The Gypsy’s Horse brings Ireland to Wellington In what once was its own remote corner of Palm Beach County, folks in Wellington always have found a place where everybody knows their name.
You’ll find Guinness and Murphys and Harp among the traditional pub brews. There’s also Strongbow Cider and Magners Cider, Stella, and Yuengling.
But Colin Jackson insists the greeting come with an Irish brogue. So finding no traditional pubs around, he opened one six years ago. He is co-proprietor with Paul Rowan.
But in addition to beer and banter, The Gypsy’s Horse provides something difficult to find in most South Florida eateries – a unique menu. “All the recipes are from home,” Jackson says.
He built the heavy wood tables himself, and imported the chairs from Ireland. The beer barrels serving as high toppers actually once held whiskey. He installed a tiny stage in the corner for live music and ensured that the bar was as stocked as any in the Old Country. And he made sure that regulars could have their own inscribed pint to drink from. Throwing a nod to the surrounding equestrian life, he christened it The Gypsy’s Horse. It’s tucked inside the original Wellington Mall, but most people enter through the outside, where an open-air patio provides additional seating. “It is a traditional Irish pub,” Jackson says. “Around 5 o’clock the bar is full of people who will be here 2 to 3 times a week.” Tacked above the barstools are a couple rows of small gold plaques inscribed with the names of those people in the exclusive 25 Club. “We have 25 different drafts. You must drink one of each in a week,” Jackson says. “It’s only a pint. You wouldn’t believe the number of people who have tried and failed. Some people have tried to do it in a day,” he says with a knowing smile.
Come during happy hour and try some Irish samples, such as Mussels Green with Garlic Cream Sauce or Grandma Rita’s Irish Sausage – a cheese and potatofilled sausage wrapped in bacon. And yes, Grandma Rita is real. She’s the chef’s grandmother, whose recipes flavor the menu. “We have a lovely 20-ounce ribeye in red cabbage, and another very popular dish is the braised pork shanks in a cream sauce,” Jackson adds. On this menu, The Pie Shop doesn’t refer to desserts. There’s shepherd’s pie, chicken pot pie and traditional Beef-n-Guinness pie. In fact, the pies are so popular, Jackson has taken to freezing some so that folks can take them home for another night’s meal. As in true pub fashion, you don’t need to be hungry to visit, though. There’s live music every Friday and Saturday with no cover charge. On the far side of the bar is a pool table and dartboards. And on Thursdays, the karaoke microphone is open. “We have a lot of fun here,” Jackson says.
561.333.3700
|wellington the magazine| February 2012
12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Located in the Original Wellington Mall, Behind Suntrust Bank
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