I just found out that Tanqueray's is closing its doors soon after decades in business. Tanqueray's has been such a mainstay in Orlando, it will be hard to imagine downtown Orlando without Tanqueray's. The place was always a cool place to meet up with friends for a few cold drinks. Service was inline with other downtown places. It had a cool enough ambiance. I am going tooss this mainstay. read more

One of Orlando's best hidden gems. Located cheers/basement style in the heart of Downtown. Featuring bands or touch tunes depending on the night. Dark and mysterious- a great place to go with friends and enjoy your company. The drinks are served to perfection and the staff is always attentive. read more

This place is one local favorite. Live band. Cheap drinks. Locals. Not the place for those who don't like smoking.people smoke and you will inhale second hand smoke. But this is my favorite. read more

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The food was very well prepared. The service was great... ambiance...an intimate, engaging space. We ate at the bar. We both had fajitas. The meat was tender and the vegetables were perfectly seared... would definitely return! read more

We stumbled upon Tanqueray's on a night out in Downtown Orlando. We noticed a staircase leading down to beneath ground level of the building, and though I live in Florida I'm always intrigued by 'basements.' The bouncer ID'd us, and we made our way inside, immediately welcomed by the smell of cigarettes and Rock music. Not a fan of the smoke, but the music was great. They host live music, with calendars and dates posted inside. The drinks were good, full bar, beers on tap, and skilled bartenders. The ambiance is intimate and definitely dive-y. Just don't expect to eat here, just drink and enjoy the tunes! Cheap drinks, great entertainment, and a nice way to start a little pregame before the downtown crawl! read more

Tanqueray's - Dive Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Hands down top three dive bars in Orlando! Mostly because it's a live music venue, and on any given evening, you can hear some incredible live music. I typically frequent this venue on Monday evenings when the Ogolvie Trio is in full effect! They are a live cover band, typically covering soul and R&B music from the early 2000s, including a couple of their own jams. It's tucked into a secret basement, which is really nice for summers in Orlando by keeping it cool. The drinks are pretty affordable, typical domestic beer is about five bucks, a good tequila and soda is about 8 bucks! There's no food at this venue, however they allow you to bring food in, so that's a nice touch. Always incredible service, very moody speakeasy vibes, and genuinely a good time! read more

Stumbled across Tanqueray's looking for a drink before a concert at the Kia center. Great service, cheap drinks and lively crowd!

Sooooo grateful for this place and, per a few locals we met at a show the next day, a holdout in the area to good old regular bars. We wandered around this area of downtown and it was clubs and lines and cover charges galore - think Ybor City in Tampa circa 2003. Walked in one place.. right back out and the girls working the door said "yea we didn't think you'd like it" and directed us here at our request "of a basic old school bar where we can just have some drinks and chill". Atmosphere was perfect for what this place is.. friendly as hell staff and most importantly unpretentious & welcoming. Didn't go for 5 stars just because they had fancier beers on tap and my beer tastes are simple as hell. read more

A great and cheap underground bar on Orange! My boyfriend and I stumbled across this bar when we were walking downtown in the florida heat, then all of a sudden we feel this super cold breeze coming from a staircase. We went downstairs, and discovered a cool wooden cigarette bar. We're not smokers, but we didn't mind the smell. The drinks, M-F from 5-8pm, the whole tab is 50% off! We were so surprised. We ordered 11 beers for $22! It was so crazy we came back here the next day. Shoutout to David and Jereme as bar tenders. So friendly, so quick and very welcoming. The restrooms here are also so clean. The cleanest restrooms in downtown for sure. We'll be back, we love our happy hour! read more

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Security guard wednesday night aggressively grabbed me and threw me out saying i was "not allowed back here" after trying to report him to the bartender/manager after he tried to bribe the people behind me for 100$ after allegedly taking their "fake". I frequent this bar and have nothing against the establishment except for their vetting of security personnel. Hopefully they don't continue to work with this individual. read more

Do not go here if you are out of state and your ID says so, they will take your ID and claim it's fake and try to get you to pay them $100 for then to give it back. Absolutely unprofessional and ridiculous. I ended up arguing with the security for 10 minutes and he refused to give me my ID back. Ruined my entire night, I am here for a friends birthday and it just ruined everything. Extremely rude for a place i've been in before, but will never go to again. The guy was extremely rude it was beyond disrespectful. I ended up just leaving the ID with him because it is cheaper for me to just get a whole new state issued ID than to pay him to get my real ID back. Fuck this place for being so rude to customers just wanting to enjoy their night. never again. if i could give this place -5 stars i absolutely would. Absolutely beyond unprofessional. Didn't even scan my ID, just said off the bat that it was fake when i am 24 years old. Absurd and rude staff/security. read more

Down some flight of stairs. Definition of a drive bar. Really strange older music - i put money in the jute box. And made request Because it was so bad. I think someone was requesting songs on phone. I liked playing darts. You need cash for darts. Bar tenders were nice. Bathrooms were ok. Very chill feel -drinks 7-10$ read more

Tanqueray's - Lemon drop shot - Dive Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This place is quite the hidden gem. I've lived in Orlando for 5 years and have passed by it numerous times. Decided to pop in for the first time tonight and what a cool spot. The live band "Ancient Sun" is crushing some classic rock. It's tough to find good live music spots downtown. My one and only complaint... the ceilings lol. This is constructive criticism to the owner: please invest in at least spray painting the 80s office vibe ceiling tiles that make me feel like I'm sitting at a cubicle. read more

Hey you guyssssss! This place is an oldie but goodie, there was a live band, the bar tenders were all attentive and made good drinks. My all time fav is the pac man game lol! That was fun to battle with my friends. This place almost reminds me of a speak easy. When bar hoping downtown Orlando add this one to the list. No cover and good drinks! read more

Good band. Good drinks. Nice atmosphere. Mixed crowd. Worth the visit for locals wanting a "speakeasy" type vibe with alternative music and for out of town-ers. read more

Tanqueray's - The bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

The bar is down stairs which is some what cool. The bar it self is dark and has a wood and black leather look for the style. I had 2 glasses of reisling and they were good. Apparently you can smoke inside which I did not like at all. Overall nothing too special about it. If your into drinking you will like the prices during happy hour. read more

Tanqueray's - Dive Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I am rarely EVER downtown, so I hadn't heard about this place until last night. I was at an event across the street and a friend suggested that we go to Tanqueray afterwards. It is definitely a hole in the wall, er ground, but that is what I liked about it. That and the sign out front advertising $3 tequila shots :) It was small and dark, but not crowded. We were able to quickly get our drinks (tequila shots!) and found a little "room" hiding behind the bar that we quickly took over. We were able to hang out and talk without having to yell to hear each other. This is a major win in my book. I could have done without the smoke, but its just one of the things you have to deal with sometimes when you are going out. read more

Tanqueray's - $3 tequila shots! - Dive Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I had the best time ever I had always seen and read the reviews about tanquerade but never had the opportunity to go. I will be back again and be bringing a few friends with me the drinks were awesome price was right love the band I had a great time read more

Horrible first visit here. Walked in and without ordering a drink yet very rude bartender demanded ID. No problem, after two minutes scrutinizing mine he turned to my boyfriend who opened his wallet to show his ID and immediately yelled don't show me that! confused he asked show you what? Your concealed weapons permit (Which happened to also be in his wallet) you cannot show a bartender that permit (again not the ID he was showing the worker) My boyfriend apologized, us both still very confused as to why the bartender was looking at anything other the the ID he demanded we produced. The bartender then told us he will not serve us and to get the fuck out of his bar? Absolutely horrible way to treat people. No wonder there was only a total of 5 patrons in this establishment. read more

This is an excellent place to hang out at when it's busy or even when it's empty. The location is down a steep set of stairs. It used to be a bank vault and it feels like an old bank vault in a good way. The bar is very comfortable. It reminds me of a dirtier smokey Cheers w/a little cranny for dart games, and a small stage for bands. There are even the Cheers like regulars haha The live music here is great and always a treat. Bartenders are fun, quick & professional. Drink prices are average for downtown but they pour them heavy. They have a wide selection of beer for beer drinkers, but not quite the same as WOB or Market on Magnolia. There is no food here. The only reason I took one star off is that this place is REALLY smokey. If you smoke you will be in heaven. If you don't smoke you should be prepared to second hand smoke at least one cigarette. Your clothes and hair will need to be washed the next day. The smoke is the only reason I don't come here more often. I would become one of those Cheers-like regulars if I wasn't walking into a cigarette box... although it's probably better I'm not a regular since I'd probably get into trouble. Hahah read more

Tanqueray's - Live band at Tanqueray's - Dive Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

It was my first time visiting here. After having a great night at a local concert venue I was welcomed with a middle finger and an invitation to never visit again. I don't think they will have to worry about that... To the bartender that flipped me off, I hope you feel gratified by a happily paying customer never feeling comfortable returning alongside your strong ever but not so subtle racism towards one of only 5 black people in your establishment. I appreciate the security actively and attentively listening. But the bar staff, particularly the 5'10 heavyset bartender with the beard not so much... read more

Tanqueray's - Dive Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This is my home bar for the past 6 years! The bartenders are fantastic they are the realest people you will ever meet!

I've seen this place for years while driving by or walking down Orange Ave. My friends and I were bar hopping the other night and it was our last stop. It's kind of divey. It definitely has that sort of Cheer vibe going on because it's in the basement. The drinks were really good, well made, and reasonably priced. Nothing fancy, but you don't always need a fad cocktail. We played darts and hung out. It was lots of fun. I would go back. read more

I have only been to Tanqueray's twice so far and up until that point I always saw it as that 'mysterious underground bar that I'd like to check out once I turn 21.' I have to say that once the intrigue went away, I was not overly impressed with this bar. I feel that an older crowd would perhaps appreciate the average bar ambiance that this place has, but considering there are so many other unique options in downtown Orlando, Tanqueray's wouldn't make my priority list for a night of barhopping. Having said that, they usually do have live music and when I was there on St. Patty's day they had decent drink specials. Good place to chill out if you need a break from the usual downtown grind. read more

I cant tell you how many times I walked past this place while downtown due to its unassuming and kind of shady look, but oh how I was wrong! Underground bar that has a heavy pub feel right when you walk in, this was intensified on my visit by the English chap leading the crowd in a stellar rendition of "champagne supernova"...So, that was my first impression and boy did I love it. ON to the drinks, cheap and good, good and cheap. Nothing stellar that other bars don't have, but pricing is better than expected. The folks serving the drinks were great as well! The live music was great as well. One huge plus of being underground is the acoustics that are amazing to the music! I hung out in the bar section most of the night, but they do have seating and such in front of the music if that is why you ventured in. One thing I found well planned was that the bar and music venue section are connected, but there is a big wall that spans 3/4 length sitting between the two, so when live music is playing you can still have a convo at the bar without feeling the music being obtrusive. This is a good thing for the folks that popped in for the drinks, not necessarily the live music. Overall my only gripe is the smoky nature of the place, but that is easily overlooked with a good beverage in hand! read more

My bf and I come here all the time and the vibes are AMAZING! The bands are so great, and the bartenders are also fast and nice

thank god for this place. Live music, darts, strong, cheap drinks and amazing service. Seriously- every time you're out downtown and wonder where all the friendly, low-key, professional and all-around great bartenders are- they're here. You can smoke in there, so you'll come out smelling like death, but it's a great hang otherwise. read more

This basement dive bar in DT Orlando has a New York vibe to it. It's nice coming here any night of the week. They have a schedule for when certain bands will be playing, all of which are local. Be aware it smells like smoke as smoking is permitted. It gets crowded at times so you may not find a seat. Drinks are strong and cheap. read more

One of my favorite bars in downtown Orlando. If you don't mind the smoke smell, it's a great place for live music. The bartenders are always so friendly and attentive. Drink prices are great in relation to other downtown bars. Highly recommend ! read more

Honestly really liked this place but was super turned off by the negligence of the bartender who gave our card to someone else. He claimed it was because they told him that person had said it was the one with darth vader on it, which ours also had. He should have asked for the last name to verify. Ruined the night. Spent all morning dealing with cancelling the card and changing automated payments. read more

Its a basement bar with cheap drinks. Gives me the back in the day vibe. Smoking is allowed, so if you have an issue with cigarette smoke don't bother going. I actually loved the character and atmosphere of the place. read more

My friends and I headed downtown to have a good night, we were used to the usual loud/energetic vibe that downtown gives off, but, we stopped into to Tanquerays, our friend had been going there for years and decided to show us what it's all about. All of the staff were SO nice and caring. You truly feel like you're in a little hideout listening to amazing music. Jeremy was our bartender and he by far is my favorite bartender I have ever had, so kind and funny but fully aware and open to giving good drink ideas. 10/10 will be coming here again!!! read more

Tanqueray's would most likely be our FAVORITE Downtown bar, but unfortunately, due to the overwhelming amount of tobacco clouds floating around (especially in a basement bar), we rarely frequent it. They have a fantastic beer selection, all the right liquors, and great local bands, all conformed into a unique (especially for Orlando) room, BUT, the goddamn smoke simply kills it all. They have been around for years and will probably be around for many more. They will continue to make their money but, I wonder how much more money they would make if they banned smoking and all of the people like us frequented more often and those that do smoke realized what a great bar it is and decided to forgo their puffing and remained faithful customers. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Food for thought. read more

Solid LIVE Music venue (small) but smokey as hell. Bands were good (some even better than good) every night, friendly staff, fun crowd. read more

Dive bars are fun, and I'm partial to several. A little dust or old surroundings are cool. But actual slime mold behind the bar crosses the line. When a place practices such abysmal cleanliness as Tanqueray's does, I am concerned about genuine health risks. I can't claim I got sick from my visit, other than the urge to vomit triggered by the way Tanqueray's practices "hygiene" -- by seemingly ignoring just about every health department regulation. Upon first arrival the bar top is as sticky as the floor around the toilets. Given that there's more corn syrup (from the cheap drink mixes this places uses) on the bar top than on the bathroom floor, I'm gonna bet the bar top had more bacteria than the bathroom. The glasses were not properly washed according to code and no final anti-bacterial rinse agent was used. I watched the process in semi-horror, incredulous at what appeared to be an experienced bartender was doing. But maybe if you've been in the industry that long and you just don't care anymore because the place around you is already so filthy, you just give up caring. I'm not sure, but that was the attitude I strongly perceived (and over-heard). The ice going into the glasses looked somewhat melted/refrozen in clumps, and that's usually a sign of an ice cooler that isn't working right, or a gummed-up, old, uncleaned "cold plate" (for the soft-drinks in the bar gun) that's heating up the ice only to have it re-freeze again when more ice is dumped in. When I saw that I decided ordering a nice SEALED container of beer was the safer option. Tanqueray's "bar guns" are seriously old, browned, and gummed. (I was paying pretty close attention to everything after noticing many things that set off alarm bells.) Those bar gun heads need to be cleaned weekly and replaced as often as they have problems. You can spot a problem by brownish build-up visible through the clear plastic. That's exactly why they're made of clear plastic -- so the bar staff can notice when they need a cleaning. The spout can also collect bacteria, and if I had to place a bet on it, I'd plunk down heavy cash that a swab of the bar gun spouts will produce a jungle growth in a Petri dish. There are a lot more problems, but let's be pretty clear now about what a dive bar can and can't really get away with: Looking old is fine, but looking or being UNclean, especially in and around the bar and kitchen, is not ever appropriate. A bathroom can look kinda divey, but it needs to be reasonably clean, stay clean, and all the plumbing fixtures need to work correctly. Dive bars are hangouts, so the bathroom needs to be something you're comfortable with. The walls can be covered in dusty-looking artwork, or (often faked) graffiti or whatever. It shouldn't be overly dusty, however. If the walls and hangings get a quick dusting once or twice a month, that covers it pretty well. This isn't rocket-surgery, folks. It's just plain elbow grease. When you look at a place like The Lucky Lure or Red 13 or even The Smiling Bison, they each have a kind of divey theme, but all are clean and have very clean, well-maintained bars and drink wells. They take the time to do it right Even super-dive Wally's on Mills has a much cleaner bar area. It CAN be done - a clean dive. And cleanliness must be kept for any bar to protect the health of its patrons. Tanqueray's fails. I think that this is such an overwhelming issue here that I've covered little else. I would be happy to update this review to cover their selection of drinks, the style of the place, the types of music they offer, what they put out for bar snacks (right into the unwashed containers on sticky bar tops), and whatever else they have to offer. But it's hard to talk about vodka selections when you know it's being poured into a glass that you just witnessed a jaded bartender fail to wash properly, and poured over ice that, likely as not, has a good share of mold and bacteria in it. The place has an interesting atmosphere. But it's hard to enjoy it when you're hearing the bad attitude of a bartender who is burned out and is loud enough about it to let customers know. (Glassy-eyes are the tip-off that intoxicants may play a role in this.) There is nothing here to see or pay for until it's clean and has the right procedures. What kept occurring to me was what a great candidate this place would be for those bar-makeover TV shows. In this case, they don't so much need the makeover (I like the general vibe). They do need to lift up the bar mats to see the thick layers of slime built up, then clean and fix all the ice bins and bar guns, then teach the staff how to keep them clean, nightly and thoroughly. I'll stop back in when Tanqueray's management starts caring about cleanliness. It's in a central spot and seems good for a couple of cocktails and some music after eating in downtown. But only after the place has been de-gunked. read more

I'm stuck between 3 and 4 stars on this one. There are so many things I like about this place and a few things I feel more "ehhh" about. I think it all depends on the night you visit or the type of surroundings that you're up for that evening. I've been to Tanqueray's dozens of times; most recently on Reggae Monday. Per usual, I was digging the band. You almost always find some great local talent at this spot! Additionally, the underground-bar vibe that Tanqueray's boasts makes it feel a bit like you're in an old-school NYC or Chicago lounge. There is, however, still a lot to be desired in that department. Don't get me wrong, if Tanqueray's is cool with the dive-bar status than actually, they are right on point. But if they wanted to be known more for the sexy, smokey, jazz cafe sort of vibe... then I think Tanqueray's needs to focus a little more attention on their ascetics. I guess that's my thing with this place... I don't really know what to make of it. If nothing else, it's unique, which is impressive enough for a downtown Orlando bar. read more

One of the best things about bars in new York is that they are smoke free. Not so in Orlando. The first thing you notice in this dim seedy basement bar is a thin haze of cigarette smoke. The bar dominates the space, swooping around a corner. In an adjacent room a live band plays. The crowd is uncharacteristically diverse for the downtown club scene. The best spot in an otherwise wasteland of stiletto heels and tailored shirts. read more

Hands down our favorite bar in Orlando. Why? - Quality live bands every single night - The best bar staff anywhere. Friendly, professional, just good people. - Strong drinks, cheap prices - Everyone is your friend at this bar. You make new friends every time you visit. A better version of Cheers. Love love love this place! read more

Not a bad stop if you are making your way around downtown Orlando on Orange Ave. Take the street side stairwell underground for live music and cheaper basic drinks. My main complaint, which may be others' favorite point of interest, is you can still smoke inside here. Not my thing and it reeks in this stagnant basement turned bar. Aside from that, this place is pretty laid back. Lots of locals and affordable domestic beers. Interior is dark and dated, but again fits with the whole vibe here. read more

Likes: Downtown Underground vibe Live band Zero cover charge Dislike: Unsolicited cigarette smoke in my face. . . read more