Nestled just steps from Glen Echo Park, the Irish Inn at Glen Echo offers visitors a blend of cozy pub culture and refined dining at 6119 Tulane Ave. in Glen Echo, Maryland. With its warm atmosphere, traditional Irish fare and strong community ties, the restaurant has become a beloved staple in the area.
At the Irish Inn at Glen Echo, guests are treated to both the lively energy of a traditional Irish pub and the elegant style of fine dining. “I’d say it’s a traditional Irish pub,” said manager Patrick Murphy. “The pub side, we have Irish music on Mondays, we have other entertainment throughout the week. Tuesdays we have trivia. On the other side of the restaurant, we have white tablecloth fine dining, mostly traditional Irish fare.”
The blend of casual charm and culinary refinement makes the Inn a unique fixture in Glen Echo.
The roots of the Irish Inn trace back to the 1970s, when owner Christy Hughes began working at The Dubliner, a well-known Irish pub in Washington, D.C. Over the years, Hughes opened restaurants on Connecticut Avenue and in Falls Church, before eventually purchasing the former Inn at Glen Echo. “He then sold those and bought this establishment and turned it from the Inn at Glen Echo to the Irish Inn at Glen Echo,” explained Murphy. “He’s got an extensive history working in hospitality.”
Despite changes in the restaurant industry, the Irish Inn has remained remarkably consistent. “It hasn’t changed too much,” said Murphy. “It has evolved slightly with the times. Obviously COVID was a big thing that kind of made us redirect and be able to come through it to continue to succeed.” He added that while some menu items have shifted with changing tastes, the Inn’s loyal patrons have not. “We’ve also had regulars who have come three or four times a week, who have been doing so for 20 years.”
Staying current and relevant in an industry driven by constantly changing trends can be challenging. “The biggest challenge in the restaurant business tends to be the trends and fads,” Murphy said. “Although we’ve been able to stay steady, it’s kind of hard to figure out where people will go next, whether it be dietary, religious or physical.” The key to their continued success has been staying connected to their community of loyal customers and patrons. “You find out what your customers like and you adapt accordingly.”
Beyond food and entertainment, the Irish Inn is known for its community involvement. “It’s a very close-knit community”, Murphy said. “We’re very involved in the community. We do a lot for different schools and the Wounded Warrior [Project]. We just did stuff with the parades recently for the Fourth of July.” The restaurant also hosts family- and pet-friendly events, including their “Pups and Pints” dog adoption series. But it’s St. Patrick’s Day that draws the biggest crowds. “We usually have thousands of people on St. Patrick’s Day,” Murphy added. “We have to be part of the community and we enjoy doing that.”
What is now the Irish Inn at Glen Echo was built on the site of an old frame house owned by the Moxley family. In May 1930, the house burned down in a tragic fire that left almost nothing behind. The house was rebuilt as a tavern in 1931 at the end of Prohibition era. In 1944, Otto Kumfert purchased it and named it Otto’s Grill, yet would go on to sell it himself in 1964. It then became known as Trav’s, a roadhouse-type beer joint and hangout spot. The establishment, owned by Travis Butler at the time, eventually closed and was reopened as The Inn at Glen Echo from 1986 to 2002 before closing on New Year’s.
Christy Hughes, his wife Libby and his sister Margaret Martinez, purchased the building in April 2003. The Hughes family has a long history of ownership in the D.C. area, with previous establishments such as Ireland’s Four Provinces on Connecticut Avenue and another location of the same name located in Falls Church, Virginia. After a lengthy and much-needed renovation of the building, they reopened the restaurant under its current name, The Irish Inn at Glen Echo. Together with General Manager Barry Nolan and his Executive Chef Ted Hughes, the group has made the Inn one of the top 100 restaurants in the D.C. metro area, as voted by The Washington Post.
