LET’S DO IT OUTSIDE: Popular Barnegat pub Doyle’s Pour House has been a neighborhood gem for over a decade. Patrons will soon have the opportunity to enjoy the same friendly atmosphere outside, weather permitting. (Photo by Jack Reynolds)
A popular mainland eatery is moving its operations outdoors to accommodate al fresco dining. Barnegat Doyle’s Pour House will soon feature a sprawling open-air pavilion and outdoor bar, accompanied by live afternoon entertainment on select days.
In 2005, Brion Magnani founded Doyle’s Pour House in Tuckerton, hoping to cultivate the same sense of community he experienced in the pubs of Ireland. A few years later, he built a second Doyle’s in downtown Barnegat with partners Mike Flanagan, James “Smitty” Smith, and later Pete Fabian.
Both locations, equipped with long bench seating to create a friendly atmosphere, definitely lived up to Magnani’s Irish-inspired vision of a local pub. In fact, even during the pandemic, Doyle’s benefited from the loyalty of its regulars.
When it was time for a change, two loyal patrons bought the Tuckerton location, expanded the business to include a huge patio and brought in live music. Meanwhile, Fabian had bought out his partners’ shares in the Barnegat location, but in 2022, Flanagan bought it back and has wasted no time since then in dreaming up a similar expansion and entertainment offerings.
“Now I’m back where I belong, in Barnegat, and it’s great,” Flanagan said, enjoying the process of expanding this community gem.
“Brion started something really beautiful in 2005,” he said. “I always wanted to move forward, and not everyone shared my vision as a collective. Now that I’m on my own, I have more freedom to do some of the things I’ve always wanted to do.”
One of the first tasks was to bring live music back to the pub. Thursday evenings are reserved for quiet solo performances, while full bands provide the atmosphere on Friday and Saturday.
There are also specialty dishes that change twice a week. Fresh fruit and vegetable infusions are the highlight of the weekly drink specials, which are put together by master bartender Kate Arthur.
Having achieved this, Flanagan is ready to move forward with expanding his outside business.
The project has been underway since May, although the weather has been unsettling all summer. But guests may have noticed that things have been busier outside lately. For example, a 10-foot-by-10-foot shed was recently built next to an open-air 24-foot-by-40-foot hand-built Amish gazebo. In addition to a full bar, most of the tables will be moved from the front of the establishment to the gazebo, and over time, new tables will be added to the front patio to expand seating even further.
Although the expansion will result in the loss of 14 parking spaces, Flanagan assured that there will still be well over 80 spaces. Staff will park a little further away to accommodate guests. Guests can make things even better by carpooling or arriving by bike (considering that the nearby Rail Trail goes all the way to Forked River).
“Everything is starting to take shape,” Flanagan said happily. After a rainy spring and a stormy summer, he is hoping for sunny weather so he can finish the construction and landscaping.
The bar and outdoor pavilion will be open from noon to dusk, weather permitting, until the colder season sets in, and will operate like a traditional beer garden. Speak to a bartender, place an order, take a number and take a seat. The bar will be stocked with the essentials. Two bartenders will be stationed, serving simple cocktails and canned beer, which will be poured into plastic cups for safety.
Guests can also order from a limited bar menu. Although full entrees are not served outdoors, all of Doyle’s famous bar snacks, such as chicken wings (ordered “back on the grill,” of course), are available outdoors.
Arthur will even create a unique cocktail especially for the outdoor bar every weekend.
And of course there is music. Look forward to subtle afternoon performances that will complete the summer mood.
But what if it rains? The pub will still be rocking and rolling all summer long, with live music and weekly specials, including a brand new brunch service every Sunday from 10am-1pm.
Visit doylespourhousebarnegat.com or @DoylesBarnegat on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with all the events.
— Monique M. Demopoulos
