Upon writing this review, I thought for sure that Rula Bula would get three stars, but based on Yelp's description, I just can't give it more than two. The "Meh. I've experienced better." really is spot on.
The food isn't horrible and I really like the patio here, but there are just so many better places to go. I guess the only thing that keeps me coming back whenever I happen to be on Mill is the fact that they have a Cider on tap. But unfortunately, that isn't enough to outweigh the negatives.
First of all, I am confused by the fact that people can smoke on this patio. I'm not sure how the laws work, but my favorite patios around the city are completely non-smoking and I definitely don't enjoy smoke with my meal. The tables and chairs are not in good shape and the tables are often left a little dirty. The servers aren't very friendly and seem to be rather miserable. On our most recent visit my husband held the door open for one of the staff members who then directed us to "seat ourselves wherever" without a thank you or welcome. Kind of weird. The food that we've tried is so-so. I'm not a huge fan of the Irish delicacies, but their veggie sandwich is decent.
I do really like the patio because it's off the main street and hidden in the back. It's a good spot to hang out after an afternoon event at Tempe Town Lake. Rula Bula is by no means a bad place to spend a little time, but with so many better options around the city I don't know if I'll return.