Hooleys Public House

I really do love Hooley's. I've been now and then throughout the years. However, this is the first time I've really properly dined. The food was abdolutely delicious, and the service was amazing and quick. The only thing that knocked it down for me was that the bar area was very rowdy, and it carried greatly into the dining area.

Excellent Irish food. The corned beef and cabbage boxty (essentially a shredded potato omelette stuffed with the beef and cabbage) had a slightly sweet cream sauce, the corned beef tacos were also excellent. Service was prompt and they were quite accommodating for a group of 15. Don't forget your Guinness!

We always have a great meal here. It's the only place in town I know I can order a shandy and they know what it is. I often come on Wednesday and get the corned beef tacos which are excellent and cheap. I have also had the squash blossom taco and a couple others. Another favorite is the Scotch eggs which is an appetizer but is usually enough to fill me up there are things on the menu I would love to order but I keep going back to my favorites.

The food was so tasty!! I loved that the wait staff were knowledgeable about what had wheat,and gluten. The potato skins were crispy and the best thing I’ve ever had! We also ordered the chicken and mashed potatoes and were pleased!

Good food and great service. We enjoyed tasty appetizers and dinner. Scotch Eggs are one of my favorites and the cheese curds tasty along with potato skins. Dinner was the Shepherds Pie, excellent. Also had the fish and chips, very large serving

love this pub. good for get-togethers with friends. nice atmosphere and tasty food. polite and friendly staff.

Came in on a weekday evening for dinner and drinks. They had a seasonal menu for drinks that we ordered from. we ordered a pumpkin old-fashioned and the whiskey business. The pumpkin old-fashioned was great. I would definitely order again while the whiskey business didn’t have a very good flavor. We had the corned beef tacos and a burger. The food was very good! Only downside is although it was quite empty inside service was slow.

The food was fantastic, fries were big with a great seasoning, I ordered fish and chips. Super big pieces were perfectly fried. My party also ordered the cheeseburger, meat was cooked as requested and the toppings were so fresh and crisp. The buffalo chicken strips were tender and juicy. The starter soft pretzel with the cheese sauce was amazing. We ordered the butterscotch bread pudding with no regrets. It was the best I've ever had. Not a fan of bread pudding really so that says a lot. Good price for the quality of food and experience we had.

This is one cool bar. Great place to see sporting events, prices are reasonable and even though it's a larger venue, it FEELS like a neighborhood bar. Service is attentive the bar is very clean. Whenever I'm in this neighborhood and need a cold one, this is the spot.

Seriously order the grilled zucchini tacos because they are delicious You won't be disappointed

We had a retirement party here. We have done several end of the year parties here in the past. They do such a great job with our large group. Food is excellent and portions are very generous. Love their calamari strips. The fish and chips are always delicious. Our server Forrest is amazing and too. Took such great care and was so organized with the individual checks.

We went here on New Year's Eve afternoon to ring in the Irish New Year at 4 pm. The place was packed with wonderful people and all ready to have a great time. It has the look and feel of a traditional Irish pub and so do the patrons. We had a great time with the band and then sat to eat some Sammie's of course. Reuben and corned beef sandwich were delicious and had the crispiest bread. I would return just for that. The fries were crisp and generous. The fish and chips held up for the ride home and as expected crispy and not overcooked with a proportionate amount of batter. The wait staff are very accommodating and happy people. Slainte.

Fish and chips way overcooked it tasted like the cook forgot it was cooking and left them in too long. Fries were not hot. Appetizers seem to be better than main entree.

Travis the bartender Top Notch! Great service (as always) and never a complaint with the food or cocktails. Atmosphere is just the right venue to hang out for a beer (Guinness) or 2 along with a great food menu to never leave you hungry.

We have been coming to restaurant for years. We love food, drinks, music and atmosphere. We were a little disappointment when I saw "non-cash" fee was added to our bill last time we visited. We recommend this place to anyone who loves Irish food and Guinness!!

What happened to my favorite Pub!!! My ribeye steak was 1/3 fat! It's incredible to plate this bottom of the barrel steak!!! Do better!

I'm vegan. Is there anything that I can eat here? I think my options are limited. Good thing that beer is (usually) vegan. The selection here is OK. Hot tip: Not sure why this is, but they don't include their draft list on their menu. Hopefully someone has uploaded a better pic than I, but I'll share what I got as a public service. My man Chickenbone Slim sometimes plays here. If you love the blues, you have to check him out. At least when I am hungry, I can walk over to the Grossmont Center Food Court.

Absolutely amazing. Love the taco Tuesday's. Prices went up a small amount but 10/10 would recommend the corned beef tacos. And the fried fish are really good as well. I like them extra fried with extra jalapeño ranch on the side. But amazing regardless and very fresh.

Came in on a weekday evening for dinner and drinks. They had a seasonal menu for drinks that we ordered from. we ordered a pumpkin old-fashioned and the whiskey business. The pumpkin old-fashioned was great. I would definitely order again while the whiskey business didn't have a very good flavor. We had the corned beef tacos and a burger. The food was very good! Only downside is although it was quite empty inside service was slow.

Fish and chips, not how they used to be, and the HIGH ridiculous fee for using your debit card

Excellent food and even better service. This is a great place to stop after shopping at Grossmont center. The parking lot is so close!

My family goes to Hooley's for one thing and that is the fish and chips! Big portions of crispy fish with fries and a delicious tartar sauce. Add a side salad for more balanced meal. The service is great. depending on the time you go, you may enjoy some live music as well. It can get pretty loud in the pub area. There are tables in the back that are quieter and better for family dining.

Just got home from eating at this Hooley's location and man! Did we have an awesome experience. Our server, Rachel B, was incredible, she perfectly balanced being friendly and checking in back with us to see how we were doing. When I was unsure of what to order she was able to recommend everything from the drinks to the entree to which I ordered to the T; all it was fantastic! From the cranberry mule, the Guiness soup, to the Irish Boxty (Irish Soup variant) all delicious! We will definitely be returning for the amazing food and atmosphere and even hoping for Rachel B again!

Had a very nice lunch here. Had the fish and chips which was excellent! Great ambience and service.

We were seated right away great service and scenery food was Excellent and amazing 9/10 recommend!!

Great food, awesome bread pudding a must to order! Lots of TVs for sports, SGO football. Go Green Bay! Lots of-fans on game day! Green Bay bar! Service is spot on! Indoor and outdoor tables. Great horse bar inside, great beer on tap!

Credit card info used after visit on line for K1 speed locally with card number, expiration, and security code... first time card had been used at any establishment... Bank even said card info must of been swiped by an employee!

Came to this Irish Pub for St. Patrick's day and it was sooo busy! We were lucky we went in "fast"! They had live music, great beer and we ordered some tater tots for a snack - the potatoes were fast and delicious :) The only think I missed was green beer but everything else was great!

We have our get togethers here in the great room there's always about 40 of us, We love the food and the service, I love the all wood design of the restaurant, very Irish cozy setting, I always get the potato soup excellent The blue cheese salad excellent fish and chips tasty shepherd's pie small serving but tasty, I really like that they have a bulletin board back by the bathrooms for local business cards and local happenings more restaurants need to do that. This restaurant is on the west side of the Grossmont Mall, right across the parking lot from chuze fitness.

The Scotch egg was served warm, with a thick sausage and bread crust, and came with a whole grain Guinness mustard, which was fantastic I ordered the corned beef Mac and cheese, which had plentiful meat, perfectly cooked penne, and an amount of cheese others might consider excessive, but they're wrong My girlfriend ordered the fish and chips; I've probably had fish and chips a hundred or more times, but I've never had fish and chips like this The batter was perfectly seasoned and flavored, the fish fillet perfectly cooked, the handmade tartar sauce so savory Even the chips were near perfection; thick enough to be traditional, but still crispy on the outside and steamy on the inside She also had the bacon braised red cabbage; slightly sweet, crunchy, savory, but the bacon doesn't come through as much as it could It gets better with malted vinegar, and the portion size is huge I had the cucumber mule, which was quite refreshing; light, went down easy I followed up with the spicy radler-rita; do not order unless you love spicy things, it'll bite back Finished with the Dark & Stormy; I'm not a rum man, but this was wonderful Girlfriend had the pot o' gold; she says it's like a ginger lemonade, has a bite She also had the grapefruit radler, which is part of the spicy radler-rita; she said it tastes like a mimosa Would come back, would absolutely recommend

9-14-2023 Service was terrible! 11:30am. The large salads are now the small size. They charge a seating fee. They charge a fee to pay with a credit card. I guess they are preparing for the $20 minimum wage bill that's in the CA state assembly right now. Service was so bad that, after 20 minute wait for drink refills, I went and got my own! We won't be eating there again.

Whiskey weds is where it's at. Our bartender was great. Calamari fish and chips always delicious. Finally got around to trying the shepards pie. Wouldn't order it again but glad u tried it.

Second time coming. First time was nice a few years ago. Actually enjoyed myself. Fast forward, this time on St. Patrick's Day weekend. Feeling seemed off. Maybe they were waiting for tonight or tomorrow. Had to wait in to order a drink. Was put off by bartender who filled half the beer, then walked away to help other customers. Then another bartender saw me then finished filling my beer and took a long time to use a register. Maybe because I was one of 3 that weren't Caucasian in the establishment! Bad vibe this time. Ended up leaving with friend to eat elsewhere.

We come here for $12 bottomless champagne brunch on the weekends. Their food is amazing and our favorite bartender Anthony has the best customer service and makes sure we are always taken care of and happy. Last weekend they had lobster penne for brunch. It was absolutely amazing. We love our La Mesa Hooley's.

A few months ago we ate here and the waiter highly recommended we get a boxty next time. Unfortunately I ordered the shepherd's pie. It smells like dog food when it arrived at the table. Was covered in this horrible gravy that was super salty and literally it was tasteless. My husband got the chicken white wine. It was good. The vegetables that came with it were to die for. Just be sure and ask them about any of your meals if it comes with gravy and avoid it. I still love the restaurant but this is off my list!

Patronized this business on St. Patrick's Day weekend. I knew it would be busy and crowded, but the wait time from ordering the food until hopefully getting the food was inexcusable. This restaurant had the whole year to prepare and get plenty of staff in place for their "Super Bowl" of a weekend. And yet, after ordering and asking when our food was coming, we are told the kitchen is slammed. It's not the fault of our waitress, but certainly an upper management issue. Ended up leaving after waiting over an hour snd and a half snd still no food.

My fiancé and I went here for dinner after reading some decent reviews on the place and we came out very disappointed. We were seated in the quiet dining area and seemed like it was where people went to be forgotten. Took a while to get service and our server barely checked in. Once we did get service, my fiancé ordered a Pot O' Gold cocktail. It was by far one of the worst cocktails either one of us have ever had. Balance was completely off and it was very strong. For food, she got the prime rip special and I got the Blackened Chicken Mac and Cheese. We also got cheese curds as a starter and it was average at best. The Mac and Cheese was actually really good. However, the prime rib was just bad. She ordered medium rare and it came out borderline medium well. It was also obvious that it had been sitting out for a long time as the color was terrible and basically shoe leather at that point. We weren't expecting the best prime rib ever, but at least edible. We did make the mistake of not saying anything, but if they looked at that prime rib and thought it was acceptable to serve to a customer, I doubt anyone there would've corrected it. Long story short, there are a lot better places to eat in that area, go there instead.

Overall everything was good. (food, drinks, service, ambiance) - no complaints. They have multiple TVs by the bar area where you can watch the game of your choosing. Would I drive from far and wide to eat at Hooley's? Probably not. However it is a nice addition to the La Mesa food scene and if you happen to be in the area, I think it's a great place to have dinner, drinks, and laughs with friends.

First time here. Last time here. Ordered Mac and cheese and my friend ordered calamari tacos. Both dishes cane out stone cold. I don't send back food. So I just chose to take it home. But the garlic bread doesn't travel well. So had to leave it. My friend did ask for his food to be heated up. Got a sorry about that from the waitress. So.... That's something. Won't be back.

Came here on Saturday and we absolutely loved it! They have an amazing beer selection with sooo many options. The menu was great, mostly classic pub dishes. We ordered the scotch eggs and the giant pretzel, as we were just doing drinks and apps. Everything was delicious and we can't wait to come back and try more! Those corned beef tacos have my eye!

I like the environment, staff, and food, but the new "non-cash" fee has turned me off, considering it's a Saturday night and the restaurant is at half capacity at best I'd assume others feel the same, this is probably also coming out of employee tips and will eventually lead to a drop in morale and I can't see it being good for business (short term gains on a long term loss imo), I've probably spent thousands here over the years and will probably be doing that a lot less now, my Wife doesn't want to come back now :(

Good beer selection and nice ambiance. I've always enjoyed this establishment however the bartender (tall, dark hair, younger guy) was extremely rude. He mocked our table to other customers for asking for assistance finding our server. It had been over 40 minutes since our server checked in on us and we just needed our check. He was very snappy and impatient with us for asking for assistance and on top of it, we could over hear him mocking us to another customer for not knowing who our server was (even though we tried our best to describe to him which one he was). It was unwarranted and unprofessional. We don't feel welcomed coming back to this location, especially if that bartender is there.

A fun Taco Tuesday diversion. Never had tacos here before but they work! Corned beef taco was interesting and unique. The star was the Cajun shrimp. Really crispy nice size shrimp- a zesty coating and great taco overall. Prices are a good deal too with a veggie option if you want. Salsa is super mild, not really adding much to the taco. And $5 margaritas are very light on tequila- but overall a fun time. Love the dark vibe inside the bar, friendly service and not crowded. Open at 11, if you need an early lunch. Have celebrated here for St Pat's and it always a good time with live music, delicious food and drinks.

This place is so much fun!! I feel like I was hanging out in an Irish pub. I had a soft pretzel as an appetizer and it was delicious. For dinner, I had a corned beef & cabbage boxty and it was so good!! The staff was friendly. Only complaint was it didn't seem like they were utilizing all of the available tables, so we had a bit of a wait to be seated (covid related?). I would love to come back here!

Sat at the bar with a friend, so we were served by the bartender, Anthony. We ordered drinks and some food. As it was Taco Tuesday, we ordered tacos. I ordered two grilled fish tacos, one on lettuce. Bartender said "protein style." OK, whatever you call them. When we got our separate checks, mine didn't add up. I had two tacos at $4 each and a glass of wine at $7.50. My subtotal was $16.50 . I pointed it out to the bartender and he wanted to argue with me about it. He said there was tax, too. Yes, I know, that was added on after the subtotal. He couldn't understand. He was unable to do the math. I told him it should be $15.50. In the middle of this conversation he abruptly walked away from me to get someone else a drink. I said, loudly, "So you are just going to walk away from me?" He came back with the man's drink and said to me that he was just going to get the drink and come back to me. An "excuse me for a minute" would have been nice. When he came back to me he said "$14.50?" I told him no, $15.50. Really, a bartender who can't do simple addition? He went away again and was away for a while. This time he returned to tell me that there was an additional charge of $1 for substituting a leaf of lettuce for a corn tortilla. Really, it was one leaf of lettuce and it was even a little wilted on the end. Are they seriously saying a leaf of lettuce costs more than a tortilla? He wanted to argue with me about that, too, saying that it was because it was a vegetable. (You can't make this stuff up...) He told me that it showed on his screen, but not on my bill, but his manager was going to work on fixing it on the register. I told him that in the future he should tell customers if there is an up charge. I didn't really want the lettuce, it was just there so I could eat it like a taco. I could just as easily have eaten it with a fork and no leaf of lettuce. So, no compensation to me. I had to pay the extra $1 for the lettuce leaf. It's not about the $1. Shame on you Hooley's. Shame. On. You.

We got to the restaurant about 530. We stood in the front lobby and waited, and waited, I should've left, but wasn't that smart. Then someone came and set us down. Then we waited and waited and waited and finally flag someone down. They got a drink order. Guess what we're waiting. Are used to love holies, but the last couple times we went it's been not good. The food was starting with our cold potato skins. Dinner, turkey, burger, and cabbage and corn beef was medium warm. We had to again flag someone down to get our check . Then they're adding the 3% if you don't pay cash game. Very disappointing dinner and we didn't get out of there for at least two hours.

Great. Friendly with good food and spirits. Cool Irish pub ambiance. Service is slower than some but worth the wait.

We were so excited to be in this area for a few days so we could eat here more than 1 time. Hate to say it but have to say it, their food was better when we've visited this place many times before. Still good, but just ok good. Maybe due to covid stress on restaurants? TAKE OUT: Got take out and it was packaged well and on time. Wife's potato soup tasted more like mashed potato soup as it had so few chunks of potato in it with little flavor. My French onion soup was more like a brown water broth, lacking onions or onion flavor. The only good part was the bread cheese part in it. Their Donegal Salad (candied walnuts, green apples, Irish white cheddar & malt vinaigrette) is awesome, best part of the whole meal. The salad dressing is really-really good! Shepherd's Pie was more potatoes than meat or veggies, but tasted good. Their butterscotch bread pudding is a must. EAT IN: The next day, we took my brother here for his birthday with his son. Nice restaurant inside & lots of outdoor seating now too. Service excellent! Kilkenny salad (bleu cheese crumbles, pine nuts, red onions, cranberries, tomatoes & balsamic vinaigrette) is good but will get the Donegal salad from now on though because it's that good. I got the Guinness bratwurst. Not very exciting, just ok. No juices popped out from it when cut, it was dry. The cabbage is good that comes with it. Don't think I'd order it again. My wife got the chicken tenders, but there was nothing tender about them. You got lots, but they were so hard, she could barely cut through them with her knife which was disappointing because she really liked the Sriracha bourbon sauce. She added a side of onion rings and you only get 4 for $5. Not a lot of flavor to those either. The sandwiches come a la carte, which I'm not a fan of, so you have to pay to add fries or anything else to it. My brother ordered the reuben sandwich adding clam chowder soup and really liked both. I added a cup of it too to my meal and it was so good, I'll get the larger bowl next time. My nephew got the French Dip adding fries and he said they were both good. It looked really good so I'll try that next time. We tried the mud pie this time, which was ok. It didn't have much coffee flavor or flavor. We'll stay with the butterscotch bread pudding next visit because that is good.

Base on my experience Location 5 stars Customer is Excellent waitress Rachel. 5 stars What an excellent customer service the young lady has, She is wonderful, I felt like I was home with family, she kept on checking on us if everything was OK. If we need it anything else,she was to the point, love her...... Rachel thank you. ******************* Now food , I order fish and chips for an extra $ I substitute for onion ring and let me tell you Delicious and crisp, great portion, I also order the Clam chauder chowder , the best........I must say if you love pudding bred this is the !Spot! It is the best..... super delish. Yes I'm going back. I will be posting more on this location in future... Thank you Rachel for your Excellent service...

Lauren is fantastic!! Very sweet, very knowledgeable, & very professional. I stopped in after a long hiatus, the Guinness pour was pro!! I'm a little a high maintenance, but she is a rock star!

I love this spot for Taco Tuesday! What is more San Diegan then Taco Tuesday? And what is more Irish San Diegan then Taco Tuesday at the best Irish public house that serves up corn beef tacos? Oh my gosh, they are the best! We walked in, it's a tad after the lunch rush, and I see some friends I know, so we walk over to the table and chat for a minute, hugs all around. Then find a table. See San Diego isn't THAT huge of a city! We, well I, order the pretzel. I highly recommend that you do to. It's so good. It is the standard by which I measure every other pretzel by. A perfect bake, the consistency is spot on, I could go on, but why... and I'd spoil it for you. The cheese and the mustard really elevate the dish. Ok, tacos. We order the corn beef tacos. Yes they have other tacos. No. I don't know what they are. Yes. I am sure they are great. No. I haven't had them. Yes. Corn beef tacos are the best thing since like corn beef and cabbage. One of my friends has never had them. I can proudly say that she is now a convert to corn beef tacos. I'm not sure what you're waiting for... go. Oh. The boxtys are amazing, best outside of Ireland. And the fish and chips. The soups are some of the best in the county.

Ordered the Friday/Saturday special prime rib medium rare, but it turned out more medium and was chewy in texture. However, I would recommend the prime rib dip. The meat is sliced thinly, so it is tender and the au jus dip (is that redundant? I don't know French) is flavorful and not overly salty. The bread was soft and soaked up the jus nicely.

Great pub atmosphere. Food was delicious. Friday night music was a bonus. Our server Sarah B did a great job in a busy night.

My husband and I visited this restaurant over the weekend with some friends and got a pretty scary surprise. As my husband was drinking his water, he inhaled a piece of glass through his straw. After coughing it up and noticing what the object was, we noticed several pieces at the bottom of his drink. We told our waiter what the situation was and he responded with something along the lines of "That shouldn't be in there".... I understand accidents happen but my main issue is the lack of concern the staff had about the issue. They never offered to comp or even discount his meal for the experience he endure. Instead, they gave the table a slice of bread pudding to share...

We love wine Wednesday but tonight we noticed how much smaller the bread pudding is compared to the past.

The food is amazing and is always delicious. The service is amazing I have a regular waitress Andrea she is absolutely amazing. My friends and I absolutely love her and her service is always amazing that's way we come back all the time. The ambiance is amazing as well. I just absolutely love this pub so much.

Good food & atmosphere! live music Fri & Sat night- great beer. Fish-n- chips is great! our last visit (2/16 evening) the hostess was not as friendly- upset that we sat ourselves in the bar area, like we've always done, but our waiter, Forest, made up for her, he was polite, helpful & professional, Hooley's needs to keep these type of servers around- they make the dining experience worth returning! Thank you Forest- keep up the good work! - still one of our favs in dining out. R&M~

I really like this place! The food is really good and great quality. It's a cozy dark restaurant with a great Irish charm. The staff is friendly and accommodating. I live in Ocean Beach but whenever I'm over this way I make sure to stop in. Thanks guys ....