Pinch Me! Spending St. Pat’s Day on FMB
Fort Myers Beach has become green with envy, as St. Patrick’s Day pops up on our calendars Wednesday, March 17.?Looking for some fun hot spots to get pinched or go pinching? Read on for some of the many Beach hangouts you should be sure to hit!
Bonita Bill’s
702 Fisherman’s Wharf, 463-6119
Enjoy fresh corned beef and cabbage, carrots and all the Irish fixin’s for $7 a plate, starting at 11 a.m. until the food runs out. Music will be heard all day, but make sure you wear your green or you’re gonna get pinched!
Castaway’s
7205 Estero Blvd., 463-4644
Castaway’s (opening at 8 a.m. that day) will be offering a free continental breakfast for all those participating in the parade, and for those who come by, starting at 9 a.m. until the time parade begins.
Owners Steve and Megan Grish will then crown a king and queen of Castaway’s, and the winner rides in the establishment’s float in the parade.
Four bands will perform throughout the day, including locals Johnny Vance (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) Mark Hennessey (1 to 4 p.m.), the Houserockers (4 to 8 p.m.), and Hung Jury (8 p.m. to midnight).
All the doors will be opened and the party will flow outside, with a beer trough stationed near the entrance.
Enjoy corned beef and cabbage and corned beef sandwiches, although a full menu’s still available. Drink specials will also be offered throughout the day, including $3 bloody marys and mimosas and the infamous $1 green Jell-O shots.
Luna Rossa
10900 San Carlos Blvd., 463-0582
These new kids on the block will be offering plenty of Irish-clad fun this St. Patty’s Day. A custom St. Patty’s bikini contest will take place at midnight that night, with cash prizes for first, second and third place, and other costume contests will go on all day.
Enjoy $8.99 lunches and dinners (complete with Irish soda bread), like bangers and mash, corned beef and cabbage, fresh reubens, Irish stew, Irish stout beer cheddar cheese soup and more.
Nemo’s Sports Cafe
1154 Estero Blvd., 233-8224
For Nemos’ first St. Patty’s Day celebration, the brand new bunch will be offering $6.50 green beer pitchers, $2 Super Jell-O shots (“They’re huge,” said Tom Carr, Nemo’s general manager), $2 green draft beer, $10 domestic buckets and live music all day.
Food specials will include corned beef and cabbage with red potatoes, along with scrumptious rueben sandwiches, in addition to the sports cafe’s regular menu. Guinness will be flowing at $3 a pour, whether you like it fresh from the tap or served the “traditional way.”
“Come on out and enjoy the times with us,” Tom said. “Go Irish!”
Shamrock Irish Pub
2201 Estero Blvd., 463-8881
You better believe the Shamrock will be rockin’ St. Patty’s Day, with Irish celebrations dating back well over 25 years ago when the place was known as “Clancy’s.” Whether you’re wearing green or not, enjoy an outside bash starting at 11 a.m. with three bands taking the stage throughout the day.
Enjoy Steve “the Lucky Dog” Lutke from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., John Allender from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Elijah from 4 to 8 p.m. and Steve Lutke finishing off the night from 8 p.m. to close.
Be sure to sink your teeth into juicy reubens and corned beef and cabbage/potato dinners, with plates being $6 and sandwiches $4, and all the Irish beers and green beer you can drink on-tap is ready to pour. Also cool down with $2 drafts, $2 domestic bottles, $4 Irish beer (Guinness, Harp and Bass bottles) all day, along with super-strong $2 green Jell-O shots.
Smokin’ Oyster Brewery
340 Old San Carlos Blvd., 463-3474
The folks at S.O.B. are offering a traditional “Irish seven-course feast,” consisting of a six-pack and a potato. An often sold-out meal, the seven-course feast will compete with the bar’s other special: corned beef and cabbage platters, served all day St. Patty’s Day.
Yucatan Beach Stand
250 Old San Carlos Blvd., 333-4-FUN
The Yucatan has a full itinerary of all the St. Patty’s Day fun they plan to have within the parking lot of the establishment, all benefitting Keep Lee County Beautiful, a local charity that manager Stephen De Angelis says, “Really spearhead the beach benefits.”
Live Irish entertainment will commence all day with the Naples Harp and Thistle Pipe and Drum Band (performing in full regalia around sunset), two different Celtic dance groups (including the Kellyn Celtic Arts Irish Dance Academy performing earlier in the day and the Tirnanog Step Dancers performing in the afternoon), Scott Alan the Island Doctor (playing tropical music), Tommy Barr in the evening and more.
Plenty of Irish food and drink specials, along with a ton of Irish vendors will be set up, offering Celtic jewelry, art, genealogy lessons and more.
Also, a wealth of raffles, prizes and giveaways and who can forget the cabbage bowling? That’s right, all day. Plenty of green beer. Corned beef and cabbage dinners, Irish stew and more. After the parade on the south end of the island, Stephen said the Irish-American Society is bringing their float and team to the Yucatan for the parade after-party.