Photography by Monica McGivern
Audio By Carbonatix
You had thoughts. Hundreds of them. After we published our list of 15 Bygone Miami Bars We Miss the Most last week, over 800 comments rolled in on Instagram and Facebook – some grateful, some heated, most nostalgic. What started as a love letter to closed bars turned into something more: a comment section group therapy session, powered by vodka sodas, old school music, and a shared sense that something real had been lost.
Even more so, it made us realize that so many of us in Miami between 2008 and 2015 went out to the exact same bars at the exact same time. We all experienced a Miami that no longer exists, and one that we are all so fond of and grateful for. Back before influencers told us where to go, and back before the songs overheard on the speakers were from viral TikToks, it was a time when up-and-coming bands and artists played at the most low-key venues for a $10 cover (or even no cover at all).
You all had wonderful memories of the bars we featured, especially Purdy Lounge, Electric Pickle, and Bardot. Boy, do you all miss these three bars. So much, in fact, that over half of our 700 Instagram comments lament their losses.
But you were quick to call out the ones we didn’t include.
Bars We Missed In Our List
Where was Sidebar? Studio A? Pawn Shop? PS14? Churchill’s? Soho Lounge? The Anderson (in its early days)?
Pawn Shop, Studio A, I/O Lounge, White Room are some other notable venues.
Others echoed this.
No Pawn Shop?? The District? Vagabond? White Room?
But these weren’t the only spots we missed. We also missed Churchill’s (but for good reason – it’s reopening soon)!
Churchill’s? Wood Tavern.
Apparently, there was an old school dive that was a Miami staple at the time.
Loved the Pickle and Bardot, but real dive bar heads popped in to Magnum Lounge on 79th Street
We also missed a few others.
Abraxas Lounge, the Room, Firkin and Friar, and WallFlower Gallery
And SideBar!
Don’t forget SideBar. SideBar use to be so poppin. Playboi carti asked me how to get into his own perfomance.
Miami will forever miss The Vagabond
The Vagabond photo
The Five Bars You All Missed The Most in Order:
1) Purdy Lounge 2) Bardot 3) Electric Pickle 4) Grand Central 5) Vagabond
Purdy was my jam
– @garciga385
Electric Pickle was home take me back
– @acefreebird
GRAND CENTRAL MY HOME
– @justsiyan
Rip Purdy lounge
– @retna42
Nothing comes close to Bardot.
Back when Miami had spots for locals…
– @bearded_wolf
Pickle
– @hvcent90
Heartfelt Nostalgia At Its Finest
Readers also shared why those places mattered. It’s not just the music or the drinks, but the randomness, the locals, the freedom. Some of you described full-on night routes, others remembered a single closing song.
Remembers @scottrichardson305:
What I wouldn’t give for a back room Purdy night, Jessica on decks, glow stick juice everywhere, getting Pickled on Friday, then Vaga-White Room for Saturday, anything left was given at Bella Rose for Sunday….with RokBar and Shore Club on Thursday. Heaven every night!
Adds @girlpilot:
I can’t even think of any place right now that feels so much like a “locals” place like these were.
Offers @keniawest:
We were living in the best times and didnt even know it. I cant think of any venue that even resembles the vibes these venues provided for all of us. Except maybe The corner.. the last cool spot.
Says @elviscabrera87:
That closing party for Purdy Lounge was amazing. They played Daft Punk “One More Time” for a solid 10 minutes at the end.
Mentions @amaninnewyork:
I still have never gone to a club as great as Electric Pickle. The bookings were insane, I went at least twice a month. No other energy like that!
Recalls @bellagmzzz:
3am buns at Gigis after Bardot (Getting a well-rounded education in electronic music at the Pickle… back when we were too young to know it.)
And @ronnie_kronz says what a lot of people were thinking:
In other words Miami doesn’t like history would rather destroy its own history and replace it with overpriced BS
What bar do you still miss? Drop your memory in the comments or send it to nicole.lopez-alvar@miaminewtimes.com.
