Rí Rá Irish Pub & Restaurant

I can’t even describe what an amazing hidden gem this place is, so I’ll let the pictures do some of the talking. It’s located right on the water, and when you walk in it looks like your average Irish pub but head upstairs and it turns into a coastal oasis! We stayed for three hours watching the snow, sipping delicious cocktails, and enjoying some of the best food of my trip. There are so many gluten free options. The gluten free chicken fingers with multiple sauce choices were absolutely amazing! Our server was so incredibly kind, knowledgeable about the menu, and he made the whole experience even better!

We were recommended this place specifically for the gluten-free fish and chips, so that is what we both had. The food was delicious, and our server, Garrett was excellent. He was very attentive and helpful and made the experience really great.

From what you see from the street, the interior was unexpected and very nice. The dining room upstairs is light and cozy feeling but large and great views. Service was excellent and the food was good with very generous portions.

We visited for brunch and really enjoyed ourselves. The upstairs is quiet and with a fantastic view and is more like a restaurant, while the downstairs has music and televisions and is more pub like. We had the fried chicken breakfast sandwich on a bagel with fries and loved it. It was a decent portion and good quality and the fries were really crispy. Our server was friendly! We’d recommend making a booking.

DO NOT ORDER THE “irish” chicken curry. dry. shriveled peas. odd looking chicken. if you served it in Ireland it would be thrown back at you. couldn’t even tell what was in it. chips were lovely though and server was nice.

I love this place! I did not have food tonight but showed up for the band and the atmosphere. They never fail. I got the perfect Guinness as you’d expect. The band was fun. Never disappointed.

Never been to a pub before, and was here for a wedding rehearsal. Nice pub with a view of the water. Nice and friendly servers. The place look and feel rustic. Food is ok not much standout to eat for.

Beautiful restaurant overlooking the water! Fish and chips were amazing and the drinks were divine. Would definitely return

We stopped into RiRa this summer and enjoyed a lovely lunch outside. I ordered the braised short rib, which comes with puréed cauliflower, and it was honestly some of the best "mashed cauliflower" I've ever had. The short rib was incredibly tender and just melted in my mouth. Service was quick, friendly, and attentive, making the whole experience even better. Highly recommend stopping in if you're in the area!

Ambiance: The inside of the restaurant is lovely. A great older building and it is fun to just sit in there and enjoy looking around at its construction. Service: average at best. Were forgotten by the staff several times. To be fair to them, they did seem understaffed. They had one server, one bartender and one host which is generally a reflection on management, but to be fair they were by no means swamped while we were there. I understand the small number of scheduled staff. It did, however, seem like the kitchen were struggling because I noticed it took ages for everyone to get their food, not just us. Service just seemed disorganized and unstructured. Food: I got the fish sandwich with chips/fries. About half of the chips were soggy and the fish was overcooked. My wife got the cottage pie with brown bread. She really enjoyed the bread, but the cottage pie was careless. It looked like they had ladled the meat into a bowl and then dropped a scoop of mashed potatoes on top. The dish was made with entirely too much salt and didn't have any depth of flavor. Reminded me of a school cafeteria Salisbury steak from when I was a kid. The brown bread was from a can. You could see the ridges around the edge. Overall, I'd give this spot a 3.5, but since I have to choose between a 3 or a 4 I would say they are a 3. It was nothing to write home about and definitely not a place I'd tell a friend they "have to try" while visiting Portland. It was fine...

Well.... I'm giving for stars as this is a place for the " regulars/locals" year around and we love it! Tonight, I felt like a one star (or less, if it were possible) was warranted. Never, in the 10+ years we've popped in before catching it ferry , has a hostess accosted my friend in such a cruel way. We had a paper bag (desserts to take home from our dinner) and Cassie was trying to block my friend from entry stating food could NOT be brought. My buddy stated we're here for a drink or two as we waited on the ferry . After a few more words of attack, she told my friend to go ahead but don't let the bartender see. Subsequently, a white cpl day next to us with, clearly, to go packages. We asked them if Cassie had confronted them as she did us and they stated 'No'. I was very upset and spoke with the bartender, who was also the manager, to let him know of the situation and he appeared very concerned, sympathetic, and shocked. My friend had already left when I shared my concerns with the mgr as it felt like my buddy was singled out as being gay, Mexican, or both! The bartender, again, was super apologetic as he recognized we've been there over the years and promised to address this issue post-haste. I hope this to be true and we'll continue to stop at one of our favorite spots as, one bad apple won't ruin the batch. Lovingly..... and appreciatively.

We searched for a restaurant with Gluten Friendly options, specifically fish and chips. We remembered the location in Atlantic City, so we stopped in to have dinner. The view overlooking the harbor was unbeatable. The staff, even though it was the offseason, was amazing. They fully understood allergies and made some good recommendations. We tried the Magner's Cider and down east cider. Both were gluten free and incredible. When you visit Portland, make sure to dine at Ri Ra!

Get place for cold Guinness as always. But after many years of visiting the wonderful establishment I was treated very rude and disrespectful. I had a bag, and the hostesses(Cassie) asked if it was food. I said yes, and she harshly stated that i could not bring it in. After telling her I was not going to eat it there, i was just there to enjoy some drinks. She said don't let the bartender see it. Note, it was a brown bag not a take away container. This was the first time ever I was treated this way, Cassie has some customer training to go to...totally not friendly. My friend talked to the manger and indicted that the couple next to us clearly had a to go containers and was not questioned. Why was I singled out?!? Because of my race or being gay!?

Great pub vibe. We went in the late afternoon, and it was busy but not packed. The staff was fabulous, fun,and friendly. A good selection of beers and ciders to choose from. We didn't eat, so we will need to come back to try the traditional Irish dishes.

We stopped by for drinks around 1am. It was one of the only bars still open in Portland on a Sunday night. Got a seat at the bar. I do not remember what I got to drink. My friend got a Guinness. Wish I could've tried some food on the menu cause I do like Irish pub food. But I was pretty much glad the place was open late for drinks!

Ah RiRa, an Old Port classic. A lot of bars come and go, this one has been around for a while. We sat downstairs - to the right side when you come in the door. Looks like a little hole in the wall. Full bar, lots of taps, super cozy. In the winter there is a pot belly stove in the corner that cranks out the heat. I had a Lunch on draft and he had a kolch - also on draft. This was just a quick stop. 1 and done. The bartender was great, made a couple good jokes/comments and was attentive. Certain we will be back soon (probably tomorrow).

Very distinguished Irish pub in old port. Live music most days especially Sundays with amazing Celtic music. The space is nice very cozy for groups or couples. Irish beer poured authentically. They have an area to the right and to the left and an area upstairs. Be sure to check them all out! Guinness stew and chowder are a must! Worth a visit when not eating lobster in Maine!

I'd give this 1 or 0 for the food but the service was good and the view was nice too. I felt bad for the poor wait staff. She kept apologizing for the delay and refilled my iced tea but when the food finally came it was largely inedible. My husband enjoyed his beer so maybe only worth a stop for a pint.

Service wasn't good. Food was blah, was really wanting to like it but was disappointed. Our food came out missing items and when asked about it was told, we ran out of that.

Such a mad disappointment! We were regulars here until they worked w a limited menu while reno'g the restaurant. Last time we went was in March, menu was really limited so we gave it a break for a while, but have been craving their food. Finally made it back in to find so many changes to the menu, the quality of the food , and none for the better. We always got chicken bites- so good, tossed in buff sauce. They've been replaced with plain chicken tenders cut up into toddler sized bites. Terrible! And the kitchen will o longer toss in sauce. Seriously. These are like frozen plain chx tenders sliced up and dry. Fries, no longer shoe-string and have been replaced with steak-fry type fries and undercooked, mushy terribleness. One of us would always sub fries for onion rings. They no longer permit sub'g and their once fabulous onion rings are now offered only as pickled rings, WTHIT?? Fish/ chips. YUCK. Nothing like what you'd find in Ireland, not close! Price increase of $9 and once great batter replaced with a panko type breading. Just bad, all of it. It used to be SO good. Unfortunately, as they say, all good things must come to an end. A once fave will not be visited by us again- shame!!

A great start to my Portland vacation was a stop at Rì Rá! Choose the Magner's Apple Cider to go along with my Lobster Roll and Seafood Chowder. Tasty, fresh tasting lobster and a delicious chowder that hit the spot!

Loved the bar, the food, the bartender (Josh) and the trivia night madness on Tuesday. Will go back soon. Tip- Tuesdays are trivia night so if you don't make reservations, make sure you arrive by 6-6:30. Tip2- if you want Irish dinner , try calling them first, they were not ready with the meat last night Reminded me of a lot of good Irish bars in Minneapolis. Can't wait to go back.

Today, when I arrived, only a couple of other people were at the bar, and no one was seated at the tables. Yet, after 45 minutes of waiting, asking for assistance multiple times, I left without even being able to put in an order. The bartender, instead of doing her job, spent the entire time talking to the people at the other end of the bar. Just a moment after making a request for service and being ignored, a person who had just walked in came up behind me, and ordered. When she was done, I said, yet again, I would like to order, the bartender just walked away. After having multiple experiences with rude staff and poor customer service years ago, I had not been in yers. I had decided to try it again, hoping it had changed. It hasn't. Never going back.

The service and some of the food was okay But I was devastated at how awful the lanb burger had become. I couldn't believe it! It was a thin dry strip of meat with no taste whatsoever. Years ago I eagerly looked forward to what then was a thick, juicy, succulent flavorful delicacy. So I was truly shocked and saddened when this thin, dessicated piece of shoe leather in a bun was delivered to my plate. I said nothing about it at the time as I had guests from out of town and didn't want to impact their experience. But I'm truly saddened. RI Ras was always a sure thing for me if I could afford it. Apparently the prices have not gone up, but the quality has shockingly gone down. And I'm not exaggerating. I wouldn't have fed that lamb burger to my dog. And if I did, he likely wouldn't have eaten it.

We made a reservation because various reviews suggested that the dining area tended to fill up - though I have to say both the dining and bar areas were huge! The dining area is upstairs so a bit away from the noise of the bar, though there are still tvs so you can watch whatever game you'd like, it's just not quite as noisy. We arrived early for our reservation and ran into a family that was in front of us that had been waiting a while to get seated. It took a good 10-15 minutes for us to get seated, but there was also an event in one of the rooms in the upstairs area, and it seemed the person seating people was also running around up there, so they may have bee understaffed. The dining area wasn't super crowded and really everyone was very friendly and attentive. I got the lobster gnocchi which doesn't seem to be part of the typical menu, but I have to say I'm glad I caught it because it was scrumptious. Lots of lobster and the gnocchi itself was well done too. I was a bit disappointed that they had run out of the lobster egg rolls, but I suppose that's my excuse to come back and visit!

The guy who works there and sings on open mic night on Sunday is a terrible musician and rude. He tried to get a mob of patrons/friend to jump us. We had an 11 yo on vacation who just needed a bathroom. He said we needed a babysitter. Horrible. I am ashamed for him. Only rude encounter on our entire trip to Maine.

So good if you are looking for a low sodium menu! Nothing was salted! Bonus if you are looking for a raw menu! The squash in our salad was raw! Yay. So much healthier than the old menu which was well-cooked and seasoned. Blech. Bonus + a great opportunity to practice patience as you wait in the door in full view of the staff and they ignore you. All the best things that most restaurants are so bad at providing.

We were seated (a party of 4) but never had our orders taken. Waiters and other staff were in a huddle, talking, and preoccupied. The only person who attended to customers was the bartender who multi tasking ( trying to keep her current customers happy/ while serving her own customers) The bartender saw visible frustration, and tried to reassure our group, but after our party waited at least 35 minutes without receiving any water or orders we made the decision to leave.

The lobster roll was fine, not the best one I have tasted but still hit the spot. However, their seafood chowder was amazing! It was a very cold day in Portland and the warm soup was exactly what I needed!! The server was also quite fast despite the busy day ( there was a Euro soccer game so the bar area was very crowded) . Highly recommend stopping by for their delicious seafood chowder!

I love Ri Ra. I have never had a bad experience here and this time also did not disappoint. Found a parking spot with zero trouble which is unheard of in downtown Portland, especially around the holidays. There is plenty of parking and paid parking spots nearby. Ri Ra is situated right on the water and connected to Flatbread. It was beautifully decorated for the holiday season and I got to sit right by the roaring fireplace. Our waitress was super friendly, made recommendations, and was attentive. They have seasonal items that rotate throughout the year. They had a cranberry white sangria special for a drink which my mom tried. I got a sip and it was fruity and delicious. I tried their drink called cozy fireplace which was a smoky whiskey drink. Cocktails were decently priced. We split the spinach and artichoke dip and my goodness was it creamy and delicious. It comes with bread and veggies for dipping. It was the perfect portion size for the price. My mom got the seafood chowder for dinner which was also creamy and delicious. The portion size on this one for the price was not as great. I got the beef stew which came with short rib, potatoes, carrots, onions etc. It was warm and delicious - perfect for a cold night in Portland. We sat downstairs in more of the bar area. They also have a ton of seating and another bar upstairs which is beautiful and spacious. They have full bar service and tons of food options - mostly pub food but all delicious. I will continue to keep coming back to Ri Ra and definitely recommend it for others!

Awful meal. I ordered Irish Chicken Curry, because it's an Irish place. It had one 1" cube of chicken in the entire dry covering on top of mashed potatoes. My wife got the Chicken sandwich which was a dry 1/4 thick thick piece of chicken on a roll. They took 40% off my pile of mashed and veggies. The place was slow and Portland was packed. Now we know why.

Pleasant, relaxing seafood and pub. Courteous staff sensitive to our need to meet a ferry schedule. The heartiest clam chowder I've had so far. As a drop in pub it is worth the stop!

Does not deserve 3.4, this is a 4.0. Upstairs great view of the harbor. Waitress was very friendly and attentive. Food came quickly. Had the fish and chips which was good, large fish good portion, moderate breading. Fries very good. Beef and Guinness stew was tasty, presentation was in a can like a sea ration, a little startling but enough for my spouse but probably needs a bowl with a little more for me who is a larger mammal. Had the Irish beer flight-great. No entertainment tonight, enjoyed a nice evening, would recommend. Insist on upstairs for the view, downstairs for a bar experience.

Me & my colleague went for a light dinner & drinks. Seated on the restaurant side. Great waitress who just moved from Cork, Ireland. I had the wings with Guinness BBQ sauce. Very good! My colleague had the clam chowder & side salad. Great Irish pub!

Had a wedding reception in the upstairs space. Event coordinator didn't disclose that they were taking reservations for part of the space so we had strange people walking thru all evening. Also tried to prevent our acoustic guitar player from using a microphone. When we toured the space, she showed us where he would set up and pointed out the outlets. Then when he arrived, she said he couldn't use microphone or speaker. I would not recommend this restaurant for any type of event. They were very difficult to deal with all evening. Ran out of toilet paper in ladies room. Had to ask 3 times to have it refilled. They cancelled our dessert platters the week before so we had to provide our own. Then wouldn't set the dessert up on the platters we had to bring or provide dessert plates. Steer clear!

Really lovely vibe inside and lovely food as well. The entrance has a bar with live music downstairs and a nice cozy spot on the inside overlooking the pier. Really Aesthetic and I would not have expected it just looking at it from the outside. IRISH BREAKFAST was delicious. Perfectly cooked sausages, baked beans had so much flavor even on their own, Sunnyside eggs well cooked to perfection, the black pudding had a very distinct flavor that went quite well with the sausages. Favorite part was the rashers. Really nice hint of saltiness which was super good. IRISH CHICKEN CURRY - supe flavorful curry, chicken was well cooked (Even had some grill marks), large pieces of carrots which actually had the curry flavor absorbed. Asked for Irish soda bread on the side instead of rice, and it was a really good combination with the curry! BAILEY'S CHEESECAKE for dessert - pretty good smooth cheesecake, And that coffee flavor really came through. Especially in the crust. Good amount of coffee and cheesecake combination. It was also very light and we could totally have gone for a second one!

Loud place if you go on Trivia night. Drinks were so horrible we didn't bother to order any food. If you make a vodka and soda with flat soda water you can only assume the food will stink. So many better places in Portland. I don't know how Ri Ra survives. Total dive.

Rí Rá has always been a good spot for pub fare and drinks. Its strength lies in its central location on Commercial, directly next to the ferry terminal. However, I can't confidently say that their food and drinks are anything above average. I always enjoy what I eat (typically the Spinach Artichoke Dip or Hot Crab Dip, or Fish & Chips), but I find their food to be incredibly pricy for its relative lack of inventiveness and average quality. Rí Rá is not anything more than it pretends to be--an Irish pub with a great view of the bay that serves up hearty and filling American dishes. However, this can all be found at less exorbitant of a price elsewhere.

Visited Ri Ra about a week ago. Amazing as always. Short rib poutine and potato cakes were delicious and comforting. Irish Shepherds Pie, Chicken Cordon Bleu both stellar. Cannot wait to go back to try the hot onion dip. Also cannot beat the view upstairs by the window!

I honestly don't know how to begin, RíRá has always been a favorite place to dine and a favorite watering hole for St. Patty's day. Most recently, the food has been lacking. Staff is always attentive and wonderful. Specialty cocktails are always fun and inviting but the food, not so much. I am hoping that they will get back on track as they are such a wonderful local establishment.

First-they were "out" of a number of things on the menu, which was understandable (kind of) in January 1... Second-the upstairs, although with a lovely view, was cold. Not cool, but cold. Again, we all can appreciate conservation but we had a baby in our party (and reservations to boot). Third-the food. Gross. I had a Reuben that I literally had to trim chunks of gelatinous fat off of what sparse meat was served. The corned beef was tough and not cut on the bias. They left the Thousand Island dressing off so I had to ask for it (ironically the other Reuben at the table was far better and had all components). French fries were limp and cool to the touch. At $20+ for the sandwich it was a total bust. The server was ok, not particularly attentive. Never refilled water or my soda. Simply a disappointment. The price point is ridiculous for the quality of food and service. I could name three other places where it would have been far better and less expensive. Come for a pint. Eat elsewhere.

Beautiful view, we had the shepherds pie and the potato pancake. Both were so good. It took a minute to get seated but service was friendly one we were seated. We went during non-rush hour about 5pm we were leaving and the rush started to show up.

Had a hour to kill before our cruise excursion started so we took a short walk to RiRa. Irish pub with good bar food selection and excellent cocktails. Had a lobster roll and chowder. Both were good. Chowder was better than good... Music is post Motown ethnic and is sooooooo out of place in an Irish bar !

We waited at the door 10 minutes to be seated and then asked at the bar if we could seat ourselves. The server said she'd let the hostess know. Five minutes later my husband asked if the hostess was around and was told she was probably upstairs. She finally came down and asked if we were the 1:45 reservation, I said no but we've been waiting about 15 minutes. She walked on by and took the group behind us who was the 1:45. No I'm sorry or I'll be right back. We waited another 5 minutes for her to return and left. Waiting 20 minutes to be seated is a slap in the face especially when you just paid $25 for 2 hours to park in the closest lot.

We are returning customers & occasional regulars! Love RiRas! Whether your in a group or you visit solo- I highly recommend this spot. The service is consistently excellent, efficient & friendly. It's a true Irish spot, the ambiance is warm and comfortable. The food is consistently satisfying, from brunch to dinner it's all great! Not your typical bar food. There's some heart in these dishes. The wait (if any) is easy and quick moving. Also late night the dance floor rocks when they have live music!

We were walking along the street heard Irish music coming from this bar. Well we went in check it out saw this Irish singer singing n making jokes. End up staying for an hr. It's so much fun. We have such a great time. Cost us $24 with tip for one Guinness shout and one gin tonic . But it worth it .

I love this place! I stopped here once night in Charlotte, and the food was fantastic. I got fish and chips, which they make with haddock, which is always better to me than cod. The servers were quick and friendly. Over the course of my stay, I also came back for the full English breakfast, and some more fish and chips. I also appreciate that they are one of the few to offer Strongbow. Overall, would highly recommend for a good Irish pub that feels low key with excellent food and drinks.

Great experience. Came here on a Thursday afternoon. Waiter was aware of celiacs and I just asked to make sure they still had a gluten free fryer and he assured me they did. Fish and chips were well portioned and very tasty. Buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich on an Udis bun was phenomenal! The bun didn't fall apart like usual bc they toasted it! Bathrooms were very clean and easy to find. Mayo packets very difficult open!! That's my only complaint and if that's the case, the place is a okay in my book!

Was in Portland for an afternoon and found this great Irish pub. I was surprised by the amount of GF dishes on the menu. Best gluten free fish and chips I've ever had. Would highly recommend. Service was great too.

I was super excited to see so many gluten free options here, but had to go for the fish and chips. They were delightful but the portion size was absolutely massive. I probably could have split it in half and been fine. We had a reservation but arrived early; we waited a while in the front while the host sorted out the family that had arrived in front of us. The place seemed pretty big so I think he was running all over, but we were up there a long while, maybe 15 minutes. I just kind of stepped into the bar area near the front to watch football as we waited. It wasn't super busy in the dining room upstairs one we were seated so I'm not sure if maybe they were just a bit short staffed that evening. At any rate, everyone was very kind, it was just all a bit slower than I would have expected. Nothing too crazy and it was absolutely pouring outside anyway so we weren't in a rush to go back out in it!

Irish pub with great ambiance. They have two downstairs areas with bars and a few tables. They do trivia on Tuesday and live music Thursday- Saturday most of the time. TVs if you want to watch sports. They also have a bar and a full, large dining area upstairs with a quieter atmosphere that overlooks the water. You can also sit outside if you want in nicer weather. So pretty much any type of atmosphere you want you can get here. The service is typically great and the vibe is always fun. The only downside is the food is mediocre and a tad overpriced. They have some traditional Irish food, that's just okay. I keep coming back for a drink and app because I love everything else this places offers.

Local Irish bar with a fireplace, dark wood bar, and upstair's dining. Good selection of Irish liquors available. Friendly and quick service. A bar where the locals drink.

We have been eating so much shellfish for several days ever since we arrived in Portland. On our final day, we decided to have light lunch here. Just looking at the restaurant front we had no idea there were seatings upstairs. We were seated by the window with a nice view. It was on a Tuesday morning and the place was very quiet with a few diners. We ordered seafood chowder, potato cakes and a grain bowl. The seafood chowder had very good flavor and was delicious. We have tried a few different places and this tasted the best. The potato cakes did not have much seasoning but tasted okay. The grain bowl had lots of quinoa and mashed edamame. I would have enjoyed more if there were some grilled veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus. Service was great.

Disclaimer: giving Ri Ra only 2 stars because of the service and because of a food allergy mess up. Was in town with friends for the weekend and stopped by for dinner. I ordered the haddock sandwich which was delicious however when asked for tartar sauce on the sandwich I was given blue cheese dressing and I have a dairy allergy. When it was brought to our server's attention it was brushed off as no big deal. No manager ever came out to speak to me or address what had happened. The restaurant itself was very cute inside and overall the ambiance was nice, nice lighting and pretty views of the water. It was extremely disappointing about having my allergy be totally overlooked and not taken seriously. The server was not at tentative and had no care about checking in on us during our dinner. The server also stated at the end of the night "sorry for all of that fun earlier" referencing the allergy mess up.

A group of us found our way here to celebrate a friend's birthday. He wanted to go to an Irish pub. We were seated upstairs in a corner against the window where it was a little stuffy. Overall the ambiance was okay but we were confused by the odd ceiling lighting which was admittedly a bit distracting. After playing the game of what was available from the menu we settled on drinks and apps. Two guys got a hot toddy but were a little underwhelmed. The lobster egg rolls were good along with the potato cakes. As for the food, the onion straws were very bland. (But they were also just rings.) The mains were mediocre but mostly tasty - fish and chips were good. The group really liked the napkins but found the bathroom faucet was very confusing to operate. The waiter was kind but also seemed overworked and was covering the entire second floor.

Disappointed in our experience at Ri Ra. It's a great sports bar but does not seem like they handle special events well. I had booked for the second floor for my sister's bachelorette party (over the phone and was assured they had room). When we arrived, they said they had two other private events and had no room on the second floor. They sat us in the sports bar and the service was distracted and slow. The food was actually quite good, but I would not return.

ambience is a classic Irish pub. The service was good, but the two bloody Mary's we had were not so great. Especially with two rotten olives. I guess that's what the whole experience. if it was just one drink with two rows, I would understand. But both drinks had two rotten olives.