Despite the numerous Best of Central Oregon awards their Redmond hangout has earned, the owners of Blacksmith Public House insist it is not about them, but the business itself and the community it serves. To drive home that point, Michael and Molly Kosakowski were adamant about refusing to be photographed for this story.
“It’s not about us, it’s about the business,” Michael Kosakowski declares. “We’re about everybody else.” Late on a recent hot weekday afternoon, nearly every table is taken in the welcoming open-air space. Popular tunes play on the stereo system while Redmond locals gather to hydrate and converse.
Michael and Molly are not ones to bask in the limelight of winning Best Bar in Redmond for the second year in a row, as well as first place for the new Redmond category of Best Food Cart Lot, and runner-up for Best Place for Live Music in Redmond.
The couple opened the Blacksmith Public House on April 23, 2023, with the mission to serve the community. Besides a healthy dose of free live music, the spot serves up drinks made with fresh, hand-squeezed fruit juices, a selection of local beers, six food carts and a full-service coffee bar that opens at 7 every morning. “Everything here is handmade,” Michael Kosakowski says.
Everyone is welcome — especially kids and dogs, he adds, extolling the space’s family friendly vibe. “We’re all about God, country and family.” On Friday and Saturday nights, the National Anthem is played before the bands kick off. The place is also all about supporting local charities, like bingo nights for Thrive Central Oregon and Brightside Animal Center, and donations to local schools, veterans, 4-H and FFA. “We offer a safe, friendly environment and really high-quality live music for free,” Michael says.
Tickets for the Fan Fest Concert Series do cost, but all the profits, after expenses, go toward the Family Access Network.
Second place Best Food Cart Lot: Wild Ride Brewing
Second place Best Bar: Wayfarer Club
This article appears in Best of Central Oregon 2024.
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