents knew and were ok with it. Now, with two college age, one who graduated from AU in December, and one who just turned 26, none of them drink heavily. In fact, we have one who is not drinking at all (despite living at his frat house), and three who I would bet have not been drunk in many months.

 

[fsufool]

One way they're cracking down now is kicking fraternities off campus - and the fraternities apparently aren't wising up very well to reverse the trend, at least not nationwide. In the last two weeks two young men have died in hazing events that included alcohol at other schools.
Deaths directly attributed to Alcohol abuse just didn't seem to be a thing back in the day, or maybe they just weren't reported. I don't think kids had the disposable income back in the 60's and 70's that they do now, and getting trashed every night just didn't happen. Yes, there was plenty of drinking, but pot and other drugs became more popular around 1970 and at many parties people were doing drugs rather than Jell-O shots.
Historic watering holes were of course Kens, the Keg, and then the Electric Eye. With the drinking age at 21 and pretty strict enforcement we just didn't do a bunch of bar stuff. Plus the fraternities could all serve booze in their houses.

Starting at FSU in 1975, it was definitely a bar heavy scene. Thing was it was cheap. You could really have a good time going to bars all weekend plus one other day for $15 if you knew how to do it. We also bought beer (drinking age was 18) and drank a few before going out. Then there was a pretty big "keg party" scene at houses and apartments (fraternities too). And as an athlete we could bring in kegs to the stadium through our gate (we took in some for fraternities too). Baseball games we would sit outside the outfield fence with a cooler full of beer.

Frankly, there was a reason Playboy rated us the #1 party school back then.

Drugs were mostly pot, but in the late 70s it started to turn to coke, especially those students who worked at the restaurants and bars who had the $$$$ and the frats who had the money. There was always an underground group of folks that were into the hallucinogenics (Pepper Street Parties).

There was another thread on this, but my incomplete list of bars:

Brown Derby
Long Branch
Bullwinkles
Station House
Station House Restaurant???? (Where McDonalds is now)
Poor Paul's
Hobbit Hoagies
Flamingo's
Freds
Freds Back door
Pub
Palace
Big Daddy's

That's all for now, but that list is very imcomplete

 

[goldmom]

OMG Pepper Drive....that started way before 1975!

 

[fsufool]

OMG Pepper Drive....that started way before 1975!

Oh I know, most of the folks were older than me when I showed up

 

[Bamanoles]

Starting at FSU in 1975, it was definitely a bar heavy scene. Thing was it was cheap. You could really have a good time going to bars all weekend plus one other day for $15 if you knew how to do it. We also bought beer (drinking age was 18) and drank a few before going out. Then there was a pretty big "keg party" scene at houses and apartments (fraternities too). And as an athlete we could bring in kegs to the stadium through our gate (we took in some for fraternities too). Baseball games we would sit outside the outfield fence with a cooler full of beer.

Frankly, there was a reason Playboy rated us the #1 party school back then.

Drugs were mostly pot, but in the late 70s it started to turn to coke, especially those students who worked at the restaurants and bars who had the $$$$ and the frats who had the money. There was always an underground group of folks that were into the hallucinogenics (Pepper Street Parties).

There was another thread on this, but my incomplete list of bars:

Brown Derby
Long Branch
Bullwinkles
Station House
Station House Restaurant???? (Where McDonalds is now)
Poor Paul's
Hobbit Hoagies
Flamingo's
Freds
Freds Back door
Pub
Palace
Big Daddy's

That's all for now, but that list is very imcomplete

Was Station House called Subway Down Under or something like that? Good Monte Cristo's.

My list would include Doc's, Late Night Library, Leon Pub, Ken's Too, The Riverfront Saloon, Andrews Upstairs, and a jazz club on Blair Stone Road (Strawberry Patch or something like that). Everyone I knew stayed away from Sid's Lounge. Rick's Oyster Bar was a little later for me.

 

[ChiefWB]

Was Station House called Subway Down Under or something like that? Good Monte Cristo's.

My list would include Doc's, Late Night Library, Leon Pub, Ken's Too, The Riverfront Saloon, Andrews Upstairs, and a jazz club on Blair Stone Road (Strawberry Patch or something like that). Everyone I knew stayed away from Sid's Lounge. Rick's Oyster Bar was a little later for me.

Many a night from 2002-2013 I spent at the Leon Pub. The hole in the wall bar is quickly becoming a thing of the past. But that place has made it an art form. Bill Hasselback introduced craft beer to Tallahassee. BMerrils had a pretty good selection as well.

 

[fsufool]

Many a night from 2002-2013 I spent at the Leon Pub. The hole in the wall bar is quickly becoming a thing of the past. But that place has made it an art form. Bill Hasselback introduced craft beer to Tallahassee. BMerrils had a pretty good selection as well.

I was trying to think of Grand Finales too. Downstairs on Tenn. Street. Spent a lot of time in there in the 1980s.

 

[ChiefWB]

I was trying to think of Grand Finales too. Downstairs on Tenn. Street. Spent a lot of time in there in the 1980s.

The smell of Crawfish and cigarette smoke would hit you right in the face when walking into Grand Finale. They also were the first place I can remember that had Guinness on offer. This was around 1990-91.

 

[goldmom]

Oh I know, most of the folks were older than me when I showed up

Still stoned too? 🤪👽

 

[jagwag]

Still stoned too? 🤪👽

I'm surprised that none of us old timers mentioned THE TEMPO on Tennessee

 

[FisherWilcoxTaggart Survivor]

Anyone remember Simon Malone’s out on Apalachee Parkway? It was more of a Bennigan’s type “tavern” restaurant, but that was my (secret) go-to place for select co-eds. Wifey still thinks we just stumbled in there on a lark, and that “we” found it. Shhhh. LOL. 😀

 

[Bamanoles]

Crazy Horse Saloon under Longbranch, next to Bullwinkles.

Julie's Place was a good place for first dates.

 

[ChiefWB]

Crazy Horse Saloon under Longbranch, next to Bullwinkles.

Julie's Place was a good place for first dates.

Julie’s only closed a few years ago. Place did a mean prime rib.

 

[fsufool]

Julie’s only closed a few years ago. Place did a mean prime rib.

Is Clydes still there. Use to know a bartender that took care of me there in the 1980s. Then when I had business in town would stay at the Governor's Inn and go across the street to Andrews and then Clydes for a nightcap in the late 1990s early 2000s.

 

[ChiefWB]

Is Clydes still there. Use to know a bartender that took care of me there in the 1980s. Then when I had business in town would stay at the Governor's Inn and go across the street to Andrews and then Clydes for a nightcap in the late 1990s early 2000s.

I worked at Clydes in 91-92 for Dave and Guy. That place did some business. 3pm started the happy hour crowd and then two or three nights a week the college crowd would roll in around 8. Those days were lucrative but brutal.
Dave said he was closing last year but another poster said it has since been sold I believe. So I’m assuming it’s still there. I know that the pandemic has closed some of my favorite places as Tallahassee has been hit exceptionally hard.

 

[fsufool]

I worked at Clydes in 91-92 for Dave and Guy. That place did some business. 3pm started the happy hour crowd and then two or three nights a week the college crowd would roll in around 8. Those days were lucrative but brutal.
Dave said he was closing last year but another poster said it has since been sold I believe. So I’m assuming it’s still there. I know that the pandemic has closed some of my favorite places as Tallahassee has been hit exceptionally hard.

Thanks for the update. Probably saw each other back then....

 

[ChiefWB]

Thanks for the update

I can’t wait til football season and get back to tally and enjoy a few of these places we have been reminiscing about. This thread has made me really nostalgic. First stop will likely be Ken’s.

 

[TampaNole12]

Is Clydes still there. Use to know a bartender that took care of me there in the 1980s. Then when I had business in town would stay at the Governor's Inn and go across the street to Andrews and then Clydes for a nightcap in the late 1990s early 2000s.

Clyde's is there and as popular as (I assume it has) ever been.

 

[TampaNole12]

I worked at Clydes in 91-92 for Dave and Guy. That place did some business. 3pm started the happy hour crowd and then two or three nights a week the college crowd would roll in around 8. Those days were lucrative but brutal.
Dave said he was closing last year but another poster said it has since been sold I believe. So I’m assuming it’s still there. I know that the pandemic has closed some of my favorite places as Tallahassee has been hit exceptionally hard.

What places have been closed because of COVID? Clyde's has been back open for a while now.

 

[FisherWilcoxTaggart Survivor]

Clyde's is there and as popular as (I assume it has) ever been.

IG imagery suggests it is still blazing hot.

An FSU Trustee, Craig Mateer, purchased it not too long ago. Not sure if he already made changes or if they are forthcoming later. Or maybe none are coming at all.

 

[ChiefWB]

IG imagery suggests it is still blazing hot.

An FSU Trustee, Craig Mateer, purchased it not too long ago. Not sure if he already made changes or if they are forthcoming later. Or maybe none are coming at all.

I just checked their Instagram and they are very much open. And I feel really old after looking through their pictures.

 

[TampaNole12]

IG imagery suggests it is still blazing hot.

An FSU Trustee, Craig Mateer, purchased it not too long ago. Not sure if he already made changes or if they are forthcoming later. Or maybe none are coming at all.

Does he have something to do with Recess as well? On some occasions the bands will work at both places and they have busses between the two sometimes as well. Any insight on who bought Standard (which is next to Clyde's?)? Standard just reopened under a new name this past week, but I don't know much about that. Bands used to be for both Clyde's and Standard (one cover got you into both), so I found it odd that Clyde's has been open for a while and Standard just recently reopened (alebit under a new name).

 

[Bamanoles]

Julie’s only closed a few years ago. Place did a mean prime rib.

They switched to just bar food for a few years before they closed. It was a decent place with a big variety of menu items.

 

[Dr. Nole]

Crazy Horse Saloon under Longbranch, next to Bullwinkles.

Julie's Place was a good place for first dates.

omg...Julies Place....I actually did take a 1st date there in the early 80's for dinner. I think I took all the money I had at the time ($70 ?)

 

[MagNoleA]

Still stoned too? 🤪👽

I've always liked Sharon Stoned. She had great basic instincts. Just ask Neeeewman regarding
her initial interview. She just couldn't sit still. I think she was into ice picks....

 

[soflanolefan87]

I worked at Clydes in 91-92 for Dave and Guy. That place did some business. 3pm started the happy hour crowd and then two or three nights a week the college crowd would roll in around 8. Those days were lucrative but brutal.
Dave said he was closing last year but another poster said it has since been sold I believe. So I’m assuming it’s still there. I know that the pandemic has closed some of my favorite places as Tallahassee has been hit exceptionally hard.

It's still there and open under new ownership from what I've been told.

 

[osceola74]

Starting at FSU in 1975, it was definitely a bar heavy scene. Thing was it was cheap. You could really have a good time going to bars all weekend plus one other day for $15 if you knew how to do it. We also bought beer (drinking age was 18) and drank a few before going out. Then there was a pretty big "keg party" scene at houses and apartments (fraternities too). And as an athlete we could bring in kegs to the stadium through our gate (we took in some for fraternities too). Baseball games we would sit outside the outfield fence with a cooler full of beer.

Frankly, there was a reason Playboy rated us the #1 party school back then.

Drugs were mostly pot, but in the late 70s it started to turn to coke, especially those students who worked at the restaurants and bars who had the $$$$ and the frats who had the money. There was always an underground group of folks that were into the hallucinogenics (Pepper Street Parties).

There was another thread on this, but my incomplete list of bars:

Brown Derby
Long Branch
Bullwinkles
Station House
Station House Restaurant???? (Where McDonalds is now)
Poor Paul's
Hobbit Hoagies
Flamingo's
Freds
Freds Back door
Pub
Palace
Big Daddy's

That's all for now, but that list is very imcomplete
[/QUOTE. I don’t think any of those were in Tally when I was there. Class of ‘74