Everything Evanston: The Celtic Knot brews community on Central Street

Lily Ogburn, Senior Staffer

June 25, 2025

The Daily Northwestern · Everything Evanston: The Celtic Knot brews community on Central Street

In this episode, The Daily reports on The Celtic Knot, Evanston’s very own Irish pub, and its triumphant return after the pandemic.

[AMBI – OUTSIDE CELTIC KNOT]

LILY OGBURN: If you’re entering Celtic Knot Public House on Central Street, you might notice a green sticker outside the door that reads, “Everyone has a story.” This message is at the heart of the Irish pub.

LIZ BARTLOW BRESLIN: So, the idea of storytelling is central to a pub but even more so is the idea of remembering that everybody has a story, you know.

LILY OGBURN: That was Liz Bartlow Breslin, who co-owns and manages the Celtic Knot with her husband Patrick Breslin. The two have operated the pub for over 18 years.

[AMBI — PUB BUSTLING]

[music]

LILY OGBURN: From The Daily Northwestern, I’m Lily Ogburn. This is Everything Evanston, a podcast covering all things Evanston.

While the Celtic Knot is a bustling neighborhood spot now, Liz and Patrick and their staff faced serious challenges to keep the community haven open. The Celtic Knot was once located on Church Street, before the pandemic led Liz and Patrick to close their pub.

LIZ BARTLOW BRESLIN: We immediately went to takeout and delivery. It went to about 10% of what our regular sales were.

LILY OGBURN: But the Evanston community wasn’t willing to let go of the Celtic Knot. People rallied around the pub and begged the owners to keep it going.

LIZ BARTLOW BRESLIN: We announced about a week before we officially closed, and it was unbelievable.

PATRICK BRESLIN: It was like a wedding and a wake and a confirmation and a birthday party all, all rolled into one.

LIZ BARTLOW BRESLIN: People were crying…

LILY OGBURN: So, Patrick and Liz got to work. They found their current location on Central Street about six months after they closed. The community channelled their passion into supporting the owners’ GoFundMe, which raised over $36,000 for renovations.

LIZ BARTLOW BRESLIN: We would not be here if it weren’t for the generosity and the support of the community.

LILY OGBURN: The Celtic Knot reopened on December 12 to a line down the street, with much of the same staff running the pub.

[AMBI – LIVE MUSIC]

LIZ BARTLOW BRESLIN: The day we opened, people were like standing outside, there’s no way to explain how much that means to us. You know, I could have cried right now talking about it. I really could.

LILY OGBURN: The Celtic Knot is back to being the perfect homey pub to enjoy a glistening Guinness, some fish and chips, live music, and of course, storytelling.

LIZ BARTLOW BRESLIN: That’s always the best thing when you see somebody come in and sit at the bar and then somebody else comes in and sits a couple of chairs down and then they end up talking to each other and having this whole conversation.

PATRICK BRESLIN: Everybody’s an individual. Everybody’s got their own story.

LILY OGBURN: Patrick and Liz said they want the pub to be more than a restaurant – they want it to provide a welcoming community gathering place. The outpouring of support for the pub shows that it’s doing just that.

[music]

LILY OGBURN: From The Daily Northwestern, I’m Lily Ogburn.

Thanks for listening to another episode of Everything Evanston. This episode was reported and produced by Lily Ogburn.

The Audio Editor is Isabella Jacob. The Multimedia Managing Editor is Sarah Serota. The Editor in Chief is David Samson.
Our theme music is “Revolution” by Xennial used under a 4.0 International License.

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Email: [email protected]
X: @LilyOgburn