Nashville inspired lounge brings country to the forefront of Patchogue

By Amy Nicole Tangel

Daisy’s Nashville Lounge opened in the Village of Patchogue, N.Y., a few short days before the world as we knew it went on pause, and they, like many other restaurants, shut their doors temporarily. Now they are back in the saddle, and the new country-themed lounge is working to make its mark.

From the menu, to the staff and live music, co-owner Brian Adams, is putting his heart and soul into giving his patrons a true Nashville experience when they visit. Although Brian, alongside co-owner and long-time fellow restauranteur, Tim McCarthy of McCarthy’s Pub in Centereach, N.Y., opened the lounge on March 12, 2020 to an abrupt setback due to COVID, the resilient establishment has seemingly become a welcomed addition; filling a gap in the market for country lovers across Long Island.

Brian, a New York native who was born in Yonkers and grew up in Smithtown, has worked in the industry with Tim dating back over two decades, starting when Brian worked for Tim’s father at their family-owned pub early in his career. Since then, he spent the last 20 years living in Arizona and working in the industry opening and managing restaurants most notably, alongside retired Phoenix Suns player and restaurant owner, Dan Majerle. When the time came for Brian to make a major life change, he moved back to New York to be closer to his family and he began looking for the right opportunity to plant his roots and partnered with Tim for the venture. With a career and expertise in opening restaurants and handling their management, Brian said he thought about places he loved to go, and they decided to open a place where friends are able to hang out, relax, dine and listen to country music.

“We said, ‘What doesn’t Patchogue have?’ and we both love country music. When I grew up, my dad listened to the old country music,” he said.

When you walk into Daisy’s you can expect to hear a wide range of country and country-rock from yesterday and today providing a little something for everyone who enjoys country music. In the front window of Daisy’s to the left sits a small showcase stage for band’s to play just like they do on Broadway in Nashville, and more space in the V.I.P. area and in the center where stages can be set.

Brian is country fan himself with favorites like Travis Tritt and Randy Travis, and is lining-up live entertainment to the best of his ability with social distancing limitations, but he said he is excited to have a constant flow of demos coming in and is looking forward to supporting New York’s own country musicians like, Massapequa native and emerging country artist, Carolyn Miller.

Although live music will be a staple at Daisy’s, Brian said line dancing will not be permitted due to the lack of space. For line dancers and country music fans alike, Brian and Tim have created a welcoming place for country music lovers to flock, filled with artistry like no other place for miles around. With the potential to become a destination spot, Brian has worked piece by piece filling the lounge with pictures and paintings of country music legends specifically created just for Daisy’s and is still in the process of adding more décor to the honky-tonk theme. On the back wall of the V.I.P lounge hangs an eye-catching original, framed picture of Chris Stapleton made out of guitar picks, designed by artist, Amy Reader of Tennessee, who Brian said is currently working on another framed picture of Carrie Underwood for another wall, as well.

To the right of the bar is displayed a mural of Johnny Cash, painted graffiti-style on a brick wall that visually captures the essence of “The Man in Black,” by New York-based artist, Dean Goelz.

Daisy’s also has a section in the works with final touches being made for an Instagram photo wall made-up of a backdrop of yet another original painting, this one, of a carnival poster with a girl on a horse made by Long Island artist Chelsea Carol from Painted Treasures by Chelsea, which will be complimented by a saddle on a log for people to sit on to take pictures once complete. With creative touches being made daily, Daisy’s is seemingly a place to find something new every time you walk in the door.

“We want it to be a fun place where you can take your kids out to eat during the day,” he said.

Even when the doors were shut, Brian said they were at the restaurant daily working on fine touches, and they continue to do so today as they work on finalizing their southern-inspired menu. Fried chicken, wings and pulled pork are staples at Daisy’s no matter what, and with an open floorplan, the tables are comfortably spaced apart to ensure safe social distancing.

While trying to move forward in a safe and enjoyable manner, Daisy’s now has additional outdoor dining every Sunday for guests starting at 12 p.m. as part of the Village’s “Sundays in the Street” weekly closure of Main Street providing local restaurants and diners additional safe dining options throughout the pandemic.

As for live entertainment, this Saturday evening select members of Long Island’s own country band, SouthBound will be playing live from 6 to 9 p.m., but you must remain seated and dine while you enjoy the music. What ties everything all together for the whole experience is the staff, and Brian said although they lost some people due to the pandemic, they could not be more pleased with the group of team-oriented people working at Daisy’s now.

“This staff is good. They are ambitious, friendly and happy. We are very happy with the staff,” he said.

Daisy’s Nashville Lounge is located at 22 West Main Street and is open for dining Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, visit www.daisysli.com or you can find them on Facebook and Instagram @daisys.li.