By Jon O’Neill

Since it opened in 2011, the Funky Biscuit has built a reputation as the place in Palm Beach County to see national acts in an intimate setting.

With an impressive list of performers that have included Leon Russell, Gregg Allman and the Little River Band, among others, this Boca Raton-based venue offers up a blend of bands that run the spectrum from blues to funk to classic rock to New Orleans jazz.

In addition to the tunes, the Funky Biscuit also offers a full dinner menu aimed at complementing the live entertainment.

Owner Albert Poliak, a veteran of the entertainment and financial services businesses, fell in love with the acoustics of the room when he played there with a band.

“It was an incredible space,” he said. “But there wasn’t much being done with it.”

 The Funky Biscuit has built a loyal local following, but also attracts tourists from around the country and around the world.

The Funky Biscuit has built a loyal local following, but also attracts tourists from around the country and around the world.

- Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

 

Poliak changed that by creating the Funky Biscuit and building it up over time, first with local bands and then with bigger-named national acts.

The Biscuit’s success is its variety. It’s open Monday through Saturday -- Sundays, too, if a big act is booked – and the space is set up differently depending on the performer.

“Some nights, it’s more like a dinner show,” Poliak said. “Other nights, we clear out some of the tables to give people room to move around.”

By the way, according to the Urban Dictionary, a Funky Biscuit is “a beat or bass line that rocks the membranes of your brain and brings about a feeling of hedonism and ecstasy and puts a smile on your face.”

“I had settled on the Funky Biscuit, and I hadn’t even heard of the Urban Dictionary,” Poliak said. “But when I saw that, I said ‘that makes sense.’ ”

The Biscuit has built a loyal local following, but also attracts tourists from around the country and around the world. Going forward, Poliak says the plan is to separate the dining room from the music room.

“We need to expand, and so we’re going to do that,” he said. “But our goal will be the same – to offer people the best musical experience they can get.”

The Funky Biscuit
303 SE Mizner Blvd., Royal Palm Place, Boca Raton
561-395-2929

At Johnnie Brown’s, the genre is generally classic rock, and some highlights include an Elvis show every Monday night.

At Johnnie Brown’s, the genre is generally classic rock, and some highlights include an Elvis show every Monday night.

- Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA


More live music venues...

Johnnie Brown’s
301 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach
561-243-9911

It is somehow fitting that one of Palm Beach County’s top live music venues is named after one of its top characters. It’s also fitting that character isn’t a person – but a monkey.

Johnnie Brown was the name of a spider monkey that belonged to Addison Mizner, the eccentric and iconic architect who designed much of the county’s most famous places, including Worth Avenue, the Kennedy Compound and much of Boca Raton.

To honor Mizner and his monkey (who was rumored to enjoy good music), this rock and roll bar took the critter’s name when it opened in 2009 and does it justice by offering live music seven nights a week.

Although it’s not a “beach” bar – the water is about a half-mile away – its Florida roots show in the décor and the atmosphere.

“Everything about the place says Florida, that’s why we keep coming back,” said 52-year-old Valerie Chaney, who was enjoying the live music recently while on a trip to South Florida from Maryland.

At Johnnie Brown’s the food is simple and very tasty. The music is even more so. The genre is generally classic rock, and some highlights include an Elvis show every Monday night, along with a Rod Stewart tribute band on Tuesdays. Weekday shows usually start at 7:30 or 8 p.m., while Friday and Saturday shows run from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

A word to the wise: Come ready to party. You already know the words!
 

Boston’s on the Beach
40 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach
561-278-3364

It was once a sleepy hotel in a sleepy town. But that was before two guys from Massachusetts decided to turn the Hotel Del Sol into a bar and live music spot called Boston’s on the Beach.

Today, after 36 years as an A1A mainstay, it is arguably one of the most iconic venues in South Florida.  Now owned by Ocean Properties, Boston’s on the Beach offers live music five nights a week – except Wednesday and Thursday – and a beachfront location that oozes old Florida charm.

In addition to the famous bar – decked out in the kinds of sports memorabilia that will make Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins and Celtics fans feel right at home – Boston’s also has a recently renovated upscale dining spot upstairs, dubbed 50 Ocean.

Next door, those same renovations helped create the SandBar, which features plenty of palm trees and a pool to go along with the beach just across A1A.

The music selection is mainly rock and blues, with some reggae thrown to add even more tropical flavor. For many locals, Boston’s is a go-to bar when visitors come to town. For many tourists, it’s the kind of beachfront bar that they can’t pass up.
 

Square Grouper

1111 Love Street, Jupiter
561-575-0252

Located along the Jupiter Inlet, this bar opened in 2003 and features a true waterfront setting with a thatched Tiki bar to boot. The bar’s name comes from the slang term for the bales of marijuana that often washed up on the shores of the inlet and elsewhere in South Florida.

The Square Grouper has built quite a following over the years, and was even the site of the music video for Alan Jackson’s hit song “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” (check out the bartenders – pretty amazing.) The video captures the laidback party vibe of the place.

The Square Grouper features live music of all types Tuesday through Sunday, and on weekends there usually is music during the afternoon and evenings.

Thanks to its history, its location and its consistent musical offerings, The Square

Grouper has the kind of tropical cred and ambience that will have visitors talking about it long after they get home.
 

Still haven’t had your fill? Here are a few more places worth checking out:
 

Propaganda
6 South J Street, Lake Worth
(561) 547-7273
The perfect bar for the hardcore live music fan, Propaganda has top local and national acts on tap nearly every night of the week.

Hurricane
640-7 East Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach
561-278-0282
Another Delray Beach staple, this favorite of locals features live music Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Bamboo Room
25 South J Street, Lake Worth
561-585-2583
This venue lives up to its name (really) and also features an eclectic blend of live shows, ranging from dance music to jazz to classic rock and more.

Arts Garage
94 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach
561-571-8510
Not a bar, but more like Delray’s arts showcase, the Arts Garage showcases artists that run the gamut from hip-hop to classical – all worth checking out.

Swampgrass Willie’s
9910 Florida A1A Alt., Palm Beach Gardens
561-625-1555
Burgers. Beer. Booze. And lots of live music. Although there are not shows every night, the weekend offerings are diverse and fun, and sometimes feature three bands in one night.

PLACES TO REMEMBER

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