Audio By Carbonatix
The place: The Wayward Sailor Pub, 3045 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-630-2856.
The hours: 3 to 7 p.m. every day.
The deal: Domestic drafts and wells cost $2.50. Free homemade chips and salsa with a two-drink minimum. Alternating appetizers are also on special during happy hour.
The digs: Just as Pittsburgh is situated at the confluence of where two great rivers (the Allegheny and Monongahela) meet and form the Ohio, the Wayward is situated at the confluence
of where two common styles of Fort Lauderdale bar (yachtie and
sports) merge to form a river of black and gold Steelers pride. South
Florida is like a Southern outpost of Steeler Nation.
The Wayward Sailor is located in a former Briny's Irish Pub, and the
current owners have left all the nautical décor befitting an old ship at
sea. An assortment of photos lines the walls. Unique touches include
the mural out front (depicting an island landscape below and above the
water line with a "Pittsburgh: City of Champions" banner smack dab in
the middle) and the regular poker nights (when a full-sized poker table
is placed by the front door).
The verdict: When there's not a show next door at the Culture
Room or the Steelers aren't playing, the Wayward provides a casual,
laid-back ambiance for those who live in the surrounding neighborhood.
The owner, Mark Winkler, and his family are usually either working behind the bar or hanging out
on a barstool nearby. The food is surprisingly good for bar fare; in
addition to the app specials during happy hour, there are daily lunch
and dinner specials. But while the beer selection is decidedly varied --
from Iron City to Guinness, a microbrew, or a pricey bottle of Belgian
beer -- the happy-hour special is limited to Bud Light, Miller Lite,
PBR, and Yuengling.
