Warren – Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name ...well in Warren, that spot is Malone’s Tavern, where Paul Nahed, is the owner.
He grew up in the 80s watching the show “Cheers” and always wanted to own a place like that.
“Just a simple pub, tavern, a laid-back kind of place,” Nahed explained.
He wanted a simple name to go with it, so he went with Malone’s Tavern, after Sam Malone, the owner and bartender at Cheers. However, the Irish-themed tavern wasn’t Nahed’s first place, he’s been in the restaurant industry since he was 13.
He started off as a busboy, worked his way up to cook and manager, and then he was offered a chance to become a partner on a new restaurant so he took it. At the time he was only 21 years old. After about 13 years, he was ready to have a place of his own, so he and his wife opened up Malone’s Tavern on Van Dyke in Warren in 2002.
The pub has an Irish feel to it, with a big wooden U-shaped bar in the center, with cozy booths along the walls. There is a room to the side of the bar that offers more tables, with a giant glass door that can open up to their quaint patio. The Nahed’s designed the restaurant to have a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.
They kept the menu simple, and full of classics. You can get traditional Irish dishes like Shepherd’s Pie, bangers and mash, and corned beef and cabbage. Other favorites include their Dublin burger, which is topped with homemade chips, Swiss cheese, and their special Dublin sauce, as well as their baby back ribs with homemade BBQ sauce. Nahed says they like to focus on making simple meals with high-quality ingredients.
Now there’s just one final question, does he know everybody’s name?
“Oh no, " laughed Nahed. “There’s a tremendous amount of regulars... I love making people happy... We built this place on word of mouth”
I will say, though, he knew quite a few of them by name when I was there.
Currently, they are open for take-out and dine-in service at 50% capacity per Governor Whitmer’s orders. Malone’s Tavern is located at 32350 Van Dyke Ave in Warren.