Pensacola area bar named one of best in U.S. Everything to know before you go

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect that the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival is an annual event at Flora-Bama,

Flora-Bama, the iconic Perdido Key honky-tonk where legendary musicians and beach bums alike party in harmony on the Florida-Alabama state line, made national news this week as one of the 27 bars included on the 2024 USA TODAY Bars of the Year list . The list was created by USA TODAY Network food writers across the country and includes everything from humble dives to high-end cocktail bars.

“I am thrilled and honored to see the Flora-Bama recognized as one of the best bars in the world. It’s incredible to witness patrons from all over the U.S. and world visit our establishment,” wrote Flora-Bama co-owner Cameron Price. “Over the years, musicians, entertainers, team members, and guests have come together here for unforgettable Good Times and Good Music, spreading the Flora-Bama spirit far and wide. Since opening our doors in 1964, we have remained a vibrant part of the community and look forward to continuing our legacy for the next 60 years and beyond.”

Flora-Bama Co-Owner Pat McClellan wrote, “Exceeds my expectations since I arrived here at this ‘5-Star-Honky-Tonk’ in 1964, but, extremely proud to be a part of a legacy that has endured so many generations!”

“So humbled to be a part of a historic and special institution,” wrote Flora-Bama Co-Owner John McInnis III. “As our partner Joe Gilchrist always said, the Flora-Bama has a cool name and is a big shack, but it’s the people that are and make the Flora-Bama.”

What makes the Flora-Bama stand out

What started out as a humble little Southern coastal honky-tonk in 1964 has become a massive must-visit attraction for a taste of live music, fresh seafood and annual events on the white sands of the Gulf of Mexico that pack in thousands of people.

The bar's laid-back, easy-going atmosphere has become the muse for songs by musicians like Kenny Chesney, who outlines the all-too-familiar experience of opening “a big old can of good times” to “unwind” at the famed beach bar in his song “Flora-Bama.”

“There’s ball caps, photographs, dollar bills and bras / License plates from every state nailed up to the wall," Chesney continues in the lyrics. “Spring breakers, heartbreakers, already getting’ loud. Talladega’s on the big screen, don’t it make you proud?”

In 2014, over 30,000 people packed the beaches to hear him perform, and Chesney’s love for bar is shared by fans and other musicians. The late singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett was known for occasionally having a beer or two at the bar or even jumping up on stage for a surprise song.

Music is built into the bar’s heartbeat, whether it’s an acoustic set on the bar’s beach stage with patrons sipping on Flora-Bama Jama cocktails or an indoor full band with fans toe-tapping and swaying underneath a garland of abandoned bras.

Each fall, musicians come from around the world come to the Flora-Bama for the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival, the largest gathering of national and local songwriters performing on the Florida coast.

The Flora-Bama can be as rambunctious or family-friendly as you want it to be. You could stop by for a late-night spent making memories you probably won’t remember by the morning (but luckily captured in the hundreds of photo booth strips tacked to the wall for eternity) or for a kid-friendly bingo session, waterfront lunch or church service on Sunday morning held at the bar.

Many long-time patrons have fond memories they’ve accumulated since childhood, like watching a sun-soaked Santa Claus skydive onto the sandy beach during the annual Santa Drop every December.

What to order at Flora-Bama

You can’t leave without tasting a signature Bushwacker, one of the bars most traditional cocktails, a sloshy, boozy frozen milkshake that can come with in a souvenir plastic Flora-Bama branded Solo cup.

While it’s perfectly acceptable to come in with sandy flip flops and a cover-up to chow down some fresh oysters, there are also more elevated dining options to indulge in the Flora-Bama restaurants across the street.

At the Flora-Bama Yacht Club, you’ll get waterfront dining with chef-inspired plates in a non-intimidating, family-friendly fashion.

If you’re lucky, Flora-Bama Yacht Club executive chef Patrick Carter will be there to whip you up some of gumbo-infused Cajun dirty rice, sweet jerk-style Gulf shrimp skewers with mango slaw and vanilla rum butter, or Gulf Coast Crab Cakes with roasted red pepper aioli. While the bar has maintained its fame for over half a century, many will argue it’s not because of the cool entertainment, funky decorations, fun events or delicious food and cocktails – it’s the people that call it home that make it such a treasure.

If you go

Details: 17401 Perdido Key Drive, Perdido Key, Florida; 251-980-5118, florabama.com .

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola area bar named one of best in U.S. Everything to know before you go