A few years ago, my old neighbor and his wife - who are HUGE Notre Dame football fans - went to South Bend for a football weekend and spent one evening in what my neighbor said was the neatest Irish pub that he'd ever been to. And my neighbor is one of those guys who despises pubs who open in strip malls, put an Irish flag up on the wall and Guinness on tap, and then call themselves an authentic Irish pub. When I was in South Bend awhile back, I was looking for someplace where I could get a sandwich or some comfort food along with some good beer. I found a place in downtown South Bend by the name of Fiddler's Hearth. When I got inside, I texted my ex-neighbor and asked him if the place he loved was the same place. "Yes," was his quick reply. When I texted back that I was seated at the bar, I got a picture back from him of his wife who was flashing an obscene gesture at me. I knew that I was in the right place.
Terry Meehan was a native of the South Bend area, but his family lineage dates back to Ireland. Meehan is the direct descendant of the first non-native child born in the area after his forefathers moved from Ireland to northwest Indiana in the 1800's. His wife, Carol, grew up in California, but came from a family with deep Scottish roots. Their son, Sean, is an accomplished bagpiper.
The Meehan family were members of the St. Patrick Church in downtown South Bend. The church was in need of restorations and the Meehan's organized the first what turned out to be a number of fundraising "celli's" - a traditional Celtic food and dance party. During one of the celli celebrations, Meehan realized that in the city that is home to the Fainting Irish - sorry, Fighting Irish (old habit from being a University of Iowa football fan) - that there was no Irish public house in the city.
Pictured at right - Terry, Carol and Sean Meehan.
He set out to find a location that they could transform into an authentic Irish pub complete with music. The Meehan's found a spot on S. Main just south of Colfax and they put in a small bar, an authentic hearth and a stage for live music. Fiddler's Hearth opened on October 1, 2002.
I was able to find parking in a parking garage just across the street from Fiddler's Hearth that allowed me to park for free for the first two hours. (see map) Entering Fiddler's Hearth, I found a small and cozy space that was filled to the rafters with people in there having dinner. True to form, there was an old fashioned fireplace with two high-backed winged chairs in front of it. The lighting was subdued and the place had a welcoming vibe.
The dining room featured a number of tables with Irish paraphernalia on the walls. A small stage was at one end of the dining room and some musicians were setting up instruments on the stage. (Fiddler's Hearth has musical entertainment seven nights a week.) This was truly a traditional Irish pub in my friend's overall criteria of what a true Irish pub in America really is.
I was able to find a seat at the small L-shaped bar in the back corner of the restaurant. The stools they had weren't all that comfortable, but I knew I wasn't going to get a table for as busy that it was. One of the bartenders, a young lady by the name of Emily, was multi-tasking when she greeted me as I sat down. She asked if I needed a menu. She grabbed the menu and sat it down in front of me before she hurried off to drop off a couple of drinks at the waitstaff station. She finally settled down enough to come back to see what I wanted to drink. They had a number of craft beers to choose from on their beer menu, but I ended up getting a good ol' Smithwick's that they had on tap.
The menu at Fiddler's Hearth featured a number of Irish and British Isles specialties including Scotch Eggs and Welsh rarebit as part of their appetizer list. They had boxty (grated potatoes - sort of an Irish potato pancake) that was stuffed with a choice of smoked salmon, steak, barbecued pork, chicken or vegetables. Traditional meals such as fish and chips, bangers and mash, lamb stew, and shepherd's pie were also on the menu. Fiddler's Hearth also had a number of sandwiches and burgers on the menu, as well.
I ended up getting the Steak and Guinness pie with a side of mashed potatoes and broccolini. The Steak and Guinness pie featured a puffed pastry on top covering a mixture of chunks of steak, mushrooms and onions in a beef broth/Guinness beer gravy. The steak tips were tender, the mushrooms added an earthiness to the taste, there was a hint of onions on the flavor, but it was all tied together with the wonderful beef stock/Guinness gravy. The only quibble I had was that the portion was pretty small for $15.
I was able to dip some of the mashed potatoes into the gravy and that helped with their somewhat bland taste. And the broccolini was overcooked and lifeless. That was OK with me as I really didn't care if I had a green vegetable on my plate that evening. After I finished, Emily tried to tempt me into getting their white chocolate bread pudding with a whiskey cream sauce. As good as it sounded, I was fine with what I had.
As I said, my old neighbor is a stickler when it comes to categorizing what is and what isn't an authentic Irish pub in America. And it's no wonder he liked the ambiance at Fiddler's Hearth. Warm, friendly, cozy, an inviting atmosphere - these are all the things I experienced during my visit. Along with a good craft and Irish beer selection, the food featured at Fiddler's Hearth was good, authentic Irish and British Isles fare. This was one of the better authentic Irish pubs I've found in all my travels over the years. Fiddler's Hearth is definitely a place to visit if you get to South Bend.
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