5 Star Dive Bar Review Long bar, dark lighting, a little vomit outside the door to the right from a party Saturday night, strong drinks, wild harmless clientele, and cheap prices. Add in a bar that hasn't been renovated since the 70's and you have the true formula for a dive bar. Not the fake incantations you see today or even worse a bar named Dive Bar. This is a true gem that is as authentic as it gets. Like they said in It's a Wonderful Life, this is a bar where people drink hard drinks to get drunk. If you like dive bars and want to drink with people looking to have a good time, you will like the Emerald. Forgot to add, our bartender on Sunday day saved my life from a hangover. I forget her name but she was wonderful. Love the Emerald, don't ever change. Thanks read more

I am happy to give this 5 stars out of sarcasm that is expected from a "dive bar". But not for my experience. I tried to enjoy a vodka soda lemon after a nice dinner at the galley. Little fella behind the bar was happy to inform me he had no lemon.....I suggested lemonade. He said no and expected me to find a solution. Then I noticed they had deep eddy lemon available. This really pushed the tiny fella over the edge. Or maybe it was my polo shirt, experience in hospitality or his alcohol blindness read more

Greatest dive bar in Tampa bay. I never hesitate to stop by for drinks with my friends. Highly recommend this place. Five star dive bar read more

Amazing local bar. Great ambiance and service! Bartenders are a lot of fun and the locals are great too. Have a drink and throw some darts. Ya won't be disappointed read more

Pretty high up on my list of "dive bars" for sure. I was initially warned some time ago to be cautious coming in at night. I am not sure if that still holds true or not. Dark, smokey and amazing. Excellent service and cold beers. Enjoyed every minute and will be back for sure. Be careful not to park in the back which is museum parking. They will tow quickly. read more

I went in at 11pm on 07/30/25 to wait for ten mins not to get served. I went towards the bartender and she was like I have three girls at the other end of the bar to serve first. I watch her finishing serving the ladies and then proceed to serve someone else. I didn't say a word and left . As I go to leave towards the door she said some foolish comment expecting me to wait all night. What an unprofessional , dumb bartender. She should not work there. The funny thing is I wanted a surfsife a drink you don't even make. I will never come back to trashy bar. read more

Emerald is a gem. It lives up to the name. I stopped smoking squares about 15 years ago and miss bars that allow it. Fortunately the Emerald allows smoking. My friend Stoner Jon smokes two packs of Reds a day and Emerald welcomes people like SJ. The bartender was a character. SJ showed up a few days after my historic visit and bartender was wondering where I went. Back up in Cleveland is the answer. read more

Emerald Bar - a bar with a menu on the wall - Dive Bars Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Loved this cozy little joint! It was like stepping back into the 60's here and I loved it! Cheap drinks, dark inside, good service. Hopefully you will luck out and get Stephanie as your bartender. read more

I've been coming to the emerald for as long as I've been 21 which isn't really that long LOL but it's just such a cool local spot it's a little smoky inside but I think that just adds to the atmosphere I guess I love coming here and seeing Monique she's such a funny lady with the greatest style ever! She also pours a mean shot I highly recommend the emerald bar if you just want a good old hometown locals only dive bar with lots of artists and beautiful people. read more

This place is awesome. Kurt Cobain worked there when I was there. Interesting but one hell of a time. Beers are like 1$ cheapest around lol

A wonderful dive bar experience! Was recommended by so many locals and they were not wrong!! Dark, Smokey and felt right at home! The only thing that felt out of place was the guy in the red hat...handsome but very rude read more

The Emerald is one of downtown St. Pete's remaining local handout. If you're expecting the bartenders to jump up and down with excitement when you come in than this place isn't for you. If on the other hand you want a unique, casual experience with cheap drinks that allows smoking than you found your new spot. All the best to the staff. read more

A perfect example of an old school dive bar. No direct sun-light, grizzled staff behind the bar and $2 well drinks for happy hour. This was exactly what I needed after spending $10 for a frozen cocktail a few blocks up the street, just prior to wandering in here. I wish that I could have returned during my brief stay in St. Pete. read more

If you are young, stay away. Rude bartenders don't like anyone that is "young looking". Looks like they are okay with just serving their regulars, definitely don't like new comers. We barely sat down and the bartender was complaining that we didn't come with our ID's gun blazing. Don't recommend. So many others bars with kind staff, save your time. read more

Great dive bar on Central we had a quick adult beverage at prior to seeing Donavon Frankenreiter at the State Theater. Be prepared to smell like smoke when you leave, though. Staff and the regulars are very friendly here. They also welcome our four legged friends too!! I love this place because it reminds me of my favorite dive bar in Tampa, the Tiny Tap. read more

Emerald Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Gave it one star because it's required. Walked into this place because it was recommended by a friend that lives in the area. Sat at the bar for 5 minutes waiting for the woman bartender to take my drink order as she washed dishes in front of me. She had complete disregard for me and my money. It wasn't even busy. Not a way to treat a paying customer with money on the bar ready to spend especially when there are multiple bars within 100 feet. So I took my money to the bar next door, Bar 548, which had the most amazing bartenders who loved my money. Go to the Emerald if you want to be ignored and have crap service. read more

Classic dive bar, reminds me of the taverns in PA and NJ that have been around for fah eveh. Simple bar with long bar with stools and some tables. Smokey!! if you don't like smoke skip it. They have "snacks" behind the bar such as bagged chips, pickles in a jar and beef sticks. I am giving it 4 stars because it is what is and does not try to be anything else. I went with a group on a Friday night and they had a live band. Some nights have a cover. Enjoy! read more

Dark, dirty, but $2 wells makes this place a keeper in my books. This is the type of bar you go to with people you want to hang out with. You might meet some interesting people, but probably not interesting people in their 20s or 30s you want to date. Almost no daylight comes in, so you can pass time really quickly without realizing it. There is a great happy hour with $2 wells, so grab your good friends and go start the night with some cheap drinks. read more

Love, Love, love and love. I felt like i was at a punk rock-irish pub. Yeah i said it, its cheap and has that regular irish pub feel. But the people there are laid back and cool. The music is amazing, i felt like i was listening to my ipod (which is some great music right there), 90's rock blasting through those speakers. Oh and like i said, prices are cheap! Its hidden so make sure not to walk past it! read more

Just what I was looking for. Locals. Nice folks. Not for those of you looking for the tourist touchy-feely experience. If u want to know what living in this area is really like. Get ur butt here. Otherwise go elsewhere read more

Yo thanks Andrew you da best. If I had 12 hours to live I'd spend 11 and a half here and then get some pizza or something

we had never walked around this area so we decided to try it since the sign has a clover on it. We walked in to a couple of gents sitting at the bar. The lady behind the bar looked like she had been here awhile. She seemed a bit off and out of it. But, she eventually delivered our drinks and offered me a glass for my beer. As we sat and enjoyed our drinks we noticed happy hour sign on the door that said $2 wells, crap on tap drafts. A group of 3 younger peeps entered and ordered 3 drinks immediately. $7 (total) later they had their drinks which looked to be stiff pours. Was a nice place when you love dive bars. It was dark and warm with very little air moving. We would return but we would definitely order the happy hour specials. Instead of paying $12 for 2 drinks. read more

The bartender tonight could use some manners, she's a jerk... no wonder this place is going downhill... yes I realize you live off tips as do I, which should make you want to be really nice to who you are serving... read more

If you want to breathe filtered air while wearing an Afflicted t-shirt, sipping a $9 bottle of beer brewed by thrice-recycled solar power, and take home spray-tanned Pilates puppets, go somewhere else. If your OCD flares up when the people next to you smell nothing like Calvin Klein's Pretension, you will not be happy here. If you can handle the fact that reality is sometimes dingy, sketchy, mismatched, wobbly, or stained, quit whining and fork over the $2 cover. You might find out that it's a liberating blast to tie one on in St. Pete's answer to the big city dives (REAL dives, not the seedy-SEEMING fake-outs that your teenage sister can't wait to go to) with an unpredictable cast of characters who, as improbable as it may seem, really don't care what you think! read more

Hop in and then hop out at the "veeeerry" end of your night. Nice little piece of Pittsburgh, Chicago, ...etc in St Pete. Pauly from Rocky would hang out here. I'd sit next to him. "YO! Pauly!!!" Dafe read more

I mean, shoot man... why not, you know? The Emerald is a gem! This place isn't a typical Florida bar if you ask me. It has the look and feel of a neighborhood dive bar you'd find in Pittsburgh or Chicago. Smoky, cheap wood-paneled walls, worn linoleum floor, old school furniture, dusty old beer paraphernalia, old-fashioned jukebox and an analog cash register with real scrolling numbers! The clientele is a mix dominated by the street punk/rocker or barfly in the making. Come as you are, not as you were or will be. 4 stars for relentlessness. read more

Seriously, if you don't know about the Emerald you've either A) just hopped off a boat from Nunavut, or B) say your bedside prayers at 8PM promptly every night. The place is a local institution, and if you have any social life whatsoever in St. Pete you have, or will experience this dive at some point. As others have astutely pointed out, yes this is a dive bar. It's been that way for decades, and it's never going to change into a "classy" place for dbags with excessive tans and popped up polos. What it lacks in pretentiousness, it more than makes up for in character. I remember my first trip there fondly, back in the early 90s. It looked like it was straight out of Archie Bunker's place or Barfly. We were the youngest lushes there by 40 years... had a great time with the guys who would start yammering about back when nickels had pictures of bumblebees on them, and everyone wore onions on their belt, which was the style at the time, you see... The clientele has changed since then. There is a heavy dose of tattooed hipsterdom there now, though not exclusively by any means. The circa 1975 wood panelling is still tacked in, but more importantly the place has never lost its slightly disturbing crazy. If you're a noob there, I recommend a weeknight jaunt to get a feel for the place. Weekends can get very crowded, very smoky if you're thinskinned, and they charge a $2-$5 cover for a live band or a DJ. Honestly I've seen some great shows there, and it's never been annoying background noise in any case. If the thought of paying a $3 cover for people actually playing music seriously bothers you, may I humbly suggest finding a more fulfilling career than working at Walmart. If you find your tender sensibilities offended by the Emerald, please drop the ego, throw back some cheap High Life tallboys served by your friendly bartenders, get gloriously inebriated and let the good times roll. It's one of the best places in town to strike up interesting conversations with strangers and make new friends... if you're in the right frame of mind. read more

SO smoky! Iccckk! Every time I have been to the Emerald, I have been dragged through the door. It's a typical smoky dive bar that usually charges a cover. My last experience at the Emerald was losing my friends in the smoky haze and watching the rude girl covering the door call the cops on the Sake Bomb patrons next door for standing out front with their drinks. Lame. Smokey bars are lame, grumpy bouncer chicks are lame and charging a cover is super lame. In my opinion, Emerald Bar needs to get with the times. I know a lot of people like the Emerald, but it's not for me. read more

Complete and total dive bar but like I've said before, that's what I love! Very large bar area with tables around as well. People watching was, of course, magnificent. They also had Touchtunes, which is always a plus in my book. It's definitely a bar to go to when you're already drunk or the other bars have closed. The only thing i didn't like was the smoke. Next time I'm bringing a gas mask cause it was brutal, and this is coming from a smoker. But overall, it's a very fun place. read more

OK wait a sec, as far as I know, dive bars don't have $5 covers so I am gonna have to deduct for that. Let's get the categorization right kids... read more

It was January 2012, and I had broke up with an ex girlfriend. My friend came into town, and said "The Emerald looks cool". We walked in there, and our lives were forever changed. Had I of never went in there, i'd of never met so many of the awesome people I met while I lived in Saint Pete. You'll meet some interesting characters and locals, definitely see some weird stuff, and one of the bartenders (Which are all AWESOME, by the way), will serve you up some great affordable drinks! This is by far the #1 dive bar in the country, and my favorite in Saint Pete. It'll always be my home bar, wherever life takes me!!!! read more

I like the Emerald. It's a little packed on the weekends, I mean packed to where you cant find a seat or move all night. Weekdays are much better. Its real smokey, so if you don't smoke you wont last long. Bartenders Chrissy, Lina and Mo are super nice! A ton of stinky hipsters sometimes ruin your night, but one day their fad will die out. Over all the Emerald is great. SMall, stinky, dirty, full of skank and awesomeness. Try it! read more

Drinks are poured strong at the Emerald. Awesome djs spin here weekly like Mega. Ladies night is the best on Wed for cheaper then normal drinks. Every guy dresses like their dad did in the 70s and the ladies wear tight jeans, scarves and headbands. The bathroom was clean. Srsly the cheapest drinks in St Pete other then a redneck dive bar! read more

Gosh I like the Emerald, but the failure of the place to have an A/C system that blows the cigarette smoke out of the joint makes it impossible for me to be in there for very long. When the place is empty-ish, and I can breathe, its great! Decor: Vintage, with a perfect patina of dive. Staff: Awesome. Music: Awesome. If they could only fix the air problem I'd be a regular... until that day, I'll sadly be next door at Sake Bomb or down at the Local 662. read more

Jesus, I have so many memories of this bar when I lived in St. Pete. I've lived all over the US and let me say this on record, Crissy and Mo are the best bartenders I've ever encountered anywhere! I've gotten drunk here. I've seen bands here. I've snuck in to avoid cover charges. I've sat alone at the bar and wallowed in my sorrows. This place will always hold a dear place in my heart. read more

The dance floor has a sign on it that states "Dance At Your Own Risk" and there recently was a painting on the wall of the "F-Bomb". Chrissy makes the best My Little Pony shots. Last week I walked in and some woman I never met in my life screamed "Oh My God, where have you been?!" and walked over and gave me a huge hug and then serenaded me all night singing Sinatra. Dogs (the kind with tails) are welcome here also. This place is sheer Perfection. I hope it never changes. read more

Definitely a dive bar. It will make you feel OK about drinking in the day time until you go back inside (no windows). You can smoke inside. I had no idea they served food...and I honestly I wouldn't touch it with a 9 foot pole. If you are hungry stick to the pre-packaged food behind the bar. Drinks are cheap. Patrons, slightly scary. Lets just say Doc Martins are a trend, black eyeliner worn generously. You will also find your common north Central hipsters with their PBRs and shots of whiskey. Stop by. Its a good place to grab a drink or two,but not to pull an all nighter. read more

Emerald is a great dive bar located near downtown St. Pete. I was brought here while staying with some friends who know the area, and they know their bars. This is a great place to start your night, with awesome happy hour specials- including $2 wells. We pulled a couple tables together, talked, enjoyed our drinks, had a great time, and it didn't break the bank. There's a lot of seats at the bar itself, plus a lot of tables spread out, and you can almost always find a place to sit. There's a lot of local artwork hanging on the walls, which you can purchase if you like, as well as a jukebox with a great sound system, some dart boards, and maybe a pool table (I had a few of the $2 wells, and my memory is a bit fuzzy). Either way, enjoyed the few times I stopped in here to hang out. Great bartenders, great folks, a real friendly atmosphere, this is a great dive bar! read more

I don't really like this place. I've been here a couple of times and it's kind a dingy. The service was good. The prices were reasonable. It's just not my kind of bar. The place reeked of smoke. Lots of old people. Dismal draft selection. I could make the mix drinks they have at home. I guess this would be a good place for a cheap after work drink but that's not why I go out. It's not my crowd. read more

Sweet Vegas dive bar vibe. I love the random ass music. You can smoke and bring your dog!!!! I randomly found this place and I'm Irish so yeah total win. read more