Looking for the best beach bars in Volusia-Flagler? Here are several of our favorites
There's nothing quite like the serenity that comes with kicking back and enjoying a beach cocktail and bar bite while listening to waves crashing in the distance. Lucky for us, the Daytona Beach area makes that sun-soaked, vacation-like experience a daily possibility.
For those looking to enjoy a happy hour special, beachside cocktail or an evening of live entertainment and casual bites, here are some of our top picks for the best beach bars in the Daytona, Flagler Beach area.
Ocean Deck
127 S. Ocean Ave., Daytona Beach; 386-253-5224, oceandeck.com
Ocean Deck is the quintessential beach bar — a go-to offering that beachfront, craft cocktail, live entertainment experience that locals enjoy on the regular and vacationers look forward to year after year. The “no shirt, no shoes, no problem” spot sits right on Daytona Beach with dining options ranging from the first-come-first-served outdoor deck to the lower-level bar and nautical upstairs dining room overlooking the Atlantic.
Ocean Deck offers a 3 – 6 p.m. happy hour Monday – Friday, daily beer specials and a lengthy drink menu ranging from 32-ounce Bacardi party buckets, 64-ounce pitchers and frozen cocktails, to tropical mocktails, classic “deck drinks” and Lemon Drop, Gummy Bear and Sweet Stinger shots, among others.
The eatery also offers a range of casual, mainly seafood bites, with several favorites including the fried gator bites, zesty lemon pepper tossed buffalo wings, 10-ounce onion- and pickle-layered Big Daddy burger and Caribbean coconut shrimp. The lively beachfront joint promises live music daily, featuring local bands and DJs as well as weekend beach karaoke.
The Beach Bucket
867 S. Atlantic Ave., Ormond Beach; 386-308-1134, thebeachbucket.com
The Beach Bucket, a self-described “local’s secret little piece of paradise,” is everything I look for when grabbing a casual beachfront bite — stellar drinks and oceanfront views in carefree, sunshine-soaked patio setting. Tucked away behind the Ocean East Resort Club, the laid-back location is open daily, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner selections as well as a full bar with draft, bottled and canned beer, bucket cocktails, martinis and frozen options.
For margarita lovers, the Beach Bucket serves some of my favorite, most recently being the Cranberry Marg — a strong, but not overly sweet or bitter salted rim staple. As for beachside bites, the restaurant offers a slew of paninis, baskets, burgers and seafood choices, with my go-tos being the popular conch fritters — deep fried and served with a creamy remoulade; and the fish tacos — a house specialty layered with grilled, blackened or fried white fish (or mahi mahi for an additional charge), house-made tomato avocado salsa, spring mix and cilantro aioli dressing.
Whether grabbing a beer fresh off the beach, or planning a mimosa-filled morning, The Beach Bucket is never short on delicious, oceanfront options.
Landshark Bar & Grill
471 S. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach; 386-256-1248, Daytona.landsharkbarandgrill.com
Landshark Bar & Grill is a classic, island-vibe eatery that provides its guests a tropical cocktail, toes-in-the-sand, surfer-watching weekend getaway. The chain offers visitors the choice between indoor, patio, bar or beach dining at one of its many umbrella-covered tables beneath the palms. The family-friendly restaurant is a fresh off the beach no-brainer, boasting a lengthy menu of layered burgers, ribs, steam pots, sandwiches and more, as well as a robust selection of beer, wine, “frozen concoctions,” and sweet and spicy margaritas.
Popular menu favorites include the 5 O’clock Somewhere — a tropical combination of rum, tequila, orange and pineapple juice, house sweet-and-sour and grenadine; as well as the seafood combo — a shareable platter combining fish and chips, fried shrimp and coconut shrimp served with French fries, chili lime aioli, jalapeno tartar and sweet pineapple dipping sauce. Landshark offers a daily happy hour from 4 – 7 p.m. Monday – Thursday and 8 – 10 p.m. Friday – Sunday with $7 house margaritas, $6 house wine and $4 domestic draft, as well as live entertainment.
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Chases on the Beach
3401 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach; 386-423-8787, chasesonthebeach.com
Chases on the Beach is a new-to-me favorite I know I can count on for fresh seafood, great drinks and up close and personal golden hour views. The New Smyrna Beach restaurant and bar features an elevated deck overlooking the Atlantic and encompasses the ideal dining blend of upscale yet inviting — a place you can dress things up when the occasion calls for it or stop in for a quick cocktail after a day down in the sand.
The “always sunny” eatery’s mainly seafood menu features some of my favorite fresh fish dip in the area, as well as a a delicious grilled bourbon salmon, classic peel and eat shrimp, flounder plate and onion jam and bacon-layered Angus beef sliders. For those stopping in for a sip, the Key lime colada takes you right to paradise with a refreshing, subtly-sweet combination of Gasparilla Key Lime Pie rum, fresh lime and pina colada mix.
However, Chases also features a variety of daily specials, including $10 martinis on Monday, $5 margaritas on Tequila Tuesday, $3 glasses of house wine on Wine Down Wednesday, $6 rum runners on Thursday and $5 Fireball on Fridays, as well as other weekend specials and live entertainment. The local gem is notoriously packed on weekends, however, so be sure to reserve a seat in advance online.
Lagerheads Bar and Grill
2986 Ocean Shore Blvd., Ormond By the Sea; 386-265-1977, lagerheadsbarandgrill.com
Lagerheads certainly lives up to its title of “the best dive in town,” reminiscent of some of my favorite mellow spots back home where the drinks are strong, the locals are known by name and the sunset-saturated views never fail. The longtime favorite for Ormond beachgoers sits right across from the ocean and is as laid-back and beachy as it gets with nightly live music livening up its packed, pet-friendly patio, while surfboards, sea life and twinkling strung lights decorate its interior.
Whether a weekend regular or first-timer, Lagerheads has something for everyone from domestic and premium bottled beers, wine and seltzers to hard ciders, exotic cocktails and everything in between. The local dive also offers a variety of shareable plates, like the fish and chips, pickle fries or fried grouper bites, as well as burgers, wraps, po boys and pasta.
Funky Pelican
215 S. Ocean Shore Blvd., Flagler Beach; 386-439-0011, funkypelican.com
The Funky Pelican is a waterfront favorite among locals and tourists, alike, known for its vacation-like atmosphere, seafood plates and welcoming service. The frequented eatery neighbors the Flagler Beach pier, and offers customers indoor or outdoor dining at its expansive, umbrella covered deck perched above the ocean. The nautical spot’s full bar makes it a reliable favorite of mine whose seasonal funky cocktails, shareable finger foods and oceanfront views only add to the appeal.
Funky Pelican offers a 4 – 6 p.m. happy hour Monday – Friday with half-off house spirits, half-off house wine and $1-off draft beers. For those with a sweet tooth, the Orange Creamsicle cocktail never fails, while the refreshing Island Thyme cocktail is a new, citrusy spring favorite that combines gin, champagne, lemon, thyme and simple syrup. Funky pelican serves a generous array of tasty bar bites and shareable starters, including the chicken Caesar or Philly flatbreads, the garlic parm sauce-layered twisted shrimp, wings, calamari and bacon-wrapped shrimp, among others.
Finn’s Beachside Pub
101 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Flagler Beach; 386-439-7755, finnsflagler.com
Finn's is that ultra-casual, no-brainer spot that every beach town needs. The two-story beachside pub sits at the corner of Moody Boulevard and A1A and is a Flagler Beach staple for rooftop drinks, ocean views and people watching while enjoying a fried bite, burger or beer.
The eatery offers a range of domestic, draft, premium and import beers, as well as signature drinks like the Captain- and Malibu passion fruit-combined Mermaid Water, A1A Punch, Peach Beach and Frozen Sand shark. Finn's also offers a late night "munchie menu" with chickens tenders, cheese fries, wings and more, as well as its usual selection of casual bites ranging from the crispy jalapeno poppers, Baja nachos and "Finn's famous burgers" to the fish and chips, wraps and tacos.
Finn's offers a 3 - 6 p.m. happy hour Monday - Thursday, $7 burgers on Wednesday during happy hour and half-priced appetizers from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Tuesdays. The lively spot is decorated with over a dozen TVs, making it a local favorite for all things NFL, NASCAR and everything in between — not to mention it boasts a jam-packed schedule of live entertainment daily, featuring local artists, DJs, karaoke and more.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Best beach bars in Daytona Beach, Flagler Beach, Ormond, NSB, more
