Miami

Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat the phrase "I drank beer in college when I was supposed to learn history". Or are they? Get steeped in history as you get steeped in beer, at Harvey's By The Bay.

Housed in a still-active American Legion post, in an elementary-school-ish building that was originally intended as a prison, Harvey's is named after Harvey W. Seeds, the first Miami soldier killed in WWI, and sits on a 45-acre waterfront property that has in turns hosted: a fruit farm, a famously hard-living fruit baron's estate, and a gambling house & brothel filled with people who by all rights should've enjoyed that prison. Booze prices're blue-collar, with $3.50 wells & wine, $4 calls, and $6.50 premiums, plus $2/$3 taps (Land Shark, Shock Top...), and $3/$4 bottles including Taíno Indian-repping Hatuey; meanwhile, the vibe's pure Keys, with a wide-open bar area, a free pool table, NFL- & MMA-screening flatscreens, a jukebox encompassing Hank Williams, Jr. and The Flaming Lips, and a bay-viewing "Florida Room" -- or, as Floridians call it, the "Here Room". As for bar-food, there're wings, jalapeño poppers, jerk chicken & burgers from an outdoor BBQ hut, and smoked kingfish dip whipped up by one of the owner's fishing buddies, who has no idea he's being kept around just for his dip.

Future plans include boat-slip rebuilding (one owner's a marine contractor), soundproofing the post's 7,900 sq ft auditorium for parties and live music, and adding a sand volleyball court. Also: vets, cops, fire & rescue workers, and union members get anytime 2-for-1 drinks -- though taking advantage of such specials is the very mistake you keep repeating.