BILLINGS — The outside of one of Billings' newest restaurants doesn't reveal just how engaging the atmosphere inside is, but the moment the doors of MadHouse Gastropub open, the uniqueness is revealed.
From mismatching chairs to different sculptures, paintings, lighting and wall textures, the decor combined with the upscale comfort food make for a memorable outing.
MadHouse Gastropub, at 926 Grand Ave., has been in the works for a few years and just opened a month ago. The owner, Janelle Crowley, said the name perfectly described how it felt to create a restaurant in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We bought the building before COVID when Grains of Montana closed, and we kind of transitioned into realizing that this area of town needed another restaurant,” Crowley said on Wednesday. “It really is just all very unique.”
The process of creating the restaurant was a family effort.
Crowley's son, Keagan Crowley, was the head contractor for the restaurant construction. He got a jump start in the industry at a young age with this job.
“So, I actually got started on this about two years ago when I was in high school. I’m 20 now, I was 18 then,” he said. “Every single wall you look at is something totally different.”
The interior designer, Ann Jackson, was the mind behind each unique detail. Even the bathrooms have special touches.
“I gave (Crowley) the name, with the design and it stuck,” Jackson said. “You don’t necessarily see every detail the first time that you’re through.”
Another piece of the family puzzle is Jackson's daughter, is the executive chef and general manager of MadHouse Gastropub.
Caroline Replogle curated the entire menu of "upscale comfort food," such as mac and cheese or pizza elevated. The pub has 31 beers on tap
“When you have something in your head for so long, you never know how the public is going to respond to it and we’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response. So, it’s been really nice being able to feed people,” Replogle said.
