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Belly Up

June 7, 2012

Kathy’s Irish Pub, true to tradition with a few twists

Bartender Abby Jewett shakes up one of her signature shots, the Abby Especial, made with raspberry, Crown Royal and sugar-free Red Bull.

By Amber Williams

My granny was a hip lady. She taught us grandkids how to smoke, drink and swear, and she made few apologies for her slurred verbal abuse after she’d put back enough Busch Lights. May she rest in peace.

Sitting at the U-shaped bar at Kathy’s Irish Pub (formerly Kathy’s on Hickman) reminds me of the old days when I’d belly up to the card table at my Grandma’s house with my cousins drinking beer and telling jokes. Like Granny’s house, the bar is small, clean and smells like grilled meat. It has a handsome 8-point buck overlooking the room from above the doorway, which leads to a small, hidden smoke patio and the ladies’ room (not one in the same).

It’s comfortable and affordable, with the power to transform even a passerby into its newest bar fly.

“Abby got me drunk,” I joked to Dave Clark, who was manning the grill out in the parking lot on Wednesday’s steak night ($8 for an 8-ounce sirloin, a baked potato and Texas toast).

“Yeah, she does that,” he said of Abby Jewett, who along with tending also entertains the bar with her cute sense of humor and easy-going service.

Here’s a tip: Pretend you’ve never heard of a drink she’s making for a guest, and there’s a good chance she’ll insist you try it. Before I knew it, I had an icy Moscow Mule, a shot of Abby Especial (one of her signatures) and a bottle of Bud Light that was starting to get warm from my distractions all lined up on the bar in front of me along with a medium-rare sirloin fresh off the grill.

It’s a neighborhood bar for sure — not just because it’s surrounded by houses, but also because it feels like you’re hanging out at a friend’s place rather than a bar.

“We like little neighborhood pubs, and this is a great neighborhood to be in,” said owner Jerrad Atkin who, along with Kevin Wahlert and Mike Nesbit Jr., recently bought the old staple from long-time owner Kathy Grey.

The guys bought the place after Atkin wandered in a few times off the street. He said they respected the fact that it’s been a “neighborhood staple” for the past 21 years. “That’s quite an accomplishment. I’d like to see it go another 21 years,” said Atkin, who’s gained a name in the bar business since buying The Underground a few years ago.

Although much has remained true to the original Kathy’s, especially its loyal patrons and staff (including Kathy herself), the new owners have brought new faces with them from sister pubs The Fremont and The Underground, about 30 additional beers and $5 drink specials including the Black and Blue (shot of Jack and a PBR) and the PB&J (shot of Jameson and a PBR), which are offered all day every day.

“There’s nowhere else where you can get a beer, a shot and a steak dinner for $13,” Atkin said. “It’s like a Vegas deal.” CV