Are you looking for somewhere laid-back and cozy to enjoy a nice casual dinner with a few friends? Then worry not because No Name Pub has got you covered. They serve the best pasta, burgers, signature chicken wings and pizza in town and also the most refreshing beer. You can enjoy all their meals under a chill atmosphere with small tables and big umbrellas. Aside from being a place to eat, No Name Pub also has tie-die shirts, baseball caps, hoodies and other merchandise fit for the Florida traveler. Their establishment has a quaint grassroots mom and pop vibe to it and with good reason; that’s because the No Name Pub has a long history in Florida, dating back to 1931.
Now, let’s take a trip down memory lane and take a brief look as just how much this small and unassuming pub has contributed tremendously to the growth of Florida over the course of the 20th century.
Their story begins in 1931, when a shop built with planks was erected and acted as a general store that also acts as a bait and tackle shop. In ’36, the owners that time added another section which became the restaurant and this attracted many people to the place. People who frequented the pub were travelers from far away places who came by ferries and, of course, the local fishermen. By the late 1930’s, the owners cleared a space upstairs and used it as a brothel. Controversial as that may sound, it became popular at that time until the mid forties and eventually was closed down.
During the forties, the pub gained more traction as more people visited the pub. Men would gather at the bait and tackle shop and talk about their interests and buy supplies while the women shopped at the general store. Then they all meet together in the restaurant to have a beer and something to snack on.
The years went on and the bar became more successful by each year and by the fifties, the place became a legit restaurant where many people gathered to eat and hang out. This is also the decade where the name No Name Pub was used and it stuck ever since. Then, in the 60’s the pub hired cooks from Italy and luckily for the pub, they made the best pizzas ever. And so they used this recipe ever since. The cooks were even so nice as to leave the recipe of the pizza on a piece of paper when they moved on to find other jobs so the owners won’t forget how to make the pizzas.
The No Name Pub’s name just grew from then on and more people ate, danced around, played cards and got drunk in the place and the patrons even started a tradition of clipping their money on the walls just because. This was a tradition that began in the 70’s and many of the bills then can still be seen on the walls of the pub when you enter it.
Today, the No Name Pub has received numerous awards and recognition from survey companies and award giving bodies and one even dubbed it as the “Best Casual Dining Experience in the Florida Keys”. But the best recognition may come from the guests they served who leave a good word about them in their website.
People say that the pub is “A nice place if you can find it” But we’d save you the trouble. You can find the place at 30813 Watson Boulevard, Big Pine Key, FL 33043
