Who doesn't like a party? That's the thinking behind the grand opening of the Beef 'O' Brady's Safety Harbor, an event that will feature everything from corn hole tournaments to a wing-eating contest, plus prizes thrown in for good measure. The celebration kicks off on Saturday evening at 5 p.m. and runs until 11 that night. In addition to the above-mentioned activities, there will be live music, raffles, a balloon maker and magician for the kids and $1 Bud Light drafts all night. "We're different from every other Beef 'O' Brady's," managing partner Bert Strickland said of his place, the …

Move over O’Boobigan’s, and make way for Irish Pat’s Bar & Grill. The new pub opened in the former home of O’Boobigan’s about a month ago, and so far business has been good, according to managing partner Rui Sousa.  “I haven’t had one person say the food isn’t terrific,” he said.  After doing some cosmetic cleaning up of the place, including patching holes, painting the interior and fixing the floor, Sousa says the restaurant is now “a clean, safe place to come and eat with the kids.”  Sousa, who is also a partner in a pair of popular St. Pete establishments, didn’t mess with the O’Boobigan’s…

Tapas is one of the hottest forms of dining around right now, and thanks to a new venture from a group of experienced restaurateurs, area diners have a new choice to add to their options list.  Basque, an upscale Mediterranean tapas restaurant and lounge, recently opened its impressive doors on U.S. 19 in Clearwater in the former home of the Wild Fish Nite Club. And according to partner and executive chef Keith Williamson, they plan on being one of the most desirable dining destinations on this side of Tampa Bay.  “We are a complete Mediterranean tapas restaurant,” Williamson said. “All of …

For the older and uninitiated set, hookah bars have a reputation for being dingy, smoke-filled dens of iniquity, packed with inebriated 20-somethings hell bent on having a good time.  But thanks to a couple of skilled professionals, who together have built and designed more than a dozen such establishments in Chicago, the image of the hookah lounge might be changing.  Mr. Hookah Lounge, an upscale establishment located a stone’s throw from the Clearwater downtown district, is clean, inviting and family-friendly; in other words, it’s everything most hookah lounges aren’t.  “I visited most of …

When Tom George took ownership of Brew Time Pub back on New Year's Day, he knew the place had the potential to be a lucrative neighborhood bar.  A veteran businessman who owns Stix Billiards in Palm Harbor and an arcade game vending company, George had been in the Sunset Point Road bar enough times to know it had a nice local following.  But while previous owner Margo Maher had worked hard over 16 years to foster a friendly and inviting atmosphere in the bar, George realized in order to maximize the full potential of the place, changes would have to be made.  “I’ve known Margo for a long time…

A new Irish bar is replacing an old Irish bar on the corner of Ulmerton Road in Clearwater.  Irish Pat’s Bar & Grill, a new venture from the people who brought the Central Avenue Oyster Bar and Bishop Tavern to downtown St. Pete, is getting ready to host its grand opening this weekend.  Located in the former home of O’Boobigan’s Irish Bar & Grill, Irish Pat’s will be “a casual neighborhood Irish sports bar with great food,” according to managing partner Rui Sousa.  Sousa says the opening, which will unofficially begin on Friday but officially kick off Saturday morning at 11 a.m., will feature…

Old New York New York, a U.S. 19 nightclub that catered to an older crowd, has shut its doors after nearly 30 years of operation. According to official records, the club, which was at 18573 U.S. 19 N in Clearwater, opened in 1984. Since then, it played host to an often overlooked segment of the populace — people older than 40 who still enjoyed going out for a night of drinking and dancing. "I have been going there for over 20 years, so I'm really going to miss it," a former patron Laurine said. "But I'm looking forward to moving to the new place." The place she is referring to is the Banana …

Despite being open for less than a year, Beer Goggles built a strong, cult–like following by booking alternative music acts and fostering a neighborhood bar atmosphere.  Louis Ward hopes to continue that popularity with his new bar, La La’s Brew House, which recently opened in the same spot in the Plaza de Sunus on Ulmerton Road. “We’re trying to change things up a bit, get a feel for the area," said Ward, who runs the bar with his longtime girlfriend, Michelle Richards. “But we know this has been a home for live music… and we plan on continuing that tradition.“ Ward believes his lengthy …

From the outside, Norton’s Eastside looks like it could be an insurance company office or a bank, thanks to its mirrored glass exterior and nondescript, boxy shape. But open the door to the new sports bar and grill, which is located in the Oakbrook Plaza off McMullen Booth and Enterprise Roads and you might be surprised at what you find inside. The interior is spacious and tastefully decorated with lacquered wood tables and a number of new flat screen TVs, and the right-hand side is dominated by the kind of long, expansive bar that can be a dream for patrons to sit at but a nightmare for …

For more than 15 years, Margo Maher dedicated a great deal of time, money and hard work to making her Sunset Point Road pub the type of place where patrons could come to enjoy a cold beverage in the company of good people.  But when a part-time job with the Transportation Security Administration, which called for early morning arrivals at Tampa International Airport, turned into a full-time career with the Department of Homeland Security a few years ago, Maher knew her days as a bar owner were numbered.  That chapter of her life came to a conclusion on New Year's Day, when Maher relinquished …

When Stuart Saltzman moved to Clearwater from New Jersey in 2002, he thought he was out of the bar business for good.  After operating a successful sports bar in the Garden State for 20 years, one that was plastered with memorabilia and served award-winning wings, the 50-year-old decided to retire to Florida and put the hassles of owning a bar behind him. But after living in the area for a few years, Saltzman had to change his mind. “I had no intention of getting back in the business until I saw the quality of the places down here — bad food, bad service, bad décor,” Saltzman said. “That’s …

A new restaurant has opened up at 25000 U.S. 19 North, and owner Eli Sherman plans to offer a wide variety of entertainment options to keep his customers satisfied. Karaoke twice a week, open mic night Tuesdays and bike night Thursdays are just a few of the events Sherman hopes will make Kzoos a fun drinking and dining destination, not just a typical sports bar. Kzoos opened in mid-October in the former home of the Hot Ticket Sports Bar and Grill, and Sherman and his business partner are in the process of renovating the building to fit their needs. They plan on having a grand opening when the…

One of the first things you’ll learn when you sit down in the Hideaway, an intimate yet inviting bar located in the Northwood Commons Plaza at the corner of Enterprise and McMullen Booth Road, is that there is no food menu to be found. But thanks to a drink list that is nearly as extensive and varied as any chain restaurant’s trifold, craft beer aficionados and those looking for a place to drink socially with friends have a hip, new place to frequent.   “We’ve got a hybrid concept here at the Hideaway,” co-owner Brian Pfeiffer says. “We’re serving craft beers and mixed drinks in an upscale …

With its spacious dining area, large rectangular bar, covered outdoor patio and bevy of flat screens TVs, Poblano’s Mexican Grill and Bar isn’t your typical authentic Mexican restaurant. But considering the kitchen serves a host of Mexican dishes, the bar offers imported beers as well as sangria and Margaritas, and there is a constant stream of Latin music playing in the background, Poblano’s can’t be looked at as your typical sports bar, either. What this establishment, located in the Oakbrook Shopping Plaza on McMullen Booth Road, is is a combination of a number of popular themes: part …

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: The Olive Tree Restaurant and Lounge is not to be confused with the Olive Garden. In fact, about the only thing this Cleveland Street restaurant has in common with the popular chain is they both serve Italian food. But The Olive Tree, located in the heart of the revitalized downtown district, offers much more than unlimited pasta bowls and doughy breadsticks; the menu consists of a plethora of appetizing dishes covering a broad spectrum of cultures. Opened a couple of months ago in a former Mexican restaurant, Mike Dimitratos and his father, …

The Tampa Bay area is full of all types of sports bars, from glossy chains to dingy dives. This region also has a small selection of British-style pubs, many of which  exclusively serve Guinness and Harp and show soccer around the clock. But in a small strip plaza off of McMullen Booth in Clearwater, there’s an English/American pub that has found a way to combine the best of both worlds. Enter the Grind House Bar & Grill, the brainchild of British-born owner Michelle Gibbons. After moving to Florida eight years ago, Gibbons found a spot in the Bayside Bridge Plaza that had previously been a …

In this economy, with so many businesses closing due to high overhead and low sales, restaurants have been among those hardest hit by the recession. But down on Clearwater Beach, not only is the Frenchy’s empire surviving, apparently it’s thriving. Established in 1981 by Mike “Frenchy” Preston and his business partner, the cozy Frenchy’s Café was designed as a place beachgoers could enjoy fresh seafood in a casual environment. The success of the café led to a series of offshoots, including the Saltwater Café in 1989 and the popular Gulf-front attraction, Rockaway Grill, in 1991. Soon the …

Sports bars usually follow a simple formula: provide food and drink, add a bunch of TVs, throw in video games and some music and you might pack ‘em in for the big games. But at Hot Ticket Pub and Venue on US 19 near McCormick Drive, they are turning the standard sports bar recipe on its ear. Let's start with the menu. In addition to the usual bar fare – burgers, salads and sandwiches – Hot Ticket offers a number of tasty alternatives. “One of our themes is to offer meals and drinks that are found in various parts of the country,” manager Steve Barker said. “We serve traditional American …

One of the oldest clichés in the bar business is when a cozy neighborhood establishment is compared to that legendary local watering hole of television lore, “Cheers." And while Brew Time Pub on Sunset Point Road doesn’t have its own Sam and Diane, Coach or Woody, it does have a Kathy and Larry, an Otis, a Captain, and a female owner named Margo. Set to celebrate its 15th anniversary July 23, Brew Time really is the quintessential neighborhood bar. It’s had just one owner, Margo Maher; most of the bartenders have been there at least 10 years; and everyone is friendly towards everyone else, …

Let’s get this out of the way right off the top – no, O’Boobigan’s is not a strip bar. It’s not even a place where scantily-clad waitresses parade around in brightly colored satin shorts, selling skin as much as skinless wings. What O’Boobigan’s is is a fun, footloose, Florida-style bar, a place where you can watch the game, hang out with friends or coworkers, and even bring the family in for a meal. “Everybody immediately thinks it’s a strip joint,” general manager Cedrick Turner said. “What we really are is a friendly neighborhood bar where you can come in, let your hair down and have a …