Bar Hopper: Molly Malone's

(Credit: Erin Keane)

Molly Malone's has been a mainstay of the Baxter Avenue Irish bar corridor, living a double life as a cozy neighborhood pub during the week and a popular nightclub on weekends. Now it's taken that concept over to the heart of St. Matthews, joining another popular nightlife nexus that already includes Brendan's, Gerstle's, Dutch's, Saints and Bluegrass Brewing Company.

Housed in the old BW-3 space at the crossroads of Lexington Road, Shelbyville Road and Breckenridge Lane, the new Molly Malone's is spacious and open, losing some of the coziness so appealing in the Highlands space. Tall wooden booths line the walls, and an upstairs seating area features the low stools and small tables Highlands regulars will recognize, but most of the downstairs interior is filled with plain square four-top tables like any sports bar in town.

Good news for crowded Saturday nights when DJs plan on filling the dance floor, but on a cold and drizzly weeknight, I longed for the close quarters of a more traditional Irish pub.

They've brought the same menu over from the Highlands location, so fans of the lamb stew or corned beef and cabbage won't be disappointed, and as you'd expect, it's also a great place to drink a Guinness. But one thing I've always appreciated about Molly's is its refusal to adhere to a nostalgic, time-warped standard of what an Irish pub should be, as if you can't order a Red Bull and vodka in any Dublin bar these days.

To that end, the eclectic menu also features bar bites like chips and queso and a darn good order of fried green tomatoes ($7.50 each). Man can't live on fish and chips alone.

A Molly's bartender will pour a dram of Bushmills like an old Galway pro, but he won't be above suggesting a Grape Bomb, a shot made with grape-flavored vodka and Red Bull, either.

The draft list ($5) is full of the standards you'd expect, with Guinness, Harp and Magner's Irish Cider balanced by Stone Organic Pale Ale, Bell's Two-Hearted and Magic Hat No.9. A full bar includes a menu of specialty drinks like the tongue-in-cheek Nutty Irishman — Bailey's and Frangelico on the rocks.

All that aside, you go to an Irish pub for the craic, the good times and lively conversation you share with your drinking buddies. Judging from the crowd on our visit, this new Molly's has plenty to offer.

Molly Malone's in St. Matthews is open 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. every day except Sunday, when it opens at 10:30 a.m.

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