Samuel Beckett's Irish Gastro Pub

We popped in on a Sunday evening and were delighted to find Happy Hour running until close! Enjoyed $5.50 glasses of wine and $5 pints of a local pilsner. We didn't have any food but the menu and items we saw looked fantastic! We will definitely be back next time we are in town.

GREAT pub food selections, primarily with an Irish theme but with alternative menu choices that make this a great choice for all. I happened to choose THE BEST fish and chips I've ever had. Amazing selection of beer, cocktails and even wine. Phenomenally helpful and attentive staff, working in a fun and comfy environment. Highly recommended!

The food is amazing, and the portions are generous. The service has been good so far, but the place is quite dusty. Maybe it’s part of the vintage aesthetic? Still, it feels a bit uncomfortable to eat in a space that isn’t obviously clean. Overall, though, we had a great experience with delicious food and excellent service. We’ll definitely be back!

All of the soups taste like my Irish grandmother used to make, rich and creamy. Shepherd 's pie was fantastic to the eye and better in my mouth.

The food lacks seasoning. I don't know what I expected. The atmosphere is good. The place is clean and the service is good. They need to season the food. It was so bland. The fish and chips were bad. The potatoes were soggy and the fish batter was not cooked long enough. I like it crunchy. It was not. With vinegar and lemon juice it was edible.

I have had the chance to dine and drink at this pub on several occasions and each one was great. I would recommend this pub for its food and beer whether it’s for lunch, dinner or happy hour. The food is well prepared, tastes great, and the service is on par. The pub boasts ample seating indoors and outdoors. Parking is easy with the numerous garages nearby. I will definitely be going here again soon.

Very very pretty inside, spacious with lots of pictures of famous Irishmen, golden walls and vintage beer/whiskey bar mirrors. Back area actually feels a bit like a little pub. Staff is super nice and the bathrooms are clean. Corned beef and cabbage was very good along with fish and chips. Cool experience for a mid-upper nova price range.

First time here, it was so great. It wasn't super busy, we went on a Saturday evening. We sat outside, the vibe was great. We sat off to the side of the building, I liked the lights they had. The food was very good, the portions were good for the price I believe. I got a shepards pie, fried calamari, deviled eggs, and their chowder of the day which was salmon with rice. Everything was very good and the waitress was attentive. Will definitely go back.

The service and the staff are one of the best parts of this pub!! Also - the food is delicious, and labeled for gluten free folk like myself. I had chips and dip and a drink, and my friend got the shepherd's pie - we both downed our food and drink. I'm also super appreciative that the staff hosts a silent book club I am a part of - so I'm sure I'll be frequenting here more often for that, and independently of that too!!

Drinks: I got the whiskey in the jar drink and it was SO sweet, I couldn't finish it. Was there even whiskey in here? Not sure. Rest of the party got some beers - it's nice they had 20 ounce options. Drinks were pretty expensive. They had live music on a Saturday night and it wasn't overly loud and sounded fairly good. The interior was nicely decorated and liked the high ceilings.

Visited for the first time last night due to joining the Alexandria Silent Book Club. The service was welcoming and our server made great recommendations when asked. I ordered the southern rolls as a snack and the Irishman's martini to drink. Both items were really good. I will definitely be returning to check out their happy hour.

Great evening out on the patio/outside seating. Our waitrees was patient and attentive. We got drinks and an app and the baked brie was very tasty. All in all, another excellent experience here - we highly enjoy this place!

Classic bad first experience. Walked in on a Sunday May 5th to avoids the crazy Cinco De Mayo at 1:30pm. Asked the Hostess- about an item on the menu and an event they were hosting and she was clueless we all left. Horrible.

I had a delicious dinner here with my friend. We were looking for something a little different and this exactly hit the spot. We started with cocktails: a dirty martini for her, a pornstar martini for me which came with a shot of prosecco. The pornstar martini was a little sweet with the vanilla vodka and passionfruit juice, I wouldn't order more than one but still enjoyable. We were stumped with what to order for food because so many options looked good, and shoutout to our waiter for giving us suggestions and recommendations, it was really helpful. For food we got the brussels and bacon to split, she got the Shepherd's pie and I got the lamb shank. Both the entrees were huge portions and we took lots of leftovers home, 10/10. The brussels were also really good, but we wished they weren't shredded and were larger pieces or halves of brussels. Overall a great meal and ambiance.

I need an update my review it's been many years I've been coming to this place he just keeps getting better and better. Management is great employees are great I enjoy the food and staff You can come for brunch or you come late night or come for lunch no matter when I've always had a successful meal here and look forward to many more years

Stop by last night first time and it was a nice experience. We had a nice bottle of wine. They had a 2 man band playing and they were great. We had the wings and they were very good. Definitely if you want to stop by and have a quick bite and a nice vibe I would definitely stop by.

Great Irish pub with a food selection to match. The atmosphere was was relaxing with an Irish feel. I sat at the bar and had an excellent bar tender with impeccable customer service. He recommended Marie's pasta and it didn't disappoint. I would recommend for anyone!

I forgot to check in but that's because I had a very warm reception from the bartender upstairs, Allison, I believe her name was. I met my cousin here for happy hour and the bartender went over the menu and helped me make a some good neat whiskey selections. I wanted to eat and drink in the spirit of an Irish pub so I had a couple Irish whiskeys and beer that I wasn't previously familiar with. For dinner I chose the Irish steak sandwich. Whenever you incorporate a bit of arugula with steak, you can't really go wrong. I appreciate this restaurants charm without having to go overboard kitschy as in some irish themed American restaurants. I recently was in Dublin and visited a few pubs and taverns and this gave me the feel of some of the older ones just without the accents. Bartender was Russian and charming. I've got friends in the area so I'd happily visit again on my next trip.

Rib Eye Meatloaf was stupid good. I mean, it's just meatloaf, but the flavor was so bold and distinct that I was pleasantly surprised! Also, how the hell did they prepare the green beans? With crack? Lord, they were tasty! Definitely gonna return to place!

I've only come to Samuel Beckett's during breakfast, but let me tell you, the only breakfast item I'll have here is their Irish Breakfast. It's super filling, you get a choice of how you want your eggs, and it comes with bread, beans, and an array of meats. It's honestly too good to pass up, and the prices are very reasonable here. I would maybe try coming here for a lunch or dinner item, but honestly, the breakfast is fantastic. The atmosphere is also really fun - as it says in the name, it's an Irish Gastro Pub, so there are a lot of soccer fanatics who will rep their teams and come watch the game while drinking some pints. I would definitely recommend coming here if you're into drinking, good food, decent prices, and fun!

Im picky with whom I give 5 stars to, so know we loved this place none the less. We've passed by this place in Shirlington multiple times. We've looked through their window gazed at their menu, but never walked in. This past weekend we took a chance and walked in. Happy we did. The atmosphere was casual, friendly, and inviting! I'd say it's the most coziest of sports pubs I've been too. The food was terrific. My hubby had the meatloaf and mashed potato's. You'd never think something like that would taste terrific at a restaurant. It's simple, yet amazing in flavor. It was definitely like a homemade dish! I can cook a meatloaf at home, but not like this! I had the burger and fries! Again, simple, but full of flavor. I'm a burger lover and this burger was pretty good - texture, presentation really good! The customer service was pleasing. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the food, and the customer service, while we watched the World Cup - ARG vs MEX! Loved it when folks clapped and cheer out loud for a win or grunted and gestured disappointment!! All without judgement. All in all! I'd go back again.

It started out as a 5, but unfortunately sank to a 3 by the time we left. Loved the looks of the place, love English Pubs, and this one looked like something you'd see in the UK. Great decor. Was greeted warmly by a nice young man that show us to our table. I ordered a Guinness and fish and chips, my wife had a burger, medium well. Ended up I ate by myself because the burger was more medium rare, and it took a long time to get it recooked. No " keep your fries while we cook you another one" or anything like that. My fish and chips were quite good. Never heard the waitress speak really, was odd, just very low volume, and didn't seem to care. I love it when a Manager comes out out and says, "sorry we got your order wrong, please try us again", but nothing. Waitress did not apologize or we couldn't hear her anyway. Great beer too.

We came here ok a Tuesday night. Some street parking in Shrilington. No one at the hostess stand and no sign indicating to seat yourself. Finally had a server who sat is with menus who ended up being our server. Took about 10 minutes after we sat down before she came back with water and another 5 minutes or so before she came and took our order. We ordered the Calamari and for drinks, I ordered the What's the Craic'n and my boyfriend ordered the velvet devil. The drinks were delicious and they have a good selection of beers and cocktails. Calamari had some kind of paprika or Chilli powder seasoning through the middle of the dish but inconsistent otherwise. Calamari was good and so was the sauce it came with. For dinner, I ordered the Guinness Burger but I substituted the fries instead of the mash. Boyfriend ordered the Beef Wellington. Tough to cut through and somewhat decently cooked. Pastry was still a little doughy and only the Mushroom on the top of the Wellington. Mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts were delicious. Guinness burger was good but there was a portion where I got a very burnt taste. Took awhile after we ate to get a dessert menu - we ordered the molten chocolate Lava cake. The cake itself was amazing. Ice cream with it was good but it was really frozen and hard to even get a spoon through. Overall food was ok but the service was slow. I would recommend coming here to get some beers or cocktails.

Lovely place for a drink with a friendly staff. Such a beautiful gift to Shirlington because this place is accepting of everyone.

Drinks were good and a good price. I got the Pornstar Martini and it was good. They played very good music.

Been here a couple times. Their food is pretty good. I ordered the chicken curry which is one of my favorites. Unfortunately this time they ran out of rice. Without the rice, the meal is a little runny. They were nice enough to allow me replace the rice with fries however which were good. My friend ordered the steak sandwich which was also good. This place is big with plenty of tables and a calm atmosphere around lunch time.

The first time here, won't be my last. Came with a large group of people and will definitely be back. Really nice environment and I would love to come on a Friday or Saturday night to listen to the live music. Had the Guinness burger. A non-bunned burger with delicious melted cheese, and a garnished onion ring on top. The burger grilled up perfectly, smooshed into a wedge of mashed potatoes covered with Guinness gravy. Yummy perfection! This was downhome goodness that typically comes from an Irish Pub. Lots of great choices I saw around me from Shepherd's Pie to Ribeye meatloaf to a really good chicken dish. Lots of things to savor for the future. Had a great meal with great friends and looking to come back in the future. Highly recommend you check this place out.

Beckett's is an excellent pub. They have a nice selection of beers, wine and liquors Big menu. The food is delicious. Our group enjoyed fish and chips, Bangers & Mash, Buffalo chicken salad and chili plus desserts. Quick service. They have plenty of outdoor seating where dogs are welcome. They have seating both upstairs & downstairs. Plenty of TVs to watch Rugby and other sports. The only drawback is that parking can be an issue in Shirlington.

My friend and I came here for dinner because it was recommended to us! We came for drinks mainly and liked them, I just wish mine were a tiny bit stronger. It was super tasty though. We got fish and chips and a pepperoni flatbread and split them. The flatbread pizza was decent. We were at an Irish pub so I wasn't expecting too much. The crust was a little soggy and there was too much cheese for my liking, but I wasn't mad about the flatbread overall. I liked that it was pretty thin and the amount of pepperoni was good. The sauce wasn't bad either! The fish and chips were great. Two massive pieces of fish and the fries were soooo good. Not greasy at all and refreshing with the lemon. They were my favorite type of fries. Perfectly salted. There was plenty of seating outdoors and indoors and I think they had trivia going on inside. I would come back here if I'm in the mood for a pub!

Clearly a pub that happens to serve food. Most of the food was made from frozen and didn't have a lot of flavor. Service was fair- we were ignored for about 15 minutes and finally got served. Once we ordered the food was super fast (as it premade). Ambiance was fun if you're there for drinks, but not a good dinner place.

We went here for our anniversary in Shirlington. We had our dog, so we were looking for a place with a patio (almost all the restaurants in Shirlington have patios). The service was quick and super friendly. We split an order of deviled eggs, and then I had the short rib and my husband got some kind of steak. My veggies were so crisp and good and the short rib was so tender and flavorful. I feel like most places focus on the texture and less on the flavor but this place got both right. Also the mashed potatoes were amazing. A thunderstorm swept through (shout out to our waiter for quickly getting us to go boxes and our check before it really started to come down) and we were on our way. We tried to go back the next day for brunch but it wasn't open (it was 8am on a Sunday at that point) so I don't know if they have brunch but I hope so. I would go back in a heartbeat.

I really hated my meal but friend's meal looked really good, hence the three stars. I had a burger with fries and thought both were flavorless and boring. I was starving and didn't finish. My friend's beef Wellington not only looked great, she loved it. And service was good. I'd probably not rush back but I wouldn't veto either.

I've never tried beef Wellington before coming here, and to be honest I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Boy, am I glad I did. The food was hot, well seasoned and the meat was not dry. The brusselsprouts were probably my favorite part, but I also enjoyed the bread puff the beef was cooked in. Absolutely a delicious dish, so much so, I'm still thinking about it! That, and they play trivia night on some days so that's always a lot of fun as well. I'll definitely be back.

Irish bar catering to the not very Irish. Go anywhere else. Got "cut off" for laughing. Nothing inappropriate. Nothing wild. Bar tender just wasn't having it.

I was there this past weekend for a friend's event. The staff was very friendly and inviting but there wasn't anyone at the hostess stand telling you where to sit. Luckily our group was already upstairs. Like most places in the area, the menus were online but there weren't any barcodes anywhere to direct us to them. Luckily, again our group send the menu to us. We had to walk to the bartender upstairs to order which I found odd but he ended being a great bartender. I ended ordering the airline chicken which was good but the portion was small. The drinks were heavy pours though so I can't complain there. You can park on the side streets or the Harris Teeter garage.

Love this place! The ambiance is amazing if you're looking for an Irish pub. Food is outstanding as well!

This was our first time trying this establishment. We were seated right away in the back near the bathrooms. It was very loud but that's what's expected at an Irish restaurant. The menu had plenty of gluten free options which was nice. We ordered the blackened cod with rice and green beans. Not bad but nothing special. We also ordered the fish and chips and a goat cheese salad. Both just fair. We started with deviled eggs which were delicious. We probably won't be back but if you're looking for an energetic restaurant with lots of gluten free options give it a try.

We had a very comforting meal there on Saturday evening. It is a good place to hang out with friends and family and relax. We went around 6:30 pm, the crowd just turned up, so it felt quite spacious inside with the tall ceiling. Very laid back.

Loud, where young dudes try to hook up with single ladies and old dudes do the same. It's a bar, what do you expect? Four stars because the shepherds pie is made with lamb and not beef. Shepherd's tend sheep not cows. Good Irish whiskey. The best part of the night? Watching the mating rituals.

Moved to a new neighborhood and found this restaurant near by. We decided to try it. Since we were at a Irish restaurant, we had to try Guinness burger and Sam's lamb burger! Guinness burger: the burger came with onion ring and generous amount of gravy, and it was delicious! Sam's lamb burger: the burger itself was okay but the French fries that came with was hot and taste amazing! The restaurant has a second floor, which I believe would be open for dinner or when it gets packed. Staff was friendly and attentive! Street parking is available along with public parking in a nearby parking lot. Will go back to try other foods!

The food was very good - went on st Patrick's day and festive atmosphere which was understandable, however didn't like the live music- the servers couldn't hear the orders and customers couldn't hear servers the singer didn't have any idea that it wasn't the size of a football stadium - if it's that loud again I will leave

GLUTEN FREE DINERS: be very, very careful with their menu! Apparently, their items marked "GF" are not all Gluten Free! Make sure to ask before ordering. I'm actually surprised and appalled that they haven't had a liability issue because of this. Here was our experience: I asked the hostess about either gluten free options or a separate gluten free menu. She said the menu was marked clearly with GF, which it is. This a consumer, especially someone who is Gluten Intolerant or Celiac, this creates a false assumption that the item is completely gluten free. Not so at this restaurant. My husband was looking at the Crab Cake sandwich and asked the server if it was in fact gluten free. The server said no. It has breading. Good thing he asked, right? I, on the other hand, made the assumption that the GF meant the item was gluten free so I ordered the scallops. When hearing about my husband's question I then asked about the scallop entree. Oh no, the server said, the Irish Potato pancakes are not gluten free. ?!?!?!? I mentioned that they probably needed to be careful because the hostess told me everything marked GF was gluten free. The server's response was that she didn't always work every day. ?!?!?!?! What does that have to do with someone getting ill and this being a MAJOR liability of a celiac person gets sick because they were misguided?! The other part of my review is that the food was "ok." The staff was friendly (even if they are a bit clueless) ... but for me, who literally vets restaurants online, calls first and asks the hostess AND the wait staff so I am NOT in bed for 3 days after eating a meal can be exhausting.

Came here and the food was extremely delicious. The service was outstanding Our waitress was extremely extremely sweet and amazing. Met the general manager and he was very sweet, humorous and amazing as well. I couldn't stop smiling because I was so excited and happy to eat. I don't understand why this place is 3.5 stars. People are haters and this place is worth a much better rating. I got the lamb shank and my s/o got the beef Wellington. I felt as if I was home again eating a home cooked meal it was that amazing. I'm so happy this place exists.

They have a broad range of menu options, including vegan and vegetarian, and of course several seafood dishes and gluten free. My mate had blackened cod, which he said was excellent. I had the fish and chips and it definitely qualifies as an outstanding chippy. The young waitress did a good job and the food came up quickly. It can be somewhat noisy at later hours, but at 6:30 PM on a weekday it was pleasantly quiet. It's just a block from a free parking structure.

Yummy place to go! Great food and nice people here. This is also where I met my now husband!! We couldn't be happier, especially now that we also have our daughter.

I'm giving 4 stars for service! I came here on a first date. Not my choice. When I arrived it took almost ten minutes to be greeted at the door. I was told to sit anywhere so I chose a high top towards the back. I had a Guinness IPA but, generally, the draft list isn't great. We shared spinach dip served with chips. Tasted frozen and heated up. Our server was on point. I appreciated that she asked how I was and once she found out I was on a first date, she said if I needed anything - like a way out-to come to the front bar area. I didn't need a way out but there was no date #2 for anyone curious about that.

I stopped in today because this is one of the Shirlington Village restaurants I don't get to go to that often. Usually when I come here I get a burger, but this time I saw that they had curry. I was really skeptical about ordering curry from an Irish pub but I just closed my eyes and went for it. It turns out that the curry was really tasty with a Thai taste to it. I was super impressed.

Food is decent, and service is hit or miss. Good place to come late night (9-1am) for live music and drinks though. They also host a lot of rugby and soccer viewing parties here, esp. on the weekend, if that's your thing. Their curry sauce is tasty and I'd recommend getting a side of it to go with about anything (fries, etc.).

A solid three stars. A few observations. The wait staff, although friendly, was not very observant. We had to ask about refills, placing our order, etc. The menu has a great variety, but the food was warm, not hot, and although it had taste, it wasn't exactly tasty. Would we go again? Idk. On the fence.

I asked for the "Lamb Stew". I guess the little bits of meat in the dish were Lamb who knows. It was more like "Meat Soup" a half cold ladle of slop from yesterdays cooking never empty 3 gallon Pot of stew. One disgracefully testimony to Irish restaurants' and/or cooking.

On a Friday evening, my boyfriend and I checked out Samuel Becketts Irish Gastro Pub at the Village at Shirlington for drinks and light bites. We were disappointed that happy hour ended at 6pm. It was pretty busy at this establishment so we had to wait a little to put in our food and drink order. For drinks, my boyfriend had the Solace Partly Cloudy IPA while I had an Arnold Palmer. The Soup of the Day was Cream of Mushroom and the Chowder of the Day was Smoked Salmon and Wild Rice, both of which came with Irish Brown Bread and Wholesome Farms Salted Butter. The Chowder consisted of a thick soup with thyme, chopped smoked salmon, wild rice, celery, carrot, and lemon. Even though the chowder was not what we expected (not creamy and not very smoky), we enjoyed it. The Irish brown bread was a bit dry and stale. We were a bit disappointed that it wasn't Kerrygold Butter but Wholesome Farms Salted Butter did pair nicely with the bread. The Steamed Mussels were cooked with garlic, shallots, and herbs in savory and flavorful creamy white white stock. We were surprised it wasn't served with garlic toast as described.

Said they have a late night menu on website. They lied!!!! False advertisement!!! Don't go to this restaurant they lie!!!

Beers are great, service - pretty crappy. 4 entrees, meatloaf - excellent, bangers - very good, beef Wellington - like shoe leather, lamb stew - shitty, watery, and less meat then on store bought beef broth. I blew both ends about 2 hours after that memorable meal. Had to ask twice for utensils, condiments, etc, ... -bottom-line, whoever's the manager of the restaurant should be let go. Obviously they aren't doing even a mediocre job. I only tipped the crappy waitress because she looked like she needed the cash badly!

Love this irish bar. They know how to pour them all. Cozy place to have one or two . I like the small bar in the back.

Awesome food. I had the chicken sandwich, and it was delicious. Our server, Jason (?), was incredible. He was very patient with my grandparents and a lot of fun to be around. Overall great environment, and everyone in our party enjoyed their food (lamb roll, fish and chips, and chicken salad). Will be going back!

We ordered appetizers and mains, and they all arrived at the same time. Two of the dishes were cold - as from the refrigerator! When we told our waiter, he took the plates (that we had started eating) back to the kitchen, microwaved them, and brought them back to the table - a blatant health code violation. But no matter, they were still cold. We just gave up and didn't eat them, but there was no offer to take them off the bill. There seemed to be serious problems in the kitchen, and we certainly will not return.

Been to Samuel Beckett's several times and it's grown on me. For what it is, they do a good job. This is not fancy chef-driven food, but it's consistent, it's very fairly priced, the atmosphere is nice, and the service is friendly. Free WiFi with password Munsterrugby. My top choices for a nicer dinner in Shirlington remain Osteria da Nino, then Carlyle, but those places are more expensive. If you're looking for something quicker, cheaper, and more casual, and you don't want Asian food, you could do worse than the many hearty meals served here for around $20. Recommendations: Any of the Irish classics, decent fish, excellent Manhattan clam chowder when they have it.

Three and a half stars (AOK plus a little extra) for good drinks, ok food and service. Traditional Irish decor on dark wooden walls with pub cuisine, pints, a full bar, weekly trivia, and occasional live music seem to keep Beckett's running at close to half full the three times I've visited. Outdoor seating is nice when the weather is mild. Lunch service was great when we visited mid-day right before a show last March, even for the large group I was with. Other times in the evening/late night, it's been slower and a bit spotty. Beckett's offers Gastro pub dishes and traditional Irish Cuisine dominate the menu. Fish and chips were flaccid and disappointing (fish was soggy but fries were ok). Soup was excellent. Salmon was ok but not as flaky and tender as I expected-- not bad but wouldn't bring me back. Our friends like the shepherds pie and are regulars for it, but they live close-by. My husband had the burger and really enjoyed it. So kind of a mixed bag. Bottom line: when in doubt, get the burger!