Inside: Central Station Rock Bar

What is it about the alluring power of rock ‘n’ roll that makes bars in downtown Orlando want to put it in its name? Is it the driving melodies or its power to rouse high spirits? If you’re going by places like Rok Room or the somewhat-recently rechristened Central Station Rock Bar, at 100 E. Central Blvd., (just across from the downtown library) it may seem like the rock is all pretense and no attitude. But it’s simpler than that: rock ‘n’ roll (with frequent drink specials) draws people in, even if the “rock” is just a guy with a guitar doing folksy covers.

Décor: Speaking of covers, there is one just about every night at Central Station, and it’s about $5. That buys you a spot in the audience for a live music act, and access to some drink specials. If you’re not digging the act, there are TVs on every wall showing sports of some kind. The bar itself is pretty darn big, holding over 20 people easily, and topped with fancy-pants granite. In fact, even the tables spaced along the walls have granite tops, which is curiously upscale for a rockin’ place. The tables are small enough to not dwarf a group of three or four people, but also mobile enough to accommodate a larger crew, which gives Central Station enough space for a lot of people without getting cluttered. Though there’s a lot of room, if the place fills up you can sit outside at the teensy tables in front and, I dunno, stare at the library or something.

The Bar: Every day offers some kind of new special, beginning with the daily happy hour from 1-7 p.m. which nets you Bud, Bud Light, and Bud Select in the following combos: $12 buckets, $2.50 drafts, $2.75 bottles, and $7 pitchers, or you can go for liquor and get $2.50 single wells or $4 double wells. Mondays are for 90’s music with $2.50 drafts and $7 pitchers of Bud, Bud Light, and Bud Select. Bring quarters on Tuesdays, as from 9-11 p.m. you get 25-cent drafts of Bud Select. Wednesdays are “whacked out” as the kids say, college kids that is, and you get free admission all night, along with $2.50 shots and $2 bottles of Bud and Bud Light. Thursdays go cheap with $1 wells and $2.50 shots for guys from 9-11 p.m., and $2.50 tallboys of PBR all night. Fridays and Saturdays do 2-for-1 drinks (meaning you get a double for $4) from 9-11 p.m. And Sundays wrap up the weekend in style with $1 Busch cans all day. If you’re not a fan of Anheuser-Busch products, a bottle of Yuengling is $3.50 and a regular mixed drink (poured very well, by the way) is $4.

Service: Ah, to know the bartenders: such prompt service, fun, chatty conversation, leaning over the bar to hug hello! Yet, to not know the bartenders means you have to wait for them to say hi to all their friends before you get served. Regulars probably love the service, but if you’re new, eh no.

Sounds: Fortunately, there’s live music every day, which means the hideous touchscreen jukebox remains silent most of the time. Unfortunately the sound is really goddamn loud, and unless you want to give the impression that you love screaming in peoples’ faces, you might not want to bring a first date there.

Crowd: Thanks to the cheap drinks and local acts, the crowd at Central Station is pretty young, enthusiastic for the music, and full of energy (and vodka).

Add a comment