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Friendly Tarpon Tavern

4.3 (24 reviews)
InexpensiveDive Bars, Sports Bars
Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

Friendly Tarpon Tavern Photos

Business Info

FRIENDLY TARPON TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Divey
Live music
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Friendly Tarpon Tavern

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Orlando M.

Great Friendly Tarpon atmosphere. Definitely one of the best pizza I've had in Tampa. Nice a crunchy. Service and beers are great!

Lori S.

Wonderful, laid back atmosphere, nicely decorated, friendly owners and server, great chips and queso, delicious rum and juice concoction, really good music

a can of lagunha lite
Brad S.

Maybe youve passed by this place on Gandy Blvd in South Tampa a million times. Next time, stop in. Its a great fun bar. Not exactly a dive, but with a similar feel. Its very clean and smoke free. The inside is warm and woody. There is a cool back patio where you can relax and watch games, if thats your thing. Not mine. The bartenders are all old school. The drinks are strong and prices are low. Restrooms are clean. Parking in front is tight. But apparently you can park next door at ABC Liquor and not get towed. There is live music on weekends to enhance the overall vibe.

Sharing a good time watching college football with family!

LOVE... small, local bars! This one has promise... it thankfully changed owners and now is getting a makeover. Reasonable beer and wine prices... bar bites as well! J.j. and Katie (bartenders) are super sweet and fun!!! Pool table, darts and a small stage in back for live music.. and of course T.V.'s ... inside and outside.... Go by and check it out... you may want to be one a regular... I do!!

a can of beer and a surfboard

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Photo of Joe C.
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6 months ago

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Friendly Tarpon T.

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3 months ago

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Friendly Tarpon T.

Thank you for coming by!

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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7 months ago

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Friendly Tarpon T.

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

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Friendly Tarpon T.

Thank you, Laura! We are glad you are one of our regulars :)

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Photo of Ea T.
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2 years ago

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Friendly Tarpon T.

Thank you! Glad to hear you will be back. Come see us anytime!

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

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Friendly Tarpon T.

Thank you so much for coming!

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Great place to drop in, hang out and watch football! Indoor has a fun vibe and outdoor porch with tvs and a stage for local live music.

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Friendly Tarpon T.

Thanks, Laura Jane!

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Photo of Todd C.
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5 years ago

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4 years ago

Awesome owner and staff, reasonably priced drinks, great music and sports on all TV's...my favorite!

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8 years ago

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

Great place to watch football. You can sit outside and watch the games. Good prices and friendly people and excellent service.

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9 years ago

Friendliest beer joint in the Gandy area. Rays game is always on. Cold beer and pet friendly. Cheers to that!

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8 years ago

Great bar, excellent staff that will take care of their patrons! A must go if you like dive bars with character.

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8 years ago

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8 years ago

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Ask the Community - Friendly Tarpon Tavern

Review Highlights - Friendly Tarpon Tavern

As first time customers at Barefoot Billy's, we cannot say and thank you enough for showing our group a great time and making us feel right at home.

Mentioned in 3 reviews

Read more highlights

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Dead Bob's Too - Wings

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Your name alone brings a smile on my face…read more I had a month where I would just end up spawning here. No rhyme or reason but with I'm not upset about it, I just happened to stumble through the door. But name a better place to do so at? At late hours, yeah, you can't buddy. First go around here really rocked my world. Almost scared me. You are telling me I can get a chicken corndon blue sandwhich as well as a miller highlife and deep fried tots? Ok yeah sure let's do it. But that's not the end. The menu is extensive, the bag is deep and filled with tricks. Daily specials, yup. Dessert, yup. Full bar, yup. It's a fun spot. Inside/outside seating. Green iguana next door. Yeah a dangerous duo. Kobe and Shaq vibes. Vintage Bron and D-wade. Give it a go. Get off that Water St. pedestal you are on. Visit a real dive bar and live your life.

Told All-Star Elite Dave W about my recent lunch at Dead Bob's new location in St Petersburg and…read morewhen he discovered that there was a Tampa location our next lunch get together was unanimous. This location isn't as swamped as the St Petersburg location. There was plenty of parking and lots of room to sit down. We chose to sit at the bar. Dave W ordered a fruity mocktail (Bartender's choice), and I ordered a fruity cocktail (Bartender's choice). The drink I got was 'Sex On The Beach' ($3.25). The cocktail was tasty with a slight kick. Later I ordered another and told her to make it a double ($5.25). The second drink had a big kick! I ordered the Shrimp Dinner ($14.77) choosing to have the shrimp grilled and it came with broccoli and yellow rice. I substituted fries for the rice. Dead Bob's fries are special. The shrimp didn't look grilled to me. That cost them a star. Other than that I have no complaints about the service or atmosphere.

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Dead Bob's Too - Nat's Double D's chicken sandwhich

Nat's Double D's chicken sandwhich

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1983 - Loaded Waffle Fries

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3.2(96 reviews)
2.0 miPalma Ceia
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The food here is just ok and a little overpriced for the execution…read more The service is inconsistent but we've been few times since its near by and we love the ambiance

Overall, I enjoyed the experience, but I wish I liked the food more…read more We came on a Saturday morning for brunch. I was really worried about parking because I remembered what it was like with that early on, but it seems like their parking has expanded. I think it's because it's now right next to a fitness studio that together they realize they needed a lot more parking, so there is quite a bit of parking in the parking lot behind it. That being said the restaurant wasn't that crowded so I don't know what it's like when both the restaurant and the fitness studio is crowded, but for a Saturday brunch, we had no issues finding a parking spot. We primarily came because the kids wanted to try the arcade. We got super lucky that the kids went into the arcade before a birthday party started. Once the birthday party started, they put out a sign that said there was a private event so it was completely closed to the public. That would've been such a disappointment so if you are really looking forward to the arcade like my kids are, I think it's worth a call ahead of time to make sure there is no private event that has booked that space. Overall, I wish I like the food better. The pretzel board was delicious and definitely a highlight. I got a mint tea that was absolutely amazing. At first. I felt like it was a little too sweet, but I really warmed up to it. Next time I should ask though for the sweetener on the side for me to control the sweetness level. I got the steak hash, and I wasn't a big fan. The steak was slightly over salted, although it was cooked perfectly. The potato hash was huge chunks of potatoes, so I just felt like it was a major potato overload. Overall, for the price of the dish, I thought it would be much better. I think fewer potatoes would have made it better, because the meat if it wasn't over salted would have been quite good. I got my eggs sunny side up and they were cooked perfectly. I really appreciate their kids menu, it has pictures of all the food so the kids were able to look at the pictures to choose. They both wanted their own pizza, one with fries, the other with fruit. The fries were delicious my son love them, the fruit was also good. They both only ate one slice of their pizza so we definitely could've gotten them one pizza to share. I got them both gummy bear lemonade, and it was actually quite sour to my surprise. We asked to switch out one lemonade for a Coke when my older son wouldn't drink it. I was surprised that we ended up being charged for both the Coke and the gummy bear lemonade when he didn't drink it. However, overall, our service was fantastic so I'm not going to let that small thing dampen my review of the service. My husband got the Caesar wrap, he really enjoyed it. He got truffle fries, which ended up being a good call because my older son ate all the fries. My husband got a margarita and really liked it. Overall, I think they do drinks well here. We sat outside and it was gorgeous. It's fully covered. We didn't feel that hot and they do have TV so you can watch sports. I do love the decor of this place overall. This isn't a place that we are running to come back to you, but I do believe we will be back in the future.

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1983 - Stunning interior

Stunning interior

1983 - Buffalo flatbread

Buffalo flatbread

1983 - Stellar sign outside ft the moon

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Top Shelf Sports Lounge - Soon to be famous grilled wings

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4.3(98 reviews)
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Great wedge here, just add the blackened chicken and you've got yourself a quick lunch. Go the…read moredistance with stuffed blue cheese olive martinis and a Cesar too for dinner. The service could be a little more attentive but that's what happens in downtown during lunch. The play all different games on the TVs here and there trivia nights certain days of the week. I participated and won! Great little spot away from work.

Happy Hour Monday - Friday 3pm-7pm Late Night Happy Hour…read moreSunday - Thursday 10pm-Close Taco Tuesday - 4pm-Close Wing Wednesday - 25% off wings; All draft beers $5 Wednesday's Trivia night starts at 7:30pm Ladies Night - Monday & Thursday 6pm-close Live music last Friday of the month 6pm-9pm Sundays 50% off your bill for first responders, nurses, teachers, military, & restaurant workers Ok, now I listed off most of the specials on the big sign right before walking in. However, I've been pretty underwhelmed every time I've come here. I really want to love their wings, but Hattricks is just in another stratosphere compared to everywhere else in Tampa Bay. I got 16 wings for $30 - 25% = $22.50 and I had half "soon to be famous" and half garlic parmesan. I thought both were just okay at best. I also tried at $14 dirty martini. It was pretty standard. And I tried the $15 espresso martini. I would not order an espresso martini here again. I enjoyed playing trivia and there are a bunch of TV's to watch a game. I guess I need to try something here other than wings. I don't know every time I come here I always wonder why I'm not at Hattricks instead. Automatic 20% tip added onto your bill if you forget to close out.

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Top Shelf Sports Lounge - Seating

Seating

Top Shelf Sports Lounge - Tender bolts - chicken tenders

Tender bolts - chicken tenders

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Bel Mar Saloon - Cuban egg rolls and chicken nachos

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4.2(97 reviews)
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Let me set the scene: it's a Friday night, and the only thing on my agenda is to consume food with…read morea few friends and their kids hanging with the family. So naturally, we decided to summon the mighty powers of Uber Eats and order from the legendary Bellmare Saloon. The moment the doorbell rang, I felt like I just won a food lottery. I've ordered a spread that could feed a small army: Cuban egg rolls and tacos that are about to change my life. First up, the Cuban egg rolls. These little bundles of joy are so good they should come with a warning label: "May cause spontaneous happy dances." It's as if the culinary gods took all the deliciousness of a Cuban sandwich, rolled it up, and decided, "Why not? Let's make it an egg roll!" The crispy exterior gave way to a savory, meaty filling that hit me right in the nostalgia and the taste buds. I grabbed one and suddenly felt like I was at a Miami street party--complete with the salsa music in my head. Now, onto the tacos. These aren't just tacos; they're an adult party in a tortilla. I ordered three different kinds, thinking I could share (who was I kidding?). The carne asada was marinated better than I ever am on a Friday night. And those toppings? Fresh salsa, creamy avocado, and a sprinkle of queso that would make even the dullest of evenings sparkle like a disco ball. I was practically in a food romance; I savored every bite like I was saying goodbye to an old friend. You know the feeling of regret after polishing off an entire pizza alone? Well, I had absolutely zero of that after my Bellmare order. I felt like I'd achieved something beautiful and triumphant, like I just unlocked a new level in the game of life. And let's not forget my delivery hero from Uber Eats, who arrived with a grin like they were my food fairy godparent. If only they could magically whisk away the dishes afterward! So, to anyone contemplating whether they should dive into the deliciousness of Bellmare Saloon via Uber Eats: stop deliberating, hit that order button, and prepare to embark on a flavor adventure that could easily become part of your adulting highlights reel. In the great words of taco connoisseurs everywhere: life's too short for bland food. Treat yourself, and may your weekends be filled with Cuban egg rolls and tacos that don't judge you for not sharing!

We like to support the local places and social media on this little bar looked like a Cool place…read more,but if your not a local your getting the cold shoulder here... at least the Beer was cold. Staff basically checked out, with that being said you can tell there is no management present. I asked the staff how long this place has been around, and she said for a couple of years but this place is For Sale so no telling how much longer we will be here. Now that answers why this place has a bad vibe, we finished our cold beer and headed over to a cool place on the bay.

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Bel Mar Saloon - Exterior Sign

Exterior Sign

Bel Mar Saloon - Chips queso pico

Chips queso pico

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Friendly Tarpon Tavern - divebars - Updated May 2026

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