Olde Brick House announces rebranding at Cedar Rapids Irish restaurant

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Olde Brick House is preparing for a new type of facade.

The Old World Irish pub, opened in August 2023, will be transforming into something different after St. Patrick’s Day.

“Over the past year, we’ve received valuable feedback about what you’d love to see in a true pub-style experience,” the restaurant posted on social media. “You asked for fewer entrées, more classic pub fare, delicious pizzas and an inviting atmosphere, and we’re thrilled to deliver.”

Olde Brick House’s last day will be March 17. After a brief renovation, the restaurant will reopen as Lindale Pub.

Olde Brick House, part of a small Minnesota-based chain, first opened with a unique concept that set it apart from Irish bars. The upscale decor, designed in Ireland, imported thousands of pounds of mahogany wood and stained glass for grand booths along the restaurant’s walls.

The menu featured scratch-made Irish staples like shepherds pie and bangers and mash, and the bar’s $80,000 liquor inventory drew eyes to the center of the space with rare, high-end spirits.

“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,” co-owner Mike Rulli previously told The Gazette. “The things we’ve brought and kept over time are the traditional fare people in the Midwest really just couldn’t get enough of.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.

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