Northeast Richardson now has a new Irish pub with familiar faces behind the bar. Gillespie’s Tavern is the latest venture by the husband-and-wife team of Romer Perez Gillespie and Heather Ward. The duo also operates Apollonia’s Italian Kitchen, a highly respected restaurant in the same area.
Gillespie has all your Irish favorites, including whiskeys, exotic beers, and a beginning menu of typical pub fare, including fish and chips and shepherd’s pie.
Marius Donnelly, the previous proprietor of Trinity Hall Pub in Dallas’ Mockingbird Station, which closed in 2021 after 20 years, assists on a consulting basis and injects some original Irish pub flair. Donnelly previously hosted live Irish music at Trinity Hall and is now doing so for Gillespie’s.
“Marius and I go way back to when we were both working for the Omni hotel chain,” Gillespie told Culture Map. “He was working at the Omni when he decided to do Trinity Hall. Now he’s a friend and has been helping us with training and the whiskey program, where he has extensive knowledge. He’s a legend as far as Irish restaurants go.”
Gillespie also has extensive knowledge of Irish culture. For one, he is Irish himself and has been in the food and beverage business for nearly 48 years. Before opening Apollonia’s, Gillespie worked 25 years in the hotel space for Hilton, Hyatt, and Wyndham.
“I was the food and beverage manager at the Gaylord when they sold to Marriott and decided I didn’t want to move anymore, and that’s when we took a chance and opened Apollonia’s,” he explained.
Some of the best Irish staples are on the menu, including starters like deviled eggs and Irish nachos (potato chips topped with shepherd’s pie mix, cheddar, and bacon bits, served on a cast-iron skillet). Try the Reuben sliders or Irish potato skins with corned beef and cheddar for a bigger appetite.
As for Gillespie’s entree offerings, diners will find a traditional Reuben sandwich, Tavern Meatloaf, Guinness stew pie, prime rib, bangers & mash, and more.
In addition to the regular menu, Gillespie’s offers “chalkboard specials.”
“We’re working the chalkboard, exactly like we do at Apollonia’s, where whatever is popular on the chalkboard can become part of the regular menu,” says Gillespie. Some of Gillespie’s recent chalkboard specials have included blackened prime rib bites, grilled chicken with dijon over colcannon potatoes, and an open-face meatloaf sandwich with chips.
If you think Gillespie’s is big on Irish fare, what until you see what is behind the bar. Gillespie’s boasts over 150 varieties of whiskey (including Irish), bourbon, and Scotch available by the glass or flight; eight beers on draft; and roughly 40-50 local and overseas beers available by the bottle or can.
“These days, the can is the thing,” Gillespie says. “Cans provide the keg flavor.”
To get your pub fix, Gillespie’s is a sure bet. You can find Gillespie’s in Richardson, at the crossroads of George Bush Turnpike and Jupiter Road in The Shire at CityLine development.
