ORANGE PARK – After owning restaurants in the past, sisters Kelley and Terry Callahan decided that even with their children growing old enough to work and move out, they had too much energy to retire. 

So, they bought Dee’s Music Bar and Grill and rebranded it as Callahan’s Irish Bistro. 

Located at the back of The Park shopping center, 2141 Loch Rane Blvd., Unit 140, in two years Callahan’s has evolved into one of the most popular Irish restaurants and pubs in Northeast Florida. 

With karaoke on Tuesday nights, the sessions are often filled with eye-squinting, out of tune guests screaming out words of their favorite songs. 

“As you can see, it's not a normal restaurant and bar,” Kelley said. 

That’s because she said most of the guests are regulars who’ve become a second family. They know most visitors at the bar by their first names. Diners sit at the same tables, and they order the same classic Irish and American dishes. 

“We thought we would just open one more restaurant, a Callahan's restaurant and just have a lot of fun,” Kelley said. “The kids love to cook. That's why we decided to open up and just spend our time instead of retiring early, which wasn't interesting, and do this instead. It was like a dream of ours.” 

The menu features classical Irish dishes like a corned beef, shredded mozzarella and cabbage Irish egg roll, Reubens with house made corned beef, banger on a bun, Gaelic grape and walnut salad, corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, bangers and mash and shepherd’s pie. For a unique change from French fries, try the pineapple coleslaw. 

One of the popular options is dessert. Scratch-made three-layered cakes and cheesecakes are displayed in a special case, with offerings like peach cobbler cake, lemon/vanilla/blueberry cake, coconut cake, lemon cake and lemon banana pudding and strawberry/white chocolate cheesecakes. 

Kelley said while business has been good, “it has its ups and downs, and it can get stressful. But overall, we are very lucky that people have adopted us and keep coming every week."

As expected, Kelley said the fish and chips are one of the bestsellers. She also said Reubens are popular, but an American cheeseburger is ordered day and night. 

Instead of travelling and enjoying retirement, Kelley said the family has no regrets about jumping back into the restaurant business. 

“We’re lucky,” she said. “We've met so many people here. Now we have, talk about an extended family, we literally have another family. I've grown an additional family with all the friends I've made here.”