Lynches Pub & Grub - Sarasota Irish

We had a very pleasant meal last night at Lynches Pub & Grub (http://www.lynchespub.com/) on St. Armands Circle, Sarasota. Since the evening temperatures were perfect, we sat at an outside table.

Linda had a Darren Clarke sandwich - a 7 oz New York strip steak with sauteed onions and cheddar (they spell it "chedder") on a fresh baguette with a side of fries for $17. She enjoyed it.

I had an Irish Stew with lamb, onions, celery, and potatoes with a baguette for dipping in the sauce for $15. It was very tasty. The sauce was soupy rather than thick like American stews. Perhaps that's the way it is supposed to be. Some on-line pictures of Irish stews show similar sauces.

Linda's drink was a disappointing gin & tonic for $6. She could taste no gin.

My drink was very nice. I had a bottle of Magner's Irish pear cider for $5.

The menu has a mix of sandwiches, main dishes, and salads. One section of the menu is entitled, "Real Irish," and has five items:
- Cork Cottage Pie
- Corned Beef & Cabbage
- Irish Stew
- Fish & Chips
- Smoked Irish Salmon.

The menu also has some breakfast items.

They serve a number of Irish, British, and American beers and ciders.

The service was fast, efficient, and friendly. A woman, whom I assume was one of the owners, was paying close attention to every aspect of customer service. A number of the customers appeared to be repeat customers.

There are 8 tables and a bar inside, and 5 tables outside. The restaurant does not do reservations, but does preferred seating if you call ahead.

The Lynches immigrated to the U.S. in 1972. From 1986 to 2003, they ran a restaurant called "Lynches Landing" on Longboat Key. As I recall, one of the reasons they closed the Longboat Key location was because of a dispute with Longboat Key town officials over the restaurant's outdoor sign. I think the town contended the sign was too close to the road. I remember that Lynches cut their sign in half as a less-than-subtle message to the town officials.

The restaurant is located at 19B Blvd of the Presidents North.
Phone 941-388-5550

Lynches is a member of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals association of independent local restaurants (http://www.freshoriginals.com/). We had purchased a half-price gift certificate during one of the association's occasional on-line sales.