The Pub Crawler

Brew Time Bar Gets a Significant Makeover

Owner Tom George believes an extensive remodel and additions such as liquor and satellite TV will translate to more business for the popular Clearwater bar.

When Tom George took ownership of Brew Time Pub back on New Year's Day, he knew the place had the potential to be a lucrative neighborhood bar.  A veteran businessman who owns Stix Billiards in Palm Harbor and an arcade game vending company, George had been in the Sunset Point Road bar enough times to know it had a nice local following.  But while previous owner Margo Maher had worked hard over 16 years to foster a friendly and inviting atmosphere in the bar, George realized in order to maximize the full potential of the place, changes would have to be made.  “I’ve known Margo for a long time, and she didn’t really want to change things,” George said. “For a beer and wine bar to last for 15 years, there had to be something here.”  “I have …

• Photos (7)

The Pub Crawler

Old New York New York Nightclub Closes Its Doors

The popular U.S. 19 hot spot was home to older Clearwater clubgoers for nearly 30 years.

Old New York New York, a U.S. 19 nightclub that catered to an older crowd, has shut its doors after nearly 30 years of operation. According to official records, the club, which was at 18573 U.S. 19 N in Clearwater, opened in 1984. Since then, it played host to an often overlooked segment of the populace — people older than 40 who still enjoyed going out for a night of drinking and dancing. "I have been going there for over 20 years, so I'm really going to miss it," a former patron Laurine said. "But I'm looking forward to moving to the new place." The place she is referring to is the Banana Boat Bar & Grill, another Clearwater institution that has welcomed the New York New York crowd in with open arms. "We've brought in the whole family …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (8)

Banana Boat Boss Guiding Club Back to the Future

With an industry expert at the helm, the Roosevelt Boulevard bar is aiming to recapture the popularity of its heyday.

Club consultant Angelo Proestopoulos has done it all when it comes to the bar and restaurant business.  In addition to being associated with Bay area establishments such as Tail Gators, Café 13 and gentleman’s club 24K, he also played important roles in the Chuck E. Cheese's and Ruby Tuesday franchises and managed a number of hotspots in the bustling Miami club scene.  In fact, Proestopoulos is so well known in the industry, the back of his business card simply states "Everybody Knows Angelo."  So when he says he is going to bring the Banana Boat back to prominence, you pretty much have to take him at his word.  “This place has been a staple in the area for over 30 years,” the 39-year-old explains. “Grandparents, parents and their kids …

• Photos (10)

Best Beer Selection: Vote For Your Favorite!

Who do you think has the best beer selection in town?

Summer is here, and everybody's looking for something new to do. What better time to revisit the best local hot spots in Largo? Until July 8, we collected nominations for Readers' Choice 2012 in 25 categories, from the best gym in town to the best zoo in the Tampa Bay area. Voting runs through Aug. 17.  Whose beer selection would you recommend? Nominate your favorite in the comments below. And don't forget to nominate your favorite local places in the other 24 categories, too!

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Where To Find Beer in Clearwater

Searching for beer near Clearwater? Check out our list of local bars and beer sellers.

Are you looking for beer or sellers of barley and hops in Clearwater? Whether it's at a beach bar, a cigar bar, a local dive or somewhere in between, find your favorite import, local or major brand of beer in Clearwater. Follow this link to find a list of bars and beer sellers in Clearwater in our business directoy.

The Pub Crawler

Popular Clearwater Pub Changes Owners, Name

Brew Time Pub became Brew Time Bar after longtime owner Margo Maher sold the place to a local businessman.

For more than 15 years, Margo Maher dedicated a great deal of time, money and hard work to making her Sunset Point Road pub the type of place where patrons could come to enjoy a cold beverage in the company of good people.  But when a part-time job with the Transportation Security Administration, which called for early morning arrivals at Tampa International Airport, turned into a full-time career with the Department of Homeland Security a few years ago, Maher knew her days as a bar owner were numbered.  That chapter of her life came to a conclusion on New Year's Day, when Maher relinquished ownership of Brew Time Pub to local businessman Tom George, ending her decade-and-a-half tenure as proprietor of one of Clearwater’s most beloved bars…

•  4 Comments
• Photos (4)

The Pub Crawler

The Pub Crawler: Poblano’s Mexican Grill & Bar

A place for those who like their Mexican food with a bit of American flavor.

With its spacious dining area, large rectangular bar, covered outdoor patio and bevy of flat screens TVs, Poblano’s Mexican Grill and Bar isn’t your typical authentic Mexican restaurant. But considering the kitchen serves a host of Mexican dishes, the bar offers imported beers as well as sangria and Margaritas, and there is a constant stream of Latin music playing in the background, Poblano’s can’t be looked at as your typical sports bar, either. What this establishment, located in the Oakbrook Shopping Plaza on McMullen Booth Road, is is a combination of a number of popular themes: part Mexican eatery, part sports pub, and part family restaurant chain. The dining area features booths along all sides and tables in the center, while the big…

• Photos (10)

The Pub Crawler

The Pub Crawler: Brew Time Pub

The local landmark is the type of place that sitcoms are made of.

One of the oldest clichés in the bar business is when a cozy neighborhood establishment is compared to that legendary local watering hole of television lore, “Cheers." And while Brew Time Pub on Sunset Point Road doesn’t have its own Sam and Diane, Coach or Woody, it does have a Kathy and Larry, an Otis, a Captain, and a female owner named Margo. Set to celebrate its 15th anniversary July 23, Brew Time really is the quintessential neighborhood bar. It’s had just one owner, Margo Maher; most of the bartenders have been there at least 10 years; and everyone is friendly towards everyone else, regulars and newcomers included. “This place really is like our own 'Cheers,'" patron Kathy Raubenstine said. “We all know each other’s names and we all…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (22)

The Pub Crawler

The Pub Crawler: O’Boobigan’s Irish Bar and Grill

Don’t let the name fool you – this is a good, old fashioned neighborhood bar.

Let’s get this out of the way right off the top – no, O’Boobigan’s is not a strip bar. It’s not even a place where scantily-clad waitresses parade around in brightly colored satin shorts, selling skin as much as skinless wings. What O’Boobigan’s is is a fun, footloose, Florida-style bar, a place where you can watch the game, hang out with friends or coworkers, and even bring the family in for a meal. “Everybody immediately thinks it’s a strip joint,” general manager Cedrick Turner said. “What we really are is a friendly neighborhood bar where you can come in, let your hair down and have a good time.” Located on the corner of US 19 and Ulmerton Road, O’Boobigan’s has been in business since 2006. When new ownership took over in February of …

• Photos (10)