rev:text
| - This is, I'd say, the third-best Irish pub in Vegas, not to say that it's not at all a great place to dine, drink, and have a bit of craic (which, incidentally, is the Irish word for fun, enjoyment, and fellowship). The only places I found that beat it out are Rí Rá in the Mandalay Bay and McMullan's, a free-standing joint near the Orleans Hotel & Casino a bit west of the strip on Tropicana.
The interior of the place is capacious but doesn't feel cavernous, as there's an upper level and a lower level to keep things cozy. The decor is Irish, a bit on the fancier side, with bars upstairs and downstairs full of knick-knacks just like you'd find in pubs on the other side of the Pond. The tables feature benches, different kinds of chairs, and several of the ones upstairs are in little nooks so you can have a bit of privacy if you desire. All of this is quite authentic; pubs in Ireland feel quite a bit like this (although most of them are smaller).
The food is superb. My favorite is the Shepherd's Pie, which is a mixture of ground beef, onions, and culinary magic topped with mashed potatoes, baked in a steel lunch pail like a shepherd would actually use. The beef is perfectly cooked, the potatoes are perfectly browned on top, and digging into the hearty portion makes you wish you could chase woolly animals around a field to burn some of the calories off once again.
The desserts are great; I'm always a fan of bread pudding, and this place delivers. They probably have cheesecake, too, being that they're in the New York New York and somehow, cheesecake is a staple of any restaurant professing any sort of connection with the Empire State, but since you're looking to dine in an Irish restaurant, I recommend that you forego it for the bread pudding. You can have a more authentic experience with your Irish pub atmosphere and you can thank me later.
The service is great; usually it was just my fiance and I eating together, so we'd sit at the bar and revel in the friendly face-to-face interactions with the bartender, but the table service is also nice and friendly so you can't go wrong there. Ask your server for what their favorite dish is, as well; you really can't go wrong with anything they serve, and you should definitely find out what other options are instead of just going with my recommendation of the Shepherd's Pie. The sandwiches, for example, are also fantastic.
Finally, the beer! They've good beer, including Guinness and Harp and Smithwick's (pronounced Smithicks for the uninitiated; just drop the W), and they're poured in good portions for good prices. So sit back, relax, have a pint of the dark (or light) stuff with your meal. And enjoy the craic!
|