Iconic South Beach bar Mac's Club Deuce turns 100
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Mac's is an iconic and beloved bar for a reason. Photo: Sommer Brugal/Axios
The smell of smoke envelops you the moment you step out of the bright, midday sunshine and into the all-black, neon-lit dive bar.
- It's 11am, and about a dozen patrons fill the room. Some play billiards; others sit around the B-shaped bar, where the bartender pours a cafecito into the small cups meant for sharing.
Why it matters: Mac's Club Deuce is turning 100, and the city is coming together this weekend to celebrate the iconic South Beach bar.
- A local haven amid the flashy tourist traps and ultra-luxury hotels, Mac's is open 8am-5am daily for all — and has been since it first opened in 1926.
Flashback: The club at 222 14th St. was originally just called Club Deuce, a nod to the address, until Mac Klein purchased it in 1964.
- Klein worked at the bar seven days a week, becoming a local icon.
- He passed away at 101 years old in 2016, and his wife Mary took the helm, where she remains today.
In the 100 years since it opened, Mac's has welcomed everyone from Anthony Bourdain to the cast of "Miami Vice" (the series held its wrap party here) and has held on to just a few rules (don't touch the blinds).
- But its no-frills atmosphere, friendly bartenders and cheap drinks make it a beloved neighborhood joint for locals, too.
- Happy hour is every day from 8am-5pm. Beers are $7; $6 for domestic.
What they're saying: "Sometimes there's a line at the door [at open] and you never know who's going to come in," bartender Sharyn Sambrick told Axios Thursday morning.
- Sometimes it's the firefighters, she said, who stroll in after a multiday shift and call Mac's "the church."
The bottom line: Mac's has endured all these years because of the people and how everyone — from the owner to the employees to the customers — treats those around them.
- Take the chip tradition: Order a drink (under $14 and during happy hour), and you'll get a red casino chip, redeemable for one drink while sitting at the bar. Or leave with it, and it becomes a souvenir.
- "The chip is Mac still saying, 'Thank you for coming into my bar. Let me buy you a drink,'" Sambrick said.
If you go: On Saturday, 14th Street from Washington Avenue to Collins Avenue will be closed to cars beginning at 4pm.
- There will be special merch, live music and an outdoor bar.
- And like inside, it'll be cash only for drinks.