Dina R.
Yelp
As a former event coordinator and promo girl, I'm pretty familiar with the downtown scene. I've experienced my fair share of memorable nights, forgettable events, and lost cell phones, purses, cameras and more while hitting the bars in Orlando. I've come to find a few staples for any weekend drinking excursions, and Wall St. is definitely one of them.
Though it can be pretty tricky to navigate on a rainy evening, Wall St. offers 8 bars for 1 cover, and each one has something to please the pickiest of bar snobs. The drinks are strong, and while some people consider them expensive (try going to Vegas if you're one of those), they pack double the alcohol of your typical drink. A shot is practically a full drink, and is served in a rocks glass. Shot glasses don't exist at Wall St.
I've heard Wall St. connoisseurs called 'pretentious' and 'stuck up' before, but with the variety of bars, in my opinion, there are a ton of different options in one place and you should be able to find a spot that works for you. Here's the rundown:
Cantina: A laid back, grab some food and beers drinking spot. This is one of the three bars on the strip with actual dining tables and typically, also waitress service. If you're looking to grab a bite and a casual drink, this is definitely the spot for you.
One-Eyed Jacks and Loaded Hog: While these are technically separate bars, they're attached and a lot of overflow trickles back and forth between the two. One-Eyed's is the place to go to watch the big game, grab a beer, and get fast service. They also have a stage up front with a pole, which provides endless entertainment for both the guys and girls, as the chicks who dare to climb up are usually too drunk to know better, and have more Knocked Up style dance moves than Step Up. Let me put it to you another way- Rachel's would never come to Wall St. to recruit new talent.
Loaded Hog is kind of like every other dive bar in the area. One bar, a few tables and chairs, a narrow space, and strong drinks. Great to stop in when the line's too long at One-Eyed's, but never a fixed spot.
Slingapours: It's definitely gotten it's nickname, Sling-a-__re's, for a reason. While it's a great place to dance and usually the DJ plays a mix of top 40 and rap, the crowd can get a little crazy with their moves. If someone gets kicked out of Wall St. for shady behavior, I'm also willing to bet about 80% of those drunks get the boot here.
Tuk Tuk Room/ The Globe: Similar to Hog, Tuk Tuk room is a pit stop between the two main attractions at this end of the street. The bar is never as packed as the walk-up outside Slingapour's, so it's a great spot to grab your drinks and leave an open tab. The Globe is a more upscale, loungy offering with a similar feel to Cantina. You can relax, get some food, grab a table, and check out the crazy block partiers and passersby in a bit more comfortable environment then Cantina.
Waitiki: One of my favorite bars for their strong drinks, fast service, and sadly now defunct,Twitter drink specials. If you're not a dancer but still want to hear current music, Waitiki is probably for you.
Monkey Bar: I think a lot of bar hoppers often even forget about Monkey Bar, or are too drunk to find the elevators. It's a great lounge spot with a bit more decor/ vibe to it than any of the other bars, and is upstairs, providing a great view of the antics on the street below. There are some really great areas to have your own semi-private party; it's kind of like VIP area without the expensive table service fees.
And of course, Wall St's review would not be complete without going into further details about the block party. This is the ONLY spot in downtown Orlando you won't get arrested for carrying your drinks around out on the street, which is a major bonus when you just bought a yard-long margarita (try it) and your friends want to hop to the next bar. On busy nights, outdoor bars are set up so you don't have to make the exhausting trip a few feet down the road back to one of the indoor bars, and there are frequently beer pong, cornhole, and other crazy tournaments set up for the gamers.
One final note: Rumfest and Beerfest are both held at Wall St., and are major bargains, so don't miss them! Rumfest is coming up in a few weeks, and it's a measly $20 for all you can drink rum- and not the well kind, either!
All in all, of course no bar can accommodate every single walk of life happily, but Wall St. is one of those staples that you have to hit every once in awhile, no matter if you're a punk rocker, pop princess, dive bar guy, or anything in between.