Author’s Note: As another summer season draws to a close, I am amazed at just how great the weather has been over the last three months. Every stretch of days I’ve been on the Cape has been near-perfect outdoor weather. (That localized tornado and related $4,000 in tree removal costs notwithstanding.) The summer season always passes by quickly once the Fourth of July comes and goes, back-to-school ads pop-up too early and the bombardment of college and professional football coverage begins. It’s in these moments when that ten minute walk to the beach provides an opportunity to slow down the day just a bit, and by doing so, extend the summer a few moments longer. After all, many of us have summer traditions to check-off our seasonal bucket list.
This past Labor Day Weekend, I was able to finally “check-off” a couple seasonal tradition, including a Chatham Band Concert, brunch at the Optimist Cafe, and the Cape Cod Mini Golf Masters (more on that soon!). If you still have a few more “summer to do’s,” there is another option; jump on the “Keep Summah Alive” bandwagon. Many Cape Cod restaurants, businesses and lodging extend their season through Columbus Day weekend. Further, most festivals are held in the fall months, so there are plenty of autumn activities to add to a Cape Cod bucket list. Either way, hop on down!
For 28 years, John Ohman owned and operated the restaurant (named after his first born son) siting upon the high dunes overlooking Nauset Beach. However, the origins of Liam’s goes back much further than 1989.
As early as the 1950s, the wafting smell of fried food, grilled burgers and hot dogs mixed with salty sea air hovered like a delicious cloud around the same weathered snack shack. From the 1950s to late 1980s, Philbrick’s Snack Shack operated out of the same building, on that same piece of land as Liam’s, just steps from the Atlantic Ocean.
Interestingly, Philbrick’s Snack Shack also sold a lot of hot dogs, as they used the same company that supplied Howard Johnson’s, known at the time for their tasty frankfurters. One Philbrick son, Richard, recalled a season where The Shack sold more hotdogs from Memorial Day to Labor Day than Howard Johnson’s did year-round in their New England location(s). Richard also remembers selling one to one-and-a-half tons of onion rings…a week!
That number was on par with later estimates by Mr. Ohman of Liam’s; the latter employing more staff for a bigger operation. During Ohman’s ownership, the clam shack employed two dozen people, some local, others from nearby states and even Eastern Europe through the J-1 visa program.
In 1979, second-to-youngest son, Jeff Philbrick, took over ownership of the restaurant. After 10 years, Jeff Philbrick sold the business to John Ohman.
From 1990 to 2017, Liam’s served award-winning onion rings (as well as many other menu items) on the dune overlooking Nauset Beach. Long-time locals and visitors would describe that award-winning item, not just as onion rings, but as a summer food sacrament. While that description may seem extreme, multiple magazines, newspapers and travel guides featured or selected Liam’s at Nauset for their annual awards.
Sadly, in the winter of 2017, a string of unexpectedly devastating winter storms caused extraordinary high tides and an extreme loss of beach, which threatened Liam’s foundation. This reality led the Orleans Board of Selectman to a 4-1 vote to tear down the structure and terminate Mr. Ohman’s contract with the town to lease building.
John Ohman described his time on the Cape and Nauset Beach as “a magical mystery tour.” He was quoted as saying, “I think it was a magical moment in the history of Cape Cod, where the sea met the tourism industry with a perfect symbiosis of great seafood, all the sealife, whales, sharks – and great music.”
On Tuesday, March 20, 2018, the building that was Liam’s (formerly Philbrick’s Snack Shack) was torn down. While owner John Ohman did not rule out a return of Liam’s, he also runs Kate’s seafood off Route 6A in Brewster. At least in the short term, the legendary onion rings live on!
