Longtime Peoria pub and restaurant is expanding its brunch menu with new items, drinks
As the Peoria Riverfront Market prepares to open for the season, Kelleher's Irish Pub & Eatery has rolled out an expanded Saturday brunch menu.
Owner Sean Sullivan said the bustling downtown market inspired the restaurant to introduce brunch last year.
"We have a lot of (market visitors) that utilize our parking lot and then walk down there,” Sullivan said. “So, we figured, you know, might as well get some breakfast going for them.”
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When is brunch at Kelleher’s?
The brunch menu is available from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday. After 2 p.m., Sullivan said customers will find the restaurant’s regular menu.
What is on the brunch menu?
When Kelleher’s introduced brunch last year, Sullivan said customers could find the entire regular menu plus breakfast items. He said the brunch menu now includes breakfast and a pared down selection of lunch items “to make things a little more streamlined and smooth.”
In recent weeks, the downtown restaurant expanded its breakfast offerings. New dishes on the menu include:
Avocado toast for $11. Sullivan said, “it’s a huge thing right now,” and said the restaurant plans to introduce variations of the toast in the future.
French toast: Customers can find a stuffed strawberry French toast for $13 and a caramel banana pecan French toast for $14.
Irish Benedict for $14 – which is served on a biscuit. “I had that last Saturday,” owner Pat Sullivan said. “It was delicious.”
Breakfast burrito for $14. The burrito includes bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and hashbrowns and features a side of salsa.
Sean Sullivan said he expects the new dishes to remain on the brunch menu even after the farmers market ends. He said, as the season continues, Kelleher’s will add to the selection.
“We always have something we want to add, and (we’ve) got a little bit more room on the menu here to do that,” he said.
Other popular breakfast and lunch items on the menu include:
Mo’s breakfast casserole – which was created by Sean Sullivan’s wife. The dish features hashbrowns, sausage, cheese, onions and peppers and is served with two eggs. “That's one of our biggest selling (dishes) and it’s really tasty,” he said.
Turkey avocado club, which is served on a toasted pretzel bun. The sandwich includes an avocado spread, a pesto aioli, turkey, bacon, provolone and tomato.
Shepherd’s pie
Fish and chips
During brunch, Pat and Sean Sullivan said customers will also find build-your-own Bloody Mary, screwdriver and “Mc’Mosa” drinks − which are mimosas with an "Irish twist" to the name, according to Pat Sullivan.
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Is outdoor seating available?
Pat Sullivan said Kelleher’s can seat around 30 people in its outdoor area. The patio will remain open as long as the weather is nice, and Sean Sullivan said the business plans to offer live acoustic music for guests to enjoy.
“You can eat and listen to some music – some live music – in the morning,” Sean Sullivan said. “Most people do live music at night, but we also want to draw that brunch crowd in here.”
Connect with Kelleher's Irish Pub & Eatery
Address: 619 Southwest Water St., Peoria
Phone: (309) 673-6000
Website: https://www.kellehersonwater.com/
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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria restaurant expands brunch menu ahead of farmers market
