When was the last time you had a drink at Mike's Tavern?
On a rainy, muggy afternoon, I caught up with Brookside native and Mike's proprietor, Kurt Wirken. To the sounds of old Irish drinking songs, we talked about the neighborhood and his east side bar.
What kind of bar is Mike's?
I call it a neighborhood bar.
We've got a couple colleges in the neighborhood. For years and years,
it's just been a spot over here on the east side of town.
Which night is the busiest here?
A
lot of times, it depends on the music. The weekends are busier than the
weekdays. I'd say Friday night. When we've got a good band in here on
Friday night, that's when we really get rockin'.
What are some other cool places on Troost?
G's
Jamaican Cuisine and B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ, a few blocks off of Holmes
and if you go north, Martini Corner is not too far off of Troost. Mad
Jack's is a great place to go for soul food. Good fish.
How do you want Mike's to fit into the music scene, neighborhood or the community?
Sometimes,
I feel we are running more of a community center more than a bar. The
music scene, we let it all happen pretty organically. Most everyone
that plays here has some kind of connection whether it's through the
neighborhood, familial or patronage of some kind. Just letting it be
what it is, it does pretty well in the greater scheme of things.
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Hi Kurt,
I went to Lillis High School with Mike Renner and remember Mike's Tavern well. Many of Mike's high school friends as well as those of his brother Richard spent a lot of time At Mike's Tavern way back when. We graduated from Lillis in 1952 so it was a really good way of catching up with many of our old classmates. I have some very found memories of Mike's Tavern. As you probably know Mike and Richard Renner were raised in that neighborhood and after leaving Mike's Tavern they opened a Bar & Grill on State Line Road. I live in Springfield now but the next time I get up to K.C. I will drop in and say hello. I visited with Mike several years ago when I made a trip to K.C., it was really nice to see him again.
Rich Johnson
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