Tania Gerst, with her parents Rod and Emily Regan, in the back room
of Brogues, where they recently added windows.
Libby Volges/The Coastal Star
By Christine Davis
Here’s throwing some light on what’s happened outback at Brogues Downunder Bar & Restaurant in downtown Lake Worth.
“We’ve just completed some renovations in our back room,” said Emily Regan, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Rod, and daughter, Tania Gerst. “We’ve lightened it up with a full wall of sliding windows.
“In the afternoon, with sunlight streaming in, the room just glows,” she said.
The Regans bought the pub, originally called Brogues on the Avenue, 2½ years ago. They kept it Irish but added some Downunder flavor.
Previously in the construction business, the Regans came to Lake Worth 24 years ago. Emily, originally from New Zealand, has Scottish ancestors. Rod, also from New Zealand, has Australian and Irish roots.
As a result of their backgrounds, diners enjoy traditional Irish classics — such as Guinness, shepherd’s pie and corned beef and cabbage — but they also find a selection of Australian and New Zealand wines, as well as lamb specials and sausage rolls (which are sausage bites wrapped in puff pastry and baked — “a very Downunder thing,” explained Emily).
Every six months, the Regans change the menu.
“We also have an Irish breakfast,” Emily added. “That’s bacon and eggs the Irish way with some mushrooms and tomatoes.”
And from time to time, Emily cooks up Pavlova, a meringue dessert that originated Downunder.
Brogues rocks, too.
From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Friday, Jody Pollard performs, and 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, George Orr performs his Rod Stewart tribute on the stage of the “function room” (that’s the name of the back room.). Tuesday through Saturday there’s also live music performed by a selection of bands from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Regulars include the Mighty Quinn, Far From Grace, Used to Bees, Chain Reaxion, Knockdown and Upside Down.
Brogues is open from 10:30 a.m. until 2 a.m. seven days a week, and customers will always find one of the Regans on site.
“Running a restaurant is very hard work,” Emily said. “It’s the hardest thing we have ever done in our lives. However, we’ve been here 2½ years and we’re still going.”
Keys to success include “cleanliness, good food and service, great location, and you have to be here.”
She invites new diners to come in, eat, and enjoy. “Our food is excellent and the entertainment is very good, too,” she said. “Our talented chef, Joseph Angelucci, winner of a 2010 People’s Choice Award, gets rave reviews, and our restaurant won a TripAdvisor ‘Certificate of Excellence’ award in 2013.”
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