Beach Bars on Clearwater Beach: On the Sand, Tiki and Sunset Bars

Which Clearwater Beach bars are actually on the beach?

Plenty of places call themselves beach bars. Only three have sand under the tables. The rest are a dock, a resort deck or a patio across Beach Walk. Hours below are each bar's posted hours as of October 2026. They shift with the season and the weather, so check the bar's site the day you go.

Straight-line distances from Pier 60, measured from OpenStreetMap addresses: Frenchy's Rockaway about 0.5 mile north, Crabby's Beachside Pavilion about 0.6 mile north, Jimmy's Fish House about 0.7 mile south and Shephard's about 0.75 mile south. The real route along the sand is a bit longer, so figure roughly 10 to 20 minutes on foot.

Where can I drink with my feet in the sand?

Frenchy's Rockaway Grill

If you only go to one, make it this one. Rockaway, at 7 Rockaway St. on the north beach, is the biggest of the Frenchy's restaurants, with open-air dining "right on the Gulf of Mexico," two large bars and local musicians every day. It's a full restaurant as much as a bar, and Frenchy's bills its rum runners as the beach's best. Posted hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday (as of October 2026). Phone (727) 446-4844. Want a table facing the water at sunset? Get there early.

Crabby's Beachside Pavilion (the former Palm Pavilion)

The Palm Pavilion at 10 Bay Esplanade, a short stroll north of Rockaway, changed hands after nearly 65 years with the Hamilton family. Beachside Hospitality Group, which also runs Crabby's Dockside and Salty's on the beach, now operates it as Crabby's Beachside Pavilion, and the old palmpavilion.com address forwards to the new site. The building itself isn't going anywhere. Tampa Bay Business & Wealth reported in May 2026 that the 30-room inn next door will be torn down for a nine-story, 144-room resort, with the beachfront restaurant kept and linked to the new building by elevated walkways. No construction dates were published, so expect some work nearby at some point.

Posted hours as of October 2026: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. Of the three bars on the sand, it's the only one serving breakfast. Live music runs off a calendar on its entertainment page. Beachside Hospitality Group lists the phone as (727) 446-2642.

Shephard's Tiki Beach Bar & Grill

Shephard's Beach Resort, family-owned since 1977, is the party end of the beach. Its Tiki Beach Bar & Grill overlooks the sand and the Gulf, and bands play on what the resort calls an LED concert-style stage. The bar is open to the public daily from 11 a.m., closing at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and "to close" on Friday and Saturday (as of October 2026), and the resort offers complimentary valet. Its beach staff rent chairs and umbrellas and run food and drink service on the sand. Phone (727) 442-5107.

Two things to know. The Soak Pool Bar is for resort guests only, so walk-ups stay at the tiki bar. Our resort day pass guide covers the poolside cabana rental that gets non-guests into that pool area. And The Wave, the resort's nightclub, runs Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. with DJs. Thinking of staying there? Our Shephard's Beach Resort review covers the hotel side.

Want the tiki bar on the water instead? Our guide to floating tiki bar boats compares the Clearwater cruises, BYOB rules and prices.

Which beach bar has the best sunset view?

The beach faces west, so any Gulf-front bar gets the sunset. What changes is where you sit for it.

• Best on the sand: Frenchy's Rockaway Grill. Nothing between you and the water, and live music is on the schedule every day.
• Best ritual: Jimmy's Fish House & Iguana Bar, at the Holiday Inn & Suites Clearwater Beach, 521 S. Gulfview Blvd. It bills its deck as the largest Gulf-front dining dock on the beach and pours a free sunset shot seven nights a week. The tiki bar opens at 11 a.m. (noon on weekends) and runs until sunset or later, weather permitting. Phone (727) 446-9720.
• Best from up high: Jimmy's on the Edge, on the 10th floor of The Edge Hotel at 505 S. Gulfview Blvd., calls itself the beach's largest rooftop bar. The bar runs 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily, everyone gets a free Hurricane shot at 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday nights bring a band or DJ. Not a beach bar, but it's the highest Gulf view on this list.
• Best quiet resort option: Tate Island Grill at Sandpearl Resort, 500 Mandalay Ave., sits steps from the sand, puts live music on the beachfront boardwalk at sunset and will bring food and drinks to a beach chair. It closes early: 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's a resort outlet, so call (727) 441-2425 to ask whether non-guests can sit at the bar.

Sunset shifts by more than two hours across the year, so check the Clearwater Beach sunset time for your date and aim to arrive 45 minutes ahead. To turn the drink into dinner with the view, our best sunset dinner picks rank the tables.

Which bars are a short walk off the sand?

South of Pier 60, the bars sit on the inland side of Beach Walk, the palm-lined promenade, so you cross the walkway instead of stepping straight off the sand. You give up the toes-in-the-sand part and keep the view. Hours below are as posted in October 2026.

• Crabby's Bar & Grill, 333 S. Gulfview Blvd., has indoor and outdoor seating, sunset views and live music daily. Posted hours are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Phone (727) 608-2065.
• Frenchy's South Beach Cafe, 351 S. Gulfview Blvd., is the Key West bistro version of Frenchy's, with a large sidewalk patio and an ocean view. Same hours as Rockaway: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Phone (727) 441-9991.
• Salty's Island Bar & Grille, 437 S. Gulfview Blvd., serves breakfast from 8:30 a.m. and stays open until 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Phone (727) 216-8085.
• Badfins Food + Brew, 215 S. Gulfview Blvd. at the Wyndham Grand, has a patio and beer garden with beach views, 34 taps and a live music calendar. It opens at 11:30 a.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. weekends and closes "based on business." Call or text (727) 474-5591.

Would you rather have TVs than a sand view? See our pick of sports bars that show the game.

Which beach bars have live music, and when?

Only a few bars commit to a schedule on their own sites. The others post lineups on entertainment calendars that change week to week.

Are there happy hours or drink deals at the beach bars?

Three are posted on the bars' own sites as of October 2026: the free sunset shot at Jimmy's Fish House every night, the free 5 p.m. Hurricane shot on the Jimmy's on the Edge rooftop, and half-off beer at Badfins on Wednesdays after 5 p.m. Other specials change too often to print. Our Clearwater Beach happy hour guide tracks the windows across the island.

Can I take my drink onto the beach?

No. The City of Clearwater's beach rules say plainly: "No alcohol or other intoxicants are permitted on Clearwater's public beaches." Buy it at the bar and finish it there. Shephard's runs food and drink service on its stretch of sand, so if you're down there, ask the staff what you can carry and where. Our page on drinking on Clearwater Beach covers hotel pool decks, balconies and fines, and the full Clearwater Beach rules cover glass, coolers and the rest.

Is there a beach bar on Sand Key or nearby?

Sand Key Park, the county park across Clearwater Pass, has a concession stand, not a bar. The closest drink on Sand Key is at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, 1160 Gulf Blvd., where Slo Joe's Turtle Bar sits beachside from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and the Mainstay Tavern gastropub stays open until 11 p.m. (as of October 2026). Both are resort outlets geared to hotel guests; our guide to resort restaurants and bars open to non-guests says where walk-ins are welcome. From the south end of Clearwater Beach, Shephard's and Jimmy's Fish House are the closer walk-up options.

To the north, Frenchy's Outpost Bar & Grill, 466 Causeway Blvd. in Dunedin, is an open-air Key West-style spot with a large tiki bar near the causeway to Honeymoon Island. It isn't on the beach, but it pairs well with a day at Honeymoon Island State Park. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; phone (727) 625-3619.

Frequently asked questions

What bars are directly on the sand at Clearwater Beach?

Frenchy's Rockaway Grill (7 Rockaway St.), Crabby's Beachside Pavilion (10 Bay Esplanade) and Shephard's Tiki Beach Bar & Grill (619 S. Gulfview Blvd.). All three take walk-ups from the beach. Sandpearl's Tate Island Grill is steps from the sand but is a resort outlet.

Is the Palm Pavilion still open?

Yes, under a new name. It now operates as Crabby's Beachside Pavilion, run by Beachside Hospitality Group, at the same 10 Bay Esplanade spot on the sand. The neighboring inn is being redeveloped into a 144-room resort, but the restaurant is staying. Posted hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday as of October 2026.

Which Clearwater Beach bar stays open latest?

On the beach, The Wave nightclub at Shephard's, Friday and Saturday until 2:30 a.m. Jimmy's on the Edge keeps its rooftop bar open until 1 a.m. daily, and the inside bar at Jimmy's Fish House posts closing times of midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends, "or later." Most on-sand bars close at 10 or 11 p.m.

Can I bring a drink from the bar down to the water?

No. Alcohol is banned on Clearwater's public beaches under city rules. Finish your drink at the bar or on the bar's own serving area.

Which beach bar is best for families?

Frenchy's Rockaway Grill or Crabby's Beachside Pavilion. Both are full restaurants on the sand (the Pavilion posts a kids' menu) and close by 10 or 11 p.m. Shephard's leans toward live bands and has a weekend nightclub, so it suits adults better after dark.