This southwest Illinois city to welcome restaurant with recipes straight from Ireland

Highland’s city square will soon have a new establishment with an older flavor: An Irish pub, serving recipes and entertainment straight from Ireland.

Roy Wells is transforming the former Marx Brothers restaurant and bar into Tullaghan’s, pronounced “tool-ih-gans.” The building is 180 years old and has been many things over the decades, Wells said, but apparently it’s nearly always been some kind of bar or restaurant.

“There might’ve been a window when it was a fabric store or something, but almost always it’s been a place for the community,” Wells said.

Wells is placing a high priority on the building’s history, raising the dropped ceiling and restoring the hardwood floor with exposed brick walls. That attention to tradition will also extend to the menu, which will feature pub food with an Irish twist, he said.

“I’ve got family in Ireland, and a cousin who’s a chef is providing us some authentic recipes,” Wells said.

He’s also bringing in entertainment acts from Ireland, often pairs with fiddle and guitar to play traditional Irish music. “It’s hard not to tap your toes to it,” he said.

Tullaghan’s will join several other establishments on the square, as Schlafly Highland Square opened recently near the Lory Theater. Wells said the city has been “fantastic,” working with new businesses with programs and incentives to help their development. It’s his hope that the square is going to be a draw for nighttime entertainment.

“We’re trying to make a destination for people who like good food and cold beer and good entertainment,” Wells said. “We’re looking forward to being part of the square.”

Wells hopes to be partially open by the second week of June for Schweizerfest, to introduce themselves to the residents. Full opening will likely be in late June or early July, and in the future he hopes to add an outdoor beer garden in the back. There will also be a second bar with “more of a sports bar feel” and an area for private parties, he said.

In the meantime, Wells said there seems to be a lot of curiosity about Tullaghan’s. “Every day, people are poking their heads in to check out our progress,” he said.

Tullaghan’s Irish Pub will be located at 1000 Laurel St. in Highland.