4 /5 Afshin Afshar-Ghasemlou: Dont ask how, but this awesome family-owned and operated pub—a Marin staple that has its roots in Northern New Jersey—somehow managed to find its way across the continent and ended up right here in Novato, CA, where delicious tacos and potent 100% Agave tequila usually rule! The secret sauce is the Finnegan family, who brought a piece of the East Coast with them. The Novato location, which opened in 1985, is the oldest continually run pub in Marin, and the family connection runs even deeper. The original Finnegan’s, founded in 1978 in Hoboken, New Jersey, was opened by the grandfather of the current owners. Now thats what you call lineage! Judging from all the happy faces in the place, no one is complaining about this Jersey transplant! Years and years ago, when I lived in New Jersey, I visited the Hoboken location often, and I must say it was one of our favorite hangout spots.
Finnegans is the kind of place where happy hour wings and a crisp Cobb Salad perfectly pair with a couple of top-notch IPAs. My significant other went for the classic Fish n’ Chips—and I can attest that those chips are worth fighting over! We were happy as a couple of clams, even if I was the designated driver. If there had been a game on, I tell you, I would not have stopped at just two IPAs! It’s a pub built for staying awhile, steeped in local history, and still serving up that classic Finnegans hospitality from the minute they opened over 35 years ago on Grant Avenue.
