Irish pub opens in Washougal

Corned beef and cabbage, bangers and mash and shepherd’s pie are among the dishes featured on the Irish-inspired menu at the newest business in downtown Washougal.

Kilted Spirits, an Irish pub located on the corner of 20th and Main streets, officially opened on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3, to also serve Scotch eggs, pub pretzels, Irish stew and salads with Guinness braised steak.

Lance Banaszek, owner of the pub, has hired 10 employees including chefs Nichole Davidson and Darla Modoc. Davidson is a co-owner of Twisted Biscuits, in Vancouver, and Modoc is a pastry chef at Michael Jordan’s Steak House, at Ilani Casino Resort, in Ridgefield.

Banaszek, 50, said during a Jan. 30 food tasting for friends, it was going to be a relief to open Kilted Spirits. He signed a three-year lease in April 2018, and spent an estimated $80,000 on improvements to the space in the 92-year-old building.

The renovation included adding a new floor and carpet, bar and kitchen equipment, as well as a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and updated wiring. The panel wall was removed to expose the brick.

Darlynn Taylor, a close friend of Banaszek, developed the pub’s business concept, with some inspiration from their time spent living in Maui.

“What we love about the Hawaiian people is their love for Ohana — family — and everywhere you go, you feel part of their family,” she said. “The Irish people are the same. They greet you as a brother. We wanted a place in town where people could go and feel like they are home, and it’s family.”

Taylor came up with the name Kilted Spirits from the Irish saying for family, “kindred spirits.” The pub has six TVs, and local entertainers provide live music.

Banaszek, who said he is “a quarter Irish” on his mother’s side, previously worked as the kitchen manager at Sea Galley Pub, in Gresham, Oregon, and assistant manager at Burns Brothers Truck Stop, in Troutdale, Oregon.

Kilted Spirits, 1926 Main St., Washougal, is open from 4 to 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday, and 4 to 10 p.m., on Sunday. Lunch service will be added at 11 a.m., Monday through Saturday, starting Monday, Feb. 11, and 11:30 a.m., on Sundays.