Great bar tenders. Fast service. Fun drinks. My favorite is the mezcal mai tai. Great smoky mezcal with a sweet finish. Recommend sitting at the bar. It's a fun spot even when they aren't having a concert in the back. And remember to take a "Bends Bathroom Selfie" read more

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I really like how Everytime I walk in this bar I have a different experience. Always interesting, great people watching, and friendly patrons. Some nights I've heard rock and punk playing and other nights I've heard electronic music playing. They have a great selection on beers and a full bar. Every bartender that had taken care of me always greets me quickly and they're all friendly. I'm in the service industry so having such a unique space open late is such a treat! read more

Was looking for a bar with a great vibe and cheaper drinks around the area at 1am and luckily found this place. They had great space and lighting with $7 Beer & shot combos. My friends enjoyed their holiday drinks and twist on the Moscow Mule. Bartenders were quick with the drink making as well. There was easy parking and an outside seating area. Nothing much more you could ask for! read more

The Bends - PBR + Shot & Tecate + Shot - Bars Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

Sucked bartender was rude and not welcoming. Rolled their eyes and had attitude. Never coming back.

Such a rad bar, i stopped in after the pride parade in downtown and had a blast! The music just reminded me of the good ol warped tour days. The drinks were pretty good, although it was was busy we were helped quickly with no issue! Def a spot to hit on a bar crawl. Chill out and vibe read more

Reading through the reviews I'm surprised to see so much negativity because The Bends is hands-down one of my favorite places in the area! We spent last NYE there and had a blast! There's always fun themed events going on and even when it's busy I've never had a problem with the service. The bartenders are attentive and do their best to serve folks in a timely manner. I've never waited an unreasonable amount of time for a drink. The drink selection is solid and full of fun mixed drinks and craft beers as well as your typical domestics. There's really something to suit anyone's taste. My only complaint is the bathroom situation. Only having one of each gendered bathroom is a bummer and the wait it sometimes really long and ends up crowding the hallway space. read more

The Bends - tiki drinks for tom selleck's birthday - Bars Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

Great ambiance and vibes, good service and drinks. Went out on a Friday night and it was relatively busy but not crowded

I came here for unfun night and it was amazing! It's such a fun little bar I can't believe I didn't know about it sooner! They even have arcade games! I had the best time and met so many cool people! I can't wait for the next one! read more

Great space, delicious cocktails, and good service. No complaints about this spot! It's a go-to on a night out.

I am impressed with their $5 Shots and Beer. Super affordable! The decor was nice and they had a live band playing when I visited. Will definitely visit again when I'm in St. Pete! read more

The Bends - $5 for a beer and a shot!! - Bars Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

Good Music ! Bad Future excellent Band - Good Drinks ! A place to meet good friends and make new ones read more

This place is the best. Friendly bartenders, great drinks at a good price. If I lived in St. Pete, I'd be here all the time.

2 stars overall. I really like the decor which I would go 5 stars on but the service is a 0. Truly a zero for service. On a early Friday night we stopped in based on reviews. After getting past the fog of cigarette smoke we made it to the bar. Not super packed so we found a place to order a beverage. In the 15 minutes that I waived my credit card, I was neither greeted nor even made eye contact with the one bartender that was working. The experience reminded me a little of Mastry's and I guess that's due to the smoke and some of the patrons. Either way, I'll be back again because it's impossible that the service is always that bad. An updated review soon.... read more

The Bends - Bars Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

Man, what a hidden gem DSTP has here. So hidden, in fact, that there is no sign. Just a huge hand-painted finger pointing down towards the front door. Then, off to the left inside the front door's threshold is a small aluminum sign that reads, "The Bends." It's pretty discrete. However, trust me when I tell you that plenty of folks know about it. This place was freaking PACKED. Were there hipsters drinking PBRs? It's DTSP, so naturally, but it wasn't an obscene. Otherwise, the crowd was pretty even in types of people, and they were all great to chat with. My buddy dragged La Chica and I here after the Beer & Tacos event down the street, and while he was directing us their, part of his actually instructions were, "Just past the homeless guy, there is a dumpster, turn left there." Right then and there, we knew we would like this place, and we did. A bit divey, but in a safe, younger crowd kinda way. You know what I mean! Large selection of cocktails ranging from shit they made up, all the way to old fashioned and sazeracs. And all of the drinks are stiff. Think of every ONE as TWO. Normally, I can pound them down, but I had to slow my roll here if I wanted to arrive alive. By the end of the night, I was drinking water. True story. So never mind the halfway house/motel across the street, the homeless folks asking for "bus" money at 1 AM, the dirt parking lot and it's grim appearance. Pull in, grab a beer or cocktail and ask about the framed Tom Selleck photograph above the register. It's story is interesting to say the least. read more

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I don't know how I haven't written a review of the Bends yet, but this place is fantastic. Keep in mind, I am calling it fantastic for what it is, and that's a dive bar. You have to know what you're coming to - this isn't a lounge and its not likely going to be much of a place for dancing, though I have not yet been on a Friday or Saturday. It's a bar, they have a few tables out front and a large room in the back for parties, games, etc. I think they have a golden tee back there, maybe a pool table - I forget. The thing I like most about The Bends though are the drinks. I love coming here on a Friday after work, not really for happy hour though as their happy hour specials are okay, but never include their seasonal and specialty cocktails. Therefore, I don't come here looking to save a few bucks on drinks before 7. Instead, I come here for 2 things: an old fashioned or a sazerac. Now, they have more than that - they have a number of specialty, crafted cocktails, and I have had more than a few of them and liked them all. But their old fashioned and their sazerac are awesome. In fairness, not every bartender there is as good. They have one particular bartender that has been there more times than not when I have. White dude, with a beard, a bit shorter than average, very friendly. This guy makes a ridiculous drink. Last time I was there, he made me my two go-tos, and I just sat outside in the gorgeous Florida spring weather, in awesome downtown St. Pete, with a book and my drinks and that was near perfect to me (near perfect because Melissa was away). Again, I can't stress this enough - this is a 5-star dive bar as far as I am concerned, so I don't want to hear your complaints if you go there to dance to top 40s on a Saturday night and have a miserable time. That's not what this is. Speaking of music, just a warning, you are welcome to play anything you want in the jukebox provided the bartender working likes it. They have and will use veto power. A little too much power, if you ask me. read more

This is a great dive bar hidden away off the beaten path in downtown St Pete with bartenders who knows how to make a mean cocktail. What brings me back are the seasonal cocktails and the prices. Any dive bar can sling cran and vodka or whatever, but this place has an impressive list of drinks. They charge $7 or $8 for a great cocktail when other places would charge $10-$11. I'll keep coming back with those prices. This place caters to the hipsters which is a nice departure from the touristy areas a few blocks away. And My boyfriend and I have always had good service from the bartenders. As another Yelper, Todd B., my points out, the bartenders will skip your songs if they don't care for them. Kinda made us unhappy to drop $5 only to have our song choices overridden. I mean, who doesn't like DMB? Lol. Yes, I played DMB at a dive bar and survived to tell the tale and write a review. Haha. Now this place is kinda small. There's maybe a dozen or so stools at the bar, a couple of tables at the front and some in the back with the game area. They also have some patio furniture on the sidewalk. We've only been successful finding a spot to actually sit down if we come by 9. read more

Hipster type place at night is much more suited for my taste earlier in the evening. They have a good craft beer selection but no food service so they allow smoking which is a real downfall for me. It's a very large space, like an old warehouse, but nicely decorated. I wouldn't go out of my way to go here, especially with the smoking, but if you're out and don't mind smelling like that all night I would rate it a decent spot to go too. read more

Go Here!. Its indie and creative. The owner is super nice and will make you feel welcome (when does this happen in a bar?) On the weekends there is always some sort of music/dancing event. Great drinks for good prices. The bar is a little separated from other venues. Do not parking in the neighborhoods to the north! read more

This place! Just stopped in to say hi and felt this very cool bar vibe... Felt like I was in a Brooklyn place I frequented, their facebook page is great and up-to-date with events... read more

Small little hipster bar. Very good cocktails! I had a couple "blueberry brambles" and they went down like juice. Lucky it was good because the bartender started making it without me actually ordering it. I was trying to ask about it but she just started making it and ignoring me. It was not busy and she could hear me. But hence why I gave 4 stars over 5. It wasn't just that but she was very rude. Good thing the drink was really good lol. read more

So very few times do you go into a bar and it feels like home. Great bartenders, delicious drinks including a frozen banana daiquiri machine and classics like the old fashion on the drink menu. A. And played in back and the atmosphere as chill and casual. Will be back read more

Quick service, SO FRIENDLY, & so quickly! Loafy was very friendly & knowledgeable! Would definitely be back! ASK FOR LOAFY! He's is the all time best. Made my experience so good!! Highly recommend!!!! read more

The Bends - Bars Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

This place has the most incredible cucumber drink! I'm a giant fan of cucumber so I was super excited when My boyfriend said we would stop by here for a cucumber drink. The thing about it that was so amazing was that you could barely tell there was any alcohol in the drink, however about halfway through drinking it I knew that there was! The only reason for four stars is that you can smoke inside. read more

Cool Spot, great drinks, fun vibe. This is a tiny dive bar with a space in the back where local bands play. It's small and it's awesome. Check it out! read more

The Bends - Slap of Reality in the house! - Bars Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

DO NOT GO TO THIS BAR!!! the bartenders roofie girls. I was roofied a month ago and the Bends... I drank ONE mixed drink that I bought MYSELF and held in my hands the entire time. After finishing majority of my drink I woke up in the hospital with no memory of what happened. This exact same thing happened to my friend last Saturday. PLEASE WOMEN DO NOT GO TO THIS BAR. The bartenders can NOT be trusted. Please be safe. read more

Racism. Last night I went to this bar with a group of friends. Three of us are white and one of us is black. We split up to get drinks inside the bar. I stayed with my black friend as he was planning on ordering a drink and I wasn't. Twenty minutes pass and he was never served. Everyone around us was served, including people who just arrived at the bar. Yes, the bar was busy. Yes, they have a drink called 'Stay Woke'. Yes, this bartender might have made a mistake. Well, he decided he was not going to let himself go unnoticed. He told her he'd been waiting. Now it was a loud bar and I couldn't hear much. But, it was clear she came back with an attitude and turned her back on him. Now as you can imagine he was upset. We went outside and told the bouncer we'd like to see the manager. The manager arrived, drink in hand. He did not ask for the story. He did not give us a chance to speak. He immediately jumped in about how 'not racist' his female bartender is and how 'not racist' he is. Even getting on a tangent about how he is Jewish and his people faced adversity. Mind you, this was not about race. This was about poor customer service. We were trying to give the benefit of the doubt. The manager stepped closer to my friend. Then my friend jumped back. In shock and awe of the words being said and the attitude he received. He couldn't get a word in and all he could hear was nonsense. Which is what I heard. The manager was clearly not trying to make things right. My friend raised his voice to try and get a word in and the manager started yelling. Then about a minute into all of this. (A minute from when the manager arrived.) The manager says "You know what I'm going to call the police!" If it wasn't about race before, it is now. My friend was not threatening him. My friend doesn't fight. He's a tall black gay man with no history with the police. Now crying, I walked him away from the scene. I am disgusted with this bar and I will never go back. I will make sure that everyone in St. Petersburg knows what happened there. They have one black bartender. Last night they only had one black customer while we were there. I guess I understand why. It's time to take down that drink title 'Stay Woke' and also the drink name 'Yaaaas Queen'. Because, The Bends discriminated against a black gay man. read more

This might be my new favorite place to go out in the downtown area. Their cocktails are very strong and the old fashioned was almost entirely whiskey (very efficient). It's only a bit outside the normal downtown square with Jannus Live etc, so the crowd is perfect and the DJ on Saturday was one of the best I've seen. Going out here was the most fun I've had in a while and the playlist was on point (mix of 80's, dance, rap, & drum/bass remixes). The bartenders are great and the service was fast. The drinks also aren't really too expensive compared to downtown as a whole. read more

Get ready for them to take your credit card and debit card information and ring up random charges without your permission, when you aren't even there. It's been two months since I visited them one time and four separate charges showed up on my accounts in one morning while I was at work. read more

Nice atmosphere and setting, bartender was a dick. Walked in with a couple friends for a drink. Drinks were punctual, everything was going well. The TouchTunes box was playing some random songs but nothing was queued up so my friends and I put on a few songs. Second song up was Bohemian Rhapsody which got a scoff from one of the bartenders, that's whatever. It could have been an inside joke or something, so I kinda brushed it off. Next song up was Stergill Simpson, which is described as "Metamodern Country". I understand that some people don't like country music, generally I don't either but this band appeals to my taste (talented and a unique sound). About 3/4 through the song one of the bartenders restarts the machine, holds a dollar up in the air and says "Whoever put that song on can have your dollar back." I was pretty pissed, as were my friends who had songs queued up. He goes on to give me some BS about how he has no beef, he just can't listen to that and that it's "Turn'd up Tuesdays". I didn't really make a huge deal about it then although looking back I should have. His buddies quickly swarm the machine and begin playing a bunch of rap songs that all sound the same to me. For a bar that has a Tom Selleck framed photo, a gremlin, wood everywhere, display art featuring animal skulls and what appears to be a pretty accepting vibe, this guy seemed pretty pretentious and classless. I don't pretend to say I own the place but I am a patron and you are working in hospitality so I expect the staff to be somewhat cordial. If he had just let the song finish his friends could queue up the next 2 hours of songs I would have probably given this place a good rating. Instead, all I have to report is "Hey, there is a pretty cool bar in downtown St. Pete, but at least one of the staff should probably take some hospitality classes." read more

Great dive bar just outside on the normal downtown district. If the walls in this place could talk I could only imagine the stories they would tell.. The bartender was pretty friendly but it was also pretty dead when we got there.. The drink menu was interesting and I would say that it meets the status quo for their discerning clientele.. Had a good time and would definitely go back again read more

The Bends - a fish mounted on a wall - Bars Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

Oh I love the St.Pete strip outskirts. This bar was a lovely surprise. Reminds me of bars up north. You walk in and it is deep, versus wide. Very trendy crowd, as well as atmosphere. Very laid back. Good liquor selection. Played "the bends" on the jokebox. It seemed appropriate. Attractive tenders. Definitely worth walking up a few blocks. Oh yeah. You can smoke inside. Its a real bar. read more

Really great spot a tiny bit off the beaten path in DTSP. This is one of our favorite jaunts after a concert or dinner. It has split personalities however based on the time you go. Go earlier, older crowd, quieter but still a good vibe. Go later - hip hop party, crazy dj's in the back, dance party and wall to wall up front at the bar. Great cocktails, lots of emphasis on older cocktails like Moscow Mules, Brambles, etc... Really good craft beer selections, etc. Definitely a younger vibe. I am on the edge of not feeling like I should be there soon. Maybe that's just because 40 is knocking on my door. Maybe I will start going and checking out their early bird cocktail specials. kidding. read more

We had a fantastic time here one Tuesday night, thanks for the most part to the terrific service. Each cocktail was carefully prepared and well-balanced. Music selection caused us to forego our other plans and stay at the Bends. If I'm ever back in St. Pete, you'll find me here. read more

Shotgun Bar with a lounge in the back that you have to look for. Opening week had the hipsters out in force as this little bar has a full liquor license and some cool design and artwork going on. Prices are reasonable and even though it's a little tight inside when busy there's still places to rest you beverage and to be able to order a drink. Non-smokers beware and there is no food service read more

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Better than good, it's great! Outskirts of DTSP for sure, but from the expansion and revitalization of this area, I feel like it won't be in the boonies for long. Great little bar with two rooms: a front room with the bar, a tv showing an older flick on mute and the obligatory chalkboard menu. Good cocktails and for less than in central DTSP. The back room has a bowling arcade game, maybe Golden Tee (can't remember) and a disco ball dance floor with seats surrounding. The dance floor is small and not that conducive to actually dancing, but people seem to dance wherever they want throughout the place anyway. I don't really buy this as a "hipster" bar only as some yelpers mention, but there are many plaid laden, no prescription glasses wearing gentlemen who stand out front and drink PBR. This is a fun place - get there soon! read more

Wow...just stopped in after having dinner at Engine No 9. I literally asked for one of their listed cocktails w a choice of tequila. The bartender literally put Smirnoff vodka in my drink instead of tequila. ....okay, wait...the dude just gave me an unsolicited shot-version of "Mermaid Water" (whatever the hell that is...). So now I dont care so much about the substitution of vodka for tequila...so.... read more

The Bends - Tom "effin" Selleck over the cash register. - Bars Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

This is hands down my favorite place to drink in St. Pete. Drinks are more than reasonably priced. Beer selection is good, and the mixed drinks are fantastic! They are all about freshness here. I suggest the Moscow Mule. In the early evening it is a laid back vibe, great for after work happy hour. At night, around ten, especially weekends, it gets bumping. They have some amazing resident DJs. The back room pretty much turns into a dance floor when there is a DJ. Definitely follow them on Facebook because they have some really fun themed nights, and new art exhibitions every month. read more

I've been here on several occasions and it's one of my go-to places for cocktails in downtown St. Pete. They have everything from their own take on a Moscow Mule to speciality shots and daily cocktail specials. They also have a few rotating local craft beers on tap. There is seating at a bar as well as in the back along with pinball machines. I would give it 5 stars, but allowing smoking is one of the downsides of this place. read more

Cool little place in Saint Pete. Went to see Kevin K . Wasn't disappointed one bit. Drinks were good.. And place has a nice feel to it . I will be back. read more

Nice bar in the growing downtown St Pete area... great selection of beer, full liquor, and nice interior design with outdoor seating as well. They also host local bands in the back room. Though the layout is a bit awkward with its narrowness. There is essentially the front room with the bar & the staff, and then the back room that is separated by the bathrooms that are in the middle. This design doesn't always work out so great if you have (drunk) people who apparently require supervision. (I can't unsee what I saw.) read more