Lakewood Ranch’s Main Street is about to sound a lot more like a Saturday night in Derry. Delany's Public House, a new Irish pub from the team behind Allswell, is set to open this Thursday on Lakewood Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, transforming the former McGrath's into a sprawling, old-country style hangout with a front-of-house provisions shop and a stage for live music. Inside, the pub will seat roughly 225–240 guests, with another 85–90 on the outdoor patio, and the bar will pour Irish imports alongside domestic beers, cocktails and wine. In the kitchen, the focus is on comfort favorites such as shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, chip butty and spice bag, with a late-night menu planned to keep things going. Owners have been running staff orientations this week as they get ready for opening-day service.
According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, owners Tory Delany, Darren Shore and Kevin O'Hanlon brought in woodwork and furnishings from Derry, Northern Ireland, and signed with the company Food Ireland to source breads, meats and cheeses for the menu. The paper reports the pub will be a full-liquor operation with draft and canned beer options, as well as cocktails and wine, and that the team plans to offer a weekday social hour along with that late-night menu. The Herald-Tribune also notes the group comes from a string of restaurants in other markets and is aiming squarely for an authentic Irish atmosphere.
What you'll find on the menu
Expect classic pub plates like chip butty, curry half‑and‑half, shepherd's pie, braised lamb shank and seared salmon, plus a provisions counter at the front selling crisps, fruit pastilles and the British-style “99” soft serve with a Cadbury Flake, according to Delany's Public House. The owners say the restaurant will employ roughly 35–40 people and will feature live music on an interior stage to pull in evening crowds. Happy hour is slated for weekdays, while a late-night menu is designed to keep Main Street active after dark.
From Waterside to Main Street
The Delanys and Shore opened Allswell at Waterside Place in 2025 and have cited their New York restaurant experience as part of the concept they brought to Lakewood Ranch, per Allswell. The team says Delany will split time between both Lakewood Ranch locations while the operation leans on staff brought up from their New York kitchens.
Practical details
Delany's Public House is scheduled to open to the public at 2 p.m. this Thursday, with regular hours of 11 a.m.–midnight Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.–1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant lists 941-222-1100 as its contact number. The business will occupy the former McGrath's space at 8110 Lakewood Main St. and aims to add another late-night option to Main Street's growing dining scene, the Herald-Tribune reports.
"We wanted to make it something we all grew up with," partner Kevin O'Hanlon told Your Observer, describing the mix of imported pantry items, Irish furniture and snug-like seating. If the opening rolls out as planned, Delany's Public House will be another signal that Lakewood Ranch's Main Street is maturing into a spot where locals can linger late into the evening.
