Nightlife in Saint Augustine

When The Original First Turn Steakhouse opened in 1984, it was so close to the Daytona Speedway that diners could almost feel the breeze of the checkered flag as it signaled the end of a race. In those days, the Hilliard family’s hand-cut steaks and chicken wings drew professional drivers and racing teams straight from the track. Though the Hilliards have since relocated their restaurant, they have maintained the same racing memorabilia, all-American menu, and regular customers—some of whom helped with the move by stuffing as many rib eyes as they could into the trunks of their stock cars.

If one of those drivers was to take a detour through the kitchen today, he would find chefs grilling USDA Black Angus steaks and coating wings in 12 different flavors of sauce, from mild honey barbecue to the so-called “suicide sauce.” Diners seated on the sprawling 5,000-square-foot deck can order oysters from the raw bar and drinks from the tiki bar, raising their voices to be heard over the live bands that perform five nights a week.

At Caffeine Bistro & Wine Bar, chefs and bartenders work in tandem to sling a long list of eclectic bistro fare coupled with craft brews, wines, and cocktails from an outdoor thatched tiki bar. Each week brings musical acts that fill the eatery's air with up-tempo tunes, adding to the casual vibe reflected by a wall full of mismatched portraits, multicolored lights, and tables that double as practice surfboards.

Plush leather and fabric seating permeates Fletcher’s Cigar Bar & Social, where beers and varietals from around the globe flow from glass to palate. The company has a fully stocked humidor filled with high-end cigars from brands such as Cohiba, Cusano, Havana, and Partagás, as well as the exploding cigars popularized by Wile E. Coyote. Though the knowledgeable staffers do not sell Cuban cigars, they outfit tobacco enthusiasts with Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican cigars, as well as accessories such as cutters and lighters. The team at Fletcher's accommodates clients from varying backgrounds, making aficionados and more casual cigar smokers feel at home.

Ambient jazz-piano melodies wind through the air while customers chat and smoke in an environment whose ventilation and air-purification system gives patrons peace of mind and visual access to each other's faces. In the event that conversation lulls, independently controlled 47-inch flat-screen televisions can entrance eyes.

The aroma of expertly grilled meats and seafood fills the smoke-friendly Monkey's Uncle Tavern, opened by Carter Guillen in 1985 after spending two decades working in bars and restaurants. Barkeeps dispense draft beers, wines, and cocktails from behind a rectangular bar, a shape that, according to The Florida Times-Union, "forces eye contact among patrons, which tends to make people act more neighborly — sitting there, you feel you know what 'Cheers' might have been like."

Along with culinary treats, Carter crams the tavern's interior with a plentitude of games, including pool tables and dartboards, or rounds of team trivia and bar bingo. In between bouts, a dance floor and award-winning karaoke summon grooves and croons from music fans and ambitious robins. Servers flit platters of fresh shrimp and buffalo wings to up to 70 guests inhaling fresh air on the outdoor patio, while an adjacent liquor store, Monkey's Uncle Liquors, stocks domestic and imported booze, beer, and wine for at-home libations.

In addition to bringing people together to unwind over drinks, World of Beer - Port Orange strives to enlighten every guest with knowledge about what they're drinking. Every bartender at World of Beer is a graduate of rigorous Beer School, where the curriculum details the inner workings of IPAs, barley wines, stouts, and other forms of brewing. Only upon graduation—or if their father builds a new wing—are staffers deemed fit to occupy the space between the shellacked bar the exposed brick wall behind it.

Dozens of taps jut out from the wall, waiting to spill draft craft beers at the flick of a wrist. Kegs hail from distant lands such as Germany, England, and Belgium as well as all across the United States, and the sudsy selections are ever changing. Walls of coolers hold six shelves of bottled beers that cater to those with pen pals on distant islands, and red and white wines are also offered on the premises.

Lucky’s, a hybrid restaurant and fun-center, marries burgers, salads, and sandwiches with games such as bowling and billiards. Guests can eat their fill of entrees that include Cajun rib-eye steak and pan-seared shrimp while flinging orbs down 14 polished lanes. During bowling games the alley’s sound and lighting system evokes a dance-club vibe while a Qubica AMF scoring system keeps track of strikes and splits, enabling players to leave their CPAs at home.

Next to the bowling alley, more than 50 redemption, video, and novelty games challenge guests and include Lazer Frenzy, an interactive maze of light beams like the ones that guard a bank’s best ballpoint pens. Game credits earn prizes such as Legos, Nerf toys, and even Xbox 360s. Lucky’s keeps their atmosphere lively late into the night by hosting lounge events such as Karaoke Wednesdays and by having DJs spin on the weekend.