Where cowboys and fishermen collide

Iridescent countertops, cattle patterned furniture and a mural highlighting the cowboy code — a moral compass by which the brothers say they live — adorn the cozy coastal brewery.

A commercial fisherman out of Pillar Point Harbor, Tom McGuirk said he was inspired to extend his Dungeness crab business to a pub that offers a unique farm-to-table experience.

“I think people really are concerned with where their food comes from and concerned with making sure we treat our resources well … and doing everything right to support sustainability so we can pass these gems on to future generations. So we certainly do our best to leave a small footprint on the environment and focus on doing the right thing,” Tom McGuirk said.

Along with the McGuirks’ seasonal seafood products, customers can indulge in burgers straight from the coast’s premier Markegard Family Grass-Fed ranch and finish off a meal with delectable sweets from Half Moon Bay’s Born, Bred & Buttered bakery. Even the leftover grain from the brothers’ weekly brew is fed to Markegard’s cattle because “we’re just doing everything we can to be sensitive about our impact,” Tom McGuirk said.

When crab season comes to a close, Tom McGuirk said the brothers will begin sourcing other seafood products like salmon and tuna from local fisherman as well as award-winning cheese from Pescadero’s Harley Farms.

“Everything is local, we try to make it as local as possible. I use the phrase, ‘we’re sharing the treasures of the coast,’” Tom McGuirk said. “Where else can you go sit down and have a beer and have a conversation with the brew master who made the beer, talk to the fishermen who caught the crab and praise the baker who made the desserts?”

Patrick McGuirk said knowing his brother’s commitment and passion made going into business with his best friend an easy choice.

“This past summer we got together and he kind of shared an idea, a vision, about taking his crabbing and combining it with another fun and burgeoning type of business, which is craft brewing, and finding a location that would literally take it from sea to table,” Patrick McGuirk said. “The one constant in this was knowing that it was going to be with my brother.”

A family affair, Tom’s wife Melissa McGuirk also helps manage the restaurant and develop recipes.

The brothers, who also have alternate day jobs, said they’re working with friend Steve Travis to brew the Cowboy Fishing Company’s IPA and cream ale proven popular among customers.

The restaurant currently holds limited hours Thursday through Saturday and the duo seeks to expand their brew operations as they frequently sell out of their local concoctions.

In McGuirk spirit, the brothers supplement supplies by having several local alternates on tap, such as beers from the Hop Dogma and Half Moon Bay brewing companies, as well as other West Coast favorites.

Although the seasonal menu chock full of local goodies for the public to try will change as the brothers continue their venture, the cowboy business motto will undoubtedly remain.

Tom McGuirk said he’s long had a passionate and respect for life in the Wild West when business was solidified with a handshake and cowboys reigned supreme. Code proverbs include: live each day with courage, take pride in your work, finish what you start, do what has to be done, be tough but fair, talk less and say more, remember that some things aren’t for sale and when you make a promise, keep it.

“It just resonates really well with how we operate the business and what we’re all about,” Tom McGuirk said. “It’s really a simple practice that I think anyone can establish in any stage of life, business, personal relationships etcetera.”

Patrick McGuirk agreed, adding, “at the heart of it, it’s just an ethical way to conduct a business and your life and it’s representative of the way we like to think of ourselves and Cowboy Fishing.”

Patrick McGuirk, 47, said he and his younger brother Tom, 44, have long been close having shared bunk beds as kids and were again roommates for a short time in college. On Saturday, the two shared another first as Patrick saddled up and took his first ride on Tom’s boat to pick up crab they’ll serve up at the Cowboy Fishing Company.

“We’ve just had an amazing friendship and respect for each other and this was just an ideal opportunity to work, once again and partner with my best friend,” Patrick McGuirk said. “It’s been nothing short of just awesome. I can honestly say to walk in now and be a business owner and be a partner with Tom, I’m just very very proud and it gives me a lot of joy.”

The Cowboy Fishing Company, located at 730 Main St., Half Moon Bay, is open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays as well as 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays. For more information visit www.cowboyfishing.com.

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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