O'Hara's Ale House & Grill in Port Washington seized by NY State for nonpayment of taxes
Corned beef sliders at O'Hara's Ale House & Grill in Port Washington. Credit: Aaron Zebrook
The taps have been silenced at O’Hara’s Ale House & Grill in Port Washington. According to James Gazzale, spokesman for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, the restaurant was seized by the state for nonpayment of taxes.
O’Hara’s opened in 2014, earning 2½ stars for chef Jonathan Chevlin’s casual but refined pub grub. (Chevlin left in 2015.) The pub's loaded baked potato soup was a frequent champion at the annual Port Washington Souper Bowl competition.
Owner Tom O’Hara confirmed the closing, noting that the state’s mandated increases to the minimum wage ate into the restaurant’s profitability. “In 2015,” he said, “my labor costs went up by $45,000; in 2016, they went up another $55,000. It’s tough to run a restaurant under these conditions.”
