Nightlife in Davie

“Slawn-cha,” April says, pronouncing the pub’s name in slow, punchy syllables. “It’s Gaelic. It means 'cheers to good health'—” she stops abruptly, spying a familiar face behind the bar. “Let me let you talk to Clem. Don’t let his accent throw you. It’s thick—and he knows it!” The two scuffle a bit before he comes forward. “You were talking to an obnoxious lady, were you?” he says. “She’s better known as the princess. She drives me crazy.”

But April’s right. Clem's intonation is heavy with lilts, a nod to his Irish birthplace; it’s perfectly at home amid the thick-slatted wood floors, rustic stacked-stone walls, and wooden furniture all imported from Ireland. “There’s also live music five nights a week. And there’s the food,” he adds. “I’ve always been in the bar business, and these recipes are from top chefs in Ireland.” He’s especially proud of the fish 'n' chips. “Best in the county,” he says. “Made with cod and homemade beer batter—my family’s recipe.”

Clem goes on to explain that he met his partner at a St. Baldrick’s festival—an event dedicated to children fighting cancer. He throws out a startling statistic: “we’ve raised over $1,000,000 for the charity over the last four years.” With this humble side note, and with what he says next, it’s clear the earlier banter comes from a place of deep caring. “My favorite thing is the people I get to meet, everyone from firefighters to teachers. There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met yet.”

In 1947, a 22-year-old B.B. King hitchhiked to Memphis to pursue his dream of becoming a professional tunesmith. A year later, his deep voice and expressive guitar playing could be heard beaming from the city's radio stations and blues clubs, jumpstarting a legendary career that would spawn more than 50 albums. When the blues icon decided to open his own club, he came back to the place where his success in music took off, returning his debt to Memphis by founding the first B.B. King's Blues Club on historic Beale Street.

Today, the club has since added locations in Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, and West Palm Beach, filling each city with the sound of live music and the aroma of traditional Southern dishes, ranging from hickory-smoked ribs to gumbo. Each location's house band keeps visitors entertained throughout the night, and occasionally surprises audiences with hand-buzzer handshakes and special guests that have included Eric Clapton and Lenny Kravitz.

The bar looks like a beer-lover's rainbow, a row of draft handles representing more than 30 brews. While bartenders fill pints and 7-ounce flight glasses, flat-screen televisions air major-league sports from around the world, from football to international soccer to pay-per-view UFC bouts. These surroundings make the bar and grill the kind of place where fans can spend an entire day catching games while enjoying drinks and a menu of pub fare. Valet parking lends the sports-focused eatery a luxurious aspect only seen in the sports world when the Marlins wear tuxedos instead of their baseball uniforms. In addition to sports, Hoops attracts guests with special events such as Singles Mingles and karaoke.