Wilde Irish Pub: Local Roots, Irish Spirit

A great local restaurant can become more than a place to grab a meal. It can be where friends meet after work, families celebrate milestones, and a regular Wednesday night turns into a memorable evening. That sense of connection is what Jim and Nikki hoped to create when they opened Wilde Irish Pub in downtown Shelton.

From the beginning, their vision was to build a welcoming gathering place centered around good food, handcrafted drinks, Irish hospitality, and plenty of personality. Shelton is home for both of them, and creating a place where people could walk through the door and feel welcome was an important part of what they wanted Wilde to be.

That connection continues to shape the way Jim and Nikki approach owning a business in Shelton. The pub employs local people, celebrates the talents of its team, and welcomes familiar faces through its doors. For the owners, being part of the local business community also means having the opportunity to invest in the community that has supported them.

The menu at Wilde offers a mix of Irish favorites, seafood, and other dishes made with care. Seafood options include shrimp, scallops, and salmon, while fresh lobster bisque and homemade lobster eggrolls offer something a little different. Guests can also enjoy hearty shareable boards, handcrafted cocktails and mocktails, rotating desserts, and seasonal creations.

Weekend breakfast and brunch gives guests another reason to visit. Wilde serves brunch Saturday and Sunday from 8:00a to noon, offering familiar breakfast favorites and drinks to start the weekend. When the weather cooperates, guests can also enjoy the pub’s rooftop patio, while their iconic Alibi Room provides space for gatherings. Special events and new menu offerings throughout the year give guests even more reasons to return.

Wilde has also become involved in the local business community through community events, charitable causes, and efforts to promote other local businesses. Jim and Nikki enjoy providing a place where local organizations and community members can gather.

That involvement has brought recognition from the community as well. Wilde was honored with the Chamber’s Rookie of the Year award in 2023, recognizing the business and its early contributions to the local business community. More recently, the pub took home the Golden Fork at the 2026 Expo & Bite of Mason County. For the Wilde team, the award was especially meaningful because it came from the community they serve and recognized the hard work and creativity that goes into their food.

Local restaurants play an important role in the communities where they operate. Restaurants create jobs, support local families, and contribute to the local economy, but they also give people a place to meet, celebrate, reconnect, or simply enjoy a meal after a long day. They become part of the everyday life of a community and help give a town its character.

For Wilde, that means being a locally owned restaurant is about more than serving food. A meal purchased from a local restaurant helps support employees, families, vendors, community events, and other local businesses. Keeping more dollars in Mason County helps support the people and businesses that make up the community.

Wilde is proud of the team it has built and the atmosphere it has created. Whether guests are stopping in for dinner, meeting friends for drinks, enjoying weekend brunch, or celebrating a special occasion, the goal remains the same: to make everyone who walks through the door feel welcome.

As Wilde continues to be part of Shelton’s downtown business community, the pub remains focused on good food, Irish hospitality, and creating a place where people want to gather. With seasonal creations, new menu offerings, weekend brunch, the rooftop patio, and the Alibi Room, there are plenty of ways to experience what Wilde has to offer while supporting a locally owned business in the community it calls home.