Around The Bend: Corby's Irish Pub
On this episode of Around The Bend, we're visiting an iconic Irish Pub in downtown South Bend. Iconic for Irish fans, Notre Dame legends, and even Hollywood. Corby's Irish Pub is a legend itself.
Join as we uncover the stories of the bar that became famous, and earned it's name through its role in Rudy.
Located just steps from the University of Notre Dame, Corby’s has been a gathering place for students, alumni, locals and visitors for generations, bringing people together over great pizza, cold drinks and plenty of Irish-inspired atmosphere.
But Corby’s is more than a familiar stop on game day. With its storied history, unmistakable character and place in South Bend’s social scene, there’s a story around nearly every corner.
Around The Bend takes a deeper look into the stories of beloved favorites and hidden gems throughout St. Joseph County that make this place unforgettable. These places we cherish didn’t just appear—they were built with passion, purpose, and stories worth telling.
From Irish Nights to Hollywood Lights
When does a place become an icon? When it becomes a must-visit spot in town? Is it when local legends come to visit? When Hollywood comes knocking for a filming location? Maybe it’s all the above.
Corby’s Irish Pub in the heart of downtown South Bend has certainly become an icon for locals, visitors and Notre Dame fans alike. Anyone who has seen the movie Rudy has seen the inside of this pub. But it wasn’t always the Corby’s we know today.
Joe Mittiga’s father, Rosario "Ross" Mittiga purchased the Cap and Cork Lounge back in 1988. While having the reputation of being a “rough bar” then, his father cleaned it up to attract more students and a younger crowd. Locals took notice, and soon Hollywood did too while TriStar Pictures was staying at the Marriott downtown (now DoubleTree by Hilton).
“Thank God there was a lady working at the front desk over there who liked my dad…The director and the producer and the scouting people from L.A. were here, and they had asked her, ‘Hey, is there a bar close by that you know has kind of a character to it, and we could film some scenes?’ And she's like, ‘Oh, go talk to Ross, (my dad), at Captain Cork,’ and they came down and they filmed a few scenes for the movie Rudy here in November of '92, and we've been Corby's ever since,” shared Mittiga.
The scenes were meant to portray the original Corby’s in an entirely different location near campus. That bar went out of business in the 80s, but would have been where the real Rudy Ruettiger visited. Cap and Cork didn’t much look like the original Corby’s, but Hollywood magic went to work.
The production crew worked to bring in items and décor to fit what they needed their Corby’s to be. Some of which you can still see in the bar today.
“The stuff that they actually had up in here was much more elaborate than what we have now. But stuff that they couldn't take with them, like this mural painted on canvas here to my right, and what's behind you there with the rendering of the four horsemen there. All that was done by the movie company, as well as the placards behind me and the neon sign that sits up top the bar,” added Mittiga.
“I was 16. I was a freshman in high school at St. Joe, the old one. So I remember it happening. I was kind of too young to be in it or to come check it out, but you knew something was happening, and I didn't really understand the totality of it at the time. But I would come down here, and I played you know a game of pool with Sean Astin…and we were hanging out. I always knew him from Goonies.”
History was made, and the bar has been Corby’s ever since.
Now, the legendary bar is a must-visit for those visiting town, for locals, and many Notre Dame greats that have adopted the Irish connection. One of those greats was former Notre Dame quarterback, Joe Montana.
“He just happened to stop down here during the week. It was three o'clock in the afternoon. Nobody else was here. Me and my dad were working on the fence outside, and my bartender ran out and yelled, ‘Hey, Joe Montana's here!’ We're like, get out of here. Joe Montana?!”
Some visitors stop by simply to get a photo, or belly up to the same bar Rudy did in the film. Some drive by taking photos of the outside, and some even come knocking on the door during closed hours, just to get a glimpse of the famous bar.
“In South Bend and around that football team at that university, there is an insatiable hunger for everything that they represent and all the memories and the emotion that they tap into for any number of people, and we are a part of that. And you know whether they were here before, they just know the movie. You know I'm blown away every year by how much this place and these things mean to people, so I take it very seriously, and I love, love, love to share that with people when they come.”
While favorite parts of the bar remain the same, Corby’s is working to expand and become an even greater destination for sports, for gathering, and for entertainment. With looking forward to the future also comes looking back to the past.
The building was built in 1890 and was home to three separate bars. Some of the original stamped tin ceiling is still in the bar if you look up.
“The threshold that connects the main bar room to where the pizza is was closed off, and that was another bar. (The main bar) originally was called the Palm Garden, and it was for rich white people. If you had money in the early days, you could come here and drink. The middle section was for the poor white community…there was a structure out there where I built the new one, my expansion, and that was a was a Black bar back then during segregation. This room here has been a bar since the inception up until you know prohibition.”
During prohibition, the bars became a hardware store. Then, reverted back to bars after the fact. With the recent expansion that was just added to Corby’s, they found some interesting artifacts left from the past. Even horseshoes left behind from times when horses were ridden to the bar.
The expansion that was completed in 2025 includes an additional bar, as well as expanded space on the lower level for the DJ and dance floor that opens up to the outdoor space through garage doors, and a private rental space on the upper level. Future plans include expanding the outdoor property to the west of the bar over to the East Race of the St. Joseph River for a full outdoor entertainment experience. This space will also feature one of the former scoreboards from Notre Dame Stadium that will display scores of games in real time.
One of the greatest additions to Corby’s, was their pizza kitchen.
“Both my parents came from Italy, so I know how to make good pizza. So we we started pizza 16 years ago, and it's been lights out. 90% of the Italians here in South Bend are from the same 10 square kilometers in Reggio, Calabria.”
Take this pro tip. When you come to visit Corby’s, order that pizza!
In addition to improvements made on the bar, the East Bank Village neighborhood has blossomed as well.
“You look out these windows, and you see these big, beautiful sidewalks. You see a neighborhood. You see The Link path that Notre Dame and South Bend worked on together, connecting our part of downtown directly to campus…I love this bar, and I love South Bend, so let's see where this goes, and you know, I feel a real sense of pride being a part of this. That's a force for good here in the in this neighborhood.”
No matter who you are, or where you come from, there’s a place for you at Corby’s.
“The most gratifying feeling I get sometimes here is seeing such a diverse crowd. I think it's something very hard to achieve, and I'm able to do it here, and I feel very grateful for my staff and for everybody that makes that a possibility. So, I don't take it for granted. I really take that seriously, being a place where anybody can come. You know we're not too cool for you to stop by here…we'd love to tell you the story and have you come check out the bar.”
The place that feels like you already know it before you’ve ever been, and the place that welcomes you home time and time again. Corby’s Irish Pub is a South Bend gem.
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