The Walsh Hotel & Tap Room

"The Walsh is a Mexican fire opal locked away in a drawer full of make-believe historical documents, a true hidden gem! Highly recommend investigating it. Been there just once but I’m always impressed with the bartenders, everyone is very energetic and simpatico. One barkeep twisted herself into a Walsh Pub Pretzel and said they’ve “technically” been open since 1862, but only if you count those former tap rooms that operated out of an entirely different building that once stood on the same Walsh site before 1904. Amateur historian logic doesn’t get much perfect-er than that! A friend urged me to “Remember The Walsh” and told me their world famous wings are to lay down your arms and die for! I’ve had Duff’s, Anchor Bar, Bugscuffle Inn etc and never thought Medina could fly higher with better wings. Sombreros off to them!! Will be singing the praises of their pollo wings to everyone I meet as I was NOT disappointed. Had a rio… really grande experience at this taberna local original. Honestly I wasn’t expecting much, but this place is the best cantina between Medina and the Mexican border by far. Super fun vibe here: had beer/wings special 1st then darts+shuffleboard! The Walsh’s bantering bartenders work hard and offer a superb level of service that rivals licensed drinking establishments throughout Orleans county. My amigos and I all agree: food, service, atmosphere and cerveza selection are 5.25 stars fer sure. And like that great Beatles song, The Walsh is open when they say they are: 8 days a week!! WILL BE BACK! Big shout out to all the south of the border reviewers here: Roberto, Pepe, Maria, Anne, Startup and Anallancy! It’s strange that so many of you are caravanning north to visit Medina to write 5 star reviews of The Walsh when most of your previous reviews are of Mexico-based businesses written in Spanish. But I must say, your English is PERFECTA!"

"Different set up and vibe. They have shuffleboard and darts. The pretzels were absolutely amazing! Clean bathrooms. Michelle was a great bartender!"

"The Walsh has held the mantle of Medina’s preeminent public house since its opening in 1904 for good reason. Within The Walsh’s welcoming walls you’ll feel a genuine sense of belonging. The Walsh’s south side Tap Room and her spacious Banquet Hall just across the center hallway are storied stomping grounds with real soul and character. The Banquet Hall’s fair rates trump Medina’s other bookable event spaces. The heart of this beloved local institution remains the friendship, community and lively conversation one finds here. “Babe Ruth drank here before You were born.” I always try to stop in when visiting family and friends in Medina, my hometown. The Tap Room has a classic pub menu and a full bar, which includes a nicely curated selection of draft beers with regular rotations. I’ll start with a pint of the latest seasonal and a side of The Walsh’s self-proclaimed famous wings. The wings ARE really tasty, flavorfully seasoned and with all their delicious fatty juices sealed perfectly inside the textured skin. They’re actually the very best wings I’ve ever had in the area, so all their marketing fuss rings true. The Tap Room’s tournament size shuffleboard table can draw a crowd, boosting the fun vibe inside. The friendly bartenders and staff do a fantastic job running the place. From 1862 on, a smaller predecessor railroad hotel building on The Walsh’s 525 West Ave site housed previous Tap Room operations. Each of those bygone era Tap Rooms surely took on and carried the torch as Medina’s preeminent public house in their day. In 1904, that torch passed to The Walsh, her Tap Room and Banquet Hall. In her right beacon-hand she has held it high for the longest stretch of all. In 1920, 25-year old Babe Ruth tossed back a few in the Tap Room and spent the night in one of The Walsh’s upstairs lodging rooms. A large photo of Ruth in the Yankees dugout hangs in the Tap Room and is emblazoned with that classic quote from above, with the capitalized “You” underlined for emphasis. Detailed and entertaining accounts by the Orleans County Historian & others about the Sultan of Swat’s visit to play in a local baseball game can be found online. The Walsh is an iconic landmark, a shining beacon by the tracks. This cherished tavern is a worthwhile stop for railroad enthusiasts, history buffs and all those simply seeking fellowship and a great good place to gather. Walsh History 101: Medina’s inaugural railroad hotel at 525 West Ave, the Clark House, was modest in size (see “Uploaded Photos Notes” below). Aaron Clark likely completed construction in 1862, within a year or so of obtaining a hotel license in July 1861 (see “Source Note” below). While the railroad itself came through town in 1852, absolutely no evidence exists to support any other railroad-adjacent hotels ever being built on any other site in Medina before or after 1862. The Clark House, which benefited from slowly increasing passenger rail traffic over its run, was sold in 1884 to Frank Sloat. In 1904, Eugene Walsh bought Clark’s original railroad hotel building from the last hotelier to run it. Walsh was very enterprising and ambitiously built over that existing building, expanding its footprint and height to provide for a total of 38 lodging rooms. The transformed building began operating as the Walsh House that same year, 1904. Some 120 years have since passed and The Walsh has had several additional owners, including a very recent former owner who oversaw a painstaking three-year restoration completed in 2022. --- Source Note: A record of Aaron Clark’s hotel license can be found in The Medina Tribune, July 11, 1861, pg 3 col 3. Source: NYS Historic Newspapers. Uploaded Photos Notes: 1) Medina 1880 map close-up photo shows hand-drawn, 2-story high Clark House by railroad on West St (actually West Ave but mislabeled by mapmakers). Eugene Walsh built over & absorbed that original smaller railroad hotel building into his 3-story Walsh Hotel in 1904. 2) Tap Room photo is late 2021 restoration stage. No special lens used. Provides true perspective on size/depth."

"The Walsh is our go to when looking for good drinks, as well as a good time! ☺️ the shuffle board is a plus as well!"

"New Year’s Eve party was the best around. The Walsh definitely was the favorite for our group. We also love that they are the only bar / restaurant open 7 days a week and actually are open when they say they are!!"