Where the vibes are high but the lights are low
By Ava Bourbeau
Another mark in favor of ambient light, this Lake Worth Beach gem is illuminating a new kind of neighborhood watering hole. Off The Clock is a listening bar tucked on Lake Avenue and was born from the desire to enjoy the elements of hospitality in a fresh, but also nostalgic, way. No flash photography allowed, artists of all kinds, a menu to match, and a belief that sometimes innovation means slowing things down.
After working in corporate hospitality for years, co-owners Horace and Elizabeth Henry set out to create something Palm Beach County hadn’t seen before. Together, they define the spirit of the space and oversee its daily rhythm.
“Off The Clock was born from the idea of finally being off someone else’s clock… I wanted to build a space that reflected everything I believed hospitality could be: luxurious without being pretentious, elevated without being intimidating. I wanted people to walk into a room where they could slow down, enjoy great food, thoughtful cocktails, incredible music, and simply feel present,” Horace said.
It’s a place where it’s easy to befriend a complete stranger. Everything about the interior screams (or whispers, if we’re staying on theme) and rugs, to the decor that you can tell was collected piece by piece, rather than by a team of curators. The volume of the music is louder than background, but soft enough that you can still enjoy — and participate in — the murmur of conversation. The menu is intentional but grounded in its familiarity with dishes like roasted salmon, line-caught ceviche, and the jerk Cubano sandwich.
“Luxurious without being pretentious, elevated without being intimidating.”
A listening bar isn’t just a run-of-the-mill bar with a decent sound system. It’s a place where listening is the main objective. It makes it easy to linger and let the music lead the evening. At Off The Clock, the music is immersive, but also allows space for other aspects to shine. “It’s warm, nostalgic, intimate, and designed to help you clock out from everyday life and unwind,” Horace said.
This description fits in with Horace’s view of Lake Worth Beach as a town where creativity and community already thrive. One of his goals with Off The Clock was to contribute to those pillars that already existed.
“I truly believe Lake Worth has the potential to become one of the most influential cultural cities in Florida because the lifestyle already exists here. We’re simply helping amplify it,” he said.
Horace started by testing his concept with pop-ups. A brick-and-mortar was always the goal, but the temporary features were a way to experiment with ideas while also creating a community who believed in them.
When Horace first stepped into the building that would become Off The Clock, everything fit into place.
“The moment we finished the renovations and stood inside the completed space, everything clicked,” he said. “It didn’t feel like a restaurant. It felt like home.”
Now, a variety of artists can call that space home. Each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night is restructured by a rotating DJ to guide the energy while maintaining the integrity of the dining experience. The music varies anywhere from jazz to techno and everything in between. Each musician brings their own touch of influence to the space and keeps the experiences from feeling stagnant, even if you order the same entrée every time.
“No two nights at Off The Clock should ever feel exactly the same,” Horace said.
“Presence. We hope people spend less time documenting the momentand more time living it.”
It’s not just musical artists who can make a home there. The space features an art gallery on the second floor with tactile artists on show. Because of the meaningful relationships Horace created with many artists throughout his career, providing a space for them to be highlighted inside Off The Clock felt critical.
“I hope it becomes another home for artists,” Horace said. “A place where their work isn’t simply displayed because it looks good on the walls, but because it’s genuinely valued. Every piece has a story, and if our guests connect with that story enough to support the artist, then we’ve created something meaningful for both the artist and the community.”
The upstairs gallery also functions as a “Members Club” that, while open to everybody, creates an even more intentional space for dedicated individuals to enjoy. Members receive priority access to RSVPs for events and select experiences. It’s not intended to create a barrier to entry, but to protect its sanctity.
Another protective measure inside Off The Clock is the no-flash photography policy.
“Our no-flash policy protects the atmosphere we’ve worked so hard to create. It preserves the lighting, respects the privacy of everyone in the room, and allows people to experience the space the way it was intended,” Horace said.
The upstairs gallery occasionally takes this even further with a no-phone policy to increasingly encourage immersion at select events. In a time when seeing an iPhone lens pointed at you is as common as eye contact, this policy is intended as a way for people to experience an evening rather than document it.
In Horace’s words: “Presence. We hope people spend less time documenting the moment and more time living it.”
And, in his eyes, it’s working. He recounts people coming in for dinner or cocktails and leaving having shared a conversation with a stranger about anything from art to music to life. He chalks it up to a reminder that at our core, we crave genuine connection.
It’s a refreshing sight, as interaction becomes more and more digital, to visit places where people can connect over music and a meal, as we’ve always done. Especially when the people visiting have traveled a great distance to get there.
Horace shared that this has been one of the most surprising aspects: how far away patrons come from.
“To know something we’ve built in Lake Worth Beach is drawing people from across South Florida is incredibly humbling and reinforces that people are searching for authentic hospitality,” Horace said.
If authenticity is what you’re craving, you’re only a clock out and a listen away.
921 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach
