Nice Clubs and bars during the week

[jmallory]

I will be in Miami Beach on a Mon-Fri week. Can anyone recommend a nice place to go for a single 31 year old female? I'm not really interested in any clubs where I stand in a line for hours and possibly get turned away because I'm not a size 0. I'm a thick gal from the midwest and I've been told I look like Queen Latifah. Lol. Seriously, I'm a good looking girl and I carry myself very well. Can anyone recommend any really cool places to go at night? I really love Latin clubs and go very often in my home town. Thanks again!

[Matt Meltzer]

Mango's is fun during the week, and easy to get into. And not nearly as tourists Mon-Thurs as it is on the weekend. Great salsa dancing there.

The bar at the Delano is a cool spot as well, and also a place you can just sit and chill. We have a bunch of fun bars here that are very laid back, Playwright, Lush, Mac's Club Deuce (divey but a landmark) Waxy O'Conners. All good places. The Clevelander is a little more "clubby" and may be too young for you (I'm not sure how you feel about partying with people in their early-mid twenties) but is also a good time. It's outdoors and very loud.

Pearl is a fun lounge, and has relaxed a lot from its super-exclusive heyday in the mid 2000s.

There's a bunch more, but any of these you'd be fine to go yourself and nobody would give you a hard time.

[jmallory]

Thanks! I'll definitely check then out. I read Mangos was fun and another club called Buck 15 was cool. I remember Pearl from when I was in Miami back in 2003. We didn't go there, but I remember people saying it was exclusive. I remember going to a club in Miami Beach that was a $20 cover change and my drinks were included. I can't remember the name of the club (mostly likely due to the unlimited drinks lol) I remember that it was pretty fun. I'm just looking for friendly clubs / bars since I am traveling solo.

[Gus]

I've never heard of a Miami Beach club offering free drinks with the cover. Was this a big nightclub or a bar? Do you remember if the dane floor was over water? The reason I ask is, there used to be a place on Washington Avenue named Club Deep that might have offered promotions like that. Their gimmick was the dance floor was on water.

On Sunday night, I was walking past Mango's and they told me the cover charge was $5, drinks not included. I imagine the cover is more expensive on Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday, Nikki Beach is a fun place to go.

[Jess]

A club with free drinks is unheard of here, although promoters do events at bars before hand where you pay like $30 and drink for an hour, then go to a club. But as you are on your own I don't know if you'd want to do that.

Mangos is a good suggestion as is Clevelander. Also check out Salsa Mia at Yuca on Lincoln Road. They do salsa classes and then turn the place in to a club after the lesson, a great place for a single girl to go and not feel weird as you will have met everyone at the class.

[Matt Meltzer]

jmallory, you may well have gone to a Sobespots event if this was a few years back. I used to be a regular at those as the deal was unbelievable, and really undercut the South Beach BS. I remember doing the math and I saved around $10,000 thanks to them over the years. They are trying to start back up and have an event slated for July, I believe. Check it out on Facebook.

[jmallory]

Yeah I was really hoping I could find another place like that. After my friend and I paid $20 for 2 rum and cokes, we thought a $20 cover for unlimited drinks was a steal. I do remember it was a couple of blocks from where we stayed. I was staying at the Clay Hotel at the time. Honestly I'll have fun anywhere as long as the music and drinks are good. I do love Latin clubs, so I'll check out Mangos during that week.

[Christy]

Mango's is fun but touristy. Any bar on Ocean Dr. (including the Clevelandar) is super easy to get into. Monty's is an open air bar on the bay side of South Beach, and it's all Latin music and a Latin crowd on Sat. I went once for drinks on Sat and left because I don't like Latin music. The drinks there are reasonable too. I would call to be sure Sat is still the Latin DJ.

Segafredo Espresso on Lincoln Rd is a fun outdoor bar with a DJ and the drinks are only $9.

[jmallory]

Do you recommend any clubs in Little Havana?

[dylan]

In the beach I used to go to Finnegan's on Lincoln Road.

Any club in Little Havana would not be very classy. There is Azucar, or Sugars on 32nd ave just South of Coral way, that is mostly a gay club, with drag shows. One of my friends preforms drag there, but I only go for his performances for support. (Not really my scene) But they have decent club price drinks.

[Christy]

If you're willing to go to Brickell, it's chock full of Latin clubs! It's a $28 taxi ride from sobe.

[Matt Meltzer]

I wouldn't say Brickell is full of Latin clubs. More like normal bars that play Latin music. But it won't be salsa dancing or anything. Just a bar with a lot of Hispanics. Mangos is good as a Latin club on weeknights.

[jmallory]

Cool! I'll probably go to Mangos sometime next week.

[Jess]

Hi jmallory, love your pic! Brickell could work for you if you don't mind making the trip, but as Matt says, no clubs, just bars playing Latin music. The best is Baru Urbano for music and fun times. But if you stick to the beach, you will still have fun.

[jmallory]

Thanks Jess! I'll probably play it by ear. I don't mind leaving the beach for a really good club/bar. There's really not a lot of Latin clubs where I'm from unfortunately, and I used to go to them all the time, but they've closed a lot of them here.

[Jess]

I still say Salsa Mia on Friday night would be a really good choice for you.

[jmallory]

I'm leaving Friday afternoon But I will remember Salsa Mia when I come back.

[Scott]

In terms of bars, just a quick question for locals: Does Purdy Lounge still have reggae nights on Monday nights? I haven't been there in forever. That's a fun time. Other bars: I've heard Ladies Nights (Wednesdays) at Lost Weekend is a great time but I've not been.

Re Matt's suggestion for Club Deuce: Definitely divey, but if you want to hit a landmark, yeah.

[Jess]

Lost weekend is awesome. I also like the bar next door, it's so weird! Give me a giant spaceman hanging off the ceiling and cupcakes any day over Liv, ha!
As for Purdy, I don't know as I don't go out Monday's thanks to my 7 am start on Tuesdays. Sorry! But the weekends are still fun times there.

[Christy]

If you want to dance/learn to salsa I would check out Yuca on Lincoln Rd. http://www.yuca.com/salsa.htm It might be touristy though. Where do all the locals go if they want to listen to salsa music?