St Pete Beach does one thing better than almost anywhere on the Gulf coast: the sand bar. Not a cocktail lounge with a sea view, an actual bar where the floor is beach and the sunset is the entertainment.
Most of these have live music, and several have it every single night. Here is where to go, and what each one is actually like.
For live music every night
Jimmy B's is the one people name first, and with reason. It sits on the sand behind the Beachcomber and runs two live bands a day, every day of the year. It is loud, busy and completely unpretentious.
Ka'Tiki down on Sunset Beach is the local's answer: a proper tiki bar with music seven nights a week and a crowd that skews resident rather than resort.
For the sunset
Everything on this stretch faces west, so sunset is the main event. Paradise Grille sits right on the sand at Pass-a-Grille, which is the best sunset on the beach and the reason the car park fills up an hour beforehand.
Caddy's puts tables directly on the sand with an open-air stage. It is a bigger, rowdier operation than Paradise Grille and better for a group.
For a quieter drink
Not everything has to be a party. Mastry's Brewing was the first craft brewery on the beach and its biergarten is where you go when you want a conversation rather than a covers band, though it does run live music through the week.
Twisted Tiki sits a few streets back off Corey Avenue, so it draws locals more than beach traffic, and does Drag Queen Bingo on Wednesdays.
Last updated August 8, 2026. Something changed? Tell us.
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