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| A No Name Pub |
Sometimes we just want to disappear for a little while. Sometimes we get so tired of being labeled, categorized and filed away as a statistic. Sometimes, we just have to go off the grid for a bit and visit a No Name Key with A No Name Pub and drink a No Name Beer.
And that my friends, is exactly what I did!
For a few hours on a Sunday afternoon my family and I slipped into anonymity. But before I go any further, let's get logistics out of the way. "Technically" No Name Pub is on Big Pine Key. No Name Key is just a hop, skip and a jump away though. We drove around No Name Key looking for Key Deer but that is for another blog. Anyways, never let the truth or logistics get in the way of a good story right? As far as I am concerned, I was on No Name Key.
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| No Name Roosters |
As I pulled into a spot by some brush behind the pub, we also had our first encounter with the rooster phenomenon of the Florida Keys. This colorful fella was there to greet us as we got out of the car. We were a little nervous he would attack us, especially since he was watching us intently in a rooster stance, but he did not. He was in his own little No Name World.
We found the entrance of the pub, stepped inside, then proceeded to gasp at all the dollar bills covering just about every possible surface in the bar. The walls, the ceilings, the rafters, the trim and the moldings were all covered in dollar bills. This was wicked cool I thought to myself. There were patches and dollar bills from FDNY as well as many other fire companies and law enforcement fraternities from all over the country hanging across the bar. This place was obviously very loved with locals and travelers alike.
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| We found it! I genuinely loved this place and will definitely visit again. |
We decided to dine at the bar. I am glad we did too. The bartender was so awesome! We took our seats and began browsing the menu. While the prices were not cheap, they were not crazy either. Let's just say the food is delicious and the portions are very generous. The dishes we ordered were well worth the price. The food was made from scratch too. It was not over processed food by any means.
I chose the spinach, artichoke and lobster dip as my meal. It was amazing. Chunks of real lobster mixed perfectly with the creamy spinach and artichoke dip. The tortilla chips accompanying the dip were crisp, fresh and most definitely homemade.
My daughter ordered the pizza burger and fries, which she enjoyed very much. Their fries were very tasty, deep fried, coin shaped potatoes. They were crunchy and soft all at the same time. I sampled a few.
My son got a calzone and Madone was this thing huge. It was the biggest calzone I have ever seen. The bartender and the patron sitting next to my son were both very impressed that my son was able to finish it. He also said his food was delicious.
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| Delicious, made from scratch food. |
I washed down my meal with a No Name Amber draught. Now, I am not a beer drinker by any means but sometimes on a hot day I will find myself craving a cold one here and there. I maybe drink 12-15 beers a year and it is mostly during the really, really hot days of summer. That or when the Pittsburgh Steelers piss me off so bad that I proceed to consume all the alcohol in the house.
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| A No Name Beer |
This amber ale was absolutely perfect for an 83 degree spring afternoon in Florida. The flavor wasn't too deep but definitely deeper than I was used to. I was very impressed that I genuinely liked it, especially because I prefer very pale, very light beers when I get my hankerings.
My No Name Beer was cool, crisp and refreshing. I am trying to think of a comparison beer to give my real beer drinking friends an idea of what my No Name Beer tasted like. I would say it definitely reminded me of Yuengling Lager, which I do enjoy. I also got a wicked buzz off of it. Beer does that to me.
We hung around No Name Pub until I finished a soda and the buzz calmed down. Of course we also had to partake in tradition during our visit to No Name Pub. When in Rome people! When in Rome. We needed to make the visit official by leaving our mark with an autographed dollar bill for the wall. The bartender gladly obliged our request by handing us a basket filled with markers and a staple gun. We each took a turn personalizing our dollar bill. My son had the honors of finding the perfect place in the pub to hang it.
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| Leaving our mark in No Name Pub. |
Once our mission was completed, we said our goodbyes to the bartender and stepped back into the warm Florida sunshine. We spent some time outside admiring the colorful decor. It was so quaint and beachy. I noticed No Name Pub was very protective of their trees. Every tree had a warning sign to not carve names and the like in their bark because they were alive. I found that gesture to be so awesome!
Our loud mouthed rooster friend who greeted us earlier, when we first arrived, was now perched on a large tree stump by the outdoor dining area of the pub. He was crowing to another rooster whom was hiding behind a tall wooden fence across the street from the pub. It was very amusing to hear the two of them go back and forth. I had no idea what they were saying to each other but it seemed like some pretty deep stuff.
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| No Name Pub. An incredible representation of the Florida Keys. Awesome in every way possible. |
The sun was very hot but so welcome to this Pennsylvania gal. By now it was nearing 2pm. It was almost time to check into our hotel in Sugarloaf Key. The time had come for us to lose our anonymity and regain our identities. Damn! I very much enjoyed being a No Name. I also knew I would most definitely patronize this business again for sure on my next jaunt to the Keys. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip.
In closing, if you are looking to lose yourself for a little while and have some great food and drink, then I would recommend taking a journey to No Name Key to visit a No Name Pub and enjoy a No Name Beer. They even have a rooster welcoming committee. Now get lost!!
Check out No Name Pub HERE.
The Florida Keys Chronicles- My Adventures
