Iconic Florida Keys Bar Celebrates 85 Years of Good Times and Good Drinks
Key West is known as a great place to eat, drink, and be merry! And there is no better place to do just that than the iconic bar, Sloppy Joe’s. It is always top of the list for any tourist looking to experience the sights and sounds of the Keys, and a regular hangout for locals who love the unique atmosphere that the historic bar provides. This week, Sloppy Joe’s is celebrating its 85th birthday as the corner bar on Duval and Greene Streets.
The history of Sloppy Joe’s actually goes back even farther than 1937 when it moved to its current location — all the way back to the earlier days of Prohibition. The great American experiment at mandating sobriety would ultimately turn out to be a huge failure, but during those 13 years between 1920 and 1933, many Americans found ways to express their — let’s just call it — civil disobedience, including a man named Joe Russell. Russell was a charter boat captain, a rumrunner, and Ernest Hemingway’s personal captain and good friend. He was also the proprietor of an illegal speakeasy during Prohibition. This initial iteration of the Sloppy Joe’s that we know today had no name, but was operated out of a storefront on Front Street, and it provided illicit alcohol to its patrons, including the infamous Ernest Hemingway.
Prohibition ended in 1933 and Joe went legit. He leased a spot on Greene Street, across the street from where you can find it today, for just $3 a week. He also gave it a name — The Blind Pig. It became known as the place to be for a good time with a fun, casual, vibe. Eventually the dive bar got a dance floor and a new name to go with it. In honor of the new addition, Russell changed the name of the bar to the Silver Slipper.
In 1937, the rent on the building Russell was leasing to operate the Silver Slipper went up by $1 per week — a hike that Russell refused to pay. In response, he bought the storefront across the street for $2,500 — on the corner of Duval St. and Greene St. — and this is where it has stayed and operated for the last 85 years. The story goes, business at the bar never missed a beat as Russell transitioned to the new address. According to the local stories, patrons grabbed their drinks, picked up their chairs, and walked across the street to keep the party going!
So how did the name go from The Silver Slipper to the now infamous “Sloppy Joe’s?” Ernest Hemingway — Papa — of course! Hemingway and Russel were great friends and confidants. He had the idea to pay homage to the “nothing fancy” atmosphere of the bar. He joked that the floor of Joe’s bar was always wet and “sloppy” with melted ice and spilled liquor. The name “Sloppy Joe’s” just seemed to fit!
To this day, more than 85 years later, Sloppy Joe’s Key West still enjoys the same reputation as it did way back in the early twentieth century. This is the place to go to enjoy good drinks and good times with good friends. Residents of Key West properties and tourists alike can enjoy a little piece of history with every sip.
