The jukebox is gone, but the walls are still covered with a few more dollar bills decorated with messages, doodles, people’s names, and initials.
No Name Pub is a historic joint in Pine Key Florida. The place started its journey as a general store and tackle shop in 1931. In 1936, the owners expanded the business by opening an eatery and bar after adding a small room to the building. The early customers of the joint were mostly local fishermen and world travelers who arrived from the mainland via ferry.
The history of the joint took a different twist in 1936 when the drive to attract more customers caused the operators to convert the upstairs storage room into a Brothel. While the venture was popular with many, it failed after several years as the fishermen were said to be better looking than the ladies.
The brothel business was shut down in the 1940s. The general store and bait and tackle shop also closed in the mid-1950s. Thereafter, Pub became a 100% bar and restaurant. No Name was added to the Pub name, thus the place became the No Name Pub.
The closure of the brothel and general store and bait and tackle shop marks the beginning of real Keys landmarks. The joint became more discoverable by locals and tourists who walked into the place to have a cold beer and sandwich.
1960 was another interesting time for the Pub. It was during this era that the Pub’s famous pizza was born. The tasty pizza was introduced by two great Italian cooks who brought their recipes with them when they worked at the Pub. The joint still uses the same recipe after 50 years. Before the cooks left, they wrote the recipe on the kitchen wall so that the kitchen staff will not forget it.
Another interesting period of the history of No Name Pub was in the 1970s and 80s. It was rowdy, loud, and lively in the Pub. As stated on the website: “Jimmy Buffett’s ‘Why don’t we get drunk and screw’, played on the jukebox while people would drink, eat and dance to excess in the Pub.” According to the restaurant’s website, there was a lot of illegal money passing through the Keys back then and everyone loved to spend it. People had so much money that they started hanging it on the walls, and another tradition was born.
And as the new millennium arrived the numbers increased, and the No Name Pub became a place once again where people from all walks of life could enjoy great food, cold beer, and good conversation. The jukebox is gone, but the walls are still covered with a few more dollar bills decorated with messages, doodles, people’s names, and initials.
No Name Pub located at 30813 Watson Blvd, Big Pine Key remains one of the last great places with that old Florida Keys atmosphere where anyone can relax and have a great time. The joint specializes in pizza and sandwiches.
Operating: Monday to Sunday 11 am – 10 pm.
Author’s Note: This article is solely for information purposes. The information shared in the article are attributed to nonamepub.com and oldest.org.
Comments / 1