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Restaurant: The Grill at O'Bricks
Address: 427 12th St. W., Bradenton, 34205
Phone: 941-896-8860
Website: www.obricks.com
Lunch guest: Manatee Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Jacki Dezelski
Reservations: Not required.
Parking: Could be tough. Several garages and lots are a few blocks away. There are street spots, but those can be tough to snag at lunchtime.
One-hour lunch test: Passed.
See and be seen: Quotient is high. The Manatee County Judicial Center, the main office for county administration and other high-traffic buildings are within walking distance of O'Bricks. Judges, lawyers, elected officials and professionals from all areas fill the restaurant during lunch. The restaurant also regularly gets large parties, many from nearby offices. “It's an unbelievably diverse crowd,” says co-owner Rick Willats.
Privacy: Most tables lean toward the noisy side at lunch. A few tables in the back corners are quieter.
Ambiance: Fun, big-city vibe. There are exposed brick walls throughout the bar and restaurant. Some walls have sports memorabilia, others have supersized TVs.
Food: The lunch menu has a wide variety of salads, sandwiches, flatbreads and seafood.
One of the more popular salads is The 'Grove, which is mixed greens, crumbled Maytag blue cheese, mandarin oranges, blueberries and chopped pecans tossed with a honey lemon vinaigrette. A large portion is $8, and a small is $4. Other salads include the Brick House and Tommy O'Brien's Strawberry Blue. The Brick House includes mixed greens, cucumbers and jack and cheddar cheeses, among other ingredients, while the O'Brien includes strawberries and mushrooms.
Sandwiches range from the Gulf of Mexico Grouper sandwich, with Key lime aioli, for $14 to a Fried Green Tomato BLT sandwich, on wheatberry bread, for $9. Unique to O'Bricks sandwiches include the Shillelagh (pronounced shil-LAY-lee) and the Bricks Twisted Cuban. The Shillelagh, what the resturant calls “a serious club,” is $9. It includes black forest ham, roasted turkey, applewood smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato. The Bricks Twisted Cuban, $10, is pulled pork, black forest ham, salami, Swiss cheese, sliced pickles and chipotle ranch on toasted garlic French bread.
Ownership: Mike Carter, with Mike Carter Construction Co., co-owns O'Bricks with area restaurateur Willats. The business partners opened O'Bricks Irish Pub and Martini Bar in December 2010 and The Grill at O'Bricks in 2011. The restaurant is one of several at the forefront of a rebirth in downtown Bradenton over the past four years.
Willats says the business, especially the restaurant side, has exceeded expectations. Monthly revenues, he says, are up 30% year-over-year in 2014 over 2013. “It's been incredible,” says Willats.
About
Power Lunch columns are occasional reviews of restaurants recommended by executives in cities on the Gulf Coast, from Tampa to Naples. To read reviews of other restaurants, visit BusinessObserverFL.com.
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