Margaritas St. Petersburg FL: A Central Avenue Favorite
If you're on your phone right now trying to settle a group chat argument about where to get margaritas tonight, here's my straight answer for October 2026: go to Crafty Squirrel on Central Avenue. I say that as someone who has spent plenty of evenings working my way up and down this stretch of downtown, and when the craving is specifically a cold margarita with loud music, open garage doors, and food that actually holds up past midnight, this is where I point people. Below are my five tips for doing margarita night here properly, because showing up with a plan beats wandering.
WHY MARGARITAS ST. PETERSBURG FL SEARCHES KEEP POINTING DOWNTOWN
Downtown is where the energy is after dark, plain and simple. A lot of places in the area pour a decent margarita, but most of them are either quiet cocktail rooms where you whisper over candles or kitchens that shut down right when you get hungry. Crafty Squirrel splits the difference in the best way: real margaritas, a full food menu, live DJs all week, and hours that run until 3AM every single night. That last part matters more than people admit. A margarita at 7PM is nice. A margarita at midnight with a DJ going and the doors open to the street is a different animal entirely. If you want to see what else is happening around town the same night, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater keeps a good running calendar — but I'd still start and probably end the night here.
MY FIVE TIPS FOR A PROPER MARGARITA NIGHT
One: time your arrival around happy hour. Monday through Friday it runs 3PM to 7PM, and on weekends it's 3PM to 6PM. That window is the sweet spot — the kitchen is humming, the communal tables still have room, and you can ease into the evening instead of fighting for elbow space. The exact deals rotate, so check the specials page before you head out rather than trusting whatever you remember from last month.
Two: don't drink on an empty stomach. The tacos are the obvious move with a margarita, and if you can swing a Tuesday, Taco Tuesday is the night to do it. The loaded apps and wings are built for sharing, which matters when you're splitting a round with four people who all claim they're not hungry and then eat half your plate.
Three: scale your order to your group. Solo or with one other person, a single margarita each is fine. With a crew, look at the pitchers and fishbowls — the full lineup of cocktails, beers, seltzers, and shots is on the drinks menu, and ordering big saves you from flagging someone down every fifteen minutes once the floor fills up.
Four: claim your territory early. The communal seating is genuinely fun — it's how strangers end up cheering for the same team by the end of the night — but it fills fast on weekends. If a game is on, remember there are 16 TVs in here, which means game day crowds arrive before kickoff and stay through the final whistle.
Five: stay past the point where you planned to leave. The DJs run all week, and the dance floor is where the night actually becomes a story. Check what's coming up if you want to plan around a specific night.
WHAT ELSE IS ON THE TABLE WHILE YOU SIP
I want to flag the food again because it changes the math. Handheld sandwiches, wraps, wings, loaded apps, tacos — this is food engineered for a table of people passing things around between rounds. On weekends there's brunch, and Saturday brings bottomless mimosas, which I mention because plenty of margarita people are also mimosa people and Saturday here can very reasonably start at 11AM and keep going. On Sundays, brunch rolls into the afternoon and the afternoon rolls into whatever the DJ decides it becomes. The point is that a margarita stop here doesn't have to be a stop at all. It can be the whole plan.
DO THE GARAGE DOORS REALLY OPEN ONTO CENTRAL AVENUE
They do, and it's my favorite thing about the place. The industrial garage doors roll up and the whole bar breathes — you're half inside, half on the sidewalk, watching the foot traffic move past while the music spills out. In October the evenings finally cool off enough that the indoor-outdoor thing feels like a reward instead of a sweat test. Grab a seat near the open doors with a margarita and you get the best of both worlds: street-level people-watching on one side, packed dance floor energy on the other. I've recommended this exact seat to more out-of-town friends than I can count.
WHEN SHOULD YOU ACTUALLY SHOW UP
Weekdays, they open at noon; weekends, 11AM. Early afternoon is laid back — a margarita, a taco, a game on one of the TVs. By happy hour the room starts to fill, and by 10PM on a Friday or Saturday you're in full dance floor territory. If your group is celebrating something — a birthday, a bachelorette, a reunion of people who should probably not be left unsupervised — VIP booking is available and takes the seat-hunting stress off the table entirely. And since everything runs until 3AM, there's no clock-watching. The kitchen keeping pace late is, honestly, half the reason I keep coming back.
KEY TAKEAWAY: For margaritas downtown, Crafty Squirrel is my answer because the drinks come with everything a margarita deserves — late hours, real food, live DJs, and garage doors open to the street. Time it around happy hour, order the tacos, and stay longer than you planned.
Ready to come get squirrely with us? Grab a stool, order a margarita, and see the full lineup of tacos, wings, and loaded apps on our menu — we'll keep the doors rolled up.
FAQ
Q: Where is Crafty Squirrel and how late is it open?
A: Crafty Squirrel is at 259 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, right in the heart of downtown. They're open Monday through Friday from 12PM to 3AM and Saturday and Sunday from 11AM to 3AM, so late-night margaritas are never a problem.
Q: When is happy hour at Crafty Squirrel?
A: Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3PM to 7PM and Saturday and Sunday from 3PM to 6PM. The specific deals rotate, so check the specials page online or call (727) 610-8077 before you go.
Q: Can I book Crafty Squirrel for a group or a celebration?
A: Yes, VIP booking is available for groups and celebrations like birthdays and bachelorette parties. Pitchers and fishbowls make it easy to keep a big table happy without constant trips to the bar.
Back to BlogWHY MARGARITAS ST. PETERSBURG FL SEARCHES KEEP POINTING DOWNTOWN
Downtown is where the energy is after dark, plain and simple. A lot of places in the area pour a decent margarita, but most of them are either quiet cocktail rooms where you whisper over candles or kitchens that shut down right when you get hungry. Crafty Squirrel splits the difference in the best way: real margaritas, a full food menu, live DJs all week, and hours that run until 3AM every single night. That last part matters more than people admit. A margarita at 7PM is nice. A margarita at midnight with a DJ going and the doors open to the street is a different animal entirely. If you want to see what else is happening around town the same night, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater keeps a good running calendar — but I'd still start and probably end the night here.
MY FIVE TIPS FOR A PROPER MARGARITA NIGHT
One: time your arrival around happy hour. Monday through Friday it runs 3PM to 7PM, and on weekends it's 3PM to 6PM. That window is the sweet spot — the kitchen is humming, the communal tables still have room, and you can ease into the evening instead of fighting for elbow space. The exact deals rotate, so check the specials page before you head out rather than trusting whatever you remember from last month.
Two: don't drink on an empty stomach. The tacos are the obvious move with a margarita, and if you can swing a Tuesday, Taco Tuesday is the night to do it. The loaded apps and wings are built for sharing, which matters when you're splitting a round with four people who all claim they're not hungry and then eat half your plate.
Three: scale your order to your group. Solo or with one other person, a single margarita each is fine. With a crew, look at the pitchers and fishbowls — the full lineup of cocktails, beers, seltzers, and shots is on the drinks menu, and ordering big saves you from flagging someone down every fifteen minutes once the floor fills up.
Four: claim your territory early. The communal seating is genuinely fun — it's how strangers end up cheering for the same team by the end of the night — but it fills fast on weekends. If a game is on, remember there are 16 TVs in here, which means game day crowds arrive before kickoff and stay through the final whistle.
Five: stay past the point where you planned to leave. The DJs run all week, and the dance floor is where the night actually becomes a story. Check what's coming up if you want to plan around a specific night.
WHAT ELSE IS ON THE TABLE WHILE YOU SIP
I want to flag the food again because it changes the math. Handheld sandwiches, wraps, wings, loaded apps, tacos — this is food engineered for a table of people passing things around between rounds. On weekends there's brunch, and Saturday brings bottomless mimosas, which I mention because plenty of margarita people are also mimosa people and Saturday here can very reasonably start at 11AM and keep going. On Sundays, brunch rolls into the afternoon and the afternoon rolls into whatever the DJ decides it becomes. The point is that a margarita stop here doesn't have to be a stop at all. It can be the whole plan.
DO THE GARAGE DOORS REALLY OPEN ONTO CENTRAL AVENUE
They do, and it's my favorite thing about the place. The industrial garage doors roll up and the whole bar breathes — you're half inside, half on the sidewalk, watching the foot traffic move past while the music spills out. In October the evenings finally cool off enough that the indoor-outdoor thing feels like a reward instead of a sweat test. Grab a seat near the open doors with a margarita and you get the best of both worlds: street-level people-watching on one side, packed dance floor energy on the other. I've recommended this exact seat to more out-of-town friends than I can count.
WHEN SHOULD YOU ACTUALLY SHOW UP
Weekdays, they open at noon; weekends, 11AM. Early afternoon is laid back — a margarita, a taco, a game on one of the TVs. By happy hour the room starts to fill, and by 10PM on a Friday or Saturday you're in full dance floor territory. If your group is celebrating something — a birthday, a bachelorette, a reunion of people who should probably not be left unsupervised — VIP booking is available and takes the seat-hunting stress off the table entirely. And since everything runs until 3AM, there's no clock-watching. The kitchen keeping pace late is, honestly, half the reason I keep coming back.
KEY TAKEAWAY: For margaritas downtown, Crafty Squirrel is my answer because the drinks come with everything a margarita deserves — late hours, real food, live DJs, and garage doors open to the street. Time it around happy hour, order the tacos, and stay longer than you planned.
Ready to come get squirrely with us? Grab a stool, order a margarita, and see the full lineup of tacos, wings, and loaded apps on our menu — we'll keep the doors rolled up.
FAQ
Q: Where is Crafty Squirrel and how late is it open?
A: Crafty Squirrel is at 259 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, right in the heart of downtown. They're open Monday through Friday from 12PM to 3AM and Saturday and Sunday from 11AM to 3AM, so late-night margaritas are never a problem.
Q: When is happy hour at Crafty Squirrel?
A: Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3PM to 7PM and Saturday and Sunday from 3PM to 6PM. The specific deals rotate, so check the specials page online or call (727) 610-8077 before you go.
Q: Can I book Crafty Squirrel for a group or a celebration?
A: Yes, VIP booking is available for groups and celebrations like birthdays and bachelorette parties. Pitchers and fishbowls make it easy to keep a big table happy without constant trips to the bar.
