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Eddie’s Irish Pub in Prairie Du Chien: It’s All about Atmosphere by Joleen Jansen 2006
People who know me well know I always enjoy a pub. So last year when some friends of ours gave us a tip about a new burger place that had just opened in Prairie Du Chien, I was there. As it turns out Eddie’s in Prairie is anything but a new place that just opened but then again it is.
Visitors entering Eddie’s Irish Pub in Prairie Du Chien WI are always greeted with a welcoming smile. Beyond the friendly face most new customers walking through the ornate huge black doors of Eddie’s are instantly consumed by the ambiance. Eddie’s Irish Pub, located on Prairie’s busy Marquette Road, is one of the warmest and friendliest environments found in an eating and drinking establishment throughout our area. The pub is decorated in rich, full deep colors, with cherry wood furniture lines that are elegantly carried throughout the eatery. The attention to detail and the selection and placement of fixtures throughout the business would make any decorators mouth water.
The atmosphere in Eddie’s is completely intentional, explains one of the establishment’s co-owners and mastermind behind the project, Jerry Waller. Waller begins by explaining a decent Irish Pub is really selling atmosphere ahead of food and drinks. “In Ireland, the word Pub is short for Public House. The Pub is a gathering spot for people to get to know one another. The Irish term “craic” pronounced crack refers to an environment full of fun, comfort and excitement. We tried very hard to duplicate that kind of “craic” atmosphere here in Eddie’s.” Waller continues, “The Irish saying we use as our motto at Eddie’s is, ‘Here there are no strangers, only friends we have yet to meet.’”
Eddies is laid out so that the beautiful huge horseshoe shaped bar dominates the room. It was the intention of the owners to build a horse shoe shaped bar to encourage conversation around the bar and not just with those seated near you. Eddie’s operators really intend for customers to leave knowing one another a little better.
Eddie’s Irish Pub has been in business since November of 2004. Eddie’s Friends operated at this address for the ten years prior to this and Eddie’s Inn originated the Eddie’s Name in 1969.
The late Ed Infield Sr. opened the doors to Eddie’s Inn in 1969.
A group of four Prairie Du Chien guys soon became regular customers and buyers of the famous Eddie’s Burger. Mark Petersen, a Prairie Du Chien Attorney, Brian Edwards owner of Edward’s Plumbing and Appliance, Jan Waller, Vice President of People State Bank in Prairie and Jerry Waller a former National Director of Sales Training for Proctor and Gamble Corporation attended high school in Prairie Du Chien in the 1960’s. Petersen attended the former Campion Jesuit High. Pub patrons will observe the school is appropriately remembered at Eddie’s, with nostalgic items. Jerry, his brother Jan and Brian attended Prairie Du Chien High School. The four men frequented Eddie’s Inn throughout its existence.
Current manager of Eddie’s Irish Pub and Indianapolis,IN native, DeAnnKaber endearingly clarifies Eddie’s Inn and Eddie’s Friends were really local “dive bars.” The same group of people came into the bar day after day for a beer and an Eddie’s Burger. Everyday Ed Infield Jr. faithfully manned the operation. Eventually, Ed Infield Sr. decided to retire leaving the ownership of the establishment up for grabs. In 1994 the four high school buddies and Eddie’sInn frequenters decided to expand their endeavors and purchased what was to become Eddie’s Friends.
During this time the business continued to exist pretty much in the same fashion enjoying a regular lunch crowd under the management of Ed Infield Jr. In 2004, Petersen, Waller, Edwards and Waller, the four owners, came together for a meeting, which forever changed the course for Eddie’s, making a commitment to turn away from the status quo and to invest in the future. The owners gave Jerry Waller designing control of the new look.
Mangager, De Ann Kaber explains the process of leveling the original Eddie’s and raising Eddie’s Irish Pub on the same foundation took about six weeks. Now she not so jokingly admits, “The only thing left from the old Eddie’s is me and Ed.”
Why an Irish Pub? Waller says over the years he has traveled the United States extensively with Proctor and Gamble. The rise of the Irish Pubs has become prevalent across the countryside. Waller and partners realized that if the were going to grow their business at Eddie’s they were going to have to create an environment that was more welcoming, particularly to women and families. Also, Waller and his wife Noreen are Norwegian and they kid they somehow knew a Norwegian Pub would somehow not enjoy the same popularity.
The risk they took in tearing down the old bar and creating a chic Irish Pub in its place has paid off in spades. The new Eddie’s Irish Pub enjoys a decent crowd everyday of the week. The clientele come from all over but is no longer predominately a handful of local bar flies but is a mixed crowd of men and women stopping in after work, in addition to families out to for a bite after the big game. Eddie’s also enjoys a great lunch crowd.
Speaking of bar flies Eddie’s patrons need to look at the incredible picture of the famous George Wendt better know as Cheer’s, Norm sitting at Eddie’s horseshoe bar. Last year, George Wendt was invited to the annual Campion golf outing organized by Eddie’s partner, Mark Peterson. George, a 1966 graduate of Campion, returned to Prairie from his home in Chicago, for the event and later was entertained at Eddie’s Irish Pub. Talk about a feather in the hat of an upcoming new pub when perhaps the world’s most famous barfly, Norm stops in for cold draught.
Eddies is fortunate to be competently operated by a mighty manager in DeAnnKaber. In speaking to her I was amazed by her energy for restaurant work. She fits into her pub operator shoes well but not without crediting her good friend Ed Infield Jr. Ed has been frying burgers and pouring beer at a place called Eddies for the last 34 years. Owner, Jerry Waller explains, “Ed is a peach of guy and is still the reason why people to stop into Eddie’s. Where else can you go to have a living legend, pour you a beer?”
While this meticulously decorated and more meticulously clean establishment exudes the charm of old world Ireland it is not without the modern amenity of a few flat screen televisions in which I counted no less than five. Including the one dedicated to the occupiers of the affectionately referred to, Snug area.
Old world Irish pubs were often accommodated with curtained alcove areas, designed for women who wished to indulge in their vice of alcohol out of the public’s eye. These private areas are called snugs. Walking into Eddie’s just to check out their snug alone is worth the trip.
Eddie’s menu is fresh and exciting. While the old standby 100% Black Angus Eddie’s burger is an outstanding choice, I have also found the wraps and the brick oven fired pizzas to be very tasty. The homemade spicy sauce thin crusted pizzas are really excellent.
Finally any good pub reporting journalist knows one could never end this restaurant review at the food menu. Eddie’s is generously equipped to serve the varied palettes of their many beer enthusiasts. Eddie’s has 11 domestic, import and microbrew draught choices, with Guinness topping the list. Adding to this already large variety of selection are the specialty draughts which are combination draft beer drinks. The combination drinks are always composed of ½ Guinness and ½ something else like, Blue Moon which is termed the Black and Blue. Eddies also offers tons of bottled beer choices and for those who have a tough time making a choice, Eddie’s offers a taste testing Guinness Sampler Platter.
If warmth and friendly faces are your thing Eddie’s Irish Pub is for you. Who could resist a visit to an establishment where their wish for all who enters their doors is no less than the following, “As you slide down the banister of life may all the splinters never point the wrong way.”
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