Irish pub coming to Washougal

Downtown Washougal will soon have its own Irish pub.

Lance Banaszek, who said he is “a quarter Irish” on his mother’s side, plans to open Kilted Spirits in the former Landing Bar & Grill location, at 20th and Main streets in downtown Washougal, later this month.

The new pub will include an Irish whiskey bar, and Banaszek said he plans to serve Ireland-inspired fare like shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, bangers and mash and Scotch eggs, as well as classic American pub hamburgers and appetizers.

Banaszek said the pub will be family friendly and minors can be on the premises until 8 p.m.

“Hopefully, families will bring the kids in,” he said. “There will be live music and karaoke, (including) kids’ karaoke on occasion.”

Banaszek said he heard about Washougal from a friend, Darlynn Taylor, the manager of Glo Beauty Lounge, a business in downtown Washougal.

“I was looking for a small town vibe, a place that would accept an Irish pub,” Banaszek said. “Washougal has a large Irish community. With the growth of Washougal, it appeared to be an optimized location. A lot of people used to go to (Irish pubs in) Vancouver. Those places closed down. Now they go to Portland.”

Banaszek said he hopes to move to Washougal from his Sandy, Oregon, home in 2019.

He previously worked as the kitchen manager at Sea Galley Pub, in Gresham, Oregon, and assistant manager at Burns Brothers Truck Stop, in Troutdale, Oregon. More recently, he was a light-rail installation project manager at Siemens Transportation Systems, in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Banaszek, 49, has signed a three-year lease with the building’s owners, Zhi Wei He and Lily N. Tang, and said a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system was recently installed in the historic, 91-year-old building at 1926 Main St., Washougal.

Banaszek received conditional approval for a liquor license and the Clark County Health Department is reviewing the menu.

He plans to hire nine employees, including bartenders, servers and kitchen staff, to work at Kilted Spirits. Those interested can private message Banaszek via the Kilted Spirits Facebook page.