Bridie McKenna's Irish Pub in Highwood Opens to the Public

After much anticipation, Bridie McKenna's opened to the public on Wednesday January 16th, 2008.  Bridie McKenna's Irish Pub is the result of years of planning and hard work by the primary owner, Mr. Fran Moore, who originally hails from Dublin, but has lived in the Chicago area for the last 30 years.  He is a contractor by trade and  his attention to detail is evident throughout the Pub. There are three other  partners in the business Jim Kane, Scott Offer and Seamus Kavanagh, each with different backgrounds, but each  with a great passion for Irish Pubs.

For all of the owners, this is a dream come true.  The business is affectionately named after Fran's mother, Bridie, whose maiden name was McKenna and whose image is proudly etched in the glass on the interior doors.  Bridie was a very tidy, proud and friendly woman, and her image is a constant reminder to the owners and staff to treat their patrons with the warmth and hospitality that she was renowned for by visitors to her home.  The words above the main door "Slan Abhaile" was frequently uttered by Bridie to her departing guests and are the Irish words for "safe home" - slan = safe and abhaile = home. 

As in traditional Ireland, Bridie McKenna's is a Community Pub, also known as the Public House.  The owners of Bridie McKenna's are committed to being an integral part of the community.

 Apart from the atmosphere, we have a very extensive menu.  The menu includes many traditional Irish dishes, homemade soups and hearty sandwiches, and fantastic desserts.  Our bar is stocked with 13 Premium Draft Beers and over 25 Bottled Beers.  Selections of wines by the glass are also available, and Bridie McKenna's features an excellent range of fine whiskeys.

Bridie McKenna's aims to be the finest Irish Pub in the area.  We feature live music and special events every week.  Our greatest hope is that customers will feel at home when they visit Bridie McKenna's, and that our patrons will get to experience some of that world famous Irish hospitality.  Bridie McKenna's is a truly authentic Irish Pub, and a place where customers will experience "the friendliest welcome on the north shore".