Where Do You Go for a Drink in Palm Coast/Flagler Beach?

When it comes to "bars" (aka lounges, drinking establishments, watering holes, pubs, etc) there are three distinct categories to consider;

Category One; the type of place that is family friendly. Usually these places tend to bill themselves as a restaurant more than a bar. The sort of place where adults with children can meet for a few drinks while the kids eat chicken fingers and color on the placemats. Not to say that "unaccompanied adults" who just want to have a good time aren't welcome as well.

In the Palm Coast/Flagler Beach area my candidate for the top "family friendly" bar is The Golden Lion.

The Golden Lion is located on the west side of A1A, just north of State Road 100 and offers an unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean. Indoor seating is available but the savvy crowd doesn't even bother. With a boat-load of outdoor seating, including a rooftop deck and an outdoor stage for live music, nobody wants to sit inside.

The Lion's menu offers a fine selection of appetizers, salads, wraps & quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches, and seafood. Among their specialties is the fish and chips, voted best in Flagler for over 16 years.

Whether your plans are to enjoy a cocktail or two with a coworker, relax for a few hours after leaving the beach or to spend the evening listening to the always outstanding live music, The Golden Lion has the right beverage for you.

Four different beers on tap, (Yuengling, Bud Light, Stella Artois, and Guinness) twenty brands of bottled beer (mostly domestic), wines, champagne and a wide array of mixed drinks from the fully stocked bar means there is bound to be something for everyone.

The staff at The Lion is so friendly you'll feel like a regular on your first visit and the service is as efficient as you could want.

As far as atmosphere, if you're looking for a place that will make you feel like you're on vacation, even if you're a local, look no further.

Visit The Golden Lion's website at http://goldenlioncafe.com. and see the entire menu, a complete list of cocktails and beverages as well as photos of the good times waiting for you there...

Category Two; The place you go with friends when drinking is the primary objective, good live music is a must and watching a game in HD wouldn't hurt your feelings either. While you're there, if you happen to get hungry it's nice if they have something decent to munch on.

For my money, the best place for this in Palm Coast/Flagler Beach is Finn's Beachside Pub.

Located in the heart of Flagler Beach at the intersection of A1A and State Road 100, a stones throw from the pier, Finn's is a great place for a drink (or two) whether you're a biker or a tourist.

The menu offers the usual assortment of appetizers, burgers, salads and sandwiches along with some basic entrees and for the most part it's pretty good - but that isn't why you're there.

With a well stocked bar offering over 25 brands of bottled beer, 9 beers on tap, a fairly good wine list, served by the glass or bottle, two different types of champagne and a nice assortment of cocktails, Finn's is well equipped to handle your drinking needs.

The downstairs (indoor) bar offers ample seating, multiple televisions, live bands and a small, but useable dance floor. Upstairs on the deck is where you go to drink while enjoying the ocean breeze and more live bands. Plenty of seating up there too - either at the bar, at a high top along the rail or at a table near the stage.

The service is excellent and staff is friendly.

You can see the complete Finn's menu and entertainment schedule on line at http://finnsflagler.tripod.com/.

For atmosphere you can't do much better without going to St. Augustine or Daytona.

Category Three; Just a bar. Plain and simple, nothing fancy - the kind of place Toby Keith sings about in "I Love This Bar." The kind of place where you go to drink, watch live music that's way too loud and drink some more.

Hands down - the title goes to The White Eagle Lounge just over the line from Palm Coast in Korona.

Most people would classify The Eagle as a "biker bar". I suppose that wouldn't be wrong, but you don't have to have a Harley to get in. In fact, it isn't surprising to see more four wheeled vehicles in the lot than two (outside of bike events that is).

The White Eagle is not your father's bar...wait a minute, that isn't true, my father would've been right at home there - OK strike that.

The Eagle is a bar where the beer is cold, served with a smile and you can get most of your standard mixed drinks. (I wouldn't recommend asking for an "apple-tini" though.)

Located on US-1 in Korona, about a half-mile from the Palm Coast line, the White Eagle is a fixture in this area. If you've never been there you owe it to yourself to check it out.

You won't find anything fancy inside, there are plenty of high-top tables and stools, a bar, a stage, a cigarette machine, a pool table, a digital juke box (I guess that's about as close to fancy as you'll get) and two rest rooms. What else do you need? Outside there's another full bar and another (much larger) stage, a store to pick up your official White Eagle paraphernalia and even plenty of RV parking.

During Bike Week and Bike-Toberfest The Eagle is a focal point for bikers and the entertainment is non-stop. The back yard is packed with vendors selling everything from sausage sandwiches to inflatable dolls.

When there's no bike-events going on there are still plenty of things to do.

Things like the "Old School Biker Bash", poker runs, outdoor (usually free) bar-be-cues, excellent live music and other stuff (use your imagination).

Sometimes I think Toby Keith wrote "I Love This Bar" with the Eagle in mind...see for yourself - http://www.elyrics.net/read/t/toby-keith-lyrics/i-love-this-bar-lyrics.html

Visit the Eagle at http://whiteeaglelounge.com/ - or better yet, stop in and see what all the noise is about.