Beef 'O' Brady's. Dade City, Florida

14136 7th Street

Guinness Tag: $7.00 | Overall Rating: 2.85

Today's Dedicated Pint: Carl Thompson, "Sexy C"

I'm currently hopping in and out of Pubs throughout the state of VA as I head to Virginia Beach from Cincinnati, Ohio.

As I was driving through the state of West Virginia, I passed a few little cities that made me question a few little things. Like, why do people choose to live in some of these run-down towns out in the middle of nowhere? Why haven't they moved? What's keeping them there? Is it the fact that their parents were born there, and that means so much to them that they opt into spending the rest of their lives in a town of 900 people filled with buildings that are falling apart and businesses which are either closed or about to close? Is that the foundation you want to start a family in? I understand wanting land or a homestead out in the country, but here I'm talking about those who live in these "downtown" areas of places like, let's say, Keystone, WV. You can't tell me, "Well, Clint, some people don't have the funds necessary to just pick up and move." Sure, that's an excuse, but that's all it is. If I can hop on an Amtrak train with a bag of clothes and hop off in a city without any job connections or living situations lined up, then who's to say the 19-year-old kid out of Small-Town West Virginia High School can't do the same? The only thing holding others back from starting from absolute scratch is hard work and faith. Unfortunately, we live in a society where those things are decaying, rapidly. The best thing about that, though? It makes life a lot easier for those who obtain those qualities, being surrounded by thousands who don't.

I could see the argument that someone would want to stick around town to help it blossom into a beautiful city. People should be proud of where they're from no matter what. Although, I don't see too many people fighting tooth and nail to make their towns better. I do see people fighting tooth and nail to make their own lives better, though. So why isn't that happening in these poor, small-town cities? Beats me.

Boy, does the mind take you on a trip as you drive for nine hours by yourself or what? I love road trips: they clear the cranium. I stare into windshield, pondering. Why do millionaires choose to open chain restaurants rather than their own? Beef 'O' Brady's requires a $25,000.00 franchise fee and $250,000.00 in liquid capital along with a >$1 million net worth in order to open one under your name. It's not like the restaurant is going to run itself after you open it either, you still need to know how to manage a successful operation. You can't just rely on the name and expect everything to work. You have equipment maintenance, employees, food safety regulations, fire codes, theft, vandalism, marketing, budgeting, and 50 other things to deal with in order for it to be profitable. So, if you're someone with that type of net worth, AND someone who knows how to confidently run a successful restaurant, then why in hell are you spending that much money to manage someone else's product? In this circumstance, you could open up a bar under your family's name, put your own little charm to the place, and have $25,000.00 to spend on whatever you want to make the place unique instead of literally putting cash into another human's pockets. Franchise fees are probably the most embarrassing fees anyone can pay for.

It's funny, actually, because when you take this thing full circle: I worked inside this exact Beef 'O' Brady's kitchen after I withdrew from Saint Leo University down the street. I went to school for Hotel Restaurant/Business Management, but I realized I didn't need a degree to manage restaurants or open one of my own. I figured, instead of wasting the next 4 years of my life sitting in a classroom and paying for it, I could be out in the field gaining experience and getting paid for it. I'm incredibly glad I chose the latter, because I proved the theory right, and it's one of my proudest decisions I've ever made, despite society's opinion on the matter. Anyway, before I was even

officially withdrawn from school, I snagged a job here at Beef's. I spent maybe a year working here, and there was a point in time where I sat the guy who owned the place down and asked him questions about the industry. I literally whipped out a pad of paper and jotted down his answers. I asked him things about running a restaurant and how to be successful. I looked up to the guy, his name was Todd, and he's a very knowledgeable and respected guy within the community. I wish I had the chutzpah to ask him, "Todd, why didn't you just open a restaurant under your own name and brand, save the franchise costs, not deal with corporate greed and regulations, and keep 100% of your profits?" If I asked him that, he probably would have either fired my 18-year-old smart ass or promoted me. Either way, I wish I had asked! Shortly after that conversation with him I left for an Italian Steakhouse to continue my journey of climbing the industry's ladder.

Fast forward 16 years and here we are: driving to the second largest Steel Tip Darts tournament on the continent, looking at a rear-view mirror filled with memories of being a professional mascot, business owner, regional manager for restaurants, a liquor rep, an operations manager at a zoo, and a guy who cut the grass on a country club's golf course. Life's nuts when you want it to be, and mine's still just getting revved up.

This whole thing is funny, as I'm currently writing this article inside a Buffalo Wild Wings. One of the biggest chains in America. (I love BDUBS). Sponsorship, perhaps? Call me, BW3.

My wife, Rachel, and I traveled down to see my parents in The Villages, FL in early 2026. So, while we were within an hour's drive of Dade City, I told the family, "Let's revisit my old stomping ground one last time." We pulled into the area on a warm, sunny NFL Sunday morning. We hit up a thrift store, my dad bought some cheap plastic sunglasses from Dollar General, we stopped inside an awesome little bookstore, and proceeded into the main attraction, Beef's. We walk in, look around, recognize no one, and sit at the bar. The bartender was extremely nice, and she poured a decent pint of Guinness. I mentioned that I used to work here moons ago, and she referenced a few names that are still employed there to this day whom I worked with back in 2010. Todd is still the owner, although he was up in Massachusetts visiting family. It would have been neat to see Todd again, but that door isn't totally closed, because Rachel and I are 100% going back to that little bookstore across the street, The Book Shack, to try and get my book, Stepping Foot Inside Every Irish Pub in America, on the shelf at one point! Mom and Dad, you guys are welcome to join if you want. Todd, if you're reading this, make sure you don't leave Dade City at anytime within these next 6 to 29 months.

Beef's and BDUBS are almost identical. They each have a billion TVs on the wall, they're known for their wings, they offer mediocre service, and they sell a butt-ton of domestic beer. The only difference? One is more American and the other has a pinch of Irish to it. If there was a Beef 'O' Brady's near my neck of the woods, then you can bet yer' bottom dollar that I'd be frequenting there rather than BDUBS whenever I wanted the quick fix. (Well, there goes my BDUBS sponsorship, damn it).

We ordered some wings and onion rings as we bent our elbows upon the bar. Both were ok. The food at Beef's is mass produced and frozen, but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Hey... that's what you get when you spend 25 grand on a franchise fee: the requirement to serve your guests the finest of qualities: frozen food. Damn...

I've always liked the bar counter here, not because of the plywood look and overuse of epoxy, but because of the logo right in the middle of it. I love when Pubs who aren't proper put their logo right smack dab in the middle of the bar counter. It lets your patrons know where they are and that you're proud of your product. I know I've been a little mean to those who buy franchised restaurants, but there are reasons to do so, like buying 10 of them and having someone else run them all while you get richer for simply opening up your wallet. Don't get things twisted; if you only have the capital to open up just one restaurant in your city, then please, just make it your own. Feck the big guys. You have flavor. They don't.

There's not much to say about Beef's in regard to comparing them to every other Irish Pub in America. You don't need me to tell you whether they're pure or not. They're clearly not hanging around in the same conversation as The Dead Rabbit or Butch McGuire's, so I think my work here is done. I came, I drank, and I talked about it. Car ride daydream over. Off to Virginia Beach.

Slainte to Todd, Beef's, and the beautiful little Dade City!