Wheelhouse Craft Pub and Kitchen is set to open next week in place of Maddy’s Rib Joint in Decatur, at 1479 Scott Blvd., the Atlanta-Journal Constitution (AJC) Wednesday first reported. Meehan’s Public House Partner Ian Macken is behind Wheelhouse alongside the restaurateur’s wife Kathryn. Ian’s brother Robert Macken and sister-in-law Stefanie Oughton are also owners in the new venture, set to debut on Monday, August 31.
Wheelhouse received its permitting last year and was originally aiming to open at the start of 2020 finally filling the Maddy’s space which has sat vacant since 2011. At one point Fox Bros. BBQ was looking at opening a restaurant in the long-vacant space, even announcing its intention via a press release. It’s unclear why Fox Bros. never came to fruition but now the building, which dates back to the 1950s with longtime resident Old Hickory Inn BBQ, will soon offer an “authentic casual experience inspiring connections and conversations” with Wheelhouse.
Don’t expect “over-the-top Irish influences,” Macken told the AJC, saying Wheelhouse will offer a “thread of Irish.” The menu, while still in the works, will open with options like “Macken Cheese Balls,” a Chopped Wedge Salad, a Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich, and Guinness Beef Stew. The “living room with a bar” that is “is nicer than your typical pub” features a 16-tap draft system that will rotate out local and regional beers. There will also be wine and cocktails.
Speaking of alcohol, the Wheelhouse will be good and stocked by its opening next week, having gotten its first delivery Tuesday from What Now Atlanta Partner Georgia Crown Distributing Co., the restaurant wrote on its Facebook page.
While hours will adjust with demand, for now, Wheelhouse will operate from noon to midnight daily for dine-in and to-go.
