The old Trolley Stop Lounge at 8820 Pelham Road, now renovated and modernized, has reopened under new management to rave reviews. Jay and Krissy McGuire, already owners of one of Taylor's most reliable go-to restaurants and taverns (JP McGuire's), purchased and renovated the Trolley Stop, which opened in early February.

Jay did a tremendous job renovating the building, combining some of the old with plenty of new. Fireplace in a cozy lounge area. Televisions ringing the interior. Sliding transparent garage door leads to an outdoor seating area. Neat visuals of pop music abound on the walls and are set into the counter and tabletops. Tons of parking.

Portions of a mural that was featured in the old lounge was turned into four framed pieces of artwork that line the south wall of the new eatery.

There is little doubt that Jay and Krissy have hit the right buttons when it came to this reopening. The City of Taylor’s Facebook page featured a grand opening album of photographs that received 440 likes, 73 comments and 100 shares.

“Well done!” wrote Cindy Young. “We were there for the grand opening. Had the shrimp and burger with smoked bacon and cheese. Best shrimp we ever had! Burger was excellent and service was great.” Others couldn’t get in because the place was so busy. “Congratulations,” wrote Pamela Furey Noles. “I tried to stop in on my way home from work but there were no parking spots … so that is good news!”

The menu offers a great variety and is a little different than JP McGuire’s other locations. At JP’s Trolley Stop, you see starters, soup, salads, handhelds, burgers, pasta, grilles, seafood and even the most accurate kid's menu in town (I Don't Know, I Don't Care, I'm Not Hungry and What?). Slightly more upscale, but still reasonably priced.

Last month, for example, they were advertising a loaded brisket mash as a starter along with options like Cod Enchiladas (two broiled Icelandic Cod, enchiladas with Verde sauce, melted cheese and Pico De Gallo with rice and refried black beans); Seared Steak Tortellini (sirloin tips with fresh four-cheese Tortellini and cracked pepper butter sauce); Brisket and Shrimp (6-ounce BBQ brisket and a bundle of popcorn shrimp, assorted pickles, creamed corn and toast points); and Stuffed Salmon (stuffed 9-ounce Salmon filet with thyme-roasted mushrooms and herb blend, with vegetables and roasted potatoes).

JP’s Trolley Stop Food & Spirits is also bringing in entertainment on certain evenings. Recently, they featured Jimmy Auquier one night and the Jessie James Band on another.

Since they both grew up in Taylor, Jay and Krissy have very strong ties to the community – something that has helped form a business that really didn’t have a “vision” when they entered into it. They purchased their original Goddard Road location (the old Long Branch Bar) in 2008 from the Kroyer Family. Years later, they opened the Gibraltar waterfront site (recently sold). Now, they are using their collective touch on the Trolley Stop, thanks in part to Jay’s talent for building, passion for real estate and eye for new businesses.

Located next to Scoop’s Ice Cream and across the street from Champaign Park and the greater Champaign/Pelham neighborhood that takes in two communities, early returns say the McGuire’s have another hit on their hands.

JP’s Trolley Stop Food & Spirits is open 10:30 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. Call (313) 287-7440 or go to their page on Facebook for constant updates.