Sláinte! Belleville’s long-awaited Irish pub welcomes first customers
Christmas came to Belleville a little early this year as The Harp Pub welcomed its first customers Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20-21.
The long-awaited Irish pub will continue its soft opening over the next two weekends, opening at 11 a.m. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 26-28, as well as on New Year’s Eve and Friday-Sunday, Jan. 2-4. The pub will also open at noon on New Year’s Day.
Co-owner Greg Partelow said The Harp’s regular hours are expected to begin around Jan. 18. The brief closure is due to Partelow’s participation in the Ho Chi Minh City marathon in Vietnam.
The pub’s other owner, Glen McElligott, invited me to visit before the first soft opening weekend, once the Guinness was delivered and on tap.
Was I interested in helping sample it? Yes, please!
Out of the office on a planned vacation, I was able to enjoy myself during this Irish pub visit as nature intended — beer in hand. With a notebook in my other hand — despite being on vacation — I took some notes.
Finishing touches with their own stories
In prior visits, the space was covered in sawdust. Now, the sawdust is gone, and the finished pub is beautiful. There’s plenty of seating at the main and second bars. Additional table seating is available throughout the room.
A corner nook features an antique sofa and chair for quiet conversations, but the best part of the space is the gold metal ceiling tiles above, which draw the eye upward and give off a soft yellow glow.
The back wall is covered in ornately patterned wallpaper with framed photos, including images of Ireland’s coasts and architecture. One photo shows The Harp Pub building before its makeover.
According to the pub’s website, The Harp was “built slowly by hand, using pieces of Belleville’s past and the spirit of Irish pubs that feel like they’ve always been there.”
McElligott said the project took “a lot of time, a lot of fine-tuning.”
Much of the pub’s character comes from repurposed items and materials used throughout the building, like mahogany wall panels rescued from a church and the vintage Art Deco bar.
A later addition is the handles on the restroom doors, sourced from a mortuary. I can’t unlearn that fact — I thought about it every time I left the ladies’ room.
McElligott and Partelow have brought new life to each item.
“They got their own story,” McElligott said of the repurposed materials. “They gave me life.”
With a little help from their friends
McElligott and Partelow received a lot of help to bring The Harp to Belleville.
“We couldn’t have done this without all of our friends and family members that have helped us these last couple years,” said Partelow.
Two of those good friends are Howard VanBooven and Keith Howard.
VanBooven, who will also run the marathon in Vietnam, “put in years of work week after week right alongside of us doing it all,” said Partelow.
Some of those projects included patio work, replacing the bar flooring, tiling the restrooms, installing the flooring in the restrooms and behind the bar, placing orders to stock the bar and setting it up for business.
Howard worked on the patio along the east side of the building. He also refinished the dark wood panels on the interior walls.
Partelow also brought Howard in to fill in the partial cast-iron columns that were cut to blend into the original storefront.
Donna Tobey, McElligott’s wife, picked out and put up all the gorgeous wallpaper. She painted nearly everything and was a natural at picking out the shades and colors used throughout the pub, said Partelow.
She sealed all the wood flooring and found the second-hand chandelier sconce in the ladies’ restroom.
Tobey “put in so many hours of hard work, it is impossible to count the hours,” he said.
The City of Belleville is also credited for helping bring The Harp Pub to West Main Street.
In July 2024, Partelow and McElligott agreed that former Mayor Patty Gregory, Cliff Cross, former director of Economic Development, Planning and Zoning, and Penny Moore, former Economic Development, Planning and Zoning Coordinator, were very supportive of their project.
They still acknowledge that support today. In fact, shortly after we revisited the topic, Moore called Partelow to congratulate them on the upcoming opening. He invited her to stop by that evening.
As she enjoyed her first-ever Guinness, Moore expressed how proud she is of this new business and was “glad to be part of helping it grow.”
Prior to leaving her job with the city, Moore saw the “westward expansion of Belleville … start with The Harp Pub” and is grateful for the opportunity to see the business as the anchor moving westward.
“Greg and Glen are incredible gentlemen who care about the west end and their city,” she said.
A place meant for staying awhile
During its first couple of months, Partelow said The Harp will track customer flow, gradually building up operations — staying open as late as 2 a.m. on busy nights and possibly adding Tuesday and Wednesday hours.
He feels that opening seven days a week from the start and later reducing days would reflect poorly on the business. In the meantime, the pub’s off days will be used for maintenance, including restocking, cleaning and repairs.
More details should be finalized as January turns to February, Partelow said — including plans for the kitchen, which is still a work in progress.
“We’re not in that big a hurry,” said McElligott.
On offer will be standard bar food and some traditional Irish fare, such as bangers and mash or corned beef, Partelow said.
For now, patrons can enjoy the beverages available. The beer lineup currently includes Guinness, Smithwick’s, Harp Lager, Destihl Deadhead IPA, Samuel Adams Winter White Ale, Busch Light and others.
The Harp will also offer fine Irish whiskeys, such as Redbreast, Green Spot and several Jameson selections.
From the outset, Partelow and McElligott hoped the pub would spark new life in the neighborhood, providing a community gathering place and a second home for many.
What I thought would be a short visit of an hour or two became a five-hour hangout. The Harp Pub is truly a gathering place meant for staying awhile, catching up with old friends and making new ones.
If this latest visit is any indication, The Harp is off to a promising start.
About The Harp Pub
The Harp Pub is located at 1112 W. Main St., Belleville. Starting in mid-January, hours will be 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday and Thursday through Sunday.
For more info, visit harppub.com.
This story was originally published December 24, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
