Bars Near Mahaffey Theater St. Petersburg: A Night Guide
You have tickets for tonight, the show starts soon, and the group chat is asking the same question it always asks: where do we go before, and where do we go after? If you are hunting for bars near the Mahaffey this September 2026, here is the honest answer from someone who has done this run more times than I can count in St. Petersburg — walk up from the waterfront to Central Ave and post up at Crafty Squirrel. They are at 259 Central Ave, the kitchen runs late, and the doors are open until 3AM every single night, which matters more than you think when the encore ends and half the places nearby are already stacking chairs.
This is my step-by-step for doing a show night right, whether you are eating first, drinking after, or trying to do both without missing the opening number.
STEP ONE: DECIDE IF THIS IS A PRE-SHOW NIGHT OR A POST-SHOW NIGHT
This is the fork in the road, so settle it before anyone leaves the house. A pre-show night means you want food and a real drink without cutting it close on curtain time. A post-show night means you want somewhere that is actually still going when you walk out of the theater — music on, kitchen open, energy up.
Crafty Squirrel works for either, but you plan them differently. For pre-show, aim to arrive with time to spare. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3PM to 7PM and weekends from 3PM to 6PM, so an early arrival before an evening curtain lands you squarely in the good window. For post-show, you barely need a plan at all. They are open until 3AM seven days a week, so you are not racing anyone's last call.
HOW BARS NEAR MAHAFFEY THEATER ST. PETERSBURG NIGHTS USUALLY GO
Here is the honest shape of it. The theater sits down by the water, and the natural move afterward is up toward Central Avenue, where the actual nightlife lives. It is an easy walk or a very short ride, and the payoff is a completely different energy than the quiet blocks right around the venue.
Crafty Squirrel sits right in the thick of it, with industrial garage doors that open straight onto Central Ave. On a warm night — which in September is every night — the whole front of the bar is open to the street, so you get the indoor-outdoor thing without having to choose. Inside there are live DJs all week, a dance floor that genuinely fills up, communal seating, and 16 TVs if there happens to be a game on the same night as your show. It is loud in the best way. If you want a hushed nightcap, this is not that. If you want the night to keep going, it absolutely is.
One note on searching for bars near Mahaffey Theater St. Petersburg on your phone at intermission: a lot of what pops up closest to the venue winds down early. The kitchen situation downtown thins out fast after ten. Crafty Squirrel keeps serving late, which is why it is my default answer.
STEP TWO: EAT LIKE YOU MEAN IT
Do not try to white-knuckle a three-hour performance on a granola bar. The menu here is built for exactly this kind of night — tacos, wings, handheld sandwiches and wraps, and loaded apps that are easy to split across a table while everyone argues about the setlist. If your show falls on a Tuesday, Taco Tuesday is the obvious move.
On the drinks side, you have range: cocktails, margaritas, beers, seltzers, pitchers if the table is thirsty, shots if the table is celebrating, and fishbowls if the table has fully committed. Browse the drink menu before you go so you are not squinting at it in a crowd.
STEP THREE: KNOW WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THAT NIGHT
Show nights downtown overlap with everything else downtown — DJ sets, karaoke and bar games midweek, weekend crowds. Check the events page so you know what you are walking into, and if you want the wider picture of what is going on around the city the same evening, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater is a useful place to look. Sometimes the best show nights are the ones where the bar has its own show going too.
STEP FOUR: IF YOU ARE A GROUP, BOOK AHEAD
This is the step people skip and then regret. If your theater outing is a birthday, a bachelorette, or just eight friends who bought tickets together, do not gamble on finding a table for eight at eleven o'clock on a Saturday. Crafty Squirrel takes VIP bookings for groups and celebrations, which means you walk out of the show and into a spot that is already yours. Dedicated space, no hovering, no splitting the group across three tables.
Solo or a pair? Skip this step entirely. The communal seating means you can slide in almost anytime, and honestly, half the fun of this place is who you end up next to.
STEP FIVE: DO NOT OVERTHINK THE LOGISTICS
The address is 259 Central Ave, hours are noon to 3AM on weekdays and 11AM to 3AM on weekends, and the number is (727) 610-8077 if you want to call ahead with a question. Rideshare drop-off on Central is painless, and if you walked up from the theater, you will not need a car at all. The hardest logistical decision of the whole night is whether you are hungry enough for a second round of tacos. You are.
KEY TAKEAWAY: For a show night, the smart play is simple — plan your food and drinks around Crafty Squirrel at 259 Central Ave, because the kitchen and the bar run until 3AM, so it works before the curtain and long after the encore.
The show may end, but your night does not have to. Come get squirrely at Crafty Squirrel on Central Ave and check the current specials before you head out.
FAQ
Q: How far is Crafty Squirrel from the Mahaffey Theater?
A: Crafty Squirrel is at 259 Central Ave in the heart of downtown, an easy walk or a very short rideshare from the waterfront theater district. Most people make the trip on foot after a show without any trouble.
Q: Is Crafty Squirrel open late enough for after a show?
A: Yes — they are open until 3AM every night of the week, with doors opening at noon on weekdays and 11AM on weekends. That makes it one of the most reliable late options after an evening performance.
Q: Can I reserve space for a group on a show night?
A: Absolutely, and I recommend it for parties of six or more, especially on weekends. VIP booking is available for groups and celebrations, or you can call (727) 610-8077 with questions before you commit.
Back to BlogThis is my step-by-step for doing a show night right, whether you are eating first, drinking after, or trying to do both without missing the opening number.
STEP ONE: DECIDE IF THIS IS A PRE-SHOW NIGHT OR A POST-SHOW NIGHT
This is the fork in the road, so settle it before anyone leaves the house. A pre-show night means you want food and a real drink without cutting it close on curtain time. A post-show night means you want somewhere that is actually still going when you walk out of the theater — music on, kitchen open, energy up.
Crafty Squirrel works for either, but you plan them differently. For pre-show, aim to arrive with time to spare. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3PM to 7PM and weekends from 3PM to 6PM, so an early arrival before an evening curtain lands you squarely in the good window. For post-show, you barely need a plan at all. They are open until 3AM seven days a week, so you are not racing anyone's last call.
HOW BARS NEAR MAHAFFEY THEATER ST. PETERSBURG NIGHTS USUALLY GO
Here is the honest shape of it. The theater sits down by the water, and the natural move afterward is up toward Central Avenue, where the actual nightlife lives. It is an easy walk or a very short ride, and the payoff is a completely different energy than the quiet blocks right around the venue.
Crafty Squirrel sits right in the thick of it, with industrial garage doors that open straight onto Central Ave. On a warm night — which in September is every night — the whole front of the bar is open to the street, so you get the indoor-outdoor thing without having to choose. Inside there are live DJs all week, a dance floor that genuinely fills up, communal seating, and 16 TVs if there happens to be a game on the same night as your show. It is loud in the best way. If you want a hushed nightcap, this is not that. If you want the night to keep going, it absolutely is.
One note on searching for bars near Mahaffey Theater St. Petersburg on your phone at intermission: a lot of what pops up closest to the venue winds down early. The kitchen situation downtown thins out fast after ten. Crafty Squirrel keeps serving late, which is why it is my default answer.
STEP TWO: EAT LIKE YOU MEAN IT
Do not try to white-knuckle a three-hour performance on a granola bar. The menu here is built for exactly this kind of night — tacos, wings, handheld sandwiches and wraps, and loaded apps that are easy to split across a table while everyone argues about the setlist. If your show falls on a Tuesday, Taco Tuesday is the obvious move.
On the drinks side, you have range: cocktails, margaritas, beers, seltzers, pitchers if the table is thirsty, shots if the table is celebrating, and fishbowls if the table has fully committed. Browse the drink menu before you go so you are not squinting at it in a crowd.
STEP THREE: KNOW WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THAT NIGHT
Show nights downtown overlap with everything else downtown — DJ sets, karaoke and bar games midweek, weekend crowds. Check the events page so you know what you are walking into, and if you want the wider picture of what is going on around the city the same evening, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater is a useful place to look. Sometimes the best show nights are the ones where the bar has its own show going too.
STEP FOUR: IF YOU ARE A GROUP, BOOK AHEAD
This is the step people skip and then regret. If your theater outing is a birthday, a bachelorette, or just eight friends who bought tickets together, do not gamble on finding a table for eight at eleven o'clock on a Saturday. Crafty Squirrel takes VIP bookings for groups and celebrations, which means you walk out of the show and into a spot that is already yours. Dedicated space, no hovering, no splitting the group across three tables.
Solo or a pair? Skip this step entirely. The communal seating means you can slide in almost anytime, and honestly, half the fun of this place is who you end up next to.
STEP FIVE: DO NOT OVERTHINK THE LOGISTICS
The address is 259 Central Ave, hours are noon to 3AM on weekdays and 11AM to 3AM on weekends, and the number is (727) 610-8077 if you want to call ahead with a question. Rideshare drop-off on Central is painless, and if you walked up from the theater, you will not need a car at all. The hardest logistical decision of the whole night is whether you are hungry enough for a second round of tacos. You are.
KEY TAKEAWAY: For a show night, the smart play is simple — plan your food and drinks around Crafty Squirrel at 259 Central Ave, because the kitchen and the bar run until 3AM, so it works before the curtain and long after the encore.
The show may end, but your night does not have to. Come get squirrely at Crafty Squirrel on Central Ave and check the current specials before you head out.
FAQ
Q: How far is Crafty Squirrel from the Mahaffey Theater?
A: Crafty Squirrel is at 259 Central Ave in the heart of downtown, an easy walk or a very short rideshare from the waterfront theater district. Most people make the trip on foot after a show without any trouble.
Q: Is Crafty Squirrel open late enough for after a show?
A: Yes — they are open until 3AM every night of the week, with doors opening at noon on weekdays and 11AM on weekends. That makes it one of the most reliable late options after an evening performance.
Q: Can I reserve space for a group on a show night?
A: Absolutely, and I recommend it for parties of six or more, especially on weekends. VIP booking is available for groups and celebrations, or you can call (727) 610-8077 with questions before you commit.
