Irish pubs in Queens aren’t exactly rare, but familial hospitality and tradition are. Just off of busy Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, you’ll find The Irish Cottage, an oasis for good drinks, great food, and even better people.

Kathleen McNulty, 79 of Donegal, Ireland first met her late husband and original owner, Danny McNulty in the Cottage during its early days and has been running it since.

Originally the Airline Pub stood in place of The Irish Cottage and was a hub for weary airline crew members during Pan Am’s glory days. One night in 1960 when Danny McNulty was out drinking with his friends, he stumbled into the Airline Pub and asked if the owner was looking to sell. The next morning, he woke up vaguely recognizant that he was now a business owner.

Kathleen had work laid out for her when she took over as the new main owner after working as a stay-at-home mother. A female running a pub at that time would prove to be a struggle. Kathleen’s son, Danny recalls being just five years old and watching a mobster throw his mother up against the bar walls for turning down “sanitation services.” Clearly, he was messing with the wrong woman because Kathleen sharply replied with, “Many a man have pushed me up against a wall, but never through it.” It’s safe to say that he got the message.

The Cottage radiates warmth and a strange sense of familiarity with the wooden walls adorned with mementos, photographs, and paintings of old Ireland. Sitting at one of its booths or at the bar you’ll usually find regular customers like Mike Mancino, 52 who’s a lifelong family friend.

While the Cottage has a number of beers on tap and a wide selection of liquors, they also serve delicious Irish specialties like shepherd’s pie, bangers & mash, and Irish soda bread to name a few. Their head chef, Roy has even been with them for 35 years.

Roy isn’t the only loyal staff member. McNulty boasts that she has other employees who’ve been working for a while and that some of them even hail from Ireland like herself, adding to the pub’s authenticity.