308 East Main Street
Guinness Tag: $6.00 | Overall Rating: 9.85
Today's Dedicated Pint: Keith, Sean, and Ciaran. Johnson City, TN.
We quite literally traveled through the Cumberland Gap to get here, and boy did we find a diamond in the rough. When you think of Bristol and Johnson City, Tennessee you might think of rolling hills, maybe some moonshine, NASCAR, and a handful of other things before you'd think about a worthy Irish Pub; especially one with a brogue or two. If I'm going to be honest with you; I had incredibly low expectations for Mulligans. I figured it would be a rinky-dink gimmick with an Irish name and a few cheap/generic Irish signs on the wall that they bought off Amazon. I'm happy to say that I was proven wrong in the most amazing and unexpected ways possible.
The place is fairly new as it poured its first Guinness in 2022 after acquiring The Charles Building, a 100-year-old building in the heart of downtown, from a florist. Keith, the owner, has put his heart and soul into this place while keeping true to the local charm. He runs the place with his son, Sean, who is one awesome character.
The place as a whole is very large. It offers a healthy live music stage, a pool table, a very cozy and nestled booth dedicated toward two steel-tip dart boards, claw machines, plenty of dining tables, and of course; the bar itself. As you look around, you'll find authentic wall decor, worthy furniture alongside a well-crafted bar, a few TVs, and greenery to keep the Irish vibes flowing.
The absolute best thing about Mulligan's is the Craic. It's hard to deliver the best Craic in the world day in and day out, however, if you go into Mulligan's at the right time then I assure you that you'll overdose on all of the Craic! You'll find brogues from behind the bar and alongside the bar. If you happen to visit while the Dublin native, Ciaran, is working then you'll be supplied with fun stories from the moment you plop your potato on a barstool til' the moment you leave. If you're not ass then you just might find yourself with a shot of Paddy's coming your way during their "Team Building Shots" (for a small price, of course...). The conversations are always good and always inviting for anyone to partake in. The live folk music is on point and always keep the vibes alive. If you're a Craic-Addict like me then you NEED to come to Mulligan's at some point before you die. I don't care what part of the country you're in; find your way to Johnson City for this one.
The list goes on about how awesome this place truly is so buckle up and pour yourself another glass of whiskey because we're just getting started. Speaking of whiskey, Mulligan's has the best selection of Irish Whiskey within the 50-mile square radius; hands down. Aside from Paddy's and many more, I love that they offer Teeling and Slane. The Irish beer selection is also fantastic, including Magners, Smithwick's, and all of the basics. If you're feeling like supporting local then they have just about every local craft you could want as well, giving you everything your little heart desires.
The food looks amazing, although I can't say it tastes amazing because we didn't order any. The people around us did and it all looked scrumptious, especially the Shepherd's Pie. They offer all of the Irish classics that mom makes at home such as Irish Soda Bread, Bangers n' Mash, Reubens, Fish n' Chips, scones, and soup.
One fun and unique thing that they do is "The Mulligan's Mug Club". The mugs are handcrafted with Black Walnut and steel inserts by locals; for just $65 you can have your own mug, store it in one of their lockers, and get your second beer 'on the house' anytime you come in. The lockers have neat shamrock windows on them and the mugs themselves are the furthest things from cheap or gimmicky; they are authentic as heck.
If you're a drinker and a Craic addict then I suggest that you sit either at the bar or inside the little bar area as that's where you'll find the magic at its peak. If you're not big into drinking then you're very much in luck here at Mulligan's as well, so don't worry. Aside from the music to tap the toe to, they typically have movies on the TVs instead of sports. During our last visit they had Shrek and an old-timey black and white movie (if there's dire need for an important sporting event then they'll turn it on, so don't worry). There's a pool table for the athletes alongside a quarter machine and as said before; there are two dart boards. The dart board set-up is fantastic. As an avid dart thrower myself, I can honestly say that if I lived nearby then I would surely be throwing here for a few hours at a time every single week. It's a beautiful set up and as Keith mentioned; he'd love to have more regulars come in and bring their own darts to perhaps form a league. I wish I lived locally to help make that happen with him. (All you locals; go support Keith and establish Mulligan's as a great dart bar, he deserves it!)
If you notice on some of the signage, you'll see that they offer games. Aside from the pool, darts, and claw machines, you'll come across a plethora of board games. There are two shelving stations on each side of the bar to walk up to and grab a board game. There are fun T-Shirts for sale to show your support and there are clean and tidy toiletries for those drinking light beer. The bathrooms are actually very proper and impressive. A huge nod to whoever designed the Johns; you sir (or lady), took my breath away.
There aren't many gripes about the place and the few that arise are small potatoes. The only 2 that really stand out are that it's incredibly bright inside; dim those lights a bit! The other gripe is that the Guinness pours are consistently sub-par. I'm sorry, Mulligan's, but you have a knack for pouring the Bishop's Collar. Although, I can say that my last pour of Guinness before leaving town was the best; so perhaps you cured it? Regardless, I can't leave this passage with a negative because Mulligan's is the furthest thing from it.
You might never expect an Irish Pub in the rolling hills of east Tennessee to be authentic and worthy of stepping foot into, but Mulligan's delivers the duty on the entire kit-and-caboodle. If you come here, you'll not only forge a few friends and laugh a few times, you'll also find yourself surrounded by truly genuine people who care about your experience. Some Pubs have the eye candy, some Pubs are great but they're too crowded, and some Pubs only supply a smidgen of Craic and nothing else. Mulligan's offers the Craic, it offers a place to stand comfortably without feeling like a stuffed sardine, and it offers the eye candy. Mulligan's is flippin' awesome.
Slainte to you, McCoy family; you brought a tear to my eye in the heart of the night. Keep doing what you're doing and I assure you that you'll be pouring happiness and making a fortune for the next 10 generations to come!
Slainte!
What's your favorite thing about Mulligan's in Johnson City, TN?
The Craic/Hospitality
The Staff
The Food
The Music
You made it this far to the end! You rock. Since you're still here then that probably means that you LOVE Irish Pubs as much as we do. We call ourselves "Craic Addicts" because we are always searching for the Craic everywhere we go.
Be a part of The Drunken Mallard with us and become a Craic Addict for free so you can find the Craic at a pub near you and get notified whenever we step foot inside a new Irish Pub. We'll never spam you and we'll only give you a shout whenever we find a new barstool (typically once a week). We're on the journey to step foot inside every Irish Pub in America and we'd love for you to tag along with us! If not, then no worries; we'll still love ya!
Slainte.
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