The Fort Lauderdale Bus Loop

Had a great time and most def a good way to discover new places but, IMO the bartenders treat the loopers kind of crappy once they see you’re part of the bus loop!!!

Such a fun time!
There’s no better way to discover new places, have a fun night out, and drink super-​cheap. Every place is so different from the last and they all have very decent drinks given they’re free! I believe it was Lucky’s that even had champagne as an option.
The busses are a lot of fun as long as you get on with the drunken group of people falling all over the place, it’s so much fun to watch them all. We found some pretty cool spots that any other time we really wouldn’t walk into.
The only stop that was a letdown was Fork and Balls– which looks awesome inside and smells of amazement as well, but the bartender claimed to have «Ran out of liquor» at 9pm on a Saturday night– so apparently they were pretty bitter and unwilling to stick to their agreement with the Bus Loop.
Minus crappy service from the one place, I would definitely do this again and again.
It’s a fun night out for a great deal.

One check in was at Bokampers. No lines and many busses were waiting to transport to the next stop. There were 8 stops on the route with wine/​beer/​well at each stop. No food was provided this time. That should have been mentioned on the website because there were people in my group that were relying on the appetizers. Instead they bought food at Tokyo Blue and were pleased with it.
Busses were running every few minutes so pickup was quick. Later in the evening the busses were very full and we had to wait for two busses to go by before getting on one at Tropic Cay.
We skipped Sopranos at Beach Place because it has really gone downhill there. We went back to Bokampers and had more food.
Overall, the loop was very efficient and the staff is friendly. I would definitely do this again. Even better — -the proceeds go to charity!

FUN! FUN! FUN!
It’s a rainy Friday night, but we have already prepaid for the Bus Loop.
We are not from FL, but I saw the advertisement in the local rag, and I read about it in the Sun Sentinal as one of the best Charity events in Fort Lauderdale. I love supporting the kids. Good cause + alcohol = WINNING!
$ 20.00
You start off at a predetermined location, they give you a wrist band and a post card with all the stops on it. You go to each stop and you get a free item, a drink, food, ice cream, etc.
We should have know by all the warning signs that they HIGHLY encourage you to have a DD (they get in for free). Or, catch a cab home.
By stop 3, we were a wee bit TIPSY. So we stopped and ate.
By stop 7, we were a wee bit more tipsy. So we stopped drinking and ate again to sober up.
The Bus Loop runs from 6−11p.m. We didn’t get home until around 2 a.m. because we were not smart enough to have a DD with us. So we had to have time to let the water and conch fritters soak up all that alcohol.
The people on the loop are an extremely diverse group. All nationalities, all ages, all races on trolleys drinking, snapping pics with camera phones, and partying like rock stars. It is very fun.
There was only one stop where the bartenders were rude, and that was Café Del Mar. But, they had a trio of guitar players that was FANTASTIC.
BONUS*** There are marketers all along the loop giving you free stuff. Don’t we all love free T-​Shirts? LOL… I got shot glasses, shades, ear buds, t-​shirts, drink coozie (sp?), and the DVD of the first season of Scandal! Whoo Hoo!
If you have the chance to do… DO IT! Totally worth $ 20.00

I like to take the buses sometimes. In the big cities it is sure easier than parking. This bus ride was especially wonderful, as the driver was so polite and nice to a first time bus rider in the area. and he had a assistant with a smart phone who looked up addresses and made sure we were headed for the right stop. I mean I told them where I thought I wanted to go and they asked questions, clarified, and located the exact stop to get off and what to do when I left the bus. What a nice ride!

Drinking for Charity? How can you say no???
We each paid $ 25 at the door and received a wristband and a card with a list of 10 participating locations. Each location had a drink or snack included with the card purchase. Our designated driver got in free.
These participants included: Blue Martini, Michael’s Restaurant, Bluefish Café, Yo Mama’s Ice Cream, McSorley’s, Tropic Cay Bar, Soprano’s Dueling Piano Bar, Da Big Kauna, Café Del Mar, Dos Caminos. Most of these are reviewed separately so I will try to summarize the general idea.
Initially you hop on a trolley that makes many stops along the route. You can hop on and off at any stop. Then, when you are done, you can wait for the next trollley to take you to the next location of choice.
Problem was that it was WAY too crowded. We had to skip Blue Martini because the line to get the free drink (included with payment) was around the block outside. We waited on a very long line for the trolley and had to wait to board the 3^rd one that came around since there were so many participants. After this experience we walked to each location rather than waiting 20+ minutes per trolley. Although we were on time to start, we still did not get to try all of the participating bars or restaurants since most of them would only honor the drink cards till 11pm. Yo Moma’s woudn’t give us the ice cream cone on the card because we arrived a few minutes after 11 as well. Same with the drink at McSorley’s.
Some faves along the route were Dos Caminos (excellent food, drinks, and service), Café del Mar (fun and friendly vibe), Soprano’s (great pianists, great drinks and service, and Bluefish Café (friendly bartenders)
Pros: discovering new bars and restaurants along Fort Lauderdale Beach, a great deal to have a drink at even a few places, the $ goes to charity.
Cons: Long lines to get a drink, large crowds and long waits for trolleys.

the damn bus loop wins every time! learn from my experience and stick to beer bc 10 mixed drinks will get you sloppy and no body likes a sloppy gator. cant say no to drinking to charity and having a good time singing on the trolley and causing a ruckus round town.
for the next one coming up

For Only $ 20, You Can Ride The Trolley Bus on the designated Fort Lauderdale Bus Loop Route,
Receive A Free Drink At Each Participating Venue, and
Get On And Get Off The Trolleys At Any Location Along The Loop Route As You Wish!
100% of all proceeds benefit the Bus Loop Charities !
THIS EVENT WAS AMAZING & I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. HOW ELSE CAN YOU VISIT ALL THESE LOCATIONS IN ONE NIGHT + DRINKS INCLUDED. +CHARITY!!! WIN WIN SITUATION!!!
NEXT LOOP: APRIL 15 2011 & JUNE 17
CHECK THEM OUT ON FACEBOOK!
Venues Include:
Vibe
Rare
Yolo
Tarpon Bend
SHO Nightclub
Sidebar
America’s Backyard
Quarterdeck
Café Del Mar
Suite 100