Restaurant Spotlight: Irish Fare at Finnegan's Marin

Finnegan's was created by restaurateur Henry Hautau who co-owned the Kitchen restaurant on Grand Avenue. He owns Finnegan's Marin but spends his days between popping into the restauant daily and selling properties for Bradley Real Estate. He modeled the restaurant based on his grandfather's bar and restaurant in New Jersey where Hautau is from. “We replicated the feel that my grandfather opened in New Jersey,” he said.

“This (building) was a bar for 60 year years, it was the A Bit of Honey for 30 years and before that it was Carl's Club for 30 years. We came in and really upped the game and put a kitchen in,” Hautau said.

Hautau explains that, “we're first and foremost a family friendly gathering spot in downtown Novato, we sponsor all the sports leagues, the schools and our menu is far better than the average Irish pub.”

He says they sponsor many of the sports teams in Novato, little league Novato youth football and youth soccer. The father of two coaches youth football and soccer.

Some items offered for lunch and dinner include flat bread pizzas, cornbeef, Shepherd's Pie, fish and chips ribs and steaks. They offer a variety of hamburgers that have been voted Best iIn Marin both from readers of Novato Patch.com and from the Marin IJ.

Six months ago Finnegan's hired a new chef Derek who Hautau says is bringing a whole other crowd in the evening. On a Friday afternoon there were workers having lunch. The atmosphere was quiet TVs in the bar showed golf.

“We try to bring the families in during the day and bring the parents back at night for our lively entertainment. Live music, trivia, bar bingo,” Hautau said. He says the will start live music on Sunday nights as well as featuring kids eat free on Sunday nights. For the month of January they are offering kids a chance to enter a drawing for kid's eat free for a year contest.

Finnegan's Marin is at 877 Grant Avenue, Novato

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