7 Reasons to Experience Peabodyβs Bar in Tampa
I was invited to hang out with some blogger friends in Tampa and they were shocked that such a huge foodie (me) had no idea where Peabodyβs was. Iβve been in the Tampa Bay area for 15 years now, so I was taken aback that everyone knew about this place. Well, I now realize I have an excuse. Not only was I not born and raised in Tampa, but I also didnβt go to USF. Peabodyβs is a known college hangout for the University of South Florida crowd. Itβs tucked away in a strip mall right outside of Tampa Palms off of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. I have friends in the area, but I live on the complete opposite side of this New Tampa neighborhood. So, people living around USF and the New Tampa area have been frequenting this bar for years. However, itβs not just a bar. Itβs so much more. Now that Iβve given my excuse for never patronizing this wonderful place, let me tell you the reasons why you must visit Peabodyβs when in Tampa.
REASON #1: A Tampa Institution
Peabodyβs has been around since 1998. It has been the college hot spot ever since. Tampanians who went to USF have not stopped enjoying Peabodyβs even after graduation. If you havenβt gone to this enormous bar, youβll see why Peabodyβs has coined itself an βentertainment complex.β Gary, a USF grad and Tampa Bay Food Blogger reminisced about his college days, βOn Wednesdayβs, the extended Peabodyβs section would open as a bar & club with a DJ. The $1.25 well drink deal was a nice incentive to come party at Peabodyβs. Definitely one of my favorite memories while I attended USF!β
REASON #2: Entertainment
Walk into Peabodyβs and youβll be astounded at how huge this place is. Itβs 15,000 square feet. There is something fun for everyone at Peabodyβs. First off youβll notice the music that will inflict the impression youβre walking into a nightclub. Yes, Iβm a dancer, so I canβt help but do a little jig, even if in my seat. Not much of a dancer? Thatβs okay as there are over 70 TVs broadcasting every sports game you can think of. There are games galore. Billiards, foosball, darts, and even arcades my friend. There really is something for every taste here including a liquor store on site called βThe Falls Liquor.β Not to mention the bar is enormous!
REASON #3: The Actual Bar
Okay, Iβm no bar fly which is why I am so impressed with how much I love Peabodyβs. Iβm a lightweight when it comes to beer, liquor, you name it. However, Peabodyβs has it all. Every type of beer you can think of is available in cans, glass, pitchers, and bottles. What they may be known best for by the college crowd are the well drinks that come in Fishbowls. The fishbowls are huge and inexpensive and might I say delicious!
REASON #4: Specials
Why confine yourself to a happy hour when you can be happy all day? Peabodyβs has happy hour pricing all day every day, so there isnβt a set happy hour. What you will notice is that thereβs a different special every day of the week.
- 1/2 OFF APPS
- $7 Fishbowls (wells)
- $5 Skrewball & PB&J Shots
- $2.50 Domestic Drafts
- Free hour of Pool with a College ID
- $5 Altos Margaritas
- $2 OFF any craft beer
- $2 Pizza Slices (add. toppings only .50 cents more)
- $4 Tullamore Dew Pickle back Shots
- $2 Draft & Wells
- $1.25 Vodka (wells)
THURSDAY (Ladies Night):
- $3 Wines
- $5 Kettle 1 Martinis
- 1 Hour of free pool play
- ALL DAY Liquor Pitchers start @ $10
- $9 Domestic Pitchers
- $5 Fireball Shots
- $5 Blue LIIT drinks
- 50% OFF Appetizers & Pool w/purchase
- Between 4:30 to 8:30 pm $13.99 All you can Drink Calls and Select Beer
- $5 Absolut Vodka
- $5 Jameson Irish Whiskey
- $5 Captain Morgan Spiced & White Rum
- $12 Bud & Bud Lt Buckets
SUNDAY (Industry Night):
- BOGO Wells
- $3 Mimosas
- Hospitality Employees night at 7 pm. 50% off full-price drinks with a pay stub
Check out Peabodyβs Specials
REASON #5 The Food
If you are a lightweight like me donβt feel you canβt hang with the drinking buddies because you can come for the food! So, the main reason I can feel right at home at Peabodyβs even as a light drinker is the fabulous fare. Ask any USF student and they will tell you that Peabodyβs has the best wings in Tampa. Donβt stop at wings as they have a full menu. They offer NYC style pizza, garlic knots, quesadillas, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, tons of appetizers and even salads. They even offer three types of french fry cuts; house cut, crinkle or curly. Everything is made fresh to order inhouse. This includes all of the sauces and dressings. As a serious foodie I appreciate this. There is nothing worse than dipping a perfectly good chicken wing in bottled blue cheese or ranch to ruin the flavor of beautifully sauced wings. Iβm not big on creamy dressings and I absolutely will not eat ranch out of a bottle, period. The reason I know about the housemade dressing is that I specifically ask if there is a house dressing at every restaurant I go to. When I was told that all the dressings are made in house I was highly impressed and ready to dip. Itβs also good to note that their wing sauces are so good that you can buy a bottle to take home with you. The sauce is really that good.
Β
Β
Β
Β
Β
Β
Β
REASON #6: Groups & Events
So, my small group of bloggers had our own area to sit in and we were catered to all night by the servers. Those who had fishbowls, of course, didnβt need much more than the one drink, but no one was ever thirsty. We ordered a smorgasbord of items to try. Peabodyβs actually customizes service based on your event or occasion. This is unheard of in most bars. The establishment is large so you donβt have to worry about your group not having its own space or getting lost in the bar crowdβ¦unless they want to of course. ff you donβt have a crew or anything special to celebrate Peabodyβs hosts its own events as well. Weekly, they have foosball tournaments that start at 8:00 pm. and Thursday night at 7:00 pm is trivia night, which is a big deal and a lot of fun. You can imagine it gets crazy fun in Peabodyβs on game days and they are well equipped to cater to the sports bar crowd. Peabodyβs hosted events can be found on their Facebook Page.
REASON #7: Service
I am a sucker for great service. In a place that caters to a young college crowd and sports fanatics, you would expect the service to be mediocre, but that is not the case at Peabodyβs. There are patrons of all ages including children that come into Peabodyβs on a regular basis. I believe itβs because the Peabodyβs (yes, the owners are actually named Peabody) are locals and they understand that you canβt be a Tampa staple without delivering service with the heart that Tampa is known for. The college kids come back when they alumni for a reason. In the years Iβve lived in Tampa Iβve seen restaurants come and go. Even restaurants with excellent food have a hard time making it. Peabodyβs has been around for over 20 years and I canβt see it going anywhere any time soon.






Bloggers Pictured Left to Right:
@AlohaMelani, @TampasFoodieGuide, @CharlieChowsDown, @TheGreatestDamnBites, @ItsMeMaria_E, @ViewsNBrews_
Such a cool blog post and very informative!
Iβm so glad you think so! Peabodyβs is definitely a Tampa secret that needed to be shared!
~AlohaMelani
The food and drinks are definitely screaming come try me! Lol
As a lightweight drinker, I really appreciated the vast food options. All fresh and made in house! However, those Fishbowls are too cute and affordable to pass up!
~AlohaMelani
Love this blog post! Thank you for giving us all the details!
Thank you! Peabodyβs has so many fun things to do that Iβm sure I missed something. I guess I have reasons to keep going back!
~AlohaMelani
I had so much fun! Glad you finally experienced Peabβs!
Iβm glad too! As a major foodie itβs almost embarrassing that I didnβt know about Peabodyβs! This is a major Tampa Hot Spot.
Wow! This was such a great read! Iβve never been to Peabodyβs but I always heard about it! I will definitely have to try it out one day because their food looks so delicious!!
You definitely need to try it out. Iβm sure glad I did. Now I know where to suggest for a fun night out!