First Chance Last Chance

Dink Here,
Went bar hopping in Ybor last week, this was my first stop in the night. Nice décor, charming bartenders, cold beer. Not to clean on the inside but can’t complain.
Dink Out

Staff fraudulently added an extra ~$ 10 tip for the two drinks I had.

A group of girlfriends and I went out to celebrate last weekend in Ybor. We decided to start at First Chance Last Chance. As we were waiting for others to arrive, we visited the bar out on the patio. The outdoor area is very cute and the bartender was really sweet. We were looking for a certain liquor that she didn’t have, but she had a coworker bring her the bottle from inside. The exterior was a little crowded at the time, so we decided to go inside to enjoy our drinks.
The DJ was playing a great mix of current and early 2000’s hip hop. The volume was probably geared more toward a club than a bar, but (at the risk of sounding like a grandma) I only mention it because my friends were chatty and I couldn’t hear a word they were saying. Regardless, the music was good yet no one was dancing.
Unfortunately, the night began to decline once we moved inside. Our other friends arrived and went to the indoor bar for a drink. After waiting awhile, we decided to join them since they still hadn’t received any drinks and ours were nearly empty. They hadn’t been helped yet so we decided to move down the bar and try for the other bartender. The bartenders inside basically ignored me and my friends for ten minutes. There was a steady stream of customers, but we remained unnoticed. Now, I understand that every bar in Ybor is busy on a Saturday night. And they certainly were busy. But there’s an issue if I can see someone get a round of shots, leave, and then come back and order another drink before a bartender even acknowledges me. I guess maybe the usual crowd there consists of regulars, since the bartender seemed to know them. We finally were able to get a round of drinks but I was ready to leave after that. A couple of the girls wanted glasses of water, so that took another ten minutes. Needless to say, I made them chug it once they got it and we closed our tabs and hit the road.

One of my go to spots right now despite being in Ybor. The outdoor patio area reminds me of something you would find in Brooklyn and I love the mix of music between 80s new wave, hip hop and rock. For it being a smallish bar I love that they carry a nice selection of liquor (Chartreuse in this part of town, love it!) I normally stop by on my way home from work and take advantage of the $ 3 wells they offer. The bar is such a mix of rock, lgbt, and urban I really can bring everyone from my mother in law to my work friends there and never once feel awkward. Only downside they have two bathrooms and the weekends you can wait a little bit just to get in. The place is always pretty clean, I’ve literally seen barbacks pick cigarette butts up on the patio when it’s been busy just to keep the place neat. They have giant Jenga and darts which is pretty cool I guess if your into that kinda thing.

This is my favorite bar in Ybor! It’s such a great spot for a craft cocktail, awesome beer, or whatever you fancy. The staff is great and knowledgeable and always make me feel welcome. Not only do they have a great bar space, but their outdoor area is perfect for a cigar, cocktail, and conversation. The crowd is chill and has a little bit of everyone.
Ybor has needed a place like this and it’s always my first and last stop.
Plus, it’s worth a stop to check out the beautiful chalk drawing above the bar that are always changing. This newer bar will soon be a staple in Ybor. Go check it out! It’s just what Ybor has needed.

This is not one of my go-​to places in Ybor but I somehow always end up here at the end of the night. The service is not great, neither is the general attitude of the employees (bar tenders and bouncers) but the ambiance is cool and it has a cool crowd.
I usually park in a lot a block behind this bar and end up here only on my way out after hanging at other places — which may be why the service and employee-​attitude seems so poor, it contrasts starkly with other places. I like the outside area, which is very chill and clean. Its kind of hidden away and quiet. Its not great for people watching but great to wind down after a night out in Ybor :)

Bar tender Jackie who covers from Sunday to Tuesday is bi-​polar. I love this bar until she freaked out on me and the group I was with. We tried to apologize if we did anything to offend her, we even gave a large tip. She responded she didn’t want us to come back, I am still confused as we have been going there before she worked there. Only go there when she is not working, but if you do go when she is there just don’t talk to her. Maybe, «maybe» we got her on an off day but she clearly went ballistic for no reason. We would not have added this post if she had not flipped out on us, and on top of it showed no intent to remedy the situation after we apologized for whatever we may have said/​done to upset her.

I gave this place five stars for the simple fact the reviews are old that are bringing the score down and this place is near and dear to my heart. I work in Ybor and this is where the locals hang out including myself.
Let’s start with the staff. Tracy and Jackie are more fun then a truck filled with hundreds of barrels of monkeys. They are super sweet fun people! Always great music in the bar and the super cool patio out back!
The older reviews are a bummer but they are years old.
This place is super cool.
This place is fun and no bullshit here.
They even have American Horror nights and DJ nights and tons of fun always!
Please don’t pay attention to the old reviews.
This is one of the coolest bars in Ybor for down to earth fun people.
Take my word for it. I’m elite for a reason.
All the love.
Ken.

This is one of my favorite bars in the Ybor City area. For years prior to my first visit, I walked past many times leaving and walking to the parking garage across the way. Ever since I first gave it a try though, I cannot resist stopping in for a drink or three. The PBR special is great, and they also have some unique concoctions for the «I do not like beer» folks. The bartenders are always very personable and not to mention a great place to meet people.

Stopped here on our way out of Ybor on a Friday night. Cute name! Space inside is nice, lots of room. There is also an outdoor area but I didn’t venture out there to check it out. It wasn’t too crowded inside so we grabbed a table by the bar.
The bartender was friendly and helpful. She concocted me a vodka cocktail that was perfect, just what I was looking for. Nothing else really stood out, it’s your basic bar. All you need is a nice cold drink and room to hang out with your friends which they have here at First Chance Last Chance.

I first walked into this bar because a friend was here writing and she told me it was a quiet place to work. It is not. What it is can be harder to explain — It kind of depends on who is working. The atmosphere can be loud and punk rock, soothing and retrospective, or just an all out good time. The drinks here are good and the people you meet here are original. There are stories that you won’t get elsewhere in Ybor. I hate coming to Ybor but when I do I come to First Chance/​Last Chance.

Came in on a Thursday night and didn’t know what to expect. The amp next door was extremely loud and rejected the people I was with since they were slightly intoxicated but this bar was welcoming and rather affordable. I would say this place is like the Ibar of Ybor. The bartender was friendly and comedic. She has tons of tattoos, as well as everyone else in the establishment (which made me feel comfortable since I’m tattooed myself). She doesn’t know much about beer but she suggested a great local IPA. She offered full customer service which is what all of us look for when we want to go and enjoy a beer. 2 for 1 fireballs, $ 2 P.B.R.‘s and $ 3 wells! You can’t go wrong with these deals. but if you want to enjoy an IPA be ready to spend $ 6 plus tip. Hipster establishment at its finest.

First Chance Last Chance is just like its name implies: a great bar to start your evening or a great bar to end your evening.
I like this bar because it is off of 7^th and never gets too crowded. They have recently remodeled and it is now even roomier. There is a great selection of beer and liquor served here.
The staff here is always friendly and on this particular night we were served by Tracy. Tracy was a trooper to put up with Nick’s antics and was delighted when we gave her one of our doughnuts from an event we just left.
Definitely stop by this bar and grab a quick drink, whether it is the start of your evening or the end of it.

This was a fun bar I went to in Ybor City for my Friend’s birthday! It’s located right as you walk from the garage to the heart of Centro Ybor.
This place has a lot of room. There’s an inside that has booths and games to play and also an outdoor area that ‘s also very roomy.
I would definitely love to go back!

Good little dive, but they just redid it. They have new furniture, tables out back, and it’s bigger now like they knocked a wall down.

Cute little dive in ybor actually one of few dives here. Bartenders are nice, bar is a little small but you can smoke inside

Last night I also encountered a female bartender with the worst attitude I have ever encountered ANYWHERE.
She was extremely upset that my friend ordered a water at a bar, and said «are you really coming to a bar and ordering water?» From there, she repeatedly made rude comments then said she was doing so because she’s «like that.»
I asked her why she is like that, because the attitude was making me not want to return to that place. She promptly snatched the water away from my friend and told us to get out. –_​–
I am still seriously puzzled as to how such a person can even be employed.
That was the first chance and last chance for me!

The building & staff…
This is an interesting bar. The sign reads differently depending which way you’re walking up to it. It was my Last Chance the night I stepped in.
The bartender was very nice and attentive. He kept our glasses full and was knowledgeable about the taps.
The bathrooms were clean which was a huge surprise, and the seating choices are varied– bar top, tables, and outdoor.
The drinks…
Don’t drink the red beer. Get a taste, but it’s not worth ordering for real. Some big beer business cans a «house special» for bars to label as their own brew. It was garbage.
Otherwise, there’s some interesting beer choices to be had.
Overall, the thing with the sign is kind of cool, but otherwise, this bar is not all that exciting. It does the trick as well as any other dive-​esque place.

See those black suede women’s heels nestled sneakily amongst the décor?
Well I did. Had to inquire by politely asking the bartender to remove her heels from the wall and place them on her feet where they belonged. Amused she replied that they belonged to a female patron who had hastily chucked one at the male bartender’s head, shortly followed by the second.
Always a nice place to stop by on the out of Ybor, or the way in, although the dismissive service here isn’t likely to pump you up for a big night on the town.

When you’re walking into Ybor, the sign reads «First Chance Bar.» When exiting, it reads the opposite. Me likey, so we literally stopped in on the way out tonight. We grabbed a few drinks and played 3 games of Connect Four. Bartender was very friendly and chatty until we closed out. Once we signed the receipt, she completely lost interest in us. But still, the place was quaint and cool.