After more than seven months, downtown Sarasota’s beloved O’Leary’s Tiki Bar and Grill finally reopened last weekend.

O'Leary's, which overlooks the Sarasota Bay mooring field at Bayfront Park, closed after Hurricane Helene brought devastating storm surge that flooded the park and lodged a large boat on the sandy beach in front of the restaurant. That boat was removed in late April of this year.

O’Leary’s finally received its permitting approval from the city in March, and swiftly repaired its iconic thatched huts with new palm fronds and exchanged its old wooden deck for new paver bricks. Along the sandy beach, guests will still find plenty of picnic table seating—now with brand new aquamarine umbrellas that replaced the old yellow ones.

The restaurant’s interior has also been updated with two indoor bars. The outdoor bar is still awaiting building permits, but employees there say it should be complete by this summer, pending that permit approval.

O'Leary's has been a downtown fixture since the 1980s, and even though it's gotten a hefty facelift, its laid-back spirit remains. Dogs sniff each other at picnic tables while children giggle and play in the sand. And while the mooring fields are a little emptier now than they were last year, a piña colada at sunset, overlooking the inlet, is still one of the best ways to wind down after a long day.

O'Leary's Tiki Bar and Grill opens daily at 11 a.m. at 5 Bayfront Drive, Sarasota. For more information, call (941) 953-7505 or click here.