Thomas P.
Yelp
Wow! Fantastic Irish pub experience. Front desk employee recommended while checking into the Courtyard Marriott. Was a little skeptical at first but figured we'd give it a try. It was a short two-minute walk from the hotel.
We decided to sit outside since the weather was just about perfect. Jeff, our waiter, opened up the umbrellas for us, which helped keep the sun off us while we ate. Service as a whole was outstanding. He was very patient with our questions and random requests. I went with a Guinness, since you really can't go wrong with Guinness in an Irish pub. Although, They had some other local beers that jumped out at me, and some Irish whiskeys that I didn't recognize. Maybe next time. My wife wasn't up for anything with alcohol and was craving tea. It ended up being too bitter for her, although Jeff took it back without any issues.
As to the beer, you might have read that they can imprint a design on the foam (typically a clover I think). Even cooler was, when he brought it out, there was a Tampa Bay Buccaneers logo in the foam instead. Jeff had noticed my hat had the logo and somehow they were able to do a Bucs logo instead - totally wasn't expecting that but VERY COOL! Pour was also perfect. And maybe I'm biased, but safe to say a Bucs logo on top of a Guinness does make it taste better.
As to the food, we went with the following (including some lunch specials - lunch goes from 11AM to 3PM):
1) Lunch Fish and Chips - a little cheaper than the dinner price but I swapped out the fries with their version of clam chowder (see details below on that). The breading was the perfect crunchiness and had some nice flavor. The fish itself was perfect texture.
2) Clam Chowder - LOTS of clam in there and was really hearty with the potatoes and veggies and such. Was seasoned well, which helped add more flavor (sometimes Clam chowder can be bland but not in this case). There was a small upcharge to swap it out for fries, but it was definitely worth it
3) Poutine - kudos to Jeff for being able to do the fries extra crispy. Decent helping of cheese curds, and the gravy was really flavorful. Adding bacon to the mix was a nice touch. Side note, I didn't see it on the menu, but had read about it on another review prior to coming. Jeff didn't suggest they no longer serve it or anything and seemed to know exactly what we were talking about.
4) Pot Pie - the crust was fluffy and flavorful. The chicken and potatoes underneath were decent. The clover embedded into the crust on top was a nice touch
5) Side salad - Decent for $5. Lettuce was fresh, with croutons, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms (something you don't see on a side salad often). Also came with Shredded Parmesan cheese, which Jeff put on the side for my wife alone with the dressing.
All in all, was really happy we gave this place a try. Price was very reasonable for the amount of food we had, and we were even able to get a small discount after mentioning we were referred there by the hotel (we had our hotel cards as proof). Jeff came by regularly to check on us, but didn't make us feel at all like we were rushed or interrupted every five seconds.