Located in the uptown section of Palm Springs, CA, Dickie O’Neal’s Irish Pub Restaurant is bringing a taste of Youngstown, OH to the Coachella Valley.
It’s been a life long dream of Michael Farber, a third-generation Irish-American from the blue collar East-Ohio town. “My pub is fashioned after the Irish-American pubs that cropped up around the neighborhoods of eastern Ohio, specifically the town of Youngstown”, Farber was quoted. “My grandfather Michael Gillespie supported our family by working in the steel mills of the Mahoning Valley.”
That’s the kind of perspective Sash and I got when we visited Dickie O’Neal’s last month. After an afternoon’s ride from Yuma, AZ through the hot Coachella Valley, we finally pulled into Palm Springs in need of cold drinks and hot food. Dickie O’Neal’s happened to be the closest to our hotel.
We fell in love with the friendly staff and their warm smiles, that we went back three more times over the next three nights. It took only the second visit that we felt like we had already become regulars. Sash and I have eaten at restaurants all over the United States, and there are only a handful that truly put all their effort into making you feel at home, and Dickie O’Neal’s seemed like one of them.
Though Palm Springs is hardly anything like Youngstown, there’s still that dark, demure feeling of film noir that permeates the building. It was 2010 that Farber and his partners bought the old Riccio’s Italian Restaurant, which had been a magnet for Hollywood elite during the 1960s and 70s.
While remodeling the building, Farber discovered photographs of Frank Sinatra in the old Riccio’s kitchen, seemingly preparing his own dinner, and chatting with restaurant ownership. Farber pointed to a corner booth where those photos now hang, and explained that it had been Sinatra’s favorite seat. “This is where the Rat Pack would come and hold court”, he explained. “Frank, Dean, Sammy, this is the corner where everyone could see them and they could see everyone.”
Tuesday night seems to be the big night when everyone packs into Dickie O’Neal’s for the 2-for-1 Burger Special. Buy any size burger, and get another one for free. Sash and I could barely get a seat when we walked in that evening. Otherwise, they have a special going on every night, live bands, and happy hours three times a day.
It’s the kind of place that makes you feel welcome, and you just want to go back.
Dickie O’Neal’s Irish Pub Restaurant
2155 North Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Phone: (760) 325-2600
Visit online: http://www.dickieoneal.com/
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