Massachusetts Restaurant Got an Unexpected Visit From Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath

Thousands packed the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament last Thursday night to watch Sugar Ray celebrate the 110th Feast, and if you ask me, the band's performance was unforgettable. I've been to a lot of concerts over the years, and this one easily cracked my personal top 10.

During the show, front man Mark McGrath casually mentioned that he had grabbed dinner earlier in the evening at The Black Whale on New Bedford's waterfront. Naturally, that got me wondering what happened when one of the biggest names of the late '90s walked into one of the city's busiest restaurants.

So I gave Kelsea Silverstein, who oversees The Black Whale, a call.

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A Surprise Visit Before Showtime

She told me there was no advance notice, no call ahead and no special accommodations. McGrath simply walked through the front door like any other customer. The first employee to recognize him was 19-year-old server Jameson Kirby, who couldn't pass up the opportunity for a photo.

Singer Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray Spotted Having Dinner at The Black Whale in New Bedford

"I mainly asked Mark McGrath for a photo to make my mom's day," Kirby said. "He was so cool that we spent a minute laughing together before taking the photo about how someone my age still knows all his hits."

A Memory Worth Keeping

Judging by the smile in the photo, it looks like McGrath got just as much of a kick out of the interaction. It's always fun when down-to-earth celebrities take the time to experience the SouthCoast like everyone else instead of slipping in through the back door or hiding out in a private room.

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For Kirby, a routine shift turned into a story he'll probably be telling for years. As for McGrath, it's safe to say he had himself a delicious meal before rocking one of the biggest Portuguese feast celebrations in the world, as just another customer enjoying dinner on the New Bedford waterfront.