Underground Bluz

The owner/​manager was a nice guy, but the band was unremarkable and not worth the cover. Luckily, they were receptive to my insistence on bartering, and gave me 2 for 1 cover. The beer selection is decent.

Yes– Good beer selection.
Yes– Small, local
Yes– Outdoor seating
No– Smoking is permited inside
No– Bartender had no interest in discussing beer (example: me: «what’s that lefthand you have?» Bartender: «fade to black» me:“uh, ok”.) Be nice, you don’t know me! Tell me about the beer.
No– the shopping center = college aged club kid mecca after the sun goes down.
Not your crowd? run. fast.

Someone mentioned this place as a destination with a good beer selection while we were hanging out at The Imperial one night. Upon hearing his description of the location, I showed my age a little, saying «Oh! The old Java Jabbers location.»
He shrugged.
I haven’t been here since this place was Back Booth, which had replaced Java Jabbers before moving downtown. All of my memories of the location were of Java Jabbers in the 1990’s, and I was interested to see what has been done to it since.
It’s probably due to the small size, but aside from some of the furniture, it hasn’t changed all that much. It’s still dark and old feeling, with the same old bar that a friend of mine used to serve coffee from, and the same old stage in the corner that another friend had used for spoken word performances (although now it held a couple of kids banging out, with moderate success, some instrumental acid rock written long before they were born).
The beer selection is good overall, and although the selection will of course be better at World of Beer down the street, at least here you might actually get a place to sit. As a matter of fact, we had come from WoB after walking in, verifying that we would be standing all night if we stayed, and walked back out. To my great surprise, Underground Bluz had a couple of unused tables out front to sit at, and even better, they carried Old Engine Oil (if you like dark beers definitely give that one a shot).
We sat for a bit, drinking our beers in relative peace, until a bus pulled up next door with a company name on the side that, after a web search on my phone, turned out to be a website that would certainly get you fired for looking at at work. The bus was followed by what seemed like thousands of college students, wide-​eyed salivating men and women that were dressed like they were applying for a job at said bus. At that point, our little outdoor patio started to get crowded with onlookers so we decided to pack it up.
I can see how easily this place might fill up, so I’d definitely recommend it with the caveat that you go at a time when it’s not crowded. The beer selection is the reason to go, don’t expect spectacular entertainment on stage or a particularly clean environment. Overall it’s an okay place, but if I can find a place to sit you’ll still be more likely to find me at WoB.

After spending 5 years in Orland for college, Underground became my favorite bar in Orlando. Why? Because they have over 100 different beers and the atmosphere is great!
I have spent many countless hours sitting here drinking beers with friends.
They also have a great beer club. Here’s the deal: You get a sheet with 100 beers listed on it, you drink 100 beers (over time, not in one night… hahah), they they put your name on a plaque, give you a t-​shirt and give you 10% discount on all future purchases. Whats not to love about that?
This is one of the few places in Orland that I still miss.

Underground Bluz is very different from what you would expect from a place so close to UCF. It has a great bohemian vibe and wonderful atmosphere. I was there around 9:30 or so on a Thursday night and the mood was very chill and relaxing. We each had a couple of beers from the extensive selection and had fun trying each other’s choices. By the time we left around 11, it was getting a little crowded but not too bad.
This is NOT the place to go if you like boring, mass-​produced domestic beers. Branch out a bit and try something different! Perhaps a microbrew or a beer from a far away land? They have it all. The bar staff was very friendly and offered suggestions. I love that they have beer tasting events and would love to attend one someday.

There’s something to be said about having a good local pub/​bar nearby where you can go to have a good glass of beer and just relax. Underground Bluz is definitely one of those places for me. There’s no need to get all dressed up or bring a lot of moo-​la to go to this joint. Everyone and everything is extremely laid back which is a huge parts of its appeal.
In addition, this a GREAT place to go if you are into the local (Central Florida) music scene. There is always a person or a band performing here and I’ve found most of the music to be decent, if not amusing at the least.
However, as is with any place, there are a few not-​so-​great things about this place. First, it tends to be rather loud, especially if there is live music. Not the best place to go if you plan on chatting it up with your friends. Second, it’s not very big which really limits seating. It doesn’t take much for this place to get crowded. Third, most of the people who hang out here are regulars AND college kids, which can be a bit annoying at times.
Overall, I do enjoy this place a lot and will be going as long as I can getting away with fitting in… and enjoying many glasses of beer of course :)

Craft beer bar across the street from UCF. If you’re tired of lawnmower beers* and sports bars, try this place out.
Underground Bluz has an extensive beer selection and a knowledgeable staff. Paul has been there for years and he’ll shoot straight with you. What’dya like? Stouts, Farmhouse ales, Porters, Lagers? It’s guaranteed they’ll have something you’ve never heard of, and you just might like it. A lot. UB carries several of the Great Divide Brewing Company beers, and I’m a huge fan of theirs… Colette (Saison), Hades (Belgian Ale), Samarai (Rice Ale), Hoss (Rye Lager), Espresso Oak Aged YETI (Stout)! Oskar Blues, Brooklyn, Southern Tier, and Dogfish Head are just a small number of breweries represented here…
They clean their tap lines every two weeks, which is apparently more often than they do at Redlight Redlight. I tried a Smuttynose Imperial Stout here which tasted completely different (read as: fresher/​tastier) here from one the other night at the aforementioned. Maybe UB has more time on their hands to accomplish such routines though. I can’t say.
The prices are very fair and the atmosphere is decent. Live music weekly. Go down there for a delicious beer today!
*Miller, Bud, Coors, etc.

The highlight of Underground Bluz = a ridiculously large and impressive beer selection. I like to try unique and obscure beers. Underground Bluz has a plethora of beers I’d never even heard of, all pretty reasonably priced. The bartenders are pretty knowledgeable and will recommend something for you if you’re feeling adventurous!
A little bit of a minor downside… this place has an extreme local feel to me. Mostly college kids… but you can tell that they all know each other. Not a great place to meet people really. I’d recommend taking a group of friends, sitting down in a booth, and enjoying the beers.
Another good thing about Underground Bluz is their beer tastings. If you’re up for experimenting and expanding your repertoire beyond the realms of Bud Light and Coors… check out one of these events.
There’s usually a live band of some kind playing. Haven’t heard anything great yet, but it’s kind of fun to hear some local flavor!

I found this place by frequenting the nearby Indian restaurant: Anmol. I decided to give this place a try one day and loved every minute of it.
I couldn’t believe the selection of beer they had. It felt like it was my kinda place immediately because of the darkness, the music, the cold beer, and the relaxing and casual atmosphere. I’ve heard some great musicians play there, including a saxophone/​rhythm/​bass/​piano/​vocalist combo tonight playing a bossa nova that rocked my world. It’s a small and cozy place and everyone is friendly. I met some of the coolest people there who were even traversing the country solo and the bartenders are always helpful.
For beer, if you’re into dark, I recommend the 8 ball Stout, a good caramel coloured beer would be the Brooklyn Lager or the Wolfinsteiner, and the Great White is a great light beer that goes down easy. Of course, there are many many beers and they are constantly updating with new ones, so this is a great place to experiment with ones you’ve never heard of before. Only a $ 2 cover for a relaxing and fun night of good music and even better people.

Underground Bluz is a beer and wine bar located on University & Alafaya, in the heart of UCF. One of the first places I was introduced to when I came here, it has an unbelievable selection of beer, and new varieties every week.
If you are so inclined, join the tapped out club. For $ 5, you get a sheet listing all of their staple varieties. You go down the list and mark off the ones you’ve had there, and when you are finished, you get a plaque on the wall with your name and free cover for life.
Paul Mahoney, the beer master, really knows his stuff, and Canada, while generally a jerk, tend to lighten up once you get to know him (sometimes).
Also worth mentioning is the musical acts that perform there. The stage is really small, but I’ve seen five and even seven piece bands cram up on that stage and still rock out. However, some of the best nights are when it’s just a guy with an acoustic guitar playing cover songs.

Very close to UCF, in a shopping center with a lot of places to eat and another bar. website claims to have many beers, not sure which location though if it is UCF or Metrowest that has all the beers; 3 Horses, 8 Ball Stout, Amstel Light, Bass, Becks, Becks Dark, Belzbuth Berliner Weiss, Bitburger, Blanche de Chambly, Blue Moon, Boddington Pub Ale, Bud Light, Budweiser, Casa Beer, Chimay Grande Reserve, Coors, Aspen Edge, Coors Light, Corona, Corsendonk Brown Ale, Delirium Nocturnum, Dinkle Acker, Dixies Blackened Voodoo, Don de Dieu, Dos Equis Amber, Dos Equis Lager, Efes Pilsner, Ephemere, Erdinger, eiss, Fanny Beer, Fisher Amber Ale,… Last time I went there they had skullsplitter by the bottle, they have fullers ESB on their menu but not available, right now serving shipyard pumpkin.

Tried to go here last night and this place is all boarded up and closed. Letdown!