Olde Brick House brings new Irish flare to Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — Irish-themed restaurants and bars are nothing new in America — quite the opposite.

But at Olde Brick House Pub, you won’t find the cheap caricatures of Ireland that have long plagued many attempts at the nostalgic pub. Gone are green color palettes, shamrocks and cartoonish leprechauns.

The restaurant, opened Aug. 27, is bringing something new to Cedar Rapids with a moderately priced menu that doesn’t cheapen its Irish authenticity.

The small Minnesota chain, first started in 2017, made Cedar Rapids its first venture into Iowa with a fourth opening.

With extensive design researched through visits to dozens of pubs in Ireland, the owners hope the new opening can transport diners far east of the Midwest.

The venue

The same space that was previously home to the high ceilings and big screen TVs for the large, sports-themed Boulder Tap House has found new life with a heightened sense of intimacy thanks to custom booths lining two walls of the restaurant.

Inside, about 20,000 pounds of mahogany wood graces every turn — under the stained glass overarching each booth like transom windows, paneling the walls with dark grain and directing the eyes to the top of an $80,000 liquor inventory lining an impressive bar at the center of the space.

  Buy Photo

Between sections of booths, glass cabinets further customize each Olde Brick House location with tchotchkes and knickknacks procured for each restaurant from antique shops and estate sales.

At the foundation of the intricate interior design is a partnership that makes each restaurant custom designed and hand cut in Ireland.

“There are cheaper ways to make a restaurant, I can promise you that,” said Mike Rulli, co-owner. “But it was so unique and fun, we just stayed with it.”

The menu

But it’s not all just for looks. Through weeks of research at dozens of pubs, the owners have curated an authentic experience that shines through in its menu, too.

With 95% of its menu made from scratch, Old World meets New World without forcing a hyphenation of Irish and American.

Bangers and mash serve sausage salt-cured in Europe with Guinness gravy whisked fresh. Corned beef is smoked in-house. Scotch eggs are fried and served with housemade mustard sauce.

“The Irish cuisine we have is how it’s done over there. There’s no way of knowing (the difference in quality) until you just try it,” Rulli said. “The things we’ve brought and kept over time are the traditional fare people in the Midwest really just couldn’t get enough of.”

Popular but authentic standouts include the Guinness-battered fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie with rich gravy under light, champ potatoes.

Rounding out the menu are a variety of entrees that, while not Irish, are embraced in the Celtic spirit, including a wide array of fish, seafood and pasta.

But in the welcoming attitude that makes the Irish theme a timeless favorite, Olde Brick House is accessible both in price and dress code. Some popular entrees serve hearty portions for under $20, and diners can come in dressed up or dressed down.

“It’s kind of that middle ground where you can come in shorts and flip-flips if you want to, but you can also come in dressed up on a good date night,” said Kyle Griffin, general manager.

  Buy Photo

The drinks

With commitment to the authenticity of the theme, this pub wasn’t content to just slap a Guinness sign on the window. Bar staff at Olde Brick House have been trained by a Guinness rep from Ireland how to do a proper pour of the dark beer.

Steins are filled about three-quarters of the way at a 45-degree angle, left to settle for exactly 119 seconds, then topped with the glass held straight to form the signature dome of Guinness head.

The popular, creamy Kilkenny beer and Jameson Irish whiskey are on tap, both for looks and for practical purposes. Cocktails follow a Prohibition-era style, keeping with the aura of the bar for options like the Manhattan, Old Fashioned or whiskey sour foamed by egg whites.

Whiskey and scotch connoisseurs will be hard-pressed to find a more extensive or exclusive list of options while out to eat in Iowa.

“A lot of these liquors you can get in Minnesota without a problem, but down here in Iowa, they’re a bearcat,” said co-owner Tom Mason, who spent about eight months procuring the towering collection.

  Buy Photo

Moderately priced favorites like the Van Winkle bourbon are trumped by a selection of exclusive offerings like The Last Drop. At $370 an ounce, the signature blend of Kentucky straight whiskeys signed by its master blender is one of two bottles released in the state of Iowa.

The location

Located near several other restaurants in the same general price range, the owners rearranged another one of their holdings in Cedar Rapids to pave the way for Olde Brick House’s first step into the Hawkeye state.

“It’s where quality service and food meets a great atmosphere,” Rulli said.

The restaurateurs have moved Boulder Tap House, which they also own, to a new location now open at Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids.

Comments: (319) 398-8340; elijah.decious@thegazette.com