Always a fun time and interesting crowd at the shaker. Remember to take care of your bartenders bc they take care of you

This review is limited to my personal Experience We visited Pensacola Beach the First week of June(2026) and no matter where we went, there was some indication somewhere giving credit to Sandshaker as the birthplace of Pensacola's "Famous" Bushwacker Cocktail. I had tried it a few other places and was not super impressed. Our hotel was very close to Sandshakers, so one of the days we were visiting, I decided to go get a couple Bushwackers for my Wife and I to try while the kids swam. Setting the scene... I walked into Sandshakers around... 130-2pm. Upon entering, not a soul in sight. The place seemed closed as it was VERY dark and quiet. I walked around until finding a small bar with a few patrons. All of which were pretty old (I am 40) and they all had to be in their late 60s to early 80s. I sat down, with the idea that i would be in and out. welp... I was wrong. The bartender was nowhere to be found, so I got to listen to a bunch of EXTREMELY crass men talk a bunch of nonsense as if they were teenagers that just learned to swear. It was very awkward. I would say 10 minutes passed and I decided that I had enough of it and was going to leave, as i stood up a woman appeared from the back and said "perfect timing" maybe thinking I had just arrived. I asked for two bushwackers and then got to see her exchange a few insults with the clearly regular patrons before getting my drinks and paying. I high tailed it out of there, but not being heading her warning that all of the booze was on the bottom and to make sure its properly stirred or it wont be very good. I walked back to the hotel and gave my wife the same instructions, we stirred as much as we thought was needed but were both met with straight alcohol. I guess not something most complain about because thats the purpose of drinking booze right? But they weren't good. We both struggled to drink ours and they eventually melted and we pitched them. Seems strange that the alcohol wasn't floated rather than put in first but I am no expert. We did not return and I did not get the hype. The Key lime Colada at Flounders was exponentially better than said Bushwacker. read more

Here for blues week. We are local but staying out on the beach this week. They have great selection in their shop of Blues shirts. Heather is awesome! Very easy to talk to and friendly. Never waited for anything. Very clean inside. They how have a food truck outside which is prefect! read more

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I had an absolutely terrible experience with Kimberly last night. She was extremely rude and acted like serving customers was the biggest inconvenience in the world. Her attitude was completely unnecessary, and she made the entire experience uncomfortable. I understand that everyone has bad days, but there is no excuse for treating people the way she did. Definitely not the kind of customer service I would expect from a bartender. I left feeling annoyed rather than having a good night. Hopefully management addresses this because Kimberly's attitude was honestly unacceptable. read more

Kimberly has a nasty attitude. If you're under the age of 30 years old you'll be treated as a 5 year old. Also is sarcastic about tips as well. read more

Stopped in with some locals to check the spot out. Must say they have the best bushwhacker in the area! The entire place has lots of charisma. We were there in the off-season; I wonder what it's like in season? Great jukebox! Well, worth your time to have the best bushwhacker in the Florida panhandle! read more

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Good bushwhacker at the original location. The quality has just seemed to me to have gone down over the years and I've been coming here since the late 80s. Probably my last visit since so many other places offer good options. Thank you for the memories. read more

What a terrific bar with excellent live music and convenient location in the Pensacola Beach area. What started as two evenings of hearing the music and wondering why we are not there. Our final day and, we decided to end our little cocktail afternoon along the beach resorts with some live music. We walked in with our hotel room cocktails and quickly ordered two more while we negotiated a seat to view the band. While ordering our drinks from the far side of the rear bar, I noticed there was remarkable sound from that vantage. I summoned the wife to the spot where I was, and we sat and had a couple of drinks and ordered a 'bar' pizza that wasn't too bad . . . almost good. We then noticed an area up front by the stage and proceeded to enjoy the remainder of the show that ended around 8pm, if I remember. I am understanding this is of the best music venues in the Beach area. Good stage with excellent sound from a very good cover band. An early night of fun then back to our group staying at the Surf and Sand across the lot in the back. It's not a far walk at all. Good spot! CritDicks read more

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the bartender i had was a middle age woman with balding dark hair she was so rude i will never be going back to this establishment i tried to make a joke with her and she cussed me out horrible experience never again read more

We visited this bar after bar hopping on the beach, and my friend made a light hearted joke as we were getting our ids checked. We had one person that had just turned 21 sitting with us and the joke was "oh make sure you checked her id." The bartender proceeded to rudely turn to our friend and say "I know how to do my job. I've been alive a lot longer than you. I could be your mom." At this all of us stood frozen solid not knowing whether to laugh or grimace. My friend tried to remedy the situation stating "Omg of course, I was just kidding with my friend, I didn't mean to offend you i'm so sorry." In the most genuine way. She then made a complete stank face and said "Right. But I know how to do my job." At this we quickly exited. As locals and servers ourselves we understand the wear and tear of a busy saturday night. However, 3 hours before a bar closes is hardly a time for a bitchy bartender. Sorry for being a lively crew, we would have shared laughs and tipped well but the experience was quickly ruined by a bad attitude. Due to working at the beach I doubt anything will happen but just be warned, they can dish it but can't take it here. read more

My husband brought me here to this bar 29 years ago when we were dating. We finally got to go back. The bushwhackers are just like I remember awesome. So glad it was still open. read more

Sandshaker Lounge & Package Store - a beach ball on top of a water tower - Bars Near Me - Gulf Breeze, Florida

"Home of the original bushwhacker". Best way to describe this place is that it is a locals hangout. The service was good. The drinks are standard for local hangouts, nothing fancy but good enough to get the job done. I e been a few times and they had live music, if you want avoid the real touristy places you need to stop by. read more

Sandshaker Lounge & Package Store - Back deck where the live music is located - Bars Near Me - Gulf Breeze, Florida

Great spot. Good service and drinks, great atmosphere, love the MAGA flags and Trump support!!! Keeps the liberal woke trash out and that's amazing. Last thing I want to do is sit next to a whiny biden supporter while on vacation. Spent about $200 per person just for the privilege of not having to deal with screeching Karens or beta-soy boy Coreys. Will come back every night I'm here! Freely expressing your opinion should be celebrated and anyone who judges a business based on their political opinion has no business living in the U.S. and this represents tens of thousands of dollars worth of earned revenue, so take your "thousands" and pound sand all the way back to Colorado Karen. I hope the owner never caves to bullying and hypocrites from anti-American liberals. read more

It's my first time in Pensacola and my coworkers told me I HAD to try their famous drink, the "Bushwacker". They suggested I try getting one at the "Sandshaker Lounge" and I'm SO glad they did. This place is amazing! It's one of those cozy, local, hole in the wall, unpretentious type places where you really get a feel for the area and the people who live there. My bartender, Heather, is the sweetest, cutest thing there ever was. She immediately made me feel welcome, helped me pick out a Bushwacker cocktail (I didn't even know they were customizable!!), and engaged me with some genuine, friendly conversation. She made recommendations for things to see / do around Pensacola and she even introduced me to some of the regulars.....who were all very friendly as well. I would definitely recommend this place for anyone looking for some good drinks with great people. read more

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A great bar to stop in if you're in Pensacola Beach. The atmosphere was less hectic than what would be considered a more "mainstream" bar in the area. The service was fast, and the drinks were good. They had bushwhackers of any flavor you could imagine. The live band also provided for a nice evening of dancing and entertainment. read more

Service, atmosphere and music is of the hook!!!! If you're looking for a great time and terrific local music then you found this diamond in the rough. If you don't have a good time it's your fault. read more

My friends and I went in on a Monday right when we got in from Spring Break and they were too "tired" to let us order drinks. Lazy, lack of service, and no care at all in the world. Go to any other bar in Pensacola except this one. read more

While the "shaker" is a beach dive bar, it has a great tradition with the locals and with Naval Aviators. Beach days always end with a bushwhacker stop at the shaker, and when departing the P'cola "pattern" for places unknown or when reconnecting with mates and toasting comrades, the shaker has as much tradition as San Diego's World Famous I-Bar, the Cubi-O (lost but reconstituted at the Naval Aviation Museum), Mother Rucker's (for Army types), and P'cola's Trader Jon's (lost). And so, in the spirit of that tradition, me and my fellow old timers launched this young, brand new aviator off with a Bushwhacker on his career to destinations and adventures unknown. I am glad this institution has survived. Bushwacker could be better. read more

Sandshaker Lounge & Package Store - Continuing an aviation tradition - Bars Near Me - Gulf Breeze, Florida

My friends and I, mid-twenties women, were SO excited to join karaoke at this bar on a Sunday evening. We were met with an extremely rude "bouncer" and bartender who quizzed us on our IDs with unwelcoming attitudes. Though the few patrons there were kind, we did not stay and chose to not buy anything from this bar as it seemed they didn't care for it anyway. Overall a disappointing experience. read more

A bit run down, but full of character. Great spot for live music and drinks! Definitely come for the Bushwacker tasting, and look out for the Blue Angels practicing from their observation tower! read more

Sandshaker Lounge & Package Store - Bushwacker - Bars Near Me - Gulf Breeze, Florida

Good. Went for the bushwhacked drink. 2 mid forties on a Monday afternoon. We sat outside and met another couple of forty-somethings who were just finishing ip their second b-whacker. Bushwhackers served in a styrofoam cup. Think Wendy's frosty with Bacardi 151z Very tasty. Overall a good stop by for PB read more

Sandshaker Lounge & Package Store - Bars Near Me - Gulf Breeze, Florida

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Good drinks, friends, and Fun. Listen to some really good bands...like the atmosphere and it's happening on Saturday nights...good crowds and tourist spot. read more

Have to stop in here if you're in P'Cola! Iconic local bar! Best bushwhackers ever!! They added salted caramel whiskey to my last one and it was by far my favorite - normally they add rum or 151 but salted caramel or PB whiskey were everyone's favorite! It is a hole in the wall but has great ambiance and you'll get to know some locals read more

Sandshaker Lounge & Package Store - Bushwhacker - Bars Near Me - Gulf Breeze, Florida

Best spot on the beach! If you're a local you already know how good this place is. If you're traveling, stop by and grab a drink and some good vibes! Cheers read more

Loved the bar, service, and of course the infamous bushwackers. The bartender was friendly and the local crowd was accepting of my Arkansas self read more

This is a great spot with a dive bar meets a tiki bar vibe and they had a good band playing during my visit. They have a lot of interesting spots in this bar and out in their patio area they have a little tiki bar which has a second story deck area that you can get some great views of the area from. It was really crowded on the night that I visited but the bartenders were great at slinging drinks very efficiently so there was barely any wait. I wasn't sure if the same folks that own this bar also own the Sandshaker at The Wharf but the signs look similar and on checking the website they are owned by the same folks. This is a great beach bar and I had a great time so this is certainly a fun spot to check out in Pensacola Beach. read more

Visited here 3 times in 5 nights while in town for a wedding. I was part of a wedding party staying down the road at margaritaville hotel and resort and this was the closest walkable bar to our location. The first night we came we were not planning on stopping here but their sign out front lit up as we were walking by & since the wind was blowing at 30mph & it was cold we ducked in. There was a great band starting up & only about 6 other guest there other than our group of 6 so we grabbed a high top & some drinks and sat down. We stayed there the rest of the evening leaving sometime around midnight. We had a blast & enjoyed watching the slideshow of the key west painted bodies inside on the tv, not to mention some heated games of putt putt on the golden tee console. We came back on Halloween with a group of 10 all in costume to enjoy half price drinks & another great band. The last visit came on Saturday after our wedding reception had closed down at 10 & we all stumbled down the road to a place we knew. There was another wedding group here & it was pretty busy, but we had some shots & danced until we moved on to captain funs across the road. The bartenders here were awesome & very nice to us each time. Drink prices were very reasonable even when not half off. read more

This is probably going to be one of my shortest reviews because this was a pit stop on the way to our rental house. I heard that when you are in Pensacola you need to try the local drink the Bushwhacker. It is a creamy, milk and chocolatey type of drink that involves rum at least. I visited on a day where they were going to have a big concert so it was not their normal set up. Our bartender Ashley was a fun burst of energy. She explain the drink options letting us know we could do 80 or 150 proof rum added to the Bushwhacker. They had orange freeze that had absolut in it. The drinks were both tasty but the octane drink was my fave. This place is a nice watering hole that you definitely need to stop by when you are in Pensacola. read more

Sandshaker Lounge & Package Store - Bars Near Me - Gulf Breeze, Florida

Nasty , dirty, smelly , the owner yelled at his employees like he owns them . The only redemption is the workers are good and nice.

Hadn't been to the Shaker in a while (i've been going since '84), but wife had a hankering for a bushwacker and it was mother's day after all. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT The pre-mix (without the 'topper') tasted like watered down coconut milk. Not a hint of chocolate (which makes the wacker what it should be: a dangerous chocolate milk shake) I guess you need to add the topper to make you forget the actual taste. Oh, the band playing that weekend were rockers! Too bad the girl singer was off pitch. After being talked up twice by a very drunk already (it was 4pm) motorcycle rider, we left to go to Paddy's. read more

Cozy little dive bar. Of course I got the Bushwacker, it was good, but the bartender recommended the Elvis bushwacker, made with blended banana and peanut butter screwball. It was SO GOOD! I will go back solely for this drink. It was quiet. People were friendly, and it wasn't over-crowded. My husband and I came here on a weeknight around 5 or 6, before they'd gotten very busy. Apparently they had music coming in at 7, so I can't speak to the later hours. read more

Home of the original bushwacker.. I am sorry to say that newer versions do it better. This was the worst bushwacker I had on the island, but that may be personal taste. Luckily, these were only $5 during happy hour and our bartender was very nice. I could not even drink mine, I disliked it so much. There is a cool deck you can climb too. read more

Sandshaker Lounge & Package Store - Bushwacker - Bars Near Me - Gulf Breeze, Florida

The diviest of dive bars. Great place. Staff can get a little rude for asking to take the "shot ski" down too many times. It's not really as heavy as they claim. read more

First timer! Bushwacker is very refreshing! Customer service wasn't that great, but wasn't horrible. It didn't seem very welcoming. The bar tender wasn't that helpful especially since we all were newbies. The atmosphere is very laid back. The best thing to get is real shots. read more

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It's hard for me to decide how many stars to give this place. On the one hand, the drinks were strong and cheap served by a friendly bartender. On the other hand, my 31 year old black friend was the only person that we saw that was asked for ID, which kinda makes them look racist (maybe 2 black people was more than the quota that the bar allowed?). We were here on Tuesday evening which is $2 Tuesday. This means that well drinks, some beer, and wine are all $2. There was also karaoke. I ordered a bushwcker and a rum and coke and it was $6.75 total. The bartender was kind enough to warn me that the bushwacker wasn't $2. I appreciated that. The bushwacker was good, and I'm glad that tried it at it's original place in Pensacola beach. That was well worth the price. The rum and coke was super strong. I love when places make drinks like this. I probably would have enjoyed this place a lot more if they hadn't asked my black friend to see her ID when they hadn't carded anyone else. read more

One of my "go-to" bars on Pcola Beach. I generally prefer the 'Shaker during the day and enjoy being able to get out on the deck or the crow's nest upper deck. Also a great place to see some talented local bands, although the set-up isn't ideal...if you are inside of the "garage" where the bands play, your ears will bleed, but if you out on the deck, you're either standing up or just listening, because there will be throngs of people massed at the deck steps. The drinks are reliable. The bushwackers are delivered in Styrofoam cups that provide you with enough time to actually enjoy the slushiness before it melts, unlike some places on the beach that go the cheap route and use thin plastic cups. No draft beer, but the longnecks are always cold. As several others have noted, the 'Shaker is definitely a locals hangout, but it isn't solely a locals bar. Due to its proximity to the Casino Beach parking lot and Quietwater Boardwalk (which somebody told me is now, officially "Portofino Boardwalk" or some crap that I'll never use), it is convenient no matter where you are on the beach. I appreciate all of the stuff that Sonny does for local charities at the 'Shaker. I've been to crawfish boils to benefit locals and the Krewe du Ya Yas has an event every summer to benefit breast cancer. The sense of community matters...a lot of places are focused too tightly on making another dollar. The gift shop has some neat shirts and trinkets. I have some nice and colorful t-shirts that elicit happy memories of long weekends spent getting blasted at the 'Shaker. :p No trip to the beach could be complete without at least one beer at the 'Shaker. The employees are nice, although it does get quite busy and hectic at times. Give the place a shot. read more

Bang for your buck: 9/10 Quality: 10/10 Service: 10/10 Ambiance/Location: 9/10 Overall: 10/10 Home of the bushwhacker, Sandshaker knows how to provide that perfect beach day buzz! I recommend a bushwhacker with 151 or the Dirty Girl Scout. This place is a throwback dive, so be prepared. Cast away your fears, and saddle up at the bar; you won't be disappointed! read more

They treat you like a local- when you aren't! A great time! This was probably the highlight of my trip to Pensacola during hurricane Patricia. The blonde bartender is so amazing. Like, she is a keeper! I really enjoyed her!! read more

Shame! I had told all my family about the Pensacola bushwackers so when they came to visit for Christmas I brought them here. We had THE WORST bushwackers in Pensacola. You'd think "the home of the original bushwackers " would have the best! Almost any other place is better. For sure Paradise and Oar House and O'Reillys are much much better. read more

For a local dive bar it's awesome. Had an incredible bushwacker. So delicious. Felt like a local and I was treated to a shot from locals plus great service. No food here, but a small place with good drinks and nice people. Would definitely go back. read more