Irishtown Bend Park is at least a couple of years away from being completed, but some Ohio City business owners are already preparing for its opening.
Irishtown Bend Taproom, the newest concept from restaurateur Sam McNulty and Mark Priemer, opens on Saturday, April 12 inside the Market Garden production brewery at 1849 W. 24th St. The property, seen under a towering, lit-up “BEER!” sign at the far edge of the West Side Market’s parking lot, is adjacent to the future park.
“We feel such a close connection to it physically, because it's contiguous with our production brewery,” McNulty says. “Literally, if you walked out the back door of the Market Garden production brewery, you could literally throw a stone into the park.”
There’s no park yet, though. The swath of riverside land on this historic, prominent bend of the Cuyahoga River is still being stabilized in a $60 million Port of Cleveland project. This work precedes a potential dramatic transformation by Cleveland Metroparks which will turn the area into Cleveland’s newest park space, estimated to be complete and open to the public in 2027.
The park will, in some ways, shift the identity of the already-popular Ohio City in significant ways, McNulty says.
“Nobody thinks about Ohio City as a waterfront neighborhood. We think about the Flats and our shoreline communities, Edgewater, Euclid, Lakeshore, but not many people know that Ohio City connects directly to the river, and this park will be that connection,” McNulty says. “We have such an affinity for our Lake Erie and Cuyahoga River, and this is kind of building that bridge to the river.”
If Irishtown Bend Park is a bridge to the water, consider Irishtown Bend Taproom its gateway. Priemer led the buildout and design for the project, which adds indoor and outdoor seating and a bar immediately greeting visitors on the inside. Don’t expect dining options as you would at McNulty and Priemer's other restaurants like the nearby Market Garden Brewpub, NanoBrew, Clandestina and Bright Side. Here, it’s all about the beer.
Twelve beers will be on tap, including a mix of Market Garden standards like Citramax IPA, Progress Pilsner, Prosperity Pilsner and Krispi IPA, along with an ever-changing menu of experimental beers from the recently launched “MGB Bev Lab.”
“It’s this very esoteric, experimental wing of Market Garden Brewery, and this is basically where there are no rules. The brewers can do whatever they feel inspired to,” McNulty says. “We're talking very, very small batches where you might see that beer for one week, and then it's gone, never to be seen again.”
Beyond the beer, Irishtown Bend Taproom will ramp up programming, featuring concerts booked by former Nighttown programmer Jim Wadsworth, and comedy shows organized by Connor Balderson. On Saturday, April 12, the space opens with a party hosted by Austin Love, featuring a performance by local crooner and The Voice contestant Hayden Grove.
Irishtown Bend Taproom is designed to bring a burst of new energy into Ohio City, just as the neighborhood has seen shifts from its locally owned ethos in recent months. Two food chains — a Chipotle and a Starbucks — announced future locations in the area, which is known for its enclave of locally owned, unique dining options. (Increasingly, it's also becoming known for its rising rent costs.)
McNulty hopes the neighborhood keeps its local-first charm, and that customers continue to support longstanding small businesses in the area.
“What we're working towards in Ohio City is we want the highest amount of local choice in the smallest amount of area,” McNulty says, “so we want to pack in as much really cool, dynamic, interesting bars, restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, galleries, into this dense district and just create a really fun, walkable, dense vibe.”
Come 2027, there will likely be a lot more walking going on in the neighborhood, when Irishtown Bend Park officially opens.
“I don’t know about you, but after a nice hike or walk along the river, a beer always tastes that much better,” McNulty says.
For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.
Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, publishing 12 times a year with immersive features, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.
