By Gina Horan
From Corner Tavern to Local Legend, One Irish Pub Stays Grounded in Family
O’Keefe’s has been a constant in Tavares for more than 40 years, long before the county seat became known as “America’s Seaplane City” and the waterfront was revitalized.
As the Lake Region Packing Association along Lake Dora kept the city economy running with three shifts a day, O’Keefe’s became part of the routine in 1984.
“We were just a city pool hall and a tavern in the early days,” says owner Andrew O’Keefe. “The plant workers and city employees were our main customers.”
Andrew’s dad, Frank, converted the building that was originally a post office into the Town Tavern. It evolved into O’Keefe’s Irish Pub a few years later after Andrew took over.
Legend has it the idea for Tavares’ waterfront renewal started with city officials and a couple of seaplane pilots right there in the dining room over a beer and a burger.
Since the beginning, the O’Keefe family has grown alongside the business. Andrew’s wife, Jennifer, handles the business side, and their four kids have all worked there. His brother Terence has been behind the taps for nearly 30 years, and extended family members have all contributed hours. His mom, Marcia, still pops in to visit.
“I guess when you have a big family, it makes for a great labor pool,” Andrew says.
Family presence is a big reason O’Keefe’s has so many regulars. A simple approach of good, consistent food and a reliable experience has also contributed to decades of success.
“We’re not like a big city place or a tourist town,” Andrew says. “Our repeat customers are really important to us. It can take one slightly overcooked burger to disappoint someone, and we work very hard at making things right.”
He also works hard at fostering harmony among employees. Andrew doesn’t believe in yelling in the kitchen and doesn’t tolerate anyone treating his staff poorly. Respect, he says, is non-negotiable.
Like the city around it, O’Keefe’s has adapted over time. Smoking indoors is long gone. Menus that once tried to do everything have been refined to focus on what works.
Drinking habits have shifted, too. What started with iced beers has expanded into a range of craft options, with O’Keefe’s among the first locally to pour Guinness. They also offer 51 styles of Irish whiskey.
Over the years, the pub has been the backdrop for christenings, weddings, funerals and everything in between. Generations have come through its doors, from longtime regulars to their children and now grandchildren.
Even after a fire forced changes to the space, the priorities stayed the same. The kitchen remained the same size, while keg storage moved outside, seating expanded, and 2,000 “mug club” mugs still line the walls.
“What hasn’t happened here?” he says. “The more years, the more stories. Some good, some sad. We’ve lost so many wonderful people. I can’t tell you a certain story because I don’t want to leave anyone out.”
There is a saying in the business that you go for the food and return for the service. That’s true of O’Keefe’s, where hospitality is built into the family’s DNA.
Case in point: when Chief Photographer Nicole Hamel and I first met Andrew to talk about Guinness, there were 10 dishes unexpectedly waiting for us on the bar. On my second visit, it was a pint and poutine fries. When I mentioned that my mom was going into the hospital, they sent me home with potato soup and a lemon blueberry cake for her.
Andrew O’Keefe started at age 9 in the kitchen at Hotel Bethlehem, became a chef by 15 and was teaching by 20. He worked in restaurants along the East Coast and into Chicago before bringing that experience back to Tavares.
Andrew also understands that not everyone walks in craving Irish fare. A pasta dish or a London broil can make the difference when you’re trying to satisfy a table with different tastes. The menu reflects that balance, from Irish staples like shepherd’s pie to fried haddock and fresh salads.
After decades and 15,000 poker chips handed out for drinks on the house, Andrew knows you only get back what you put in, and the foundation he has built makes it feel like the story is still being written.
“Maybe one of my kids or another family member will eventually take over,” he says. “Either way, I hope we’ve built something special that will last another 40 years.”
Photos: Nicole Hamel and Provided
Gina moved to Central Florida from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2021. She holds a degree in linguistics and has worked as a fashion editor, photo stylist, lifestyle columnist and food writer since 1995. She later covered travel, events, restaurants, music festivals and sports throughout Northern California, including work as a morning show host with KSAN radio and food critic for KRON Bay TV. A veteran bartender, she has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. Gina joined Akers Media in 2022 and is currently the Food and Lifestyle Editor. Her passions include travel, road trips, history books and podcasts, tasting menus and arriving in a new city without a map.
