Waxy O’Connors

A last minute business trip brought me to Ft. Lauderdale. After a day of airport sprints, shuttle buses, and unfamiliar roads I checked into my hotel. Once I was situated the next order of business was to find a nearby place where I could sit, relax, and have a cold beer. Waxy O’Connors, an Irish pub that billed itself as “bringing the essence of the Emerald Island to the States” was across the street, and I decided to pay it a visit for a pint and some dinner.

Waxy’s is a small chain pub with eight locations in Florida, Texas, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Ft. Lauderdale location I visited is located at 1095 SE 17th Street in a squat building. A large awning covers an outside area that was full of people drinking and socializing. I was looking for a quieter scene and wove my way towards the large wooden door. Walking inside I was met by a dim interior and a low ceiling. It was much quieter than the patio and the smell of stale beer permeated the air. A large bar occupied the left hand side of the pub and several smaller areas jutted off from the main space. Several tables were snuggled up in dark alcoves and all the nooks and crannies made it feel like a pub from across the pond.

I took a seat at the bar and was greeted by the bartender. I ordered a pint of Guinness and chatted with him as he took his time pouring the jet black liquid into an imperial pint glass. I asked for a menu and weighed my options while sipping the beer. Waxy’s serves up traditional pub food including Shepherd’s Pie, fish and chips, pot pie and a traditional Irish breakfast complete with black and white puddings. Various standard appetizers, soups, and sandwiches are also available. I was famished and settled on a cup of potato leek soup, bangers and mash, and bread and butter pudding for dessert.

The bangers and mash were first to appear from the kitchen. The pile of food arrived on a large white plate and the bartender told me the sausages were locally made. Two large links sat atop a pile of mashed potatoes and were slathered in a dark brown onion gravy. The sausages were delicious and the gravy was rib sticking thick. It was comfort food at its finest and quickly disappeared. The cup of soup came out second and the bartender apologized for forgetting to punch it in with my original order. Flecks of green leeks floated in a off white creamy soup. Normally I pass on creamy soups, but this on was pretty good.

I finished my meal with an order of the bread and butter pudding. It arrived in a large white bowl drizzled with caramel sauce, dusted with cinnamon, and topped with whipped cream. Raisins dotted the interior and the bread pudding was unevenly heated with several bites being ice cold. It was a less than perfect end to the meal. Despite the imperfect ending Waxy’s was decent. I enjoyed the atmosphere, loved the bangers and service was very friendly if not flawlessly executed.

Waxy’s is open for lunch, dinner and late night revelry seven days a week. Their hours Sunday through Thursday are from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m. More information on the restaurant can be found online at waxys.com and on Facebook. The telephone number for the location I visited is (954) 535-9299.