Flanagan's Irish Pub

Went there for dinner, reserved but got there with a seat yourself sign. We found seat and noticed the available tables were dirty, after we sat down. Here's the review of the food and service. The service was fair at best. The food wasn't worth the $50 spent. The Bangers and mash were not good, the potatoes were cool and the gravy congealed. The Ruben was ok but the fries were greasy. The pretzel bites were greasy and the cheese dip was clearly old and crusted over. The pub was a bit dirty and very loud. The parking next door for just about an hour at Ellis was $9. All in all, not a do over.

Very disappointed …if I could give negative stars I would. If you are looking for something to eat don’t go here. I paid $13 for a tiny burger that I could have gotten from McDonald’s for less than $2. It wasn’t even freshly cooked. Pretty sure it was warmed up, over cooked on the outside. Big rip off for what I paid. And the posted hours, not even close. I walked around town waiting for them to open up at 3, posted hours, only to get there and have the waitress tell me that they opened up at 11am on Sundays. Close…when things are slow I’m informed. Unless you are just looking for a drink, can’t say anything about that as I didn’t have one, don’t bother coming here because the food menu is poor at best. I’ve had burgers at other bars that are AT LEAST twice as big for under $10. And cleanliness, the menu was dirty.

im shocked at all the low reviews im seeing because the food and service are amazing! the pulled pork fries are super crispy and the meat is tender and delicious. and the servers are basically running the whole place. they had 2 servers 1 cook and no manager or supervisor to be seen to help them out the nearly 2 hours i was there. im guessing bad management is why they cant keep more than 3 guys at a time.

I gave it two stars because the staff was friendly and hospitable. Besides that everything was mediocre at best. Tiny menu to choose from, long wait which I'm hoping was because they are short staffed and not because they were busy; because they weren't. Tiny, low quality hamburger, on a plain bun with no condiments offered; I had to ask for ketchup and mustard and wait while they struggled to find some. Soft, chewy chips under the top layer of crunchy ones and a pop for $17. Very disappointed. The bun was excellent and toasted which was the highlight of my meal.

Went here with my two children during our visit to GR Comic-con 2018. It was very busy between the people from the event as well as college football on. The staff was extremely helpful and amazing despite the higher than anticipated demand. Our server Annika was terrific. The food was amazing! Overall it was an outstanding experience.

Really really disappointed. Perhaps the worst Rueben sandwich I’ve ever had. CUBED not shaved corned beef. No sauerkraut, none to very little dressing and maybe cheddar cheese on it! WTH? We ordered pretzel bites as an appetizer and they came out with our meals. Oh and was told when given, we’re out of the cheese dip. WTH? Fish and chips were ok as well as the French fries. My draft beer was refilled in the same old glass not a new cold glass… Totally bummed out.

A decent bar in a great location. Close to the center of Downtown GR, Flanagan’s will never be too far away. With great Irish fare and drinks, the atmosphere is that of a real pub with good music. A fun stop for when you’re bar hopping nearby.

My friend and I stopped by during the 90's bar crawl night (event throughout downtown GR at various bars). Got a couple orders of pretzels and some drinks. The server dropped off the pretzels with solid, cold cheese. We had her go back to warm it up, but it was still cold and thankfully less solid when she brought it back. We got there before the rush came in and service was super slow for some reason. Waitress we had was a little unpleasant. I guess I don't blame her since it was about to be a busy night. I've heard from others that this is a good place to go to, but the night I went I guess was not a good time to go.

Wanted to grab one quick drink with the wife before an event an Amway, and this place is close by. It's actually in a pretty central location, I say this because hopefully someone will see its value and pick it up. It's clear somethings going on with ownership maybe wanting to sell as I'm seeing reviews on here. Anyway our experience was unique; I told my wife and people at the event it was like a scene out of bar rescue! Serving drinks in red solo cups, the bar wasn't very stocked, and though we didn't look around and inspect the place it didn't give off a clean vibe because of updates that look like are needed. That being said at least around us the bar from what we could tell was maintained. Our bartender was friendly so there's that. But immediately on sitting we were informed the kitchen was closed and overheard later with other guests that it was due to staffing issues. Again overhearing it sounded like alot of things were out; even staples like Bud light. My drink was fine but my wife's cider was flat and probably an old keg... again just get the vibe they cashed out and putting minimal in... so I'd definitely recommend another spot until new ownership or some change comes... Which is too bad because even photos on here from 5 years ago look completely different (stocked bar) and I used to come here often about 10 -12 years ago for fun times and great value/experience.

We only stopped in to meet clients and have a few drinks. Very friendly staff with a good vibe to it. I didn't see anyone eating or look at a menu. I cannot comment on anything about the food. Overall a good bib and friendly staff

Nice place, stopped for a beer before hitting the road north. Clean, had a good staff and the young lady tending bar was a delight.

We stopped in for a quick drink And use restroom. Well no Guinness said the Smithwicks needed keg changing then got told they had no new keg. Went with third beer pick. bathroom men's one urinal out of order women's dirty and stall out of order generally indication not well cared for front window full of boxes saw several walk In and walk out should have done same

An average pub, so nothing that stands out. Had a beer and a sandwich. Not overly friendly, but has the feel of an old Irish bar in Dublin. It is for sale. Maybe a new owner could create a new vibe, and more creative eats.

I've been here a few times previously. Not a bad little Irish bar right down town. Rueben was good and on dark rye. My dad had the Irish Cuban. Sounded good on paper but just wasn't quite there in flavor.

In the heart of downtown, find this quaint Irish Pub for a casual meal with friendly service, good food, beer and drinks; we came during Art Prize 2021. Was special having the BBQ smoker in front of the restaurant, so you knew their meats were freshly made! Daily food specials available, plus a regular menu variety. Overall, a 4.0 rated experience; service was a bit slower that day with a city-wide event, but the food, drinks, people watching and friendly atmosphere were worth it! Expect meal costs of $10-18pp. Enjoyed their house-made battered Fish-n-Chips and the Irish Cuban today. The Atlantic Cod was tender and batter crunchy; 3 fish filets with hush puppies and fries were excellent, plenty to share - and tasted great with Malt Vinegar and Tartar Sauce for dipping. The Irish Cuban was an excellent sandwich with tender meat combo of Pulled Pork and Corned Beef, cheese, spicy mustard and pickles on a pressed hoagie roll served with a side - yum! Flanagan's is a perfect spot in downtown for a casual lunch or drink. I'd try it again on my next visit to GR. Enjoy!

Favorite bar in all of Grand Rapids, only Irish bar outside of Detroit, let alone only bar in Grand Rapids to have Kilkenny Irish Red on draft !! Must go.

Unplanned, impromptu visit to this bar for drinks-only late on a Saturday night. We came in after midnight, and I was on a first date (slightly nervous but doing my best to hide it), and Matthew the bartender was so friendly. His smile was sweet and his drinks were strong -- and the fact that he's as cute as Post Malone doesn't hurt, either!!! The only downside to the experience was the woman repeatedly *shouting* at people to clear out of the bar at 1:45 AM when it's supposed to be open until 2:00 AM. She did it 2-3 times, verrrrrry rudely. Hence my 4-star review. (Otherwise it would've been 5 stars.)

Food and service sadly abysmal. For an Irish pub on St. Pat's weekend, they were out of 1/2 the meager items on the paper menu we were given. We got fooled by the google menu. Would not recommend or return.

Smelled like urine and the server was high. Will never recommend someone going here. I am only giving one star because I have to.

Yes, I'm Irish, so maybe I'm a little biased, but I really like this place! For one, they have Guinness draught! Not the canned stuff they serve everywhere else that you can buy at the grocery store. Give me a real Guinness on tap and I'm a happy camper. On Thursdays and Sundays they have live Irish music, which I absolutely love! A group gets together in one of the front sections and it feels so authentically Irish. I appreciate this so much more than traditional live music (which they do also have on other nights). After having visited Dublin I love that they have a televised live stream of Temple Bar in Dublin. A gimmick, but I think it's a great touch! The bartender has been awesome every time I visit. He always remembers my group, and is prompt and friendly. The servers at the tables have been ok, but not exceptional. I definitely prefer to sit at the bar if seats are available. I do like how many high top tables they have. The food is acceptable, but not great. It's pretty standard bar food. I've had the boxty, Blarney sticks, soft pretzels, and nachos. I really like the Blarney sticks, though I don't get them often since I try not to eat fried food. Typically I'm there after dinner time so I don't order an entree. I need to go for a meal to try the Irish Plates. If you want an actual, proper pint of Guinness definitely stop in!

I would give it zero out of five stars if I could. Smelly, sticky, service was terrible, if we even got any. Had to go get the drinks ourselves several times while they were sitting at the bar.

What the hell did I just eat? When you only have 10 things on the menu, you're "out of pulled pork and gravy" I decided on the grilled chicken Caesar wrap. We waited nearly an hour (mid-week during lunch) for what looked like petrified chicken in a wrap. I couldn't even finish it.

I needed a quick lunch on a conference break. It happens to be the day after St. Patrick's Day. Let's just say even the fish n chips look hungover. Two sad, old, small pieces of "cod" that appeared to be fried on old grease. The fries were old too. On top of it all, they were slow coming out of the kitchen and I was still late to my meeting. The young man working was sweet enough. But shameless shamrocks Batman. Maybe Irish pubs should close the day after St. Patty's IF that's the excuse.

We waited over 45 mins for our drink order. In this time we watched the bartender continuously serve the people sitting at the bar 3-4 times with new drinks. We then went up to the bar and asked where our drinks are, he said he was busy and working on it. We even saw him poor himself a beer and drink it. Still no drinks. Finally manager came over and after arguing with her she made us drinks for free. Will not be back. Food was ok but worth that type of service.

Smelled like urine. Server was high. Inattentive. Soda was flat. Pretzels were good though.

Overpriced pours and argumentative staff. If your alcohol pours are going to be outrageously priced, you should warn people. A $6-8 pour at every other place should not cost $20 at a place like this. Pretty bad service, definitely has gone down hill over the years.

Flanagan's are all Over the globe and you can never go wrong with stepping in to get a quick drink and saying hi to your irisH bartender. Our group stopped in for drinks while we waited for the Grand Rapids Hungry Hippo social event for 2020. Bartenders were polite and hospitable. Beautifully decorated on the inside and the drinks are always made well. I've never actually ordered food at a Flanagan's but at some point I probably should. Till next time.

Overrated for bar crawls, line is always too long just to be disappointed when you get in. I paid the $15 cover with a 20 and the bouncer tried to pocket the change, I had to ask him multiple times for it back. Bartenders are always very nice though!

ONLY BAR IN GR WITH AUTHENTIC IRISH COFFEE!!! We've been on a hunt for a place that actually makes a real Irish coffee and this is pretty much the only bar we've found that has one. Other than that, this is a pretty standard Irish Pub with slightly above average food and FANTASTIC service. Every time I've been I've had amazing and friendly service. They do have live music during the weekend nights which is a hit! It is definitely well lit and a good stop on your downtown bar tour on the weekends!!

Gave it a chance bc it wad close to our hotel, food was mediocre at best. I got the Dublin Burger, barely any condiments or lettuce on it. Some of our appitizers were burnt and they were out of a lot. Drinks were strong though.

Fish was $18 for three small pieces that were burnt on the outside and rubbery inside. Took almost 20 minutes to be acknowledged, even with a large group. Cleaned off our table of plates and cups after waiting so long. Group of 11 and no one was happy or finished their food.

Food was overpriced and not very good. Drinks ok service was good ...The atmosphere is great!

Staff: 10/10. Awesome group of people who do what they can to give you the absolute best service possible while trying to keep the place from falling apart. Owners: 0/10. The definition of unprofessional. They've allowed this place to fall into disrepair and have done nothing to aid the staff in getting rid of the cockroach infestation that plagues this place. If we needed cleaning supplies they would just tell us to buy them from dollar general.. dollar general doesn't carry the special cleaners that we need to sanitize the bar. Not to mention the mice that live by the dish pit in the kitchen just behind the grease trap. Overall I wouldn't eat here if you value your health. And before you see any response from the owners claiming that they have a plan or are working on getting this issue under control. Just know I was here for 3 years and not once could you get the owners Ben or Martha Penrod to answer their phones to help us but they can sit on their phones all day watching us on the cameras. The only person from management that gets a pass is Little Ben considering he's always done what he could to help take care of us. You'd think after not making any money in years you'd actually listen to the staff and try to fix some things. Also a little fun fact: No one who works in the kitchen has a servsafe certification so you can only imagine how safe that food is.

The worse service ever. Sat at the bar for 15min and no one acknowledged us. The table next to the bar is where all the bartenders and hosts hang out who cares about customer service.

Fast drink service. Great dj! Perfect for the after dinner drink. Lots of business from the conferences so if it's slower that's why.

Great Irish bar in the middle of Grand Rapids. The exposed brick and casual vibe really bring this place to life. They have a lot to choose from in beer and whiskey, having flights for both. If you really like you glass you can take it home for $3. The service was good. The waitress we had was super polite and wanted to know why we were in town. No hostess, seat yourself instead. They have a good amount of room & a wide variety of tables to choose from. The food was pretty impressive. You can only have so many Irish classics at restaurants before they get boring. Everything tastes fresh and delicious. We split their Reuben, bangers and mash, and the mac and cheese with bangers. The Reuben was very tasty. The veggies were crispy and tangy, the cheese was nice and melts, and the marbled rye was toasted but still soft. The bangers were super flavorful. The mac and cheese was extra creamy and decadent.

Don't sit at the end of the bar- they stack the dirty glasses right in front of you. Lackluster service unless you're friends with the bartender.

First sat down and waiters opening comment "i wanna go home but im here". The four of us all ordered deep fried food and it took an hour and a half to get our food. Wait staff never came over to give us an update on the food. I highly recommend you find somewhere else for lunch.

Great Guinness burger (sweet flavor), pulled pork sandwich had delicious burnt ends with amazing bbq sauce, tasty fries and a great server named Sarah! $15/person

This place smells like throw up and urine. Terrible drink menu and the bartender had a terrible attitude. Don't waste your time or money at this dump.

AVOID THIS DUMP! I went there for lunch at about 11:30 AM. When I arrived it was pretty empty -- one other table with 4 people only. I took a table on the wall and was quickly greeted by a waiter with the too familiar "hey buddy". I quickly ordered a corned beef sandwich that came with fries. I requested no slaw or 1,000 island dressing and asked for standard yellow mustard on the side instead on the sandwich. "No problem buddy" was the response. Yep, simple enough! I opened my laptop to respond to business emails. I waited a reasonable time, and my sandwich was delivered. I immediately noticed there was not a side of mustard, and reminded my new buddy that I requested mustard. I started to eat the fries and watched my buddy walk by 3 times, but no mustard. At about the 4th or 5th time, I asked about my mustard and he went to check. About more 5 minutes later be brought me a dried-up squirt of mustard in a plastic cup, and told me he was embarassed but that was all he had. I opened up the sandwich and he noticed that it was swimming in 1,000 island dressing. "No woirries" I said, and started to eat. Frankly, I soon needed more water and a pop refill to wash down my rather disqusting sandwich... but my new buddy was no where to be found. About 5-7 minutes later still no re-approach, so I walked to the bar and asked to another employee for a refill. Again, no biggie. About 10 minutes later I needed to get to work, and my bill arrived. The tab was $17.12. Even though my lunch was messed up and wrong, I wanted to give my new buddy a decent tip, so I placed two $20 bills on the table. After about 5 more minutes, the money was still on the table. As buddy walked by, I told him that I needed change for a $20 so I could properly tip him. He handed my $40 to the guy at the bar, and this guy returned to me with $23... a $10, two $5s, and three $1s. So I left the $5 on the table (almost 30%) and started to prepare my laptop and briefcase to depart. At that point the 4 people at the next table told Buddy that they needed their receipt returned. I looked at my table and realized that he had not returned my receipt either. I can only presume that this restaurant either commits tax fraud and destroys the cash tabs OR perhaps buddy uses this as some sort of odd method to rip-off the restaurant? Not sure, don't care, but I needed my receipt! About then Buddy came to the table and told my, rudely, that I need to pay my tab. I explained that I had previously given him $40 and $23 had been returned to me as change. He told me that my tab was not closed out and I had been given $40 in change, so I could not have paid. WTF!!! About then I got angry! I remined him that I had just tipped him fairly well for mediocre service and a sandwich that was wrong. About then, he told me that I was being rude and demanded that I leave immediately or he would have me arrested for trespassing. WTF!!! Buddy is an angry jerk!!! The other employee came over and explained that he had taken the $17 for my tab, and all was good. But, once again Budy got in my face about being rude and ansked me to leave. I soon left, but stopped at the bar before I did. I spoke with the other employee (and learned he is a manager) and explained how annoyed I was. He told me that luch would be comped. I said no thanks and that I would rather write an honest review instead. So here it is! The owner might want to watch the cameras to see if the employees are robbing the place. OR perhaps the IRS needs to audit this not so fine establishment? All I know for sure is that their corned beef sandwiches are mediocre AT BEST, and mine was lousy. BUT, their service is worse than lousy. I suggest all tourists avoid this place. Frankly, I am amazed it does not go bankrupt. I presume the location reside the Amway Grande and across from the convention center supplies them with an unlimited number of fresf cash... but I bet they do almost zero business with locals.

Worst service ever. Never received appitizer. Waiter never returned after throwing food on table. Arrived at table with a mouth full of something and rattled off what they were out of. Took our drink order only to return 5 minutes later to re check out what we ordered. Would not go back.

Great service and amazing Irish Cuban sandwich. Save yourself from the over priced and over rated Tupelo Honey and walk a block to Flanagan's

Went there during art prize. Service was okay. Had their brisket sandwich, at $18 dollars for a small bun with a little meat on it and French fries I would have been much better off somewhere else. The sandwich was good but not worth 18$.

Oh Flanagan's. Your staff was nothing but nice, even hooking up my man friend with an Irish coffee when you didn't have any coffee because it was July and only crazies drink Irish coffee in July. The Irish band playing in the window was a nice touch and a treat for the ears, but in my opinion, you're a little too well lit for an Irish pub. Don't get me wrong, my happy hour margarita after ALL. THE. BEERS. was a delight. Refreshing, not too sugary, but the bar was a little too sweet for my taste. Call me crazy, Grand Rapids, but I like my Irish pubs with a bit of edge. ...but you've got great fried pickles to go with my marg. If I ever come back to GR and don't go to every brewery in town first, I'll look you up for a Black and Tan.

Our friends were playing here on Wednesday night, which worked out perfect as we were in Grand Rapids for the afternoon. The place is not fancy, but what Irish Pub is. The exposed brick walls and history of the building made it charming. The whiskey list is pretty good. I zeroed in on Green Spot, which I fell in love with while in Dublin. D had Guinness. Their menu is not large, but had the regular standards I would expect at an Irish Pub. We started out with a starter of Brussels Sprouts. They were delicious - one of the best we have had. I ordered the Reuben, which was very tender, and very good. It is a large portion of corned beef, so I was happy to have the other half of my sandwich to take home for lunch. D had their Fish and Chips, which were 3 large portions of fish. He told me they hit the spot. We had a nice time at Flanagan's - awesome Blues music, good food, excellent whiskey - that's what life's about.

Had a great meal here with friends before the Griffins game. Blarney sticks were good and who would of thought how wonderful deep fried mashed potato balls would be. Had the macaroni and cheese dish with corned beef, yummy!! And the corned beef was very tender!! You have to try the baileys ice cream Sunday and the Jamieson's bred pudding! Guinness on draft couldn't of been fresher. And when was the last time you were in a pub with flights of whiskey on the menu. Will definitely be back.

Not sure what's really going on here. Waitress hid in the back and we had to go up to the bar for more drinks. Manager and bartenders are visibly intoxicated. Food all came out cold. Gave us a round of drinks on the house to try to make up for it but no apology for service or cold food. Probably won't come back.

We were just in Grand Rapids for the night so we were looking for something close to where we were staying. Flanagan's fit the bill. We got a seat right away but I think they may have been under staffed because it took forever between our server identifying herself, getting water, getting a menu, getting to order, getting the food and so on. The group behind us was extremely profane and loud but they were very drunk so I guess it can be expected in a pub. The food was pretty good and our server was really nice just stretched thin I guess. We had the Caesar salad, a little heavy on the dressing but tasty. The fish and chips were supposed to have kettle chips but they gave us fries. The fries were good but we would have preferred the chips. A solid three stars like the average is other reviewers.

I stopped in for lunch and enjoyed the atmosphere and food. The fish & chips were delicious and the service was excellent. I love the fact it is in a building from the late 1800s so it has great character and a pretty cool history too. I was asking about the building and learned it had tunnels to other downtown buildings during Prohibition and even had curiosity/bearded lady type business in it way back when it originally was built. Places with history really make a city cool! Looking forward to going back soon and would recommend you to try this place out.

We came in during a busy time and the 3 servers were doing their best. The 7 guys behind the bar were yucking it up. Stull waiting on our food after 90 minutes. Great atmosphere for an Irish Pub but thumbs down on the food service. The server was apologetic about the wait, way out of her control though. She was awesome.

This place is Irish through and through. Irish food, drinks, and a Party atmosphere. We crashed a birthday party and were welcomed to enjoy the festivities.

Great food, good service, cool ambience! One of the better Reuben's I've had! Servers are nice and on top of things! Good whisky options. They have Old Style on tap Highly recommend, 10/10 will eat here many more times

A group of 10 stopped by on a Monday for lunch. There was a large conference in town. We attempted to stop by on a Sunday but were told the bar is closing at 08:00 and they are not staying open beyond 08:00. It was 06:50 at the time. When we stopped for lunch it was about 1/2 full. We were served water but were told where we could get our own refills. Our waitress was good and friendly. She didn't offer many suggestions for food, but the menu was small. The food was ok to good.

Just because you have Guinness on tap does not make you an Irish pub. And Shepherds Pie is made with lamb, not beef, but you didn't have that either. So, I'm stuck with The English fare, three fish-sticks and a handful of fries. And CPR after I got the check. The Irish like good food that is affordable. Three strikes, that's the ballgame.

This place should just close the to go menu, I was seated s aturday 5.25p, ordered our food at 5.40, at 7.00p we left no food, we were told at 6.10p that our food was on the way... never happened. Mind you we ordered French fries.... apparently only to to go people get fed.. a woman comes out at 6.55 p saying they are so busy, problem is we had been sitting there since 5.25 the p.ace emptied out shortly after 5.45 so hardly anyone was indoor ordering food. Pretty sure we are not going back here to eat... very sad especially since the woman lied to our faces..

There is live Irish music here on Thursdays and Sundays and that is what drew us in to visit. We included it in our "trip around the world here in Grand Rapids" dining out week (Ok this one was a bit of a cheat as Irish bar food isn't very exotic) We sat at the bar and was early enough to take advantage of the happy hour pricing ($2 off appetizers) Service was friendly, but everyone seemed more hurried than seemed necessary. We ordered the 3 appetizer specialties of the house, The Blarney Sticks (corned beef rolled up in a spring roll), Guinness cheese bread, and Boxty (deep fried potato cakes served with orange cranberry relish). They came out fairly quick. The food was all ok, not great but not terrible (average bar food) .The blarney sticks were very greasy, the bread was the best but the cheese didn't pull apart very well so you got all the cheese or none, They didn't have a full order of Boxy available but the bartender brought out a trial sized portion for us to try and I really appreciated that! Once the music started we moved to a high top to get a better view and followed up with an order of Irish Soda Bread and the Jameson Bread Pudding for dessert. My thoughts on the soda bread are that it would be better served as an accompaniment or complementary starter. It was pretty dry (even by soda bread standards) but it had some good flavor. The bread pudding was decent but had that freshly microwaved hotness to it. The traditional Irish session was great, I wish more people appreciated it. I think we'd come back if the opportunity presented itself.