The Brown Derby:an air-conditioned sailor’s bar
Posted On:From The Key West Citizen
50 YEARS AGO
The Brown Derby Bar, an air-conditioned sailor’s bar managed by Gladys M. Burgert, was at 601 Whitehead St.
Submarine sailors still come in from time to time, and ask “whatever happened to Gladys?” She must have been something special.
a href=”http://www.conchs.com/”>Key West Conchs web site:
That photo got me to thinking of other Key West Bars from the past and I found this list on a Key West Conchs web site. Check out the link here.
Key West Bars
This list does not include illegal Beer and Wine drinking grocery stores and pool halls and predominantly restaurants which also serve alcoholic beverages scattered around the City.
On the corner of Front and Whitehead Sts. was the “Silver Dollar Bar”
On the southeast corner of Whitehead and Southard Sts. is the “Green Parrot” formerly “The Brown Derby”.
On the 300 block of Southard St. was the “Gate Bar”, then in later years it became an exotic dancing, female wrestling bar. I don’t know the name of the place.
On the 300 block of Petronia St. on the north side was “The 33 Club”
On the 200 block of Petronia St., NW corner was “The 21 Club”
On the 700 block of Emma St., east side is a “V.F.W. Club”
On the 500 block of Front St. is “The Two Friends Bar”.
On the NE corner of Greene and Simonton Sts. was “The Midget Bar”.
On the 200 block of Elizabeth St., east side, was a V.F.W. Club.
At 900 Simonton St. was “The 900 Bar”. later named “Simonton Street Station”.
On the 1100 block of Simonton St., west side, was “The Bottle Cap”
On the 500 block of United St. was the “The Wrecker’s Lounge”
On the 1400 block of Simonton St., SW corner, was “The Atlantic Shores Bar”, later called “Papillion”.
On the 1400 block of Simonton St., SW side was “The Sands”, later “The Reach”.
On the 1400 block of Simonton St. was Logan’s, then became at strip club called “The Edge”.
On the 500 block of Fleming St., north side, was “The Sports Bar”
On the 800 block of Caroline St., south east corner was “The Bucket of Blood”, later called “The Wagon Wheel”, later caled “The Red Doors Inn”.
On the 900 block of Caroline St., south side was “The Fleet Reserve Home”, later “The Big Fleet”, later “PT’s”.
On the SW corner of Grinnell and James Sts. was “Johnny’s Swinging Doors”.
On the 500 block of Margaret St., west side, was “Blackwell’s”, later remodeled and named “Compass Rose”.
On the NE corner of Truman Ave. and Packer St. was “The Drum Bar”.
On the south side of Truman Ave. and Grinnell Sts, were the two different locations of “Che-Che’s Bar”
On the 1000 block of Truman Ave., south side, was “The White Inn”.
Later in the same block, “The White Inn” moved across the street. Later became “Big Daddy’s”, then a male strip club, and “Teasers”, a female strip club.
On the SW corner of Flager Ave. and Bertha St. was, and maybe still is “The Tides Inn”.
On the SE corner of Flagler Ave. and Bertha St. was “Chino’s Bar”, later “The Staircase Lounge”.
On the 1800 block of N. Roosevelt Blvd, south side, there was “Chino’s” after they sold the one on Flagler Ave.
Further east on N. Roosevelt Blvd. was “The Hawaiian Village”, later called “The Hukilau”.
On the 3200 block of Flager Ave. north side, was “The Gold Coast Lounge”.
On the 3300 block of Duck Ave, south side, was and maybe still is the “Poinciana Lounge”. Before that is was a variety store run by Bill Chappel.
On Stock Island, south side, you first came to “The Boca Chica Bar”, then “Weaver’s Bar”.
Further east on US 1 and MacDonald Ave. was “Wylk’s”, a female strip club; later “The Green Lantern Inn”.
Further east on US 1, south side was or is “Ikie’s”.
“Free Beer Tomorrow”.
On the 200 block of MacDonald Ave., north side, “The Raceway Inn”.
At the end of Maloney Ave. on S.I. was a little wooden building built on a wooden dock, called “The Pier”.
Across from the Dog track was “Sug and Yales”, later, “The Rusty Anchor”.
In the 700 block of Duval was “The Cave Inn Bar” on the west side;
On the east side was the “Starlight Club” near “Jack’s Chili Bowl”;
on the west side was “The Preview Lounge” later was “The Nite Beat”.
In the 600 block on the east side was “The Gold Nugget”;
Also on the east side was “Cecil’s Bar”;
Also on the east side was “The Conga Club”.
In the 500 block was “The Bamboo Room” on Smith Lane ;
on the east side was “Riley’s Bahama Bar”;
Also on the east side was “The Boat Bar”.
In the 400 block of Duval on the west side was “The Mermaid Lounge” and “The Top”
In the 300 block of Duval on the east side was “The Tradewinds” It burned down and that’s where “Gulf Life” was built.
In the 200 block of Duval on the west side was “The Gallery Lounge” later “The Bull and Whistle”;
on the east side was “The Mambo Room”;
on the west side was “Delmonico’s” aka as “Duffy’s Tavern”;
also on the west side was “The 208 Bar”;
On the east side is “Sloppy Joe’s”;
In the 100 block west side was “Rudy’s Bar” later called “The Golden Trident”;
on the east side was “The Top Hat”;
also on the east side was “The Downtowner” later called “Howie’s Lounge”.
The Key Club behind “The Downtowner” was called “The Den”.
In the 100 block of Duval was “The Mardi Gras Club”, and
around the corner on Front Street north side was “The Habana Madrid”.
In the 400 block of Greene St. south side was the original “Sloppy Joe’s”, later called “The Blind Pig”; later called the “Duval Club”; later called “Capatain Tony’s”.
On the corner of Greene and Fitzgerald Sts. was “The 116 Club”, later became “The Rose Garden”.
That’s about all I can think of. If I missed any, sorry.
Your personal Historian, Ole Duke
