Cathy O’Clarke’s – Marco Island, Florida

An Irish Pub in Marco Island? That’s what I thought when I found out about it. It’s the sister restaurant of Almost Famous Mel’s which is located about a block away (Mel & Cathy are married). Marcela and I are looking over the menu with my parents. A couple of things catch my eye on their menu (three is more than a couple but you get the drift): Onion Rings, Mozzarella Sticks and the Wexford Wings. The Onion Rings were not freshly made and that quickly diminished the likelihood of loving them, they were passable. The Mozzarella Sticks were pretty stupendous. Chunks of Mozzarella breaded and fried, uh hello…awesome.I have no words to describe the Wexford Wings (well actually I guess I do). Their menu says the Wexford Wings are prepared via a three step process. Whatever that process maybe, these little dudes were way good. The sauce on them was really unlike anything I’ve had on wings (maybe I’m stretching) and they had a flavor reminiscent of what you’d find in the chinese dish General Tso’s Chicken. Marcela didn’t order an entree but I did (which means she did). My mother had the Fish & Chips, my father the Philly Cheesesteak while I went with…..wait for it….the Cheeseburger. The Fish & Chips and the Cheesesteak were nothing special. The real fail was the burger and fries. The fries were the kind that have that crispy coating exterior (never liked these and I wonder where that texture comes from). The burger was not fresh, it was an ok kind of affair. The menu mentioned Cheddar, I received Provolone. I like Provolone but it would have been nice to have known about the change. Too bad about the burger because Almost Famous Mel’s burger blows it away.

Cathy O’ Clarke’s
591 S. Collier Blvd, Marco Island, FL
239-642-9709