Madra Rua Irish Pub

This restaurant has gone downhill and you can tell it is failing. I took 6 people who had eaten here before to dinner. We all loved it before but this time was very different. It reeks of a failing business . The fishermans pie was a bowl of mashed potatoes and if you dug long and hard you found 6 shrimp. I had it there before and it had a nice white sauce and vegetables with chunks of white fish ,shrimp. A light layer of potato toppings . So cutting costs gets you a bowl of mashed potatoes. Everyone asked what happened to this place? Exactly! What did happen? Dumpster food ,skip this establishment there are so many better places to eat. No wonder the only patrons were at the bar. They all know not to eat the food. Never again!

From the moment you walk up, you know this is an Irish Pub! The inside is nice and cozy... feels like home. The drinks are wonderful! The staff were kind and helpful. The food was next level! Everything had great flavor! Nothing was too salty. The chef here knows their stuff!!! Best Irish food we have had!

It was our first time coming to this location, and we were so happy we did! It has a real Irish feel, and we had our own enclosed booth that was comfortable and cozy. Our server was a sweetheart and checked in with us often. The food. The food was incredible and made me want to bring my Irish, Guiness loving dad here when he visits. We had the prime rib sandwich with au jus and fries, which was more than what we had expected with large slices of prime rib, not the sliced thin cheesesteak like slices, and it was tender and delicious, and perfect with the au jus. We also shared the homemade spinach and artichoke dip with chips, and it was creamy and savory. The best we've ever had! We split the cup of Shepard pie that came with a slice of soda bread, and to say I was doing the happy dance was an understatement. The pretzel and jalapeño cheese dip was devoured, and we have no shame about how quickly. I think we found our new favorite comfort food location. We will be back a million times!

Dark, moody, AC works, Guinness is superb and poured properly, food and soccer. Everything you ever needed in life all in one place.

The food and the atmosphere are great. The service is atrocious. We waited for a waiter for 20 minutes and the bar tender never acknowledged us or let any waiters know we would like to eat here. When we went inside to seek staff, there was none. So we sat and waited some more.. eventually left after nobody appeared to be working. This is not the first time I’ve had to leave due to poor service. Y’all need to kick it into gear. Do better.

I'm always on the hunt for some good pubs wherever I end up in the world, and I gotta say that this place is a great one. If you're looking for a really chill and upstanding pub, this is where to go. The place is clean, and the bar is pretty extensive. The drinks here are great, and they do not skimp on the alcohol. The food here is also pretty good and reasonably priced for the area. A great place to go with a bunch of friends.

The staple and anchor of park circle. Consistently good food and even better service. Always great to saddle up at an authentic pub bar and make some new friends. Hard to find a livelier spot when there's a good match on.

Amazing atmosphere, servers are nice and attentive. The fishmans pie is amazing. My partner said the burger is one of the best he's ever had. Beer is good as always

Food was great, service was very friendly and attentive. Great ambiance and felt like a great local pub to pop in for a pint and a good chin wag with friends. Unfortunately we were only visiting the area, but that didn't prevent the waitress from including us in helping them settle a debate they were having about US geography!

A nice place for a meal with a good selection of beer. The booth seating was great for having a conversation and not having to shout. It was pretty busy on a Monday night. Service was very good and portions hearty

I love that Madra Rua rebuilt after the fire and kept everything exactly the same inside. That old Irish bar feel is what makes the place so great. I do love the addition of the outdoor patio too. I've been in a bunch but recently stopped in and had some Irish nachos and corned beef and cabbage, which was fantastic. The service was great and since it was a beautiful day out, it was pretty slow inside. I do miss that they close at 12 now instead of two because it was one of my favorite late night hangouts but maybe they'll change that in the future.

Ate outside on a lovely day. The bartender was attentive. Shepherds pie was good but the prime rib sandwich wasn't great. Soda bread less dry than I recalled but still makes me thirsty. Inside is quite dark. Surprisingly small tap selection.

The outside patio is usually where we land at Madra Rua but the thick humid air of Charleston in September drove us to the traditional classic Irish Pub offering a comfy cool inside table by the bar. While the food is always consistent and delicious, the corned beef and cabbage was exceptional. We received a generous portion of corned beef so tender and delicious surrounded by delicious mashed potatoes and yummy seasoned cabbage. It was just like sitting around our table at home. Our server was very friendly and attentive keeping the beverages flowing for us as needed. It's such a pleasure to have Madra Rua available in Park Circle so close to home without having to fight the traffic and parking issues downtown.

Longstanding Irish Pub here, my buddy used to own this one and the one in Summerville. Decent Irish food, along with traditional English. Darts and drinks paired with a huge portion of shepherds pie!

It was a cold and rainy day and I was in the mood for some comfort food. Madra Rua Irish Pub's shepherd's pie hit the spot! I love that they have two portion sizes - a side of shepherd's pie and a full entree. I went with the entree. The potatoes were delish. The meal, veggie gravy part was full of flavor. They have other pub staples like fish n' chips and reubens. The prime rib sandwich also sounded delicious. I'd go back again!

Docked in here to check it out. Always have to go to the Irish pub in town right? This place is really big with lots of different areas to sit with your friends. Enjoy a cold one and have a bite to eat. Very authentic inside with lots of things to look at and enjoy.

Lunch time, went in sat at bar was told someone would see us shortly. After 15 minutes we left no one came to the bar to assist us. Not busy, 3 other persons seated at the bar. We left!!! No way to run a business. Frank G

Ive lived in Park Circle for almost two years and still haven't tried Madra Rua. I looked at reviews and a lot of people said they didn't have good service so I was a little nervous. However, I always like to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt and went for dinner anyway. We were seated quickly and our server was very nice. Once we placed our order, our food came out crazy fast. Since I love meat, I got the prime rib sandwich with an old fashioned. The meat was cooked so nicely and had a lot of flavor, but there were a lot of fatty pieces on my cut that I had to work around. The fries were pretty standard. My old fashioned was super strong. It wasn't my favorite, so maybe I should've gotten a beer instead? Overall it was a good experience but I did think it was a bit pricey.

Food wasn't great, fried green tomato BLT was overcooked and tasted mostly like fryer oil.. But the food is not the draw to this place. The atmosphere and staff were superb. We hung with a whole group of families (including a gaggle of children) to watch a Liverpool game & everyone enjoyed themselves. When the game channel wasn't working properly, they had someone dispatched to resolve the issue right away. Nice pub experience overall.

We feel like we have the luck of the Irish every time we visit Madra Rua - what a terrific local spot for everyone to enjoy. This Park Circle favorite has it all - great food (try the bowls), good cocktails, many beers on tap, even more beers in bottles and cans. and super friendly service. Check out the indoor seating and bar for a typical Irish feel - dark and lots of wood, super warm. Outside is a terrific bar, patio, and stage area. Madra Rua often hosts events, has TVs to watch sports, and is uber LGBTQ friendly. Go for a drink, go for a meal, just go!

We sat outside on the patio and did not realize that it was not dog friendly. The lady behind the bar was very attentive to our table, even though she had a pretty full bar. The food came out pretty quickly and every time I go there. I always get the fisherman's pie. It's so good especially when it's cool outside. he had the prime rib sandwich and said it was excellent.

We were intrigued by all the people here so we stopped for a drink. The inside is dark but so full of character! Two bars from what I saw and lots of booths and seating. Bartenders were friendly and loved the brunch and drink menus! There seemed to be a lot going on outside as well, but we did not make it out there. We ordered irish coffees and a blueberry lemonade drink which was outstanding!!! Great irish bar/ pub right in the middle of park circle.

Their Old Fashioned ranks in my top 5 and the fried. Bologna sandwhich was great. I traded out the slaw for pickled green tomatoes

We had a blast here for St Patrick's Day! Our group hung outside the whole time on their large patio. There is a mix of high tops and a few low tops as well as bar seating and a countertop that lets you face the sidewalk. Lots of overhead lighting as it got dark. The bartenders were super kind and busting it with the large crowd. You never waited long and they were efficient. Lots of great drink selections - we stuck with Harp's most of the night with a mix of shots. I think because of the holiday they were using all plastic wear which is a bummer but understandable. For appetizers, we did the Rueben rolls and fried pickles. Both with really nicely done and the two sauces that came with each were excellent. Food also came out very quickly. For dinners, the chicken tenders tossed in Buffalo were excellent and the fries were so nice. The shepherds pie unfortunately was an epic fail - mostly mashed potatoes, small serving for the price and the taste was lacking. Lots of parking options around - street and large lots. We'll be back!

I have been to Madra Rua for drinks and fun in the bar, but I was not aware of their excellent food menus until today. The food menu available on the amazing patio outside or on the cozy Irish pub interior , is phenomenal and true to origin. We tried the Fish and chips, and they were probably one of the best I've tried not only in town, but when travelling through the UK. I also had the beef sandwich which came on a toasted bun and was a generous and delicious portion. The french fries that accompanied both of the dishes were fried to perfection. Great food , great beer and great ambiance, MadraRua has it all!

This is a hidden gem. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. There are definitely a group of regulars that frequent the bar. They are super friendly but the bartender can get distracted with serving them. I like how there are two sides of the bar which gives more room. My salad was extremely Delish. My husband got the corn beef plate which made me think if my mothers home cooking back in the day. Good portions too. They also have some fun drink specials. Cost are reasonable and parking isn't too bad. I'd god again for sure!

"fish and chips" The fries were cold and soggy, the fried fish batter couldn't hang on for dear life, and the fish itself was gamey and barely lukewarm. I didn't feel safe eating it. "pretzel bites" Were not the pretzel bites I've always gotten at their summerville location, wasn't warned about it. Gave me a giant, super dried out pretzel. Sad night for me, really disappointed and wished I had gone somewhere else. Our server ran around everywhere, left before we could ask for anything, made me feel super awkward to even ask for the dish to be taken back because I felt like he didn't even want to serve us.

Food is great, service is on point, and the atmosphere of an Irish pub is definitely there. My father in law and my mom first time and they liked it.

Good place, good vibe! On July 4th night, it was just impossible to get table at any restaurants around King St. So we chose to dine in North Charleston. Found this place, and it was definitely worth it. I loved my fish and chips! Best ever.. My husband enjoyed his grilled cheese sandwich. He enjoyed his Irish drinks more Only disappointment was queso - it came out too hard. But server was generous enough to address the issue and not charge us for it.

I am so glad Madra Rua reopened in Park Circle. It was a great place for Irish fare prior to the fire but it is twice as good now. The patio areas are super nice and have a quiet courtyard feel. The food is too notch. Fish n chips are delicious a ms well as the Shepard's pie. One of the few places that know how to serve Guinness correctly.

JD was amazing. He gave us the best recommendations for dinner, his enthusiasm was seriously contagious and we'll be back again for the great food, but mostly to hang with him on the back patio.

Kilkenny beer, thats it! We've searched many states, looking for this beer and this is the SECOND place that I know of, outside Ireland, that has it. The other place is in NJ so I don't have too many options. Everyone was friendly. We sat at the bar and got the Irish nachos and chicken fingers. The nachos were shepherds pie toppings on chips. The flavor was good but the portion was too small to warrant the $. The chicken tenders came tossed in any sauce you want. We got the mango habanero and the flavor was great.

This place always had a good reputation for friendly service and good food. Went to Sunday brunch and everything was burnt. Waitress was inattentive and clearly rather be anywhere else. smelled dank which is new. Hope this place isn't entering its death spiral.

Favorite place in Charleston. Such a great atmosphere! Great beer and really good food. Love love love.

Steak sandwich was perfection and the inside of the place is different but nice. Good service.

Best after-work spot around! And a quick walk to other awesome spots so keep moving and have fun in Park Circle!

I went for lunch and was able to get in and out fairly quickly. I had the fish and chips, my go to. Saw other food come out and looked delicious.

I gave them five stars because I LOVE this place. They were the early adopters of the area and the staff is friendly and awesome. Nearly everything I've had to eat there was fantastic except for the Irish Stew. Now I don't consider myself an expert so I may be off but theirs was more of a chowder and honesty, I didn't enjoy it. It bums me out to say this because this place has so many good memories so take it for what it's worth. I will try it again because everything else I've had here was on point.

If you want a classic Irish meal, Madra Rua is the place to go. I got the corned beef and cabbage with fries. It was absolutely amazing. They even had the mustard to dip it in. They have the classic Guinness as well. The outdoor seating is perfect for the weather but the inside is cool with pub vibes. They're ‍ friendly and welcome everyone. They have drag shows occasionally too! The staff is super friendly and attentive. Everything is well priced and classically Irish. There's fare for those who aren't into it as well. Great beer selection and awesome hangout spot, especially on Football Sunday's

Fantastic Irish Pub in the heart of Park Circle! Good beer selection and pub fare. We tried the fish and chips and Shepherd's pie. They actually ran out of mashed potatoes but gladly made another batch for us. They weren't quite done but it was still good with the cheese oozing over. Fish and chips were pretty standard. Reuben rolls were not good. They sounded like they could have been tasty but lacked flavor. Great atmosphere with friendly staff.

Absolutely loved the fish and chips and my friends favorite is the fisherman's pie Had to bring my boyfriend by to try it and he loved it just as much!

I've always wanted to try this place, Monday had the chance to get in and sit for lunch with my husband and toddler we had a burger, the beef sandwich, and a grilled cheese for the little..it wasn't busy at all so service was quick but maybe a little too quick we were seated handed menus and asked okay so what are you getting to drink, drinks were brought in a second and then pushed to order, our waitress seemed a little annoyed with our 2 year old but I get maybe they're just not use to kids at the establishment? but you don't live in a child free world so maybe don't be a dick? while we ate the food was good until we got in our car and started having the worst bubble guts! It was like a lava lamp in our stomachs the ambience of the place was nice but the ambience of our bathrooms after eating here could use a makeover.. almost 24hrs multiple trips to the bathroom and lots of hot tea we are finally feeling better. Definitely will be skipping this place and eating at the other places in the circle

absolutely incredible. sports on the tv, good music, great service, love it. thanks so much guys! also, edit to add, someone talked smack about the fries in these reviews... i apologize that you were hoping for frozen fries, i can tell that these fries were cut from potatoes TODAY. i'm blown away. awesome guys!! thanks again!

10/10 would go again as long as J.D. is there! the wings were excellent and the outside is way better than the outside. log licker approved!

The food here is really terrible. Fisherman Pie is just mashed potatoes. Spinach artichoke dip was maybe made 2 weeks ago and reheated every day since. Please don't eat here. The drinks were ok. DO NOT EAT! They know their food is bad and just don't care.

I have been going to this establishment for years. I did really enjoy the atmosphere until recently. I have had two different occasions where the staff were so disrespectful I left immediately. One incident was with a server, where she was so rude, I departed before even ordering food. I also have had a bartender in another instance be extremely impolite to me. I will not be returning.

The food is is good. I always come in here when I'm in Charleston just to enjoy the feel of an Irish Pub and to see what great beer they have on tap that I haven't had in a while.

A local recommended I try this place. Saturday evening at 7PM I sat at the bar, the place looked about half full, a server brought food to several people at different tables in the nearly 10 minutes I waited for anyone to even come behind the bar to ask if I or anyone else needed anything. Once he got there he came back every few minutes to check on everyone. The Shepherd's Pie was ok, but had too much pepper. Having eaten in Ireland a few times over the years it was not what I expected. There was a wide variety of whiskeys and other spirits. As Irish Pubs go the seating and bar area were well kept and appropriately decorated. I just won't likely go back.

You've got to applaud these guys for surviving a fire and COVID and coming back strong. A long staple of E. Mont before it was cool Madra Rua is back and better than ever. Beer is still cold, wood is still polished, food is still good. Yeah there's a newer shine to the place and that's just fine. It still has that old Irish bar feel and a barstool for you when you need it. Both drink till you can't and family friendly, Rua is for Youa!

This place charges a 3 percent fee if use a credit card. What a joke. Passing the fee on to customer. Also bad service. Don't recommend

Wow. We were looking for a high rated spot to grab a bit to eat after a baseball game. We arrived around 9:20pm on a Friday night. Stood in front of the hostess stand.....waiting...finally a waitress passed us...no acknowledgement, then when she passed by us again we stopped her to ask if we could be seated. She turned....looked at the front of the waitress stand and looked at the signage that said "please wait to be seated" and turned and took off behind the bar. My son literally touched the sign to see if it was reversible ...nope, glued in tight The waitress finally reappeared and said it was a 20 min wait as they were backed up. Fortunately there were other options down the street that we opted for Maybe others will have better luck. But with other options available, one would think there would be more focus on customer service and setting a positive first impression

Fantastic Shepard pie! It's absolutely a "must eat there" place when we travel to Charleston.

We stopped in looking for a nice new to us place to try. Stumbled on this quaint little outdoor pub. We ordered a specialty drinks which were great. For appetizer we had the artichoke dip and for lunch we each had the fish and chips. Did not take photos of the food bc we were so hungry. Great place to grab a drink and a great meal.

Not my all-time favorite restaurant but still a good choice. Good sandwiches great fries haven't ventured too far off the menu to try any of the Irish items but I love their beer creations (they have a portion of the menu that recommends want to be used to mix together often with Guinness)

Awesome vibe! The bartenders are really nice and friendly. I'm just happy there's a bar that'll play soccer on the weekends. The food's really good here too (especially the corned beef hash). I'd try to avoid during some busier times because service could be a bit slow, but other than that it's a good place to be.

Was at the outside bar again today, and this time it was Kelly. She is amazing. Very attentive and very friendly. The food is always good (props to the kitchen staff), but Kelly took the experience from an 8 to a 12 (on a scale of 1-10). Definitely recommend!!!!!! Please come and as for Kelly, whether she's inside or outside!

Even if it's not St. Paddy's Day, an Irish Pub like this will always make you feel at home. Get a "real" Guinness, and corned beef and cabbage "just 'cause". I really like their Shepherd's Pie. It's more tasty than most, yet creamy and delicious like you crave. They serve it with real soda bread, too. I have yet to be disappointed in a meal. They have branched out to the alley way between them and another restaurant. It's large enough for a band at the end, all while probably 30-40 patrons can sit and eat/drink comfortably. Sails are hung overhead to prevent the occasional sunburn that our Irish friends are known to get so easily. Inside, there is a large bar and multiple booths, tables, and alcoves in which to spend time with friends. No one is a stranger in an Irish Pub. It's Park Circle, so the vibe is cool. Pop in for a cold beverage or stay the night. Whatever your pleasure, I'm sure they will aim to please. Oh, and tip the bartenders! And servers!