DELAWARE — Get ready to step into a new downtown Delaware bar that will make you say: “My goodness, my Guinness.”
Hallihan’s Irish Pub is set to open up shop at 12 W. William St. in mid-September, offering Irish cocktails, brews and food from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
John Cordas, one of the owners of Hallihan’s, said plainly they decided to open an Irish pub because there are none in Delaware.
“When it comes to like a traditional Irish pub where you could get some authentic Irish food, there are none here,” Cordas said.
He, along with fellow owners Jason Adams, Amy Adams and Mike Barker, are bridging that gap with Hallihan’s, named after Barker’s Irish family name.
The pub will be open for lunch and dinner, serving traditional Irish dishes such as fish and chips and a weekly bangers and mash special. The menu will also feature American favorites with an Irish twist, including a pub burger with Irish cheddar and a Reuben sandwich.
“Our highest-awarded item is going to be our fish and chips. We are serving a traditional fish and chips,” Cordas said.
Other traditional dishes, including shepherd’s pie, will rotate through as specials. Cordas said some dishes are too labor-intensive to prepare every day, so the restaurant would rather serve them less frequently and make them right.
“Like the bangers and mash, we do that once a week because we want it to be perfect,” he said.
He described the menu as elevated Irish food, and said diners can expect to pay prices comparable to other Delaware restaurants like Rosebud’s and Old Dog Alehouse.
As for the drink menu, the team worked with different mixologists to craft the perfect cocktail menu, many featuring Irish whiskey combinations.
And of course, Guinness will be on draft always.
The traditional Irish pub look and feel
Inside, the pub is narrow and dimly-lit, and the walls are adorned with family crests, maps of Ireland, retro Guinness posters and other Irish decor.
“We want this to be a traditional Irish sports pub,” Cordas said, noting soccer, rugby, wrestling, F1 and other sports will always be on the TVs.
Also in the front corner of the bar is a large booth for seating, which can also become a space for live performances.
Jason Adams said he hopes to bring in solo acoustic performers, comedians and smaller bands.
Hallihan’s will also be the first business in the space to use the building’s upstairs area, Cordas said.
It took a lot of renovation work since February when they took over the space, but now the upstairs boasts two 75-inch TVs and several round tables and chairs.
Hallihan’s marks the fourth Delaware business for Cordas, Jason Adams and Amy Adams, who also own Shorty’s Pizza, Sandbar Station and most recenly, Open Btl.
The group also owns O’Nelly’s Sports Pub and Grill near the Polaris Fashion Mall.
For more updates about an exact opening and special events, go to Hallihan’s Facebook page.
