All Roads Lead to ODs
O’Donnell’s Pub celebrates 25 years Sunday, April 6. If the walls of this downtown Southern Pines institution could talk, well, let’s just say we’d need a drink — or three — to process all the stories. Owner Pat O’Donnell says, “It feels like it went by fast.” Before it was a watering hole it was … a watering hole. The building was originally the Southern Pines Fire Station and you can see 1920’s photos of it above the bar. When Pat bought the place it was already another bar called Finch’s. Since then he’s added on the patio, opened up the bar a bit and updated other parts of the old building like stained glass, added a raised stage area and fresh paint outside. But for the most part, the place hasn’t changed much in the last 25 years, which Pat says is what people love about it. “It’s old school,” says Pat, which is his way of saying “Don’t mess with a good thing.”
Later in the week and on weekends the pub is known for its live music, an initiative Pat was passionate about bringing in and maintaining. Now you can expect to see live music at least 3 nights a week. “We try and keep the band scene really different, mixing it up,” he says.
The pub has an older (but not tamer) crowd during the day, with regulars that have been there since the beginning. It typically sees a younger, more transient crowd at night. “The unwritten rule is always to be nice to the bartenders because they see everything. They know who’s with who,” he laughs. As for drinks, the two best sellers are pints of Guinness and pretty much any vodka drink. Pat’s favorite, if you couldn’t tell from the pub’s Instagram, is Rumple Minze. But if you’re into ‘tini’s, the pub recently got an espresso martini machine.
“The atmosphere is important. I want it to be sociable,” says Pat, “I don’t want it to be stale and boring.” The characters walking through the green doors keep things fresh. While it doesn’t serve food (despite some very confused people in Yelp reviews) Pat is big on the public house vibe. “You come in and you know everybody, thats what I want,” he says. The Southern Pines Rugby Club started at O’Donnell’s. The pub also has other traditions like the annual Southern Pines Chili Cook-Off fundraiser and the holiday Guest Bartender Series, its longest running charity initiative.
The town has changed a lot but Pat says you pretty much always know what’s happening at O’Ds. “They say if you love your job, you don’t work a day in your life, so there ya go,” says Pat, “It’s been a ride.”
- April 6: Celebrate all day with live music from McKenzie’s Mill. Pat will be cooking up a whole hog (because it’s a special event not because they regularly serve food, yes we had to say it). Check out their website to sport some merch or go raise a toast on Sunday.
