My friends, aware of my mission to find the best happy hours in Broward
County, are always recommending their favorite spots. Sometime in the
past week an acquaintance mentioned the name of a place in Plantation. She
said it was
the bar to drink at when all you have is a couple of bucks and some change
in your car (if all you have is a couple bucks and change in your car,
you probably shouldn't be drinking). Always up for cheap drinks and
discounted food, I emptied my piggy bank and headed to happy hour.
Landlubber's, on Pine Island and Sunrise, doesn't radiate beauty at
first glance. Actually, it doesn't do it on the second glance either;
it's in a shopping plaza in between State Farm and a Blood Bank (nothing
like updating your insurance and donating a bag of blood to work up an
appetite). But there are plenty of
pretty things coming out of
the kitchen -- and they aren't expensive.
One look at the menu and it's obvious this is the place where you can
ball on budget. Anyone can feel like
Donald Trump when wings are 60 cents and pints of domestic are $1.90.
At that price, why not order a round for the house? I can't imagine it
costing
more than six bucks.
The decor is ale house on the water. Just, it's not on the water, it's
six stores away from Walmart and a real estate office. There's
memorabilia on the walls, TVs wherever you look, and the kitchen is
exposed and open behind the far end of the bar. Yep, you
can watch cooks scrape the grill, fry your fries and yell at each other
when ten tickets come in at once and the line cook can't find tomatoes.
Actually I'll recant the last statement. The staff here wouldn't yell,
let alone raise their voices. My bartender possessed the sweetness of a
Midwestern mom. She used words like
"sweetie" and "hon," and smiled when she checked on guests. She, and the
other staff included, knew first
names and had everyone's beer ready before they even realized they
wanted one. If the prices don't keep you coming back, the staff will.
This happy hour, running from 3pm-6pm and 10pm-close,
might be the best priced one I've found. The catch is that from
3pm-6pm you're not going spot the
college aged hotties you were hoping for. However, if you're looking for a
group of friendly
retirees that fought in 'Nam, but still think the Dolphins are the worst
war they've ever seen, then show up early. If you're nice, they might offer
you a spot in their daily drinking club (it's
free to join as long as you moved to the 55+ community up the block).
Wear whatever and bring a roll of quarters, because tonight you're ballin' on a budget.
Who: You and the 55+ infantry division at the bar.
What: $1.90 domestic drafts, discounted well drinks, 60-cent wings and a happy hour food menu.
Where: 1851 N. Pine Island Plantation, FL 33322
When: Everyday from 3pm-6pm and 10pm-close
How: With all the money you got from donating blood.
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