O’Reilly’s Irish Bar at 301 W. Jefferson Blvd. is no more. A small sign on the front entrance announced its closing last week, but it was not immediately clear what prompted the closing.
You may recall that when The Harrison project — the building that houses the restaurant — next to Parkview Field was announced in 2011, O’Reilly’s was one of the first businesses to commit to the space.
However, the space will likely have a new occupant once the TinCaps kick their season off. Los Patios Mexican Restaurant plans to open before the end of March.
The chain has a handful of locations in central Indiana, including Indianapolis, Plainfield, Brownsburg, Danville, Carmel, and Mooresville.
With the motto “Love at First Bite,” Los Patios’ Facebook page promises delicious, authentic dishes crafted in Mexican tradition, right down to the stone mortar containers that hold the dishes — especially their Molcajete de Mariscos menu of caldo de res, mojarra frita, chapuzón, camarones al gusto, empanadas de camarón, piña rellena, fusion meats, and seafood.
Taphouse opening up in former Billy’s Dugout
Packard Taphouse, 3401 Fairfield Ave., is projected to open sometime this spring across from Wunderkammer Company.
The space was the former site of Billy’s Dugout and before that Bob’s Inn and Bakery. It’s got more than a century of Fort Wayne stories and memories.
It’s undergoing renovations but will feature nearly two dozen drafts served on a rotating basis, plus wine.
The structure once housed a grocery store for workers at the Packard Piano factory and was the home of Bob’s Inn and Bakery. Its owner, Harry Greiner, was manager of the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Billy’s Dugout was a popular sports bar that was a frequent stopover for teams, spectators, and others who played at Packard Park.
Get order in for SCAN’s Brown Bag Lunch
The 39th annual SCAN Brown Bag Lunch is coming up Wednesday, March 6, where the price of your meal aids children and families.
This year’s provider will once again be Casa Ristoranti Italiano. The Insalata Casaburo is $8, and pasta and meatballs with a salad are $10. There are also family-style meals, salad trays, and pans of meatballs.
SCAN’s goal is to reach $39,000 to support mission to protect children, prepare parents, strengthen family, and educate the community to Stop Child Abuse and Neglect.
When you order your meal by Friday, March 1, at scanfw.org/brown-bag-lunch, the food will be available for pickup at The Summit, 1025 W. Rudisill Blvd., from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on March 6. Delivery is also available.
United Way kicks off annual food drive
The United Way of Allen County has kicked off their fourth annual community food drive. The effort will help stock food banks for the Associated Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Community Harvest, and Miss Virginia’s Food Pantry.
Food donations can be dropped off at any participating Starbucks (unitedwayallencounty.org/food-drive).
United Way has teamed up with nearly three dozen organizations to collect food at 96 collection bins around the community. In 2023, the they tallied more than 5,000 thousand pounds of food.
Need donations are canned meat or protein, peanut butter, canned beans, boxed dinners, rice, pasta, and cereal. These items must be unopened, nonperishable, not homemade, not expired, and not in glass containers. You can also make a monetary donation to the Community Food Drive by visiting unitedwayallencounty.org/food-drive or texting FOOD24 to 41444.
The Stand to start serving ice cream March 5
Just like Groundhog Day is a sign that spring is right around the corner, here’s another happy reminder — ice cream is coming soon.
The Stand, 5200 Bluffton Road, announced that it will open for the season at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 5.
Chili’s closes Coliseum location
Chili’s corporate offices have confirmed the restaurant at 317 Coliseum Blvd. E. is closed.
No specifics were given for the closure.
With the Fort Wayne closure, the nearest Chili’s locations are in Muncie and Goshen.
Off the Eaten Path is the Whatzup weekly column that covers Northeast Indiana’s restaurant and food news. Send your news items to info@whatzup.com.
