Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

They won’t tell you this - but the bar outside closes an hour earlier than inside. And even though the tab can be utilized in both bars, it can only be closed in one.

So I opened a tab outside, moved to the inside, ordered drinks. Was inside drinking when they called “last call” outside. Kept drinking. Then after they called “last call” inside, I asked to close my tab. Since I opened it outside, I could only close it out there, but could drink on it at both bars. ZERO signage or indication that this is the policy. Even though people were still there, they wouldn’t let me close and automatically charged me nearly 20% even though I was there (along with dozens of others) asking to close it.

Went outside and told my girlfriend that this bar sucks. Some loser who worked there (one of those skinny dudes trying to be edgy by dying their hair grey/white (or maybe just bad genes?)) got offended. He tried to say “we’re volume-based, we close when the game/event ends”.

I said I completely understood, but there was zero indication that a tab opened outside could only be drank on inside but not closed inside. Because of what I could easily infer to be a painfully low intelligence, he repeated the “volume-based” garbage.

Ultimately, I was forced to pay extra on a tip because of their indoor/outdoor policy which, again, is not indicated anywhere. This is a policy meant to rip people off. The fact that their employees were defensive about it and rude was only further evidence that it was a plot to scam people.

TLDR: don’t tip these people. If you open a tab outside and drink on it inside they will be fine with it. But if you try to close a tab opened outdoors at the inside bar (well after outdoor bar closes), you will be out of luck and charged gratuity much higher than they deserve. Obviously, if they make the distinction clear by articulating it to you upon ordering, then tip accordingly.

EDIT: Upon review, I’m not sure if additional drinks were ordered at inside bar. My girlfriend may have ordered the drinks outside, and then brought them to the indoor bar. As someone who prides myself on being honest and objective, I felt it necessary to clear this up. That being said, having 2 bars, one inside and one out, and not having anything to indicate that they are separate and a tab can only be used outside or inside and that they close at diff times could also very easily lead to this same exact issue, so my opinion is unchanged. Especially given the fact that the dude in his 30s w the grey hair who got offended at a comment I was making to my gf as he happened to pass by is just petty, embarrassing, and was just simply a rude exchange.

Otherwise the atmosphere was admittedly cool. But not enough to overlook the shitty service...

This place, from what I understand, has been around for over thirty years....now I'm thinking if you've been in business for that amount of time then you should definitely be doing things right. However, on this particular night, January 27th 2024, they fell VERY SHORT. I really don't like to leave negative reviews, I truly don't, because I know things happen. There was a big WWE event in town that night, and there were tens of thousands of extra people around....quite a few at this particular establishment as it was packed to the gills with customers. Now, I'm going to safely assume that this is not the first time a large event has been held nearby, and that the restaurant has clearly been through this sort of thing before....they were having huge crowds in town for the wrestling event, so they should have been WELL PREPARED for such an occasion. I saw A LOT of employees scheduled for this particular day...they were all over the place...but for some reason they could not get food made, and served in a reasonable amount of time, especially since they were only serving a reduced "express menu" which should have been much easier to handle for all involved. NOT SO MUCH.... everything we ordered was either fried, or a sandwich...two things that even on a very busy day should have been made in around twenty minutes.....we sat at our table for two hours with nothing but drinks, and not the first bite, or hint of food...not even close....and every time our server came by we'd get the same "your order is about ready" followed by an apology for the wait...this went on about every twenty minutes until everyone at our table simply had enough frustration, and were "hangry" from not getting anything to eat. The server even offered to bring us chips, but failed to do so. We finally got up, and walked out, and went to McDonald's because we were hungry and were ready to eat just about anything. It really was a ridiculous experience, and we were completely dissatisfied. I understand that the place was completely packed... I get it..and we wouldn't have minded so much if more of an effort was made to take care of us, but despite the multitude of staff around, and ZERO checking on by a manager, coupled with the absolute insane wait time, I do not foresee a time that I would ever go back....it really was that bad, and we were not the only ones with extreme wait times....a couple of tables finally received their food, and after such a long wait it arrived cold... totally...

This is definitely a “no-frills” establishment, while subsequently being a melting-pot for all (social-economic class, professions, sports/political/religious affiliation), Ferg’s is not just a sports bar, its a family ran legacy, a physical embodiment of Mark’s visions where all come together, to shower the Bay area with years of fun and rejoice!

I worked for Fergs for about a year during 23’-24’ and I have a plethora of only positive opinions! Primarily the atmosphere is grandiose in holding multiple locations on the property with different vibes (Outdoorsy, Dine-in, Sports Bars, Event set-up, and etc.) , second is the ownership; Mark and Jake are great people and as my separation from the Co. was driven by difficult life issues; Jake handled it with upmost empathy and courtesy. So if whoever is reading this includes strong moral aptitude as a prerequisite to where they seek there outlets for entertainment and (food/drink) consumer goods, look this way! Third reason ill provide is the quality of the beverages; even low-cost (well liquor) cocktails taste amazing, the bartenders are all well experienced and value their respective craft. Lastly and most obvious is the scenic location, across from the trop and walking distance from downtown tourist attractions.

You could come up with a million and one factors to check off in deciding where exactly to enjoy a meal or a couple drinks, and almost everything will apply here!

Leave your problem at home and pick up a “champa-bay” while your favorite sports team wins, because that’s what Ferg’s...