Indianapolis Irish…the Real Deal

On March 1st, 1934, County Donegal, Ireland, immigrants John and Ann McGinley officially opened the Golden Ace Inn. Since that time, the Golden Ace has been owned and operated by the McGinley family, thus making it one of the oldest family owned pubs in the United States and the oldest Irish pub in Indianapolis.

From its first day, the McGinley family has taken tremendous pride in their pub. The Golden Ace Inn has always been a staple for the Irish community in Indianapolis and recently, other people have started to take notice too. Last year McGinleys’ Golden Ace Inn was named one of the one of the top 21 Irish pubs in the U.S. by Thrillist and this year was called by Crowdtrips the #5 Irish Pubs in America. and named one of the top 8 St. Patrick’s Celebrations in the world! It has also recently been featured in the documentary “Movers & Shakers: Stories Along the National Road” and was voted “Best Neighborhood Bar in Indy”. One of the unique aspects of McGinleys’ Golden Ace is its’ live Irish music. Original owner, John McGinley played the concertina and would gather a few local Irish musicians into the Golden Ace for a session. To date, the Golden Ace has expanded its Irish entertainment and brought in some of the best Irish musicians throughout the world, including Carmel Quinn, Paddy Reilly, Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones, The Dublin City Ramblers, The Mickey Finns, and Brigid’s Cross to name a few. Additionally, every Tuesday night there is an Irish music session , much like what you would find in an Irish pub across the pond. Irish music isn’t the only thing McGinleys’ Golden Ace is known for.

Their delicious cheeseburgers have received rave reviews in the Indianapolis Star Newspaper and Indianapolis Monthly Magazine, declaring Golden Ace cheeseburgers tops in Indianapolis. Pub trivia is also a crowd favorite at McGinleys’ Golden Ace. First formed almost 25 years ago, this intense trivia game has seen a few former Jeopardy contestants and also been featured in local magazines. No other day though quite compares to March 17th at McGinleys’ Golden Ace Inn. It’s considered the oldest continuous St. Patrick’s Day pub celebration in the United States. A large tent is erected in the parking lot as the Indianapolis Irish community returns to their old neighborhood. Great Irish musicians are chosen throughout the U.S. and Ireland to perform for the festive crowd who clap, stomp and sing along to the wonderful Irish music while corned beef and those famous cheeseburgers are crowd favorites for the hungry packs of patrons. Whether it be stopping in for a night of live Irish music, lunch for our cheeseburgers, or a few drinks after work with friends, McGinleys’ Golden Ace Inn is something unique, something different than your average bar. Ironically, what makes us different is the same things we’ve been doing since 1934.