Our Story

Back in the early ’70s, Fort Lauderdale was still a sleepy little beach town, more bait shops than high-rises. Two New Yorkers, Carmine and Mickey, rolled into town looking for sunshine and a fresh start. They stumbled across a no-frills beer-and-wine raw bar owned by a local legend named Ted Twist. (You’ll hear his name a lot, Ted’s stories are still told over beers here.)

Carmine and Mickey were printing guys, not restaurant guys, but the dockside spot spoke to them. One room, a few boat slips, dark wood, cold beer, oysters on ice. It was raw in every sense. Old-timers swear Johnny Weissmuller, the Tarzan himself, who lived nearby on Las Olas, used to pop in and, after a couple rounds, belt out his famous “Tarzan call” right at the bar.

Ted eventually decided to open a full liquor bar up the road, and the New Yorkers pounced. Rumor has it Ted figured they’d never last, that he’d get his bar back plus their deposit. Instead, Carmine and Mickey built a local legend.

Over the next five decades, Southport Raw Bar became the hangout for boaters, locals, and more than a few famous faces. Cheese steaks and oysters, dogs on the deck. Same vibe, same heart. In 1998, Carmine and Mickey passed the torch to three longtime managers, Jack, Pat, and Buddy, who together have almost a century of Southport stories between them.

Fifty years later, the beer’s still cold, the oysters are still fresh, and the Tarzan calls still echo now and then. Some things never change, and that’s exactly how we like it. (text awaiting your approval)