Transit Lounge

Out of all of the clubs and bars that Miami has, this is BY FAR my favorite place… well was. So sad that this place is closed, I haven’t been back since it closed so I couldnt say about the new business that is there.
This place was just so chill, no cover, no dress code, drinks reasonably priced,. Live band late into the night as well as a DJ, street art in the back as well as local artists work inside that was always rotating with new work. The view from out back was always amazing, I really miss that place, oh well…

Transit got classy… Blackbird to the face.

Went to Transit lounge a few times. With Unilocalers and non Unilocalers the fun was the same. Great music and cheap beers, I particularly loved karaōke nights.
It’s sad to see you go :(

This used to be my favorite place until I went here tonight.
Throughout the years Transit was a Brickell staple playing bands such as Conjunto Progreso and Suenalo. There used to be a huge crowd at all these events and even though its a low down and dirty place, Transit was the place to hang out.
Now, Transit has no good bands playing (since Conjunto doesn’t play there anymore and Suenalo went over to PAX and The Stage Miami), rookie and amateur DJs with music that skips, jacked up prices, and terrible service.
It just isn’t as good as it was before they went into foreclosure early this summer. Supposedly they got saved from foreclosure, but in order to get more money from the patrons, they are including a mandatory 27% gratuity. RUN AWAY FROM HERE!
Aside from the lack of bands, the water seeping out near the bathrooms (yuck), the terrible service, and the super smoky place, the real problem is the MANAGEMENT at Transit. They jacked up their prices, charge you mandatory gratuity, and they won’t accept any kind of gift cards or credits when you give it to them. I agree with Carl L., Jackie S., Monica C., and B. Lauren S. that the place has gone from 5 stars to zero.
I can’t wait for an employee at Transit to contact me Carl… maybe they’ll try to get me to change my mind… I’ll keep you guys posted and post whatever they send me on here. :)

I was totally disturbed by this place! People really hang out here?
Its like a smoky dirty pool hall, minus the pool tables! Why would anyone say this is a chill place to have a glass of wine? (Bill B. I’m directing this comment towards you).
If your looking for a place to unwind after work, this is NOT it!!!

After a very long work day, I was looking forward to my Friday Happy Hour with my co worker. We decided to venture away from midtown into the world of Brickell. BIG MISTAKE. We picked transit lounge because they had 2 for 1 happy hour and well who can pass up 2 for 1.
Parking is horrible. You have to try to parallel park your car as millions of cars are heading your way. Somehow I did it. I parked my car. We walk over to transit lounge and I didn’t even make it pass the door.
The first thing that comes to me is the smell of cigarettes and tobacco. Who smokes inside anymore?! The place looked like a scuzzy pool hall (with no pool table).
End of story-​we get back into our cars and head back to midtown. Lesson Learned. the end.

I don’t understand this place, I feel like I’m missing something.
Every time I go to Transit I find the crowd old, stationary and difficult to navigate. The music is mediocre.
Transit’s only saving grace is its unparalleled view of downtown with a gorgeous (often live-​painted) street art mural foreground.

Love the free music. Love the happy hour that runs later than other Brickell spots. Loved watching the artists paint the walls during Basel 2010. I’m giving some extra points because of the fact that you can find a table and actually be able to chat for happy hour. Now, late night once the music starts, thats another story.
I’ve been here a few times and only recently discovered the PBR vending machine. Allow me just preface the next sentence with A) I grew up in GA, and B) PBR will always have a soft spot in my heart, from years of college drinking games. I have never seen a PBR vending machine before in my life, but since this one, and posting it on FB, I have heard of several bars & music studios back home that now have them. The story usually goes something like this:
1. _​_​_​_​decided to unlock it & drink them all.
2. We got tired of stocking it.
3. Some guy moshed into it and broke the glass
4. _​_​_​_​ran out of quarters and broke the glass.
Ah the punk/​redneck drunken-​joy that PBR brings. But don’t worry folks, Transit Lounge is not this type of spot. Just a kitchy decoration in a great spot to see some great local bands for free.

Transit’s a very cool, laid back, lounge-​y kinda place. It’s very small, but it gets pretty crowded, even on weekdays. The ambiance is very dark and low key with some booths along the walls, tables, an open space by the stage, and a pool table. Nothing fancy. It’s more about the crowd and the music than the ambiance, so bring a good group with you.
I went for karaōke Wed, which starts at 10 and goes until (no set end time). I think it ended around 3:15 or 3:30 when we were there You get a free shot with karaōke before midnight. I got there around 12:30 and people start pouring in around 1AM, which was a shocker on a Wednesday. Karaōke was awesome because they have a live band on the stage with you doing the instrumentals, and if you know how, you can even play the instruments. The band is more of a rock style and the karaōke list is a a mix of top 40, soft rock classics, and soul. There was everything from Otis Redding– Sitting on the Dock of the Bay to U2 and Lenny Kravitz, to Justin Beiber, to Aretha Franklin and Gloria Gaynor. It was definitely a little something for everyone.
The crowd was super chill and fun. They seemed like a lot of regulars. As far as karaōke, it didn’t really matter if you sang well or not, as long as you kept the crowd pumped. They were very encouraging and such. A nice plus was that the karaōke was free, as was the cover. I think cover is always free for both men and women. Attire, by the way, was chill. It does say proper attire required, so bring back ups if you plan on rolling up in flip flops, but it was a range from laid back summer dresses and flat sandals to dressier/​sexier looks with heels. Many people, male and female, had on jeans. Also, I can’t speak for weekends, but on weekdays, there’s plenty of parking by the metro. It’s all street parking, to my knowledge.
In general, there’s a live band nightly and the calendar on their website has different events every night of the week. They are open until maybe 5AM. They still have some games available to play at your table while you drink. The games weren’t all that great (Operation, Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?, CandyLand, etc), so I’d bring a card game from home if you want to play games.
The downside is the smoke in this place. Almost everyone smokes and, although you don’t feel attacked by it when you’re in there, you leave completely saturated in that gross smoke smell.
I am definitely looking forward to Karaōke Wed again. Besides that, I likely wouldn’t be drawn to come back outside of the nights when they have a band I really like.
Just as a tip, if you do karaōke, you can’t hear yourself sing since there’s a band behind you and all, so put your finger in one ear so you can hear yourself and know if you’re sounding crazy or not. Other than that, don’t be shy, just get up there and have fun with it! It’s awesome!

Partying on a budget??? This is the place to go… Cheap drinks, decent crowd, and good music. The bartenders are always very nice and even when it’s packed, you can get a drink rather quickly. The bar is pretty big and if they have the outside open there’s one out there too. They have board games if that’s what you’re into and food. I’ve never tried the food there, so can’t review. But I’m sure it’s your typical bar food…
They have good local bands that perform there and on Tuesday they have a Live Band Karaōke… Which is a lot of fun with some friends!!!
Parking is a pain in that area, but my friends and I have found a secret little place near there to park for free… I wish I could share, but then it wouldn’t be a secret and I won’t have free parking next time.
Overall, not a bad little place when you need a cocktail and have only $ 40 in your bank account (if that’s the case you might want to stay home) but you get the drift :)

I went back the other night and really enjoyed myself. The back patio was awesome. We hadn’t gone out there the first time we went. There was a DJ and videos projected on the side of the building.
There was a great crowd, and the band was pretty good. It was also packed with good looking guys! Haha! Transit is becoming one of my favorite places in Brickell.

Maybe it’s because I haven’t gone with Unilocalers; maybe because the music isn’t trance /​techno but I still haven’t «gotten» Transit. The cheap drinks are recession friendly, and I like the fact they have an espresso machine so I can get a boost of energy to continue my night elsewhere. (Shoulda stayed in Wynwood.)
I wouldn’t have written a review otherwise, but last night was a low point in that the valet parker couldn’t start my car (even with the alarm in valet mode) and lost my glasses.

I’m writing this one cold… I haven’t read any other reviews because I don’t want anything to skew my first impression of Transit.
I’m no big time party animal, but I know what I like, and I like what I know. But at the same time, I’m always open to exploration in the chance that maybe, just MAYBE I will find somewhere that I will feel as comfortable now as I did when I first started pubbing and clubbing about three million years ago. Where you just blend in with others who are in search of happy fun times. Where the drinks don’t cost you a huge percentage of your hard earned paycheck and where there are varying degrees of partying. Where you can strike up a conversation with random strangers without feeling creeped out.
Live Bands — yes please!
Great music playing between bands — hell yeah! (at least on the night I went with the Unilocal POW people)
Adjoining restaurant — excellent for those nights when its OMG I haven’t had dinner yet I’ve been drinking for five hours so I better eat something before round two.
Outside smoking area (Bonus Bar included)
This is such a place.

Surprisingly, for as much time as I’ve spent at Tobacco Road, Blue Martini, Waxy O’Connor’s and other places in this general area, I’d not been to Transit until recently when several of us found our way here after an Elite event. I’ll definitely be coming back!
When we arrived at about 9 on a Friday night, I was able to find a few available parking meters a short distance away, and there was no cover charge to get in.
We were hungry and were in the mood for some cold beers. When I asked what kinds of beer they had, the server gave me a small menu with about 20 or more listed on it. I was happily surprised to find that kind of variety here, all priced at about $ 6/​bottle. I was then told that a few Unilocalers were in the adjoining restaurant area that had recently opened. I went over to that section and found a semi-​circular bar near the entrance that seats about 8 people, a few comfy couches and chairs and several dining tables in this space. I asked for a menu which, again, had more items on it than I’d expect to find here at Transit. I settled on the portobello mushroom burger and fries. They were served up in about 10 minutes and the burger was really tasty and hit the spot.
In addition to the restaurant space (featuring lots of board games to play for fun!) and the main bar/​club area with the large, rectangular bar, stage and dance floor, there are also large outdoor spaces in the rear and to the side of this building, with a bar out back to serve customers as well. On the Friday we were here, the place wasn’t overly crowded or so loud your hearing was impaired, which are my 2 biggest complaints about Vagabond at times.
Now that I’ve found and experienced Transit and seen how cool it is, I’ll definitely be back!

Transit, you’ve gotten better with age.
The atmosphere reminds me of what would happen if Purdy Lounge and Bougainvelias had a love child with a big, old kitchen. There is that same laid back vibe, the pool table, the outdoor area, live music, cheap drinks, and a restaurant on the side as a bonus.
There was a reggae band playing and outside you could see it all projected onto one of the exterior walls.
Simple neighborhood bar by Brickell standards

Ah, Transit,
What a night! What fun! What an experience peeing in the guys bathroom…
So, a bunch of us came here for the afterparty of the Unilocal Elite event last night. When I talk about good times, good beer, and total debauchery, then I really mean what went down here last night. WOW!!! I guess it was the cold weather, or maybe the good times we had at the Chop House, but everyone was getting up close and personal, and super snuggly through out the night!!!
From the amazing music the DJ was first playing, to the local band Jaffe that was OFF THE CHAIN, we were all dancing the night away! There were times were I actually got so hot I ended up in my tank top. And to think of that in tonight’s 30 °F weather just makes me shiver.
The venue has an old, rustic feel to it, and I enjoyed the dining side they opened up. The stage has the evidence of many shows before it and if the walls could talk, boy oh boy what they would say! The outdoor area is also a good time; with its own DJ and bar. There are some tables and chairs, and it’s nice to escape to the fresh air after being cooped up inside for a while.
A great experience and a ton of fun. Good drink prices, attentive bartenders and a great atmosphere. See you soon Transit!
xoxo,
SabrinaAnna*

Met some Unilocalers after our wonderful holiday party the other night. What a very cool place, reminded me of a great neighborhood bar where everyone knows your name. As we arrived, we saw some very familiar faces. Our very own Joseluis playing live on the stage with a band. They were awesome to listen to. They did take a break and it was so nice catching up with JL.
I took over our wrapped toy and the nice lady gave me two free beer tickets. Drinks were reasonably priced and nice and strong, bartenders were friendly. The place was chill and relaxing just hangin with our fellow friends. The bathrooms were very clean which impressed me.
A prefect ending to a great night with such awesome company. Great place to come and enjoy the live music. Fun times!

As a fan of live music, I totally dig coming into this place and checking several live acts on a given night —
It’s aptly name as Transit lounge because, it is exactly what it is — catch it on a pub crawl, or as a warm up before heading out to other places/​events or even as the last place to end the night —
It has a nice, urban, indie feel to it with a very eclectic crowd. I have found good times here and the reasonably priced drinks help the cause as well.
Having come to this place with good friends we have made very good memories here, so we will no doubt return to keep adding to our memory bank.

South Beach velvet rope glam? Not here, thank goodness.
This is an honest to goodness bar. Cheap drinks, live music, great friends and you are set for a good time. Sure it seems a bit dank to the sophisticated club kid who can’t get enough of the fake SoBe scene and I am glad they stay away.
I prefer the real down to earth goodness of Transit!

tran-​sit: «The passage from one place to another. » In astronomy it’s defined: the passage of a heavenly body across a given location.” I like the latter. My first time at Transit Lounge was pretty heavenly.
Came here after a boring drinks date to meet up with friends and hear some indie-​latin-​alternative bands (The fabuloso Minimal– rocks! Suenalo– sax, trumpet and bongos — oh myyy!) Transit turned out to be a first class ticket from the boring to the funky bueno.
This place kind of reminds me of the little indie music clubs that used to dot Alphabet City in NY. (Psst– I played at CBGBs once –I’m old and I know of what I speak.) Transit is in Florida so its way bigger, has a spacious outdoor patio and there is no real grunge or grime (if you ever experienced the bathrooms at CBGB, you KNOW grunge and grime –seriously – eeeew!) Their VIP lounge is even laid back-​, al fresco, bamboo blinds separating the laid back VIPers from the really laid back, everyday loungers. Cute.
This is absolutely a go-​to place to catch live music in Miami. There is something diff. going on every night of the week — even film screenings and discussion. Check their website. Truly a refreshing departure from the glammy silicone and George Hamilton tans of South Beach clubs.
Add affordable drinks ($ 5.50 beers, mixed drinks under $ 10,) a diverse and interesting crowd, a big parking lot up the street ($ 5 for the night — for the designated driver, of course) and you have the makings of a great night of music and laid back funk. One warning — when the crowd gets thick — so does the air. It can get friggin’ hot in there– but that’s par for the course for a place like this — when the music moves you — sweat is good.
I’m off now to get a cold compress and buy my life-​time Metrocard to Transit Lounge… see you there.