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Florida home to America's top beach bars as Daytona Beach spot leads the list
"No shoes, no shirt, no problem."
That's the motto at the No. 1 beach bar in America.
Ocean Deck Restaurant & Beach Club in Daytona Beach, Florida, recently earned that distinction from USA Today readers. It's one of three watering holes from the Sunshine State that cracked the top 10 best beach bar rankings of 2025 — along with Flora-Bama Lounge, Package & Oyster Bar in Pensacola (No. 2) and Sloppy Joe's on the Beach in Treasure Island (No. 7), both nestled off the Gulf of America.
Florida's top beach bar sits near the Atlantic Ocean, attracting a mix of "really dedicated locals" and tourists who trek to Daytona Beach annually for bike week and one of NASCAR's longest-running races.
What started as a hot dog stand in 1957 eventually expanded into a full-fledged restaurant and bar. After longtime owner Dick Keough retired, Connie and Matt Fuerst took over the bar in 2012.
"He always said he wanted to own this place," co-owner Connie Fuerst said of her husband, a veteran of the restaurant industry.
It's the only bar in the city "actually on the beach," Fuerst told Fox News Digital.
"Everything else has to be on a seawall. We're grandfathered into that rule."
Part of its appeal, she said, is that people are able to "come in off the beach in their swimsuits and have a drink and enjoy it."
The bar also puts on beach concerts and has karaoke every weekend.
Then there's the restaurant, which keeps its kitchen open until 1 a.m. – an enticing draw for the early-morning crowds.
For those who decide to stop by, Fuerst recommends the Ocean Decker, "which is a huge monster of a burger."
"It's got onion rings, cheese, bacon, ham, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles," she said. "It is about, I want to say, 8 inches tall, and we have to put a steak knife in it to keep it together. People love it."
Hawaii – not Florida – is the state with the most beach bars in the top 10.
They are all located on resort properties.
California comes in just behind Florida with two bars on the list, while South Carolina's Tiki Hut at Beach House is the lone representative from the Deep South.
Check out the list of the top 10 beach bars and their locations.
1. Ocean Deck Restaurant & Beach Club in Daytona Beach, Florida
2. Flora-Bama Lounge, Package & Oyster Bar in Pensacola, Florida
3. Tiki Hut at Beach House in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
4. Reunion Kitchen + Drink in Santa Barbara, California
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5. Copper Bar at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Kohala Coast, Hawaii
6. Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Resort in Honolulu, Hawaii
7. Sloppy Joe's on the Beach in Treasure Island, Florida
8. The Crow's Nest in Santa Cruz, California
9. House Without a Key at Halekulani on the Beach at Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii
10. The Edge of Waikiki at Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu, Hawaii
