O’Dowd’s Little Dublin is closing (not forever)

Last week came news that Mike’s Tavern has closed and will reopen in August as an upscale Irish restaurant called Brady’s Public House.

Fresh on the heels of that, the proprietors of O’Dowd’s Little Dublin announced yesterday that their 20-year-old Irish joint on the Country Club Plaza will close this Sunday. They’ll spend the next two months remodeling the place and will reopen in September with a concept not unlike what the owners of Brady’s are planning over on Troost: a chef-driven scratch menu, craft cocktails, and an upgraded interior. 

“For 20 years O’Dowd’s has been the premier Irish pub and rooftop deck in the Midwest,” says Ed Nelson, president of O’Dowd’s ownership group KC Hopps, in a release.  “We are updating and remodeling to become a more creative restaurant and drinking establishment, and will continue to be a leader on the Plaza for the next 20 years.” 

Aesthetic renovations at O’Dowd’s will include accordion-style windows on the ground level and a retractable awning (plus new furniture and a hightop fire table) on the open-air deck upstairs. 

Drinkwise, O’Dowd’s is expanding its selection of craft and imported beers. The bar will also feature “an extensive whisk(e)y list with American, Irish, Scotch, Canadian and Japanese selections, including hand-crafted classic cocktails and a notable wine list,” according to the release. Dancing and live music aren’t going anywhere, the owners say, but will continue to be a mainstay “seven days a week.”

If you fear change and/or don’t like the sound of this new O’Dowd’s, this weekend is your last chance to enjoy a wee taste in the old country. The remodel begins July 10.