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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> Miami Area RESTAURANTS, Drive-Ins, Bars, Lounges, Liquor Stores, Clubs, Strip Joints, etc. Gallery - All Years - click to view > 1965 - the Red Bird Bar at northwest corner of Bird Road and Ludlam Road, Miami
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1965

1965 - the Red Bird Bar at northwest corner of Bird Road and Ludlam Road, Miami

Bird Road (SW 40th Street) and Ludlam Road (SW 67th Avenue)


A pizza place, Dairy Queen and Farm Store are visible in the background. Thanks to folks identifying it at Ludlam and not Red Road.


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Guest 07-Jun-2020 00:10
I showed this to Leo Leonardi today, he was thrilled to see his old place , The Red Bird. He has such fond memories whoever started this, thanks!
Guest 19-Feb-2020 05:30
I worked at Sid’s Piano Bar back in the ‘80’s. I was the youngest bartender working there at the time. I met a lot of interesting people. I really admired Betty. She was great to work for. When I went to work there, the strip bar up the road emptied out to see the new face in Sid’s. Lol I enjoyed my time there.
Guest 14-Jan-2020 14:36
I vividly remember Sid's from my early 20's, and still talk about it almost 30 years later. I'd go there with groups of friends and I'd always find myself chatting to Sid rather than getting drunk with everyone else. His stories were fascinating and I'd often leave feeling a little wiser than when I got there. Thank you so much for all these comments. I never knew that he started off at the Yorkshire Inn right down the road - where my grandmother actually waitressed many years before. This site is simply invaluable.
Leighton 09-Apr-2017 15:30
That strip of buildings remains in 2017, still a Papa John's, as mentioned below.
Tom Nicholson 19-May-2016 03:20
The Red Bird was my father ab
nd Bennies old watering hole!
Tom Nicholson 19-May-2016 03:18
The Dairy Queen was built in the 50s by Ben Horowitz family. My farther, George Nicholson, was his inspiration to build. Our family owned the one in South Miami which was built in 1954.
Don Boyd12-Feb-2016 18:00
Thank you Cliff for clarifying where The Lemon Twist was located. Some of our memories get "twisted" over the decades and I appreciate your input in keeping things accurate.

Don
.
Cliff 10-Feb-2016 22:17
The Lemon Twist was on Flagler and 57 Avenue (NW corner) until it became a fresh fruits and veggies and juice place.
Steve Bomse 18-Apr-2014 22:15
I remember coming home from school in Arizona and when I got off the plane, I headed straight to Ludway's for lunch. They didn't get any better and Claude was the best!

Steve Bomse
Lewis 03-Oct-2012 15:57
I recall this corner well from my childhood. The Kwik Chek across Bird was my mother's favorite refuelling station for Chek Cola.

I thought the Dairy Queen was owned by the Zager (Zaeger?) family, who lived across the street from my grandparents on 112th Avenue in Westwood Lakes. Their son Howie went to Southwest with my uncle, Billy Bethel.
Guest 27-Jul-2012 18:14
THIS WAS LATER THE LEMON TWIST BEFORE SID OPERATED IT--SID MOVED FROM THE YORKSHIRE INN ON BIRD RD WHERE HE HAD A PIANO BAR--SID HAD A JINGLE PAINTED ON THE WINDOW WHICH HAD THEN BEEN INSTALLED ALONG 67 AVE---DRINK AND A SANDWICH--FOUR BITS-- SOON TO BECOME SIX BITS-J MUDD
Guest 08-Feb-2012 15:23
The Red Bird Bar was owned by Leo Leonardi. I sold my '57 Thunderbird to Leo Jr. in 1970. My wife and I lived in our first apt. @ 4250 S.W. 67 ave. in 1968 after getting married. I was raised @ 87 ave & Bird area. I was a Musician playing at the Par Tee Lounge in '65/'66 on Dixie Hwy. w/The Blue Beatles, later in '68/'69 with the Dead End Kids. Great times!
Guest 26-May-2011 07:13
Both Red Bird and Ludways were great places for cold beer. Been in both of them many times over the years (mostly in the 70s - 80s). I'd consider both of them "dive bars" but not in a bad way. Dark, friendly bartenders, cheap beer. What more could you ask for!
Guest 11-Jun-2010 13:43
I grew up from 1955 til 1988 on sw 39th and 64th ave. dairy queen did make a large blizzard for 52 cents. Ii forgot all about the quick chek across the street where my Mom got her groceries. I went to Southwest Miami Highschool, (class of "67). What a great place to grow up. It truly was "The Magic City". Thanks for the memories. kinseyklan@att.net
Guest 04-Feb-2010 14:26
That building is now Papa Johns!!! My friends mom used to hang out there all the time
Jack 06-Dec-2009 02:39
someone mentioned the Yorkshire Inn on Bird Road. I worked there in the 60's and knew Jimmy Heiman owned it. I also knew the Haines. I'd like to get in touch with them if possible. If anyone knows where I can get in touch with any of them, please let me know. jackodust@mchsi.com
lmartin15-Jul-2009 22:34
Don Smith, you should take a photo of your Ludway mug and post it. I bet a lot of people would really like that. One of my friends father worked there and in the 60's and we would go in to eat all the time for free. It was something for a kid of of 12 to be in a bar like that. Later, when we were over 18 the Ludway became a favorite on our bar circuit but it was always so crowded we often had to go to some other West Miami greats, like the Pine Tree down the road.
Don Smith 21-Jun-2009 04:48
Linda V - i was a big Ludways guy in the 70's and 80's. i still have a mug from there. i heard they built the place in the 40's, after the war, do you know exactly when? and when did it close? i remember asking Claude once, why not turn the AC down a little (the big green box in the corner), he said in his his special voice "people don't drink beer when they're cold". great place - best burgers, beers, peanuts and smoked fish.
Guest 27-Feb-2009 15:56
Linda V 19-Feb-2009 03:21
The Salokar brothers owned and operated The Ludway, located on the northwest corner of Ludlam and Coral Way. It was best known for its delicious cheeseburgers and ice cold beer in frosty mugs. My uncle, Claude Salokar and my dad, Philip Salokar built the bar on the homestead they were born and raised on. Their younger brother, Albert Salokar owned the Amoco gas station on the same corner.
Don Boyd19-Feb-2009 07:42
I only had the pleasure of lunch at the Ludway once and the burgers and beer were delicious. We ate and drank too much and the rest of the day was totally unproductive.

Don
Linda V 19-Feb-2009 03:21
The Salokar brothers owned and operated The Ludway, located on the northwest corner of Ludlam and Coral Way. It was best known for its delicious cheeseburgers and ice cold beer in frosty mugs. My uncle, Claude Salokar and my dad, Philip Salokar built the bar on the homestead they were born and raised on. Theie younger brother, Albert Salokar owned the Amoco gas station on the same corner.
linda 18-Nov-2008 14:37
I would go to Sid's on occasion with friends in the early 90's. So much fun!
Lisa Hoffman Davidson 05-Sep-2008 22:42
I remember the Yorkshire Inn on Bird Road. My father who lived in Miami from 1955 to 2006 when he passed away used to be the manager at Tower Paint. Does anyone remember Tower Paint? How about Muller's Restaurant on Bird Road too?
Armando 31-Aug-2008 15:44
The Dairy Queen is now across Bird Road (southwest side) and the owners may still be Tim & Kathy. related to the original owners of the one on the north side of Bird.
The Farm Stores was later a Quick Stop or similar name in the 70's - we were able to purchase 'Boons Farm Strawberry Hill' wine without i.d. for the girls.
michael tandlich 16-Jul-2008 05:05
the dairy queen was owned by the horowitz family, i went to coral park (68)with the son mitch who took overe when his dad died in the 70s i think, he eventually sold it and opened natural eats.
Larry 07-May-2008 00:01
Sid's was a great bar, and without a doubt , he and his wife ran one of the friendliest places in town when the town was not at all friendly (early 1980's) What apleasure it was to go there for the talent of the patrons . What voices they were just great
Howard 19-Mar-2008 13:43
There was and still is a pizza place on Bird Road that makes square sicilian pizza and that's Frankies. (West toward Bird Bowl)Like stepping into the past. Almost exactaly as it was in the early sixties. They will even mail you one. Frankie has passed on, but his daughter still runs it. (A former Miss Tall Florida winner) The pizza is still the best in town.
Andy B 05-Mar-2008 23:13
The Dairy Queen in the background had the best Blizzards in town.
Ted 02-Feb-2008 00:07
Sid's Piano Bar was there in the early 90's. i rented an apartment on Bird and 62nd after Andrew while I rebuilt. I went in there ocasionally in the nine months after hurricane Andrew.
jmcdermott01-Feb-2008 15:14
The pizza place at one time was Sonny's. They made square pizza's. I don't know if it was Sonny's in this picture.
Guest 27-Jan-2008 23:44
Ok everyone, if this is in fact the N.W. corner of Bird Road, and Ludlam Road, then what stands there in 2008 is a Papa John's Pizza place.
Guest 24-Jan-2008 14:40
I'm sorry, those municipalities were dry on sunday, TILL 1:00 PM....
Guest 22-Jan-2008 22:01
This is indeed the NW corner of 67th and Bird. it was the Red Bird until the early 70's when handlebar mustached Sid Gilmore, a piano player at a sing-along-bar located in the Yorkshire Inn, [it would be behind you on the north side of Bird if you were taking this picture] one of the hottest restaurants in town that was the foundation of THE INN's empire built by Jimmy Heiman, [more on that later].

Sid and his lovely Wife Betty bought the Red Bird and converted it to Sid's Piano Lounge where Sid held court at his Sing-Along-Bar and Betty tended bar. They were there till sometime in the early 80's when divorce caused them to sell out to Papa John's.
Chuck
Guest 20-Jan-2008 22:14
The reason for the disparity in the number of bars in the different juridictions is that Miami, the Gables and unincorporated Dade all had different laws in regards to Sunday's hours of operation. Gables and Miami were D.O.S....(dry on sunday)
Guest 18-Jan-2008 23:48
lourdes mendez - yes that's correct it was Sids piano bar and it was there til almost 1989 or so... I use to go there with my brother and sister and law all the time. and now it's a papa johns pizza
Patrice Erickson 19-Dec-2007 21:52
I lived on 38th st and 63rd ave. Worked at the Food Fair?Fredricks across the street and a couple more blocks west.I remember the Dairy Queen and Pizza Place merging . They had the BEST long skinny garlic rolls !
lmartin13-Nov-2007 17:10
This was a great part of town. There were some bars but I think West Miami had far more per sq mile as it was about 1 sq. mile from 8th to 24th Streets and 67th to 57th Ave.
Gino 11-Nov-2007 18:40
Having just discovered your web site today, I previously made a 'guest' comment at the photo of Lum's. I figured out how to register (Duh!)
As a student at U of M from 1963 to 1968, we spent many a night on Bird Road...bars and a pool room who's name I can't recall. Looking at your photos it seems that Bird Road was all bars and gas stations. Was this considered a pretty rough part of town?
Again, thanks for this great site.
robert cruz 28-Oct-2007 07:49
i think the bar was called sid's piano bar before it was closed down for good as a bar.
Juan R. Pollo 10-Oct-2007 17:29
The Red Bird bar is now a Papa John's. Right after the shopping center, possibly where the Farm Store is in the picture, is McCartney's Insurance which I could have sworn has been there since the mid-70s, a small green 1-story structure with a distinctive flat roof.
LMSHUT 21-Sep-2007 02:23
This is most definitely the NW corner of Ludlam (67th Ave) and Bird. There was a Winn-Dixie across the street on the SW corner. I grew up 4 blocks from here and have very vivid memories of spending time at this DQ as a child. Imartin is correct, this bar was known as Sid's in the early 80's when I was in high school.
lmartin15-Sep-2007 17:08
Anyone know what the name of this bar is now?
Ray 15-Sep-2007 02:47
I don't remember the bar, but I think this is Bird Road, looking West, but at Ludlam, 67 Ave, not Red Road, 57 Ave. I know this doesn't make much sense due to the name of the place, but the Farm Store and Dairy Queen fit. Maybe they moved from a location closer to Red and Bird.

This building is now a Papa Johns.

Another popular bar was I think Ludways, Ludlam and Coral Way.

There were many bars just outside of Coral Gables because getting a license in the Gables was next to impossible.
lmartin14-Sep-2007 22:58
Red/Bird Shopping Center is there at Red Rd and Bird Rd but this is on Ludlum and Bird. There are houses behind this bar and they are still there as well. As I said this bar was renamed several times since this picture was taken and may not be there at all but as far as my memory goes this was not on Red Rd at all. I drove by both sites almost every day for many years until I left in the mid 1990's. In fact, my girl friend at the time, now wife, actually worked at the Grand Union at Red/Bird just after this time period. That store was a Milan's in the mid 90's and I think it still is. There would be no room for a shopping center on this site.
Dave 14-Sep-2007 21:42
It is definetly the NW corner because both NE and SE corners are and always were residential (coral gables) and the SW corner was and is Allen's Drugs. By the way, the Farm Stores location in the photo is still there! As noted it is now the parking area of the Red Bird Shopping Center and all these buildings are gone
lmartin14-Sep-2007 20:25
If you look at the photo of the Kwik Chek that was across the street at Bird and Ludum (above and about half way down) you can see this bar on the far left side of the picture.
Don Boyd11-Sep-2007 19:32
You could very well be right, and I wondered about that when I put Red Road in there. I've gone by it at least several times but I didn't know the area like I do the NW section. Can anyone else confirm which corner it was on? Thanks! Don
lmartin11-Sep-2007 17:36
I know it seems strange, but I think this was on the NW corner of Bird and 67th Ave (Ludlam Rd) because was/is a shopping center (Red/Bird Center) on the NW corner of Bird and 57th Ave (Red Rd). I am not sure how or why they would name it Red Bird if it were not on those streets but I think they did. In fact, the last time I saw this it was Sid's Piano Bar.