Restaurateurs Joseph Gilbert and John Robinson needed a name for the new restaurant they planned to open in the Country Club Plaza of Kansas City, Missouri. To make the job easy, they kept the name of the location's previous tenant—a clothing store called Houlihan's Mens Wear—and opened Houlihan's Old Place in 1972. This was at the time when T.G.I. Friday's was popularizing casual dining, so the concept was an instant hit. That early success led to more Houlihan's opening in other states, and another multi-million dollar chain was born. The Houli Fruit Fizz is a simple blend of fruit juices and Sprite that can be served with a meal or enjoyed on its own. This drink is one of Houlihan's own classic, signature recipes.
Menu Description: "Jumbo mushroom caps filled with herb and garlic cheese, lightly battered and fried. Served with zesty horseradish and mustard dip made with Grey Poupon."
In a March 1986 story which ran in the Kansas City Times, a feud erupted between Gilbert/Robinson, the parent company of Houlihan's restaurant at the time, and two guys building their own chain of bars called Mike Houlihan's. The president of the Houlihan's chain, Fred Hipp, said that at first Houlihan's didn't mind so much, asking kindly that the name not be used. But when Mike Heyer and John Houlihan opened a Mike Houlihan's in St. Louis only a few blocks away from an original Houlihan's restaurant, Fred saw no choice but to sue. Soon, residents with the surname were writing to Fred urging him to drop the lawsuit. "You'll feel better, thirteen hundred Houlihans will beel better, and two Irishmen will have $50,000 to buy more Irish whiskey," said one letter.
Here's another Houlihan's classic recipe called "Shrooms"—cheese-filled, batter-fried mushrooms served piping hot. You have the choice of making the herb-flavored cheese filling from the recipe here, or if you're feeling especially lazy, you can buy a similar premade filling. Be careful when you first bite into these dudes. Straight out of the fryer, the hot cheese filling is like molten lava on your tongue and lips. Consume with care.