Flanagan’s Craft Pub opens Thursday in Puyallup

Flanagan’s Craft Pub, specializing in craft brew, opens Thursday in downtown Puyallup with a list of 27 taps.

The restaurant and bar replaces Puyallup River Brewing, which operated its alehouse from 2013 to 2015 (before that it was Pioneer Bakery). Although Puyallup River Brewing closed its alehouse, it still brews at a commercial brewery in Puyallup and has strong ties to Flanagan’s, which will open with several Puyallup River beers on tap.

Flanagan’s co-owner Tim Mellema described a beer menu focusing on craft brewers from Seattle to the South Sound. Craft breweries also were enlisted to brew special house beers and a cider specifically for Flanagan’s, said Mellema, who co-owns the restaurant and pub with Karl Ashmore.

While the name Flanagan’s is Irish sounding (it’s a nod to the fictional bar from the movie “Cocktail”) and the pub is opening on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s not an overtly Irish-themed pub, but rather a little Irish around the edges. Ashmore is from Dublin, and the opening menu will feature some of his hand-picked Irish favorites. After the opening, the menu will carry a broader pub food focus with a strong showing of craft beers.

The menu will also feature cocktails.

Mellema also co-owns the nearby bar, The Forum (and its second location in downtown Tacoma).

The interior at Flanagan’s has been made over from a bare-bones taproom to a cozy pub. The dining room is outfitted in dark wood and brick,with polished concrete floors and light fixtures made from beer kegs from Redmond’s Mac and Jack’s Brewery.

Mellema said the 49-seat dining room has been designed so that, “nobody has to worry about their phone going dead late on a Friday or Saturday night.” Every table has access to electrical outlets or a place to plug in a USB cord.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 8:59 AM with the headline "Flanagan’s Craft Pub opens Thursday in Puyallup."