Irish Pub to Open in Former Downtown Wild Hare Location

When the Wild Hare Sports Bar closed in 2015, the biggest question other than “Why?” was “What’s next?” The answer is now ready to be unveiled: Moriarty’s Irish Pub is taking over the space, with its opening date set as March 9, and it’s going to be completely transformed. 

Owner James Pickle, formerly of Uncle Louie’s and other Columbia establishments, has been dreaming of this for a while. 

“Myself and a friend from back home saved up money with the intention of opening up something small,” he says. 

But then an opportunity to go bigger came up when a property management company let them know that the former tenant was on its way out. 

“We want to give the space its own identity, so we decided to ... celebrate the space for what it is with lots of timber, brick and concrete," Pickle says, adding that the interior had stayed the same for over 20 years previously. 

As for the inspiration for the pub, Pickle has worked at a lot of pubs and is comfortable with the culture and atmosphere, finding it perfect for serving great food without a stuffy environment. 

“You can sit with strangers, you can spill a little beer, and it’s nice,” he says. 

But spilling beer probably isn’t the first thing you’d want to do, as the 32 taps will have great quality craft beers available. There will also be seasonal craft cocktails, lots of Irish whiskey and single malt scotches, and what Pickle calls an ambitious wine list for a pub.

On the edible side of the menu, he reveals little other than to say that nothing will be frozen, and that the sauces and dressings will be all made in house. Moriarty’s will be located at 902-B Gervais Street.