Culhane’s Irish Pub & Restaurant is a modern sports pub that specializes in “Comfort Food with an Attitude.” Their savory and authentic Irish specialties and excellent service brought them inclusion in “The Top 10% Worldwide Restaurants by TravelersChoice 2020.”
The owners are four dynamic “sassy” sisters from Limerick, Ireland — Lynda, Michelle, Mary Jane and Áine — who spent their childhoods in Ireland working alongside their parents on the family farm, where they developed a genuine love for the land, organic quality food and hard work. The first restaurant in the Jacksonville Beach area off Atlantic Boulevard opened in 2005. The Southside location opened in 2018. The sisters have won awards for “Best Fish ‘N Chips” and “Best Sports Bar” in various media competitions. Today, there is added excitement surrounding their newly introduced “5 Sisters Spirit Vodka” — providing them another opportunity to achieve their American dream.
In 2010, when the economy was plummeting and businesses across America were being forced to close their doors, the sisters received a phone call that changed the fate of their original first location in Atlantic Beach. Restaurant talk about Culhane’s Irish Pub had reached producers of the program “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Producers loved the restaurant's website, menu and story, prompting them to contact Michelle about the possibility of being featured on the popular show hosted by Guy Fieri.
“Before a spot on the show could be secured, production teams were sent to check out the pub in person,” Mary Jane said. “They wanted to make sure everything was made from scratch and to guarantee that it was a legitimate, authentic place. A lot of Irish pubs are all about the bar, but we've always focused on our chefs and delicious food; many of our recipes come straight from our mother Kitty’s kitchen. That's what sets Culhane's apart.”
The creators of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" agreed.
“A week after learning we had landed a highly-coveted spot on the show, Fieri was in our kitchen,” continued Mary Jane. “The show highlighted popular Irish comfort foods like the Guinness Beef Stew, Dingle Fish Pie and Blarney Lamb Sliders. The unique ambiance and close-knit community, too, were emphasized — a true Irish pub atmosphere.”
Today, the Culhane’s restaurant vibe hasn’t changed. The sisters successfully opened a second and larger Southside restaurant in the center of Jacksonville’s Tinseltown neighborhood. With a bustling, open main dining room featuring a raised stage for entertainment, as well as numerous TVs in the bar and dining areas for sports fans, patrons might enjoy Irish dancers charming their way into their hearts and occasionally the familiar sounds of bagpiper accompaniment. Each night there is something fun happening, such as trivia, bingo and fundraising events.
The sisters have never lost their high-spirited passion to serve the best Ireland-inspired dishes at affordable family-and-friend dining prices. They all believe in “family work ethics,” with many of their kitchen and service staff still at their side since opening years ago. The culinary team is rich with regional influences as new chefs, along with the old, bring their own specialties to Culhane’s patrons.
Working at Culhane’s since its opening, Chef Chad Spano enjoys the challenge of creating “hybrid” dishes by blending Irish, Asian and Southwest American foods while teaching other restaurant employees how to take traditional Irish dishes of meat and potatoes and create a new “wow” dish. This is when he feels he’s done his job well.
Brunch is a perfect time to order Chef Jason Gishler’s Brisket & Grits or Sesame Shrimp. His perception of “Food as Art” marries a broad brushstroke of local ingredients to create dishes that he’s enjoyed serving since 2005.
Beaches’ iconic Chef Kevin Reed has been part of the Culhane family for 15 years.
“I love working for the Culhane’s,” he said. “Everyone’s philosophy is mine, too. Quality and timelessness. Service with a smile. And yes, we are having fun in the kitchen, too.”
New delicious dishes coming from the kitchen are Chef Ron Anderson’s Ultimate Patty Melt on rye with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and special sauce (his secret) … and Marinated Pan-Seared Crispy Cod.
Guests are craving Chef Marvin Barnes’ Louisiana Gumbo and Don Pittman’s Spicy Chicken and Shrimp over Pasta with the Sisters Vodka Sauce.
Pairing secret house recipes with plenty of Guinness, the staff and sisters know how to put guests in the best of spirits. They all possess “the gift of the gab” — an uncanny Irish knack for conversation and friendliness that makes everyone feel at home. When you meet the Culhane sisters, you’ll know why they bring “Irish Sass with 5-Star Class” to Northeast Florida!
