By Sandy Meyer
The Salty Shamrock is quickly becoming a favorite hotspot in Apollo Beach. Owner Sean Rice, a native of Ireland, opened the tavern with his wife Aine in February, 2016. Rice is no stranger to running an Irish Pub; some Brandon area folks may remember him as the original owner of the well-known O’Brien’s Irish Pub.
In 2015 Rice sold his interest in O’Brien’s to travel, but soon was looking for a new endeavor to fill his time. Soon after, the Salty Shamrock was born. This authentic Irish tavern offers a variety of Irish dishes and a large craft beer selection. One of its most notable dishes is the Finn McCool Challenge Burger which is a four burger stack loaded with toppings and fries on the side. Anyone who finishes this enormous meal in the allotted time gets their meal free.
Recently, Rice hired Jurgen Wochnik to help round out the entertainment and bring in a larger crowd to the already popular establishment. Wochnik had previously worked with Rice at O’Brien’s and also served as a manager at the Sunset Grille in Little Harbor. There is entertainment every day of the week including live music, movie and trivia nights and more. “Apollo Beach loves us. A lot of people come here from out of town because of the level of entertainment,” said Wochnik.
A crowd of approximately 2,500 gathered at the Salty Shamrock this past St. Patrick’s Day for a huge celebration in the parking lot that included an authentic Irish band. “We will make it even bigger next year,” Wochnik added. Be on the lookout for a variety of other huge events this year at the Salty including the Celtic Festival and Oktoberfest.
In addition to a never-ending line-up of entertainment, the Salty Shamrock also hosts The Salty Fishing Club which meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. and features guest speakers. Membership is just $30 but guests are free to check it out first.
The Salty Shamrock is located at 6186 Hwy. 41 in Apollo Beach. For information on all of the happenings, visit www.saltyshamrock.com or call 938-5282.
