As we celebrate our 50-year anniversary, here's a look back on how we got from there to here.

It all started in 1975 at 4747 McPherson Avenue in St. Louis’s Central West End. Jack Brangle and Jon Dressel, two locals passionate about good food and even better conversation, opened Llywelyn’s with a simple vision: create a place where people could gather, share a meal, and connect. The pub was small and intimate, with just enough room for a few tables and a snug bar. The cooks’ line was next to the bar, so you could see your food being made while chatting with the bartender. It wasn’t polished, but it was real—and the eclectic crowd of writers, artists, academics, and locals who came for good pint and a welcoming place to spend their evening loved it.

In the late eighties, the adjacent property was acquired. A new kitchen was installed, and a dining room was added; the menu was expanded, and Llywelyn’s Pub could now offer a true restaurant setting along with the bar.

In 1997, the present ownership, led by Webster native Chris Marshall, acquired the Pub. The theme was expanded to include both Irish and Scottish selections and Llywelyn’s became known as a “Celtic” Pub. The menus were expanded, the décor and seating arrangements were changed, and the Pub re-opened in the Fall of 1997.

After three successful years, the demand for more seating drove Chris to expand into the second floor. A new full-service bar and seating for restaurant overflow and private parties were opened. Llywelyn’s Loft was an instant hit. Soon after, the parking lot in the rear of the Pub was converted into one of St. Louis’s most hidden and charming beer gardens with a full-service bar and a beautiful mural based on Thomas Guilroy, the famous Guinness beer artist.

Sadly, the location on McPherson is no more, but the feel and tradition live on in the remaining locations. We are proud of Llywelyn’s history of helping breathe life into one of St. Louis’s most iconic neighborhoods.

Landing in Webster and St. Charles

With new partners Scott Kemper and Brett Bennett onboard, Llywelyn’s embarked on its most ambitious project to date in 2003. A large old machine shop in historic Webster Groves was converted into the welcoming new Llywelyn’s Pub. The highlights are an amazingly carved Gaslight Square vintage bar and giant vaulted ceilings overlooking both spacious and cozy seating areas. The menu has been expanded to offer a greater Celtic and American fare selection. A few years later, we added a banquet room with a full-service bar; it is used for both parties and additional restaurant seating.

In 2010, Llywelyn's Pub opened its doors on Main Street in the beautiful Historic St. Charles. Located in the old National Bank building, the pub features seating in a stunning turn-of-the-century vault and an expansive patio overlooking the Missouri River.

If you made it this far, you love history.  Check out this story about Llywelyn's partner Chris Marshall and his journey from working his way from the back of the kitchen at 16 to the front of a truly successful restaurant.