Wreck Bar Mermaid Show

A Fish Out of Water

By Jamie Laughlin

Little girls who grew up watching Where the Boys Are and later moved to Fort Lauderdale find a rude awakening. Absent are the dapper (yet wholesome) encounters with Ivy League spring breakers; they have been replaced with body shot specials and “prospective” community college enrollees. Where’s all the glamour? Where are the local eligible bachelors longing to sweep you away on their yachts and who would never dare to attempt an unwanted advance? If they can be found anywhere, it is at the Yankee Clipper (1140 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale) on Fridays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This time-warp treasure happy hour is where the “mermaid tank” scene from Where the Boys Are was filmed, and they’re hooking locals’ attentions by luring the mermaids back to the bar.

You see, tables inside the Wreck Bar have porthole-style windows that peer into the adjoining swimming pool, creating an underwater vibe. That’s where drink-clinkers get their weekly glimpse of Marina, the hotel’s fin-bearing siren. She wiggles and flips up to the glass, peering in at diners who stare back at her hypnotically as they dine on half-price appetizers and $2 off of draft beers Is she merely an apparition? A reminder of simpler, more beautiful times? Or is she an honest-to-god mermaid, here to lure sailors (and cocktail enthusiasts) onto the rocky shore? You’re going to have to find out on Friday.

Price: Free, but do buy a drink

Two bars keep patrons abuzz in this classic Fort Lauderdale beach resort. Inside, the Wreck Bar's underwater ambience is replete with stocked fish tanks and a viewing glass to watch swimmers in one of the hotel's pools. Outside, the pool-side bar straddles an expansive stretch of beach.