Rising up in the middle of Kenton Place, facing a row of buildings that include everything from an ice cream stand, a dance studio, printing company and a Japanese restaurant stands....an Irish pub? And an authentic one at that?
Indeed.
Built piece by piece in Dublin by the aptly-named Irish Pub Company, the Galway Hooker was dismantled and reassembled in its current location, where it opened in 2002.
It sports a wrap-around outdoor patio, a large wooden bar, hardwood floors, a stone fireplace, and enough authentic Irish decor to make you wonder why everyone doesn't have a lilting Irish accent.
There's even a miniature door behind one of the tables in the seating area, for leprechauns I presume. Don't bother trying to open it. I already tried...it's locked.
My friends and I have been to the Hooker (its just much fun to say) on many occasions...for dates, St. Patrick's Day, to visit the Comedy Zone-Lake Norman upstairs, and sometimes for no reason other than they serve beer and girls go there!
The menu offers largely American fare, with a small Irish section for those wanting the full-on Irish experience.
Appetizers run in the $8-10 range, while most entrees run $13-15.
My recommendation lies with the Kobe beef burgers...excellent!
What really singles out the Hooker (again, fun to say), aside from its authentic Irish construction, is its nightlife.
Live music is offered nightly, and the crowd is almost always up for a good time.
My acoustic band played there recently, and we were surprised when a group of girls started dancing on a table and asked us to announce that all girls should take off their underwear and throw them into a pot.
The pot in question was located on a ledge, which was attached to a main wooden column rising out of the floor in the middle of the restaurant.
I never did see any underwear flying through the air, but I was also busy trying to remember chords and words and figure out who was going to get me another beer.
So what did we learn?
That the Irish, by name or by birth, know how to feed you, water you and throw a good party.
The only drawback is the lack of indoor space on really crowded evenings. The outdoor patio solves some of this during warmer months however.
Being partially Irish myself perhaps I am genetically predisposed towards being biased, but I recommend the Hooker to anyone looking for a nice meal and/or entertaining evening.