The bars in Delray Beach run along one walkable street: Atlantic Avenue, from the downtown blocks near Swinton Avenue east over the Intracoastal to the ocean, with a few late night rooms tucked one block off it. This guide covers where to drink, dance and catch a happy hour, from a 1970s disco bar to a British pub and a rooftop with weekend DJs. For bands and stages specifically, see our venue directory and our Atlantic Avenue live music rundown; this one is about the nights out.
Tin Roof Delray Beach
At the west end of the Avenue, Tin Roof Delray Beach is the big, loud, easy first stop, with a patio facing Atlantic. It calls itself a live music venue and posts its shows on its own calendar; Motown Mondays run every Monday from 6pm to 9pm with The Memory Lane Band. Hours are 4pm to 2am Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 2am Saturday, 4pm to midnight Monday and 11am to midnight Sunday, so it works for groups who want to start early and stay late (get directions).
Honey
A few doors away, Honey is the lounge and club from Subculture, the West Palm Beach group behind Respectable Street and Dada. It is the most club like room on this end of the Avenue, more about cocktails and the bar crowd than food. Check its socials for the current nights before you go (get directions).
Throw Social
One block south of Atlantic, Throw Social is a tropical themed indoor and outdoor bar with stages for live music, social darts, light up ping pong, cornhole, board games and VIP cabanas you can reserve. It keeps its own music calendar and promos page with themed DJ parties and holiday events. It is closed Monday through Wednesday, then open Thursday 5pm to midnight, Friday 4pm to 2am, Saturday 11am to 2am and Sunday 11am to 11pm. Good for birthdays and groups that want something to do besides stand at a bar (get directions).
Good Night John Boy
Inside the Delray Beach Market building on SE 3rd Avenue, Good Night John Boy describes itself as Studio 54 meets your grandparents’ funky 1970s basement: disco balls, shag carpet and dancing. It opens Wednesday at 8pm, Thursday at 6pm and Friday through Sunday at 5pm, running late each night, and offers bottle service and VIP tables. This is the pick when the group actually wants to dance (get directions).
The Office
A gastropub on the Avenue since 2008, The Office is a dinner and drinks spot by day that turns into a late night bar on weekends: its schedule lists Late Night at the Office on Fridays and Saturdays with a live DJ from 10pm to 2am. Weekday regulars come for Taco Tuesday with $5 margaritas and Winedown Wednesday with half off wine all day, and bottomless brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 3pm (get directions).
Johnnie Brown’s
A Delray institution for more than a decade, Johnnie Brown’s mixes burgers, wings and frozen drinks with live music on Atlantic. It is closed Monday, opens at 6pm Tuesday through Thursday, 3pm to 2am Friday and Saturday, and 1pm to midnight Sunday. It suits a casual crowd that wants a band, a burger and a cold beer (get directions).
The Blue Anchor
East of the Intracoastal, The Blue Anchor is a British pub whose interior was built in London in the 1840s and shipped to Delray, where it reopened on Atlantic in 1996. It is the place for English Premier League and Champions League matches, poker nights, live music and jazz on Sundays at 8pm. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 11:30am to 7pm, and the pub stays open until 2am every night (get directions).
Deck 84
Right on the Intracoastal, Deck 84 is the waterfront happy hour on Atlantic: Monday through Friday from 3pm to 6pm at the bar and high tops. Waterfront live music plays Friday from 3pm to 5:30pm and Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 5:30pm, which makes it a strong daytime start before heading back toward downtown. It is dog friendly, too (get directions).
Rosewater Rooftop
On top of The Ray Hotel in Pineapple Grove, just north of Atlantic, Rosewater Rooftop by Akira Back pairs craft cocktails and small plates with city views. Live DJs spin every Friday and Saturday night starting at 8pm. It is the dressier option on this list and the best one for a date or a first drink with a view (get directions).
Boston’s on the Beach
At the ocean end of Atlantic on A1A, Boston’s on the Beach has been open for 45 years, with oceanfront views, sports on the TVs and live music on the first floor. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4pm to 7pm in the bar and lounge only, with discounted well cocktails, select wines and draft beer. It is open daily from 11am to 9pm, so treat it as a sunset stop rather than a late one (get directions).
Planning a Night on Atlantic Avenue
Downtown Delray is compact enough to walk. Tin Roof and Honey sit at the west end near Swinton Avenue; Throw Social, Good Night John Boy and Rosewater Rooftop are a block off the Avenue on SE 2nd, SE 3rd and NE 2nd Avenues; The Office and Johnnie Brown’s are in the middle; The Blue Anchor and Deck 84 are just over the Intracoastal bridge; Boston’s is at the beach. A good order is happy hour at Deck 84 or Boston’s, dinner and drinks mid Avenue, then the late rooms downtown.
Friday and Saturday are the busiest nights, and they are when most of these bars stay open until 2am. Parking fills fast on weekends; Boston’s points guests to valet, street parking on A1A and Atlantic, and nearby public garages and lots. Rideshare drop offs are easiest on the side streets rather than on Atlantic itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best bars in Delray Beach?
For a classic night out, start with Tin Roof, The Office and Johnnie Brown’s on Atlantic, add The Blue Anchor for a pub, and finish at Good Night John Boy if you want to dance.
Are there clubs in Delray Beach?
Yes. Good Night John Boy is a 1970s themed dance bar with bottle service, Honey is a lounge and club on East Atlantic, and Throw Social and The Office bring in DJs on weekend nights.
Where is the best happy hour in Delray Beach?
Deck 84 runs happy hour on the water Monday through Friday from 3pm to 6pm, Boston’s on the Beach runs it Monday through Friday from 4pm to 7pm, and The Blue Anchor offers it Monday through Friday from 11:30am to 7pm.
Which Atlantic Avenue bars stay open late?
Tin Roof, Throw Social, Johnnie Brown’s and The Blue Anchor list closing times of 2am on Friday and Saturday, and The Office runs its late night DJ until 2am on those nights.
What is Delray Beach nightlife like on a weeknight?
Quieter but not dead. Tin Roof has Motown Mondays, The Office has Taco Tuesday and Winedown Wednesday, The Blue Anchor runs weekday happy hour until 7pm, and Good Night John Boy opens from Wednesday.
Header photo: Adam Moss, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
