Paddy’s Beach Club – Westerly, RI (Misquamicut Beach) (2024)

Paddy’s Beach Club / 159 Atlantic Ave / Westerly, RI 02891 / 401-596-2610

As a local Rhode Islander summer officially starts when Paddy’s Beach Club on Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, RI opens!

Summer just isn’t summer without a trip to this beachfront paradise.

As an avid traveler and beach lover, I’ve always felt LUCKY to have a place like Paddy’s in my back yard.

It’s like traveling to Cancun without leaving the state.

I mean come on, is there anything better than being 20 feet from the ocean, holding an ice cold Corona in your hand, listening to live music and enjoying delicious food?

Nope.

Paddy’s always delivers a good time. Rain or shine.

You can read our review from last summerHERE.That review was written prior to hurricane Sandy, which destroyed Paddy’s in October 2012.

Many worried that their beloved Paddy’s was gone for good, but I am happy to report that Paddy’s Beach Club is back bigger and better than ever!

Here are my top 10 reasons to visit Paddy’s On the Beach.

• The location! Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, Rhode Island offers thequintessential beach experience. Spanning several miles from Watch Hill to Weekapaug, this is Rhode Island’s longest stretch of beach with its pristine waters and white sand. You will find an array of attractions for the entire family including amusem*nt parks, mini-golf, go-carts, batting cages, kiddy rides, water slides, paddle boats, jet ski rentals, movies on the beach, classic car shows, live concerts and more.

• Paddy’s is literally located ON THE BEACH. I am taking toes in the sand. Steps away from the ocean.

• Executive chef, Greg Engelhardt. Talk about passion!

Greg is one of the most enthusiastic chefs we’ve ever met and he is extremely talented. Between sampling his Zucchini Blossoms, Mussels served on a giant crouton with Thai peanut sauce and Lobster Mac’n’ Cheese, we were left truly awe inspired and very impressed.

• Their new BBQ Smoker! Attention BBQ lovers, this is the real deal. Greg was super excited to show us this beauty which makes mouth watering pulled pork, smoked chicken wings, smoked blackened Ribeye, St. Louis cut pork spare ribs and pork belly.The powerful fire in back of smoker cooks the meat fired from apple wood.

• Fun Tiki mugs and drink glasses. I LOVE collecting Tiki mugs and exotic drinking glasses from beach bars I have visited. Paddy’s has some great options and, best of all, if you bring your glass back you can get refills for a discounted price all summer! Nice! Personal favorite? The Shark Attack!

• Party atmosphere! You do not have to be in your 20’s to feel like you are in your 20’s – trust me! 😉 Paddy’s Beach Club is one FUN place! I’m talking beach parties, live DJ’s, live bands, dancing, contests and more fun than you could possibly fit into one summer. Day and night. The party never stops!

• Paddy’s Tiki Beach VIP area. Lounge chairs. Tropical drinks. Ocean views. Enough said.

• Kid friendly! Yes, Paddy’s is definitelyhad a party atmosphere but it is also extremely family friendly and has a great kids menu and even fun special events like kids foam parties.

• Laid back atmosphere! You won’t find any “snooty” attitudes here. Paddy’s is all about laid back “fun in the sun!” It is truly a place for ALL age groups.

• Welcome them back! Paddy’s went through a lot of heartache when their original structure was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Luckily for us they chose to re-build and are back bigger and better than ever.

They deserve our support. For those familiar with Paddy’s, could you imagine a summer without it? Me neither. We owe them our support so that they will stick around for many years to come.

On a recent visit I was delighted to sample some of Chef Engelhardt’s creations including his Zucchini Blossoms which are made from the flower of a zucchini plant. One was made with rice and beans, another with chicken and the last one with mozzarella, tomato and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

I had never tasted something like this before and wanted more.

Chef Greg said the zucchini blossom is currently his favorite ingredient to work with.

He did these 3 combinations for appetizers but also uses the zucchini blossoms in desserts. Amazing flavor from such a versatile flower. Please note, this was a “special” and is not listed on the menu.

Second we sampled the Mussels served on a giant crouton with Thai peanut sauce.

The Thai peanut sauce was sweet with just a hint of spiciness.

The mussels are steamed to order in their own broth with lemon grass butter, Thai chili, garlic with warm bread.

Delicious!

Third up was the Lobster Mac’n’Cheese, made with a lobster claw with cream cheese coating. I was pleasantly shocked to find out this was made with no mayo. The lobster was served on a grilled mac’n’cheese patty. The flavors worked perfectly together. They plated this on a cool tin Greg found at a thrift store. Greg was as excited about the presentation as he was the quality of his food. So cool! Again, this was a special not on the menu.

Four our main entrees we ordered Paddy’s Fish & Chips (hand dipped haddock fish golden brown and served with fries, cole slaw and tarter sace) and Paddy’s Smokehouse BBQ Pulled Pork (pork smoked in Paddy’s new BBQ smoker and cooked to perfection – served with cole slaw and a baked sweet potato.)

The pork was smoked so well you didn’t even need much BBQ sauce (which is house made with secret ingredients!)

Everything we had was fantastic. Chef Greg showed so much passion and pride in his food from the way in which he talked about the items to delivering them to the table. This all resulted in a 5-star culinary experience for our taste buds!

Oh, and lets not forget the drinks!

We enjoyed the Island Rum Punch (Castillo Gold Rum, Bacardi Coconut Rum, and 3 fresh tropical juices) and Strawberry Bananza (frozen blend of Castillo Gold Rum, DeKuper’s Amaretto, Creme de Banana Liqueur and fresh strawberries.)

Even though it was an overcast, damp summer night these drinks made us feel as if the sun was shining down on us! 😉

Gay & Lesbian Factor:I am not going to lie, Paddy’s does have a primarily straight/college type crowd, HOWEVER, they are also extremely gay friendly and eager to let the LGBT community know what a fun, safe, laid back place they are! I actually have been visiting Paddy’s for over 10 years(it is a summer tradition)and havealwaysfelt welcome. I have no problem dancing with friends during the DJ dance or foam parties.It is truly one big party and EVERYONE is invited!Paddy’s is perfect spot for a fun date, dinner with friends or the spot to impress visitors!I found their staff to be quite diverse and super friendly. It gives me pleasure to“OUT”Paddy’s Beach as LGBT friendly and worthy of our business.

Everyone loves a success story and that is what Paddy’s Beach Club is, a success story!

They are a Rhode Island landmark and tradition. Not even a hurricane / superstorm could keep them away. They quickly rebuilt and used what happened during Hurricane Sandy o their advantage. These are passionate, hard working people who brings tons of joy to people each summer.

Pack your bathing suit, sense of adventure and appetite and head to Paddy’s for a true Rhode Island summer experience.

Desiree Sousa

Owner / Editor in Chief

Out & About Travel / Gay Travel Information