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    Stan's Idle Hour

    3.8 (136 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    Stan's Idle Hour Photos

    Business Info

    STAN'S IDLE HOUR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Stan's Idle Hour

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    Sarah P.

    A cute rustic venue offering water views outdoor seating, pub fair and drinks and live music. They even have their own store where they sell t-shirts hats etc. An Alabamian by way of Miami, Florida named Stan Gober took a chance and purchased an unknown motel, called the Idle Hour Motel in 1969. Subsequently in April 1970, he bought the corresponding coffee shop/restaurant. These properties were located in a sleepy fishing village called Goodland, Florida, discovered by Stan while fishing its backwaters in the 60's. Stan and his wife, Faye Campbell Gober and their three sons packed up their Miami home and rented a unit at the Idle Hour Motel (since been razed due to Hurricane Wilma) and began working on their investment. Faye and Stan loved music, especially crooners Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Perry Como. Stan began to write his own music, and in the hopes of drumming up more business in the 1980's, he bought an outdoor grandstand from a local Goodlander and hauled it over to the restaurant. He envisioned an outdoor place where people could dance and gather. Stan was a master entertainer, singing and telling jokes, drawing crowds in the hundreds and eventually in the thousands. Going to Stan's became a Sunday tradition for many Southwest Floridians. And Stan was a family man, a charitable, compassionate soul with a true love for his country. Lucky for us, his place of business thrives fifty years later.

    Charlie F.

    The day we arrived, we made a beeline to this place, and it was packed to the invisible rafters! The grouper fish tacos are da bomb. Great food. Great drinks. Great atmosphere. Everyone having a blast. We came here late September last yr and we just missed this place by a week or two and had to settle for crabby lady and that place sucked.

    Teresa H.

    First time here and I hope to return to try the wings. We started off with the hot peel and eat shrimp which were kind of hard to peel. But had great flavor! I had the lobster n'ber which was amazing and my boyfriend Ahmad the grouper sandwich which he loved. And get the homemade chips! Sat at the bar...loved the atmosphere. Be careful on the bar chairs they are a little rickety ... they can use an upgrade. Great and attentive friendly service!

    Outside
    Judy S.

    I stumbled upon this place in the middle of nowhere and discovered a new city lol. I stopped because of the huge crowd outside and the lively music. I was intrigued. There were barely any places to park but I managed. It was like a party was going on. The place looked fun It seems that every Sunday. Three local restaurants get together and have live music and entertainment and Stans is one of them "Sunday Sunday" All three restaurants are within walking distance from each other and they also have shuttles available. the atmosphere is fun here. Everyone having a great time. The band was phenomenal. The crowd was dancing and so was I and having a good time. This was my favorite restaurant. If crowds are not for you. I suggest visiting another day of the week. The inside is pretty big. Someone said it had 5 bars. It has a stage and a big outdoor sitting area. This restaurant is right next to the water and so you get a beautiful view of the water and boats. I did not try the food only the drinks and they tasted good. Beer seems popular here. The staff was great and people-friendly. I loved this place. I can't wait to be back.

    Robert C.

    What a shit show...but in the best possible way! All I can say is that the beer is cold and the food is fresh. From the jalapeño poppers, to the conch fritters, to the blackened grouper, to the fried oyster basket...you really can't go wrong with any of these dishes. I will say, you must embrace the controlled chaos. It is very crowded, very loud, and very well managed. Lastly...it's not a complete experience unless you visit the gift shop and give them all your money! We will definitely be back!

    The view from the docks at Stan's - pleasant setting for the dining and drinking experience
    Brian O.

    A rustic tropical place, right on the water, with excellent food and local color galore! Stan's is the kind of bar/restaurant I wish was near me: the E-Z vibe made me wish I was a regular. The blackened grouper sandwich is sensational. It's cooked just right with a hearty portion. Seasoned waffle fries are a good compliment with it (and your drinks). Live music as well, even in the middle of the day. I'm not sure when I'll be in town again, but when that time comes, Stan's will be first on my list.

    Burger and fries
    Raymond H.

    Great location and ambiance, the food was good, not great. The service was exceptional and if I could go another 1/2 star higher I would. Well definitely go back.

    Outside panoramic view
    Matthew M.

    Solid food! We showed up around noon on a Thursday, and wow, these guys were popping! It's a fairly large outdoor seating area with some tables inside. The service was pretty good but you could tell they are probably understaffed, not necessarily their fault, so no need to judge. Our server was super friendly and they use handheld ordering devices to speed up service. We were 4 adults, 2 kids. Frozen colada/daiquiri style drinks were right on par. I ordered the blackened scallops with black beans, rice, and coleslaw. 2 others had the shrimp tacos (they give you two decent sized ones) with beans/rice/slaw, 1 other had coconut shrimp w/fries, kiddos had a burger (huge, probably their regular menu size) and chicken tenders (decent portion). Both kids meals had waffle fries. All together, the seafood was very fresh and the portion of seafood in each meal was pretty decent. I wondered if I received enough scallops at first but forgot how much basic raw protein can actually fill you up. My only reason for not giving 5 stars is the food could be plated a little better for what it is. The coleslaw is great, rice ok, black beans were basically straight from the can. All showed up in side cups. I get it, increases speed, but decreases ambiance. That, and the place needs an update. Bathrooms were gross; mens room was missing a toilet seat on its single shooter and had a trough for a urinal. Is what it is, look, it's a local dive bar. So, if you can own that you will really like it here. If not, you are going to have to skip it and go somewhere fancier - they have a mullet festival here. Ultimately, if you are in the area, I would definitely recommend them. Also, their happy hour prices look ridiculously good.

    Kensta
    Tyler A.

    WOW... this place is nuts, get the rum punch you will stumble out. Incredible service and ambiance.

    June S.

    When you are in the Sunshine State, restaurant with outdoor seating and live music are not hard to find. We were introduced to one of the popular spot by locals, where they had plenty of food, booze, and music! When we arrived, they had a live band playing some oldies, and patrons were dancing their heats out! Around the stage and the dancing floor, they had more outdoor seating, with a view of water. We got there around 3:30pm, and lucky for us, they have happy hour from 3pm - 6pm. Actually, they call that "Idle Hour" here. After some wait, we got attention of a server, and we ordered Margarita, Popcorn Shrimp, Clam Strips, and Fried Mozzarella. The orders arrived rather quickly, which was great. Margarita was strong and tasty, but not big in size though. All the "snacks" we ordered was nice, but kind of small in portion as well. And since all the dishes we ordered were all fried, they almost tasted the same... They have a souvenir shop on the premises, selling Stan's special gift items, including t-shirts and hats. They had loads of really funny items as well, it is worth checking it out. We certainly had a fun afternoon with nice snacks and drinks. Our server, Brandon was very friendly and helpful, he took a really good care of us.

    Fun times

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    1 month ago

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    1 year ago

    Just an all around great time. Good food Good music Excellent pina coladas Everyone having outdoor fun.

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    3 years ago

    Very good food and live music. The fried oysters are delicious . Chicken wings is my wife's favourite

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    Ask the Community - Stan's Idle Hour

    Can I bring kids on a Wednesday?

    Maybe. Not on a Sunday with all the bikers and drunks, as well as scanty dressed ladies. Some of the entertainers during the week are a bit bawdy. Perfect for adults who like to party, drink and meet others.

    Headed to Stan's for the day today with a group, Any suggestions as to items we should take with us? Also any suggestions as to MUST DO or MUST SEE? Thank you

    Hi Tracey, Maybe bring some sunscreen? We have a lot of seating in the shade, but if your with a large group you may end up sitting where the picnic tables are. They do have… Read more

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    Lots of flavors--when they aren't sold out. We had 5 in our party. All but one of us had to make a…read more2nd or 3rd choice due to being sold out. So, although very nice they have like 30 flavors, it was disappointing to have to re-make a choice (especially for kids). The kids sizes were plenty large. About 3 smaller scoops of ice cream. It filled a cake cone no problem. The two ladies working were very nice despite being super busy, out of many flavors, and their a/c was broken

    It's been a few years since my last visit so let's do an update…read more.. Last night Wifey and I jumped in the car after sunset and went to Beebe's for some ice cream. Last time we were here Wifey passed on dessert, but was in the mood this time. When we arrived there was no one in the store so we took our time looking at the flavors. Wifey decided on Peanut butter chocolate chip, and I quote "Biggest chunks of peanut butter I've ever had in ice cream." She loved it. Though I wanted two flavors, I didn't really want the two scoop size...unfortunately they won't out two flavors in a small so I splurged and got the Butterscotch blast (or something like that) and German chocolate. The Butterscotch was actually better than the chocolate, but they were both great. Word of warning- when it's 1000 degrees, trying to eat ice cream can be challenging - thankfully we got our ice cream in cups and not cones. One negative...their spoons suck (well, two if you count not allowing two flavors in a small). Spoons are way too bendy and weak for hard ice cream. Service was great - kid served us first even though a bigger group came in behind us ready to order (we were still looking at the flavors. Seems like Beebe's is another "Go-To" spot around here so just know there could be a line...

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    Stan's Idle Hour - seafood - Updated May 2026

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