While Floral Park’s newest bar, The Paddock, takes the place of a decades-old institution, it’s deeply steeped in the village’s history, honoring its historic horse racing ties and connection to the Belmont Park Racetrack with every detail.
“It’s not McCarthy’s anymore, but we’re carrying on the tradition of a great bar,” Barry said. “It’s a homage to the racetrack.”
Barry and his co-owner, Liam McGreevy both used to work as bartenders when The Paddock was McCarthy’s: Barry, for 18 years from 2001 to 2019 and McGreevy for seven, in the ’90s and early 2000s. When they heard their old bar was closing, they knew they wanted to be part of what took its place.
“The two of us have always just loved this place and we want to just make it a welcoming, fun place again, to come and fall apart, have a drink and make memories,” Barry said. “We’ve had old customers that we had over the years come back and we’ve had new customers. We’re just welcoming everybody in.”
Barry said they upgraded the tap beer system and offer eight different drafts each day. Some are stable, like their Guinness (which he said was “one of the best around,”) and others are seasonal, like their current pumpkin brew. They’re launching a new menu, too, filled with pizzas, wings, pretzels and other bar food.
As McGreevy personally greeted each patron who had taken a seat at the pub on a busy Thursday evening and one of their bartenders shared his best hangover remedies with a guest, it’s clear the two have kept the close-knit, family spirit of McCarthy’s alive, just with a horse-themed twist.
Each piece of art and decor pays homage to the horse-racing community, from bits and stirrups to a permanent chalkboard of Triple Crown winners, old signs, racing murals and photographs to televisions that are (almost) always set to a racetrack. But the commitment to the racing community extends past the bar’s walls.
“We’re less than a mile away from the track,” Barry said. “We have a lot of friends and patrons here that work at the track, everyone from trainers to jockeys to valets to assistant trainers comes here all the time…When they’re here, no matter who they are, everyone’s an equal.”
The Paddock will also hold a breast cancer fundraiser with jockey Jackie Davis, the star of Netflix’s Race for the Crown documentary series, on Nov. 9, sponsored by Ketel One Vodka.
The two said they were excited about Belmont’s long-awaited reopening next fall so they could immerse The Paddock even deeper into the horse racing community and ramp up the jockey and horse-centered program.
“The Bellmont Stakes is like a national holiday for this town,” Barry said. “When the track reopens, it’s going to be 9 1/2 months of racing, which will bring in many more people working full-time there and attending. With our relationship with the horseman community, we’re looking forward to it.”
The Paddock is neither’s first venture: McGreevy owned an Irish pub, Legends, in Manhattan for years and the bar is Barry’s second establishment in Floral Park: He opened Uptown Taco, directly across the street from The Paddock, in March 2020.
Barry said his inspiration for The Paddock came from growing up in Floral Park. He said it was only natural that his life was intertwined with horse racing in his childhood.
“Growing up as a kid, riding on bikes with my buddies to go see the races, going after school when you’re in junior high, leaving class early to watch the races…It’s a big part of this town,” Barry said.
But, they’re not stopping at horse racing to engage the community. They host a weekly darts league on Tuesdays, play South Carolina college football on Saturdays (because, as Barry said, there’s been a “max migration” of high schoolers to the school) and held their own version of the Ryder Cup a few weeks ago.
As the bar crosses the six-month mark under their leadership, the two said they’re looking forward to the future and hope their community knows it should be, too.
“Whether you come in here at two o’clock in the afternoon or 12 o’clock at night, you’re going to find a welcoming crowd, good bartenders and a great place,” Barry said.
The Paddock is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day at 152 Tulip Ave.
