|
The Beer Bucket is one of the places that gave Playa del Carmen the reputation for being such a friendly and fun town. Located just slightly off the beaten path (on Calle 10, just 50' west of 5th avenida - near the Hagen Daaz ice-cream store and next to Babe's noodle shop), it avoids the crowds of tourists and instead draws locals and visitors in the know.
Unlike many of the shiny new venues which were built to separate tourists from their money, the Beer Bucket has a friendly, caribbean atmosphere sometimes called "Old Playa". The owners' philosophy is to keep the bar small and costs low, while serving cheap drinks and relying on word-of-mouth to draw a steady crowd.
It works beautifully. The Beer Bucket is a fun hang out frequented by a mix of super-friendly locals (mostly US expatriates) and visitors savvy enough to step off of 5th Avenida. When you come in, you'll most likely meet one of the owners, Ron and Sharky, who will swap stories with you or point you towards the best places in town for a night of fun. Many of the regulars here run local hotels and resorts, so meeting people here could get you some cheap deals around town.
The Beer Bucket should be one of your primary destinations if you're looking to make friends, have fun, and drink in a super laid-back, caribbean atmosphere.
Insider Tip: If you're in the mood to drink, try "running the chalk boards" ... a game where you pick a chalk board on the wall and have one of every drink written on it (the board with the shots is actually the easiest).
Insider Tip: The Beer Bucket doesn't serve food, but Babe's (right next door) will deliver right to your bar stool (be sure to get the half-order to save room for beer!)
|
Reader Comments
We spent an evening here during our vacation in January. It doesn't stand out like some of the places on 5th, so unless you happen to be staying at the Basico or eating nearby, you will probably miss it. We had a nice meal at Babe's right next door and I remembered reading about it, so we stopped in. We met the owner, Ron, who is a very nice guy. The locals were very friendly and we made a few friends here. It is way more laid back than most other places. It's really a place where you can sit back, drink beer, and relax. They play a good selection of music but don't blast it to the point of annoyance. It's an open-air bar, so you aren't exactly sitting outside, but you may as well be. There's plenty of traffic and lots and lots of pretty young people walking by to keep you entertained ;-)
I really like this place. After a few nights partying hard-core elsewhere, this was a great change.
Posted by: Chris P | January 17, 2007 2:15 PM