Micky's Irish Pub opened its doors some 30-plus years ago with the idea to give Iowa City a small, comfortable and cozy place to share good food, good drink and good company at very reasonable prices. We've continued that tradition over the years without a whole lot of changes. Our menu has expanded but we still maintain an emphasis on fresh food prepared per-order.
It was our great good fortune to acquire the antique bar which formerly graced Donnelly's Bar before that august establishment was displaced by urban renewal in the early 1970s. This monumental piece of somewhat mysterious provenance is at least one hundred thirty years old and is possibly the most beautiful bar back and front in Iowa City.
I have worked here as chef and manager for nearly as long as we have been open, and in the spring of 2010 I purchased Micky's Irish Pub from Maureen and Jim Mondonaro, the original owners. It is my desire to continue, with my wife Beth, the great tradition we have inherited.
And if I may add a small digression to respond to a couple of frequently asked questions: What exactly is an Irish pub? And what makes Micky's an Irish pub? To me the answer to that is not that my father's mother, Florence Culhane, came over from Ireland in the early part of the Twentieth Century to find a new life in this country. Nor is it whether we have this or that Irish dish on our menu. Or that we pour Guinness and Jameson in abundance. What makes Micky's an Irish Pub is that all are welcome in our establishment: Young and old, student and local resident, child and parent, homeless man and governor of the State of Iowa, rich and poor, suit and t-shirt, we love you all. And all are welcome to come and enjoy our hospitality.
Thank you,
Robert "Louie" de Blois
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