By Jack Smith
The Reef Bar & Grill is located in Beachside Resort on Front Beach Rd. Is it a dive bar? Maybe the best dive bar that I have ever been to.
I hesitated to write this article for several reasons, all selfish. The Reef has limited seating both inside and outside on the front deck. It features the finest sunsets, including the very rare “green flash” which I have seen twice from the porch. The Reef is famous as a gathering place for locals, but seems to also be a hit with hotel guests who sit for hours listening to the locals tell “tall tales.” The locals are happy to pontificate on a wide range of subjects including the best restaurants, night clubs and how to avoid the worst of the traffic.
Although The Reef is a locals bar, it’s still one of the best-kept secrets on the beach. The bar actually hangs over the white sand beach looking over the turquoise water and offers panoramic views of both. Pivot your head to the next window and be rewarded with views of the pool. The Reef features a laid-back attitude and needs a sign that says “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem.”
There are plans to turn the upper deck into a new venue featuring live music on the weekends. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere very laid back. The bar food is just that, however, it’s done well. The bar features a commercial-grade popcorn machine and soon to be added, a tabletop shuffleboard game. If you choose a more upscale place on 30A, well good, that just means more space for me and my friends.
There is a new GM who seems to listen and has his own ideas on how to improve the entire facility. Come meet the bar staff who have been there forever, and not only know your name, but what you are drinking. Come join us at The Reef for cocktails and the world’s finest sunsets. Hemingway would have been right at home.
