Live, from Peoria, Illinois, it’s Saturday Night Cheeseburger, starring this week’s host, Kelleher’s Irish Pub and Eatery and featuring the Ready for Prime Beef Player, Marty Wombacher. And now, all the way from Water Street in beautiful downtown Peoria, please welcome, Kelleher’s Irish Pub and Eatery!
Okay, I don't work far from Kelleher's, so we'll be there in a flash.
See, I told you, here we are already! Let's go in and see what's happening in Kelleher's on a Saturday night.
There's a good sized crowd at the bar, but check out the seat in the middle there, let's go snag it before someone else does.
Alright, we're all situated in at the bar and here's friendly bartender Matthew serving up an ice cold Budweiser. Let the games begin!
Matt and Austin were seated next to me at the bar and we had a nice conversation about my blog and about things to do in Peoria.
The back of the bar is a sprawling dark wooden landscape, well-stocked with bottles of booze. Here's the left-hand side...
And here's the right side of the bar.
"Purveyors of Stouts"...that would be a good name for a band!
There's tables and wooden beams directly opposite the bar.
One cool thing about Kelleher's is that they have live music on certain nights and tonight is one of those nights. Let's take a closer look at this acoustic duo.
The guy on the right looked familiar and at the end of this song he introduced himself as Jerry and reminded me that we met when I did a post on Martini's bar down the road on Water Street. He told me back then he was part of a duo called The Joe and Jerry Show and this is them! Joe is just to the left of him. They sound great and you should check them out when you can.
There's a dining area here in the back of the bar.
There's lots of pictures to look at on the walls back here.
And there's more on this outer brick wall that lines the room in the back.
Gipps beer, some brewery should revive that brand!
Let's go check out the upper level of Kelleher's.
As we've been noticing, there's lots of shuffleboard tables in bars in Peoria and Kelleher's has a fine one.
Green circular banquette booths line the walls up here.
Here's an aerial view of the dining room from the upper level.
And here's a shot of the back of the dining room from up on the second floor.
Meanwhile back at the bar, Joe and Jerry are taking a break with Paul, who manages Martini's and he's with Joey and Angie. Martini's just reopened after the flood, so stop by and show your support for the bar. It's a great place.
Okay, I'm back at my spot at the bar and the table is set along with a condiment ring. It's just about cheeseburger time!
Dinner is served!
Just like last week, the bacon is hanging too far off of the burger. I can't have this!
Okay, problem all solved.
The bun has been placed on top and this cheeseburger is ready to be sampled.
It's not bad, but I think the next time I come, I'll try the Shepherd's Pie.
And before the adventures of The Lone Pickle begin, I'm going to hit the road. See you all tomorrow.
My Cheeseburger
Kelleher’s is known for outstanding Irish fare and a vast selection of draft and bottled beers (I apologize to Spike for the lack of a taps shot, I completely spaced that out.) It’s not known for their cheeseburger and now I know why. It’s really nothing special. It’s not horrible, but it’s not great either. In fact it was kind of bland and void of much taste other than the mustard and pepper I put on it. The cheddar cheese was tasteless, the onions and mushrooms, likewise. Like I said, it wasn’t horrible, but not the best spot to go get a cheeseburger.
While I don’t recommend the cheeseburger, I will come back to sample the genuine, traditional Irish food featured on the menu. I’ve heard that their Shepherd’s Pie is the best in town and in addition to that, Kelleher’s serves up the following Irish taste-tempting meals: Bangers and Mash; Chicken Hot Pot Pie; Homemade Irish Stew and Guiness Pot Roast. If you really want to go the traditional Irish route, check out the Irish Breakfast which includes, two fried eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, black and white pudding, Irish sausage and Irish bacon and toast.
They also feature unique appetizers, soups, salads and sixteen types of sandwiches to sample for lunch or dinner. Just do yourself a favor and ignore the cheeseburger selections.
Cheeseburger Rating
One and a half Wimpy’s. Not a horrible cheeseburger, but not a very memorable one either.
Kelleher’s Irish Pub & Eatery
619 SW Water St.
Peoria
309-673-6000
Further reading: Beer Advocate, PBR and Rate Beer.
