Mean Deans Local Kitchen brings a fresh new dining option to the Bayshore neighborhood
Veteran restaurateur Dean Donnelly opened Mean Deans Local Kitchen Nov. 17 in Bayshore Gardens.
It was just the kind of location that Donnelly was looking for: surrounded by neighborhoods and sandwiched between the South Manatee Branch Library and Bayshore Elementary School.
Mean Deans, 6059 26th St. W., has a menu that Donnelly says diners will find welcoming and tempting.
The restaurant’s moniker was chosen because it rhymes, not because Donnelly, 60, is anything other than a charming, friendly host and chef.
Donnelly, 60, started in the restaurant business at age 13 and estimates he has been involved in opening 40 restaurants during his career. On the corporate side, the Daytona Beach native opened Johnny Leverocks in Ellenton, among others. His resume also includes owning three Cedar Reef Fish Camp restaurants, two of which he sold and one which he closed.
“This one (Mean Deans) is a culmination of all the years of experience. I only wanted one restaurant. Two was killing me,” said the Parrish resident.
“I had a criteria for this restaurant. I really like the demographics. If you want to be a neighborhood restaurant, you need to be surrounded by neighborhoods,” he said.
“We want to be a neighborhood restaurant and build relationships with people. I want to go one step further beyond what our guests expect. I want to give them great value with hand-made food, everything from a fancy grilled cheese sandwich to high-quality, fresh seafood, and hand cut prime rib. Every salad, every sauce, we make everything right here. This is about passion. I am very hands-on owner who wants to be part of this area,” Donnelly said.
Michele Angell, who took the lead on designing the restaurant’s decor and manages the dining room, said Mean Deans is already seeing repeat customers.
“We have already has some word-of-mouth recommendations and people saying they like our fresh menu. We wanted to create a place where we would like to go to eat,” she said.
Donnelly plans to stay busy helping in the kitchen, greeting customers at their tables, and getting involved with the neighborhood. Also assisting in the kitchen is chef Jeffrey Weiner, who previously worked at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse in Sarasota.
“We took a shell and built a restaurant. We put our heart and soul into it,” Donnelly said.
Mean Deans offers daily specials and serves lunch until 3 p.m. The lunch menu includes sandwiches, burgers and tacos, starting at $8.90.
The dinner menu includes appetizers such as garlic escargot, baked brie, atomic shrimp, and more, along with a soup and salad menu, and sandwiches and tacos.
Among the offerings on the “From the Farm” portion of the menu are Bubba’s Fried Chicken, baby back ribs, Tuscan pasta, filet mignon, and slow-cooked prime rib.
The “From the Sea” menu includes pollock and chips, blackened redfish, served with black beans and rice, lobster stuffed shrimp, cedar plank salmon, and more.
Rounding out the menu are the sweets: Chocolate Lovers Cheesecake, Crunchy Peanut Butter Pie, and seasonal desserts.
Wine and beer are served.
Mean Deans is open 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Mondays except for private events.
For more information, visit www.meandeanslocalkitchen.com or call 941-251-5435.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 1:55 PM.
