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It was, according to Esquire, one of America’s best bars. And closer to home, it served New Times‘ favorite smoked fish for nearly six decades. These days, however, Jimbo’s is little more than a grassy plot of vacant land on Virginia Key.
But the bait shop and seaside speakeasy’s legacy lives on in former proprietor Jimbo Luznar, who turns 86 years old this year. And to celebrate, Gramps is hosting a Jimbo-approved birthday bash on Sunday, April 7.
“This will be a great indoor/outdoor event, a chance to see Jimbo again and celebrate his legacy,” says Friends of Jimbo’s Robert Burr.
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–Jimbo Luznar: King of the Island –Jimbo’s and Churchill’s Pub Make Esquire ‘s List of Best Bars in America
It’s a legacy deeply rooted in smoked fish and cheap brews, a welcoming, come-as-you-are sense of belonging shared by the joint’s regulars and casual visitors alike.
“Adam Gersten at Gramps saved a lot of the old stuff from Jimbo’s when the City of Miami tore it down, bulldozed the place, and turned it into a grassy field,” Burr adds. “Perhaps it will be a park someday, perhaps there will be a historic marker reminding us of Jimbo’s legacy.”
Until then, however, it’s bocce ball, Budweiser, and bullshittin’ in Wynwood for Jimbo’s 86th birthday bash at Gramps on April 7.
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