Meet the Beach Bar Bum

Who’s Actually Behind the Barstool

The Beach Bar Bum isn’t a brand voice dreamed up in a conference room. He’s one guy with a genuine, borderline-unreasonable opinion about what makes a beach bar worth your afternoon: a drink that doesn’t taste like an afterthought, a view that isn’t blocked by a dumpster, and a vibe that doesn’t require a dress code.

He’s not a food critic and hasn’t worked in hospitality in years. What he has done is spend a lot of vacation days, long weekends, and questionable amounts of gas money tracking down bars that actually deliver on the fantasy — and just as many finding the ones that don’t.

What “Beach Bum Certified” Actually Means

Every bar on this site gets researched. Not every bar gets the badge.

“Beach Bum Certified” is reserved for the bars the Bum (or a very trusted associate) has actually walked into, in person, drink in hand, no exceptions. It’s not a rating pulled from other people’s reviews or a guess based on good photos. It means he was there, he ordered something, and he’s willing to put his name on it.

That’s a high bar on purpose. It’s supposed to mean something when you see it, which means it’s not going to show up on every listing. The Bum would rather have a short list of bars he can vouch for personally than a long list that means nothing. If you want proof it’s a real standard and not just a badge, start with Flynn’s Fire Island out on Fire Island, or Ocean Deck down in Daytona Beach — both certified, both worth the trip, both places the Bum will happily argue about with you in the comments.

The list is growing. Slowly, on purpose, one actual visit at a time.

Got a Bar the Bum Needs to See?

If you know a beach bar that deserves a personal visit and a shot at certification, send it our way. The Bum can’t promise he’ll make it everywhere. He can promise he’s going to try.