Madison Heights – Get a taste of the Emerald Isle with a traditional boxty, or try a hearty Sheppard’s pie! You can find all of these dishes and more at the Irish Tavern in Madison Heights.
The owner, Bob Young, along with his brother and the Executive Chef, opened the tavern in 2020, just days before the pandemic hit. While it was certainly a rough start, they had good reason to believe the concept would work because this is actually the second location.
The original Irish Tavern is in Waterford, and Young took it over in 2005.
“That store had been operating since the ‘30s,” explains Young. “I have ancestors from Northern Ireland, I’m not full Irish, but we are American Irish. The community up there really appreciated what we did bringing in some traditional foods, sprucing the place up, and making it an all-around community welcome comfortable tavern.”
After a trip to Florida, where Young looked in on a friend’s Irish restaurant at a strip mall, he had an idea of how he would like to expand. He was sitting at the light on the corner of 12 Mile and Campbell, on the way to pick up his dog from his parent’s house, when he saw a “for lease” sign on the building. Young got together with his brother and Chef Ted Teeter, and decided to open a second Irish Tavern location in his hometown of Madison Heights.
They commissioned an artist to paint a giant mural of Ireland on the side of the building, and made the inside feel open and welcoming with lots of rich wood tones.
For food, they offer bar favorites with an Irish twist. You can get the Loaded Irish Man, which is a double-stacked burger with corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and 1000 Island dressing. In terms of more authentic Irish food, they have Sheppard’s Pie which they make with a lamb and beef blend, plus a selection of boxties. A boxty is a thin potato pancake that originates from the north midlands of Ireland. Their most popular boxty is stuffed with corned beef, swiss cheese, and is topped with a horseradish sauce.
This year they will be hosting their first big St. Paddy’s day celebration. They will be open from 7 AM to 2 AM and will have live entertainment from 9 AM to 11 PM. A tent will be outside and they will be serving a limited menu. For more details watch the full video above.
Irish Tavern is located at 29028 N Campbell Rd., Madison Heights, MI 48071.