Don't Overlook Oneco's 'Rose'

You may walk or drive by it and never know it's there.

Yet it’s been there for more than two decades and doing just fine.

, 5108 15^th St. E. #402, isn’t a bar with an attached liquor store, like , the former and, in a way, , which also sells packaged liquor. “The Rose,” as it’s affectionately known to the locals, is a liquor store with an attached bar, and it’s kind of hard to spot. That’s the impression from a newcomer.

Well, the first impression.

The second impression: The Rose is one of the friendliest and livliest places in the blue-collar community of Oneco that has long suffered from blight, crime and general malaise.

But at the Rose on a weekend night, the drudgery of a long work week melts away at the door. Dour expressions turn to smiles as more friendly faces file in.

“It’s just a good neighborhood bar with a lot of regulars,” said John Vitale, who bought the bar and liquor store about two years ago after becoming bored with retirement. “The crowd is mostly 40 and above so we don’t have the problems that some bars have. We’re all family here. Everybody calls it ‘their bar.’ ”

The Rose opened in 1989. The storefront it currently occupies used to be a pizza joint, said Frank Rzonca, who now manages the Rose. Rzonca and Vitale used to work at a Winn-Dixie that Vitale managed before taking over the Rose. “It just kind of fell in my lap,” Vitale said.

The bar is easy to find once you know what you’re looking for. It’s in the Oneco Square Plaza that includes major tenants and . The glowing liquor sign on the plaza’s façade lights the way, where, beneath it, is the entrance to the liquor store.

To get to the bar, enter the liquor store and aim for the open door in the back of the store. Or use the back entrance behind the trash bins, which is even trickier to find on a first visit to the Rose.

The dimly-lit, smoke-filled bar isn’t huge. About 15 bar stools and chairs surround the bar counter. There is a table near each door and a handful of other stools and chairs scattered about.

Seating can be hard to come by on a Saturday night, especially by the time Faye, a popular karaoke jockey who rocks the Rose every Wednesday and Saturday night, belts out the first song. However, patrons find room to dance.

The beers are mostly domestic (only Bud and Bud Light on tap) but the liquor supply is endless (after all, there’s a liquor store just a few feet away), and both are priced just right. A mixed drink costs, on average, $3, and drafts are $1.50. Drink prices go up a quarter while Faye entertains (although $1 Jell-o shots abound) but go down a quarter during the daily happy hour from 8-11 a.m. and again from 4-6 p.m.

Three TVs, including a 60-inch flat screen, are on the wall behind the bar. The bar also has a pool table and video games. And it has plenty of loyal fans, and they await one another’s arrival every weekend at the Rose.

“If they’re not here on a weekend,” said Charlcye McMath, a regular customer from Sarasota, “we’re calling them to make sure they’re not dead.”

IF YOU GO:

The bar and package liquor store of Oneco Rose, 5108 15^th St. E. #402, is open from 8 a.m. until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The front door is locked around 11 p.m. but the back entrance remains open until last call. The Rose is smoking friendly.

AROUND BRADENTON THIS WEEKEND:

• , 2709 Cortez Rd., has a happy hour for the early risers and another one for late afternoon: 8 a.m.-noon and 3-7 p.m. everyday. Live music from Faultline from 8:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. every Friday along with $4.50 Jagerbombs. Ask the bartender about the day’s specials. No cover.
• Thursday is Bike Night at , 5627 14^th St. W. Live music, games and more. Hosted by Bob Morrison from T&W Trailers and Rafferdy StreetTeam Girl Marcella. Events starts at 6 p.m. No cover.
• Live music from Hwy 41 at 7:30 p.m. Friday at , 10104 Cortez Rd. W. Hwy 41 is a high-energy, guitar-driven rock band with influences ranging from great classic rock, '80s hair bands, today’s pop/rock sounds and blues. No cover.
• Josh Gracin is playing live at , 5520 14^th St. W., Friday night. The concert starts at 10 p.m., but get there early for $1 Bud Light longnecks from 7 p.m. until showtime. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 the day of the show. Doors open at 7 p.m. Get tickets at , 5515 14^th St. W., Joyland or click here to order online. Gracin's self-titled debut album and follow up “We Weren’t Crazy” have both produced top-10 tracks.
• Live music from the Walker Smith Group at 5 p.m. Sunday at , 4343 Palma Sola Blvd. Walker Smith is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who covers traditional to contemporary blues with a sprinkling of rural roots, folk and rock. Italian buffet at 6 p.m. All you can eat: $5.95. No cover.