By Dylan Lightfoot
The Granville Inn was once a gloomy dive haunted by a few Brandeis law students and a handful of neighborhood regulars. Now, on any given night, the Old Louisville staple plays host to a vibrant college bar scene, offering four-star pub food and an array of premium draft brews to University of Louisville students and faculty. The regulars still come in, too.
Located at the corner of Third and Gaulbert, the Granville started life as a soda fountain in the 1920s. It morphed into a bar 40 years later — an uninviting, windowless bar devoid of curb appeal.
All that changed when proprietor Skip McGuirk gave the “cold-looking building” a face lift a couple of years ago, replacing the tomb-like brick facade with broad storefront windows.
“A lot of people didn’t know there was a bar there,” said McGuirk. “When I opened it up, it really changed my clientele.”
Edward (last name not provided), a bartender at the Granville for three years and a 1998 U of L alumnus, agreed. “Since the renovations, [the Granville] appeals to most everyone.”
“The great thing about this place is that it’s the best mix of people you’d ever want to see,” he added.
The Granville features a glass block bar, eight flat-screen TVs, plentiful table seating and a full complement of amenities, including video games, vending machines, an ATM and a pool table.
Atmosphere in the joint is a pleasant blend of neighborhood tavern and collegiate sports bar. David, a non-traditional junior, commented he has “never encountered a bar with more team spirit.”
Hank Jr.’s “Family Tradition” played in the background as patrons described the Granville as a “Louisville institution.” The bar bustled, full of students, faculty, alumni and neighborhood regulars. A number of international students were there, as well.
Noah, a U of L senior, said his lab groups sometimes come down to the Granville to socialize. “There’s been nights when half the Psychology Department has been in here,” he said.
But what keeps patrons pouring in is the grub.
“The pizza is really, really good, and it’s really cheap,” Noah said. The menu is good pub fare — nothing fancy. It’s a good place to come for burgers, too, and a lot of people recommend the peanut butter and jelly on toast. On that note, the Granville is also open for lunch. And, the bar’s health department “A” rating is prominently displayed in the front window, so there are no worries there.
The beer list isn’t too shabby, with 12 on tap including Guinness, Blue Moon, Bass, Sierra Nevada and Newcastle Brown Ale.
Pinakin, an international post-doc, said the Granville is the first bar he went to when he came to the United States. “My professor believed this bar had character,” he said, “but they have the worst toilets I have ever seen. … It’s unbelievable.”
The bathrooms — one toilet per gender — frighten many people. Make sure to go before you get to the bar, and you might want get drunk enough not to care if you use the ones there.
But about the bathrooms. McGuirk is putting in new ones after Derby. “The bathrooms take a beating,” he noted.
McGuirk also plans to expand the menu and add some nostalgia to the place. Oh, and, “I’m not into cover charges,” he said, so don’t look for those any time soon.
It’s a tight ship around the Granville under the eye of McGuirk. He owned several bars in South Carolina, and his father owned the Granville. He certainly knows what he’s doing.
McGuirk preaches that “the clients make the bar,” so he caters to his clientele — students, alumni and faculty who welcome fresh faces.
