Customers and musicians cram into Craic House in central Seoul's Itaewon for St. Patrick's Day 2024. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

Craic House is celebrating its second anniversary this Saturday. A sports theme has been announced, with customers encouraged to dress in athletic gear.

This Irish pub is found on the second floor of a three-story building along Itaewon-ro, a little less than 150 meters from Itaewon Station exit 4. It's a spacious place with plenty of tables and even a small outdoor area.

Craic House is sandwiched between Troika and Marrakech, as seen in this 2022 photo. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

The space should be familiar to anyone who's frequented Itaewon over the past 20 years. Before Craic House, it was Route 66, a more American-themed version of basically the same business. Prior to that it was Dillinger's, and when I first visited it was home to Reggae Pub.

The transition from Route 66 to Craic House brought significant changes, and while the menu underwent a major transformation, it still serves pizza, wings and burgers. While Route 66 leaned more heavily on those U.S.-style offerings, Craic House has moved away from the American sports bar vibe, adding in some more Irish-style dishes, such as Guinness beef pie, bangers and mash and shepherd's pie. Good burgers and pizza are important, and Craic House still does those right, but where else are you going to get a shepherd's pie?

The shepherd's pie at Craic House, Sept. 29 / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

It also still serves brunch, which is available only on weekends until 6 p.m. During a recent visit on Wednesday, they were advertising a Rocky Road Brownie as well as tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. Of course, Craic House is also a bar, with a wide selection of beers, whiskies, cocktails and more. Yes there are pints of Guinness, plus premium Irish whisky like Teelings Single Malt and Red Breast 12y and 15y.

The bar at Craic House displays the phrase "Slainte Mhaith," or "Good Health" in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, a common drinking toast, Oct. 23. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

While Route 66 was good but kind of generic, Craic House has created something unforgettable ... unless you have too many of those Irish Coffees and start to lose your memory. It has become like a cultural center where enthusiasts of Irish music and sports congregate. On certain days, you might find an Irish band jamming in the corner or sports playing on the screen, including games like rugby or Irish football. And it's not too uncommon to run into the Irish ambassador there. All this is not to say it's unwelcoming to the non-Irish either — everyone is Irish here. It also is active in sponsoring various sports leagues, especially Seoul Gaels, the Gaelic football club in Seoul. As well, it collaborates with the Irish Association of Korea on a variety of events.

Craic House is open every day of the week except Monday. On weekdays it opens at 5 p.m. and stays open until at least midnight. On Saturdays and Sundays it opens earlier and closes later. Hours may vary, especially for special events. Follow @craichousekorea on Instagram for more information.