While the Undertow Beach Bar is a long way from the sea and about as far west as you can get in South Florida suburbia, you'd never know it once inside. Surfboards hang on sea–blue walls, palm trees draped in Christmas lights skirt the doorway, and two palm–frond–topped bars give you all the fixings of the beach without the dreaded sand in your trunks—unless, of course, you work your way toward the DJ booth, where an adjoining dance floor is entirely covered with beach sand. Velvet ropes are replaced with gnarled nautical ones that guard cabana–style booths, and beach balls are dispersed throughout the bar.

Open since September, Undertow is one of the few places you can get rowdy after 10 p.m. in Coral Springs, and so far, that seems to be working in the bar's favor. Several weekly events bring in a steady crowd of people who show up for wet-T-shirt contests, DJs and dancing. Before Undertow, the space used to operate as a nondescript pool hall, but several new billiard tables give pool-playing a seaside–party vibe. Pool sharks down homemade rum punch made with sugar, lime juice and a generous amount of the tasty spirit while breaking into an impromptu electric slide at the DJ's command.

Stop by for: Free drinks for ladies all night during Wednesdays' ladies' night; free drinks from 10 to 11 p.m. at Fridays' Payday Party; hot–body contests, free drinks from 10 to 11 p.m. and hip-hop and dance music from DJs Mikey C and Voco Saturdays; and DJs spinning reggae, calypso and dancehall during Caribbean Night Sundays

Load up on: Rum punch during Caribbean Night and Carib or Land Shark lager by the bottle any other time

Tunes: A mix of reggae, hip-hop and classics from the Jackson 5 to Cyndi Lauper

Leave the house in: Denim shorts and tanks for girls or jeans and T's for guys. No Speedos!

How to find it: 2232 University Drive, Coral Springs, 954-341-5458, Myspace.com/undertowbar

Terra Sullivan is a freelance writer for City Link