Hot and new can steal the spotlight, but what about longstanding local favorites? Over the months to come, we’ll visit a Richmond-area restaurant that has been in business 15 years or longer.
Rare Olde Times (Photo by Jay Paul)
A pub is a special kind of establishment, a relaxed restaurant-bar hybrid that exudes comfort and puts people at ease. It’s where regulars are revered, new faces are welcomed and bartenders pour the perfect pint.
That’s exactly the type of space late owner and Dublin native Andy Jennings and his wife, Cindy, aimed for when they opened Rare Olde Times in 1994. On March 1, the longstanding neighborhood pub at 10602 Patterson Ave. marks 30 years of Irish fare, live music and memories.
“We’ve kept it local, and I think people really appreciate that,” says current co-owner Rob Mercurio. “People coming into the pub are usually bringing a friend, like, ‘Let me introduce you to my local place.’”
Mercurio started as a bartender and manager nearly 20 years ago, then stepped into the ownership role in 2017 along with Steve Diehl. And while there have been changes over the years, patrons can rely on a few mainstays, including expertly fried fish and chips, traditional Irish breakfast, and a familiar cast of characters.
Among those characters are music manager, bartender, pub historian, culture concierge and Dublin transplant Michele Gomes, who has been at the pub since 1994; general manager and chef Mel; and Barry Morris, trivia host from 2008 to 2020, who now runs the Monday Open Mic Night.
“We are community guided and grateful that so many have left their mark on the pub,” Mercurio says. “Everybody I talked to that has been to Rare Olde Times has a strong memory of it. If you’re looking for a staple, I would say it’s the atmosphere and the regulars. Everything else has been there, but it’s just improving.”
