The Auld Shebeen

A Shebeen is "an illegally operated drinking establishment," according to the lore posted in the restaurant. Well, the only illegal thing around here are its criminally good meals! I hope. The place is legendary in northern VA, and for good reason. Good food, good service, reasonable happy hour, and regular events. I just went there for dinner (fish and chips, can recommend) and I was left, indeed, quite happy. Best parking is probably in that big parking lot across the street.

This is a great restaurant and the service was also very good. I went on Saturday at 7 for the live music. Having reservations was helpful. If you don't love a loud atmosphere then that may not be the best time but it was packed and a fun time. Tried the fish and chips and lamb burger and both were very flavorful and delicious options. There is a free parking garage about a block away with plenty of parking.

Had a lovely time here. Went on a Friday night and the wait was a little long but we sat at the bar and it passed quickly. They had live music and good vibes. Even though it was busy the service was still great.

Everything was great, Saturday evening they had live music not sure if it is every saturday but it was nice to catch it by chance. Liked the atmosphere warm and homey.Staff was friendly, food was good too. I will be coming back to try their other items on the menu.

Oh my god. I just had the Scottish eggs and corned beef/cabbage and it took me back like I was a kid eating at grandmas house all over again. I can’t explain it, it was exactly what I’ve been craving and longing for the past… well ever since I haven’t had grandma’s meals. Dylan at the bar was fantastic, not overbearing and polite/accommodating, seemed like the owner was helping out (I may be wrong here) but was friendly and made sure I was doing alright- older gentlemen, black polo with no Auld logo. Nice quiet ambience with respectful patrons, just what I wanted after an exhausting day at work; I highly recommend this place and will be stopping here consistently.

Delicious food! It was a live music night. It was enjoyable to hear the Celtic music but it was very loud. My wife and I could barely hear each other. Service was okay. Lacked friendliness from the waiter but he was still professional. Tables are very close together when not in a booth. Don't go in planning on having a private conversation. 😆 Overall a good experience and would recommend a visit!

A nice selection of menu items you'd expect in an Irish pub. The food and service is good. Would be nice to see some healthier options.

Food was really good. Great customer service! During the live music performance though, it does get a little loud. So plan accordingly.

Great service, great variety of food, drink, and dessert options. Food was all delicious. From classic Irish favorites to some additional fun sandwiches and burgers, I really like this restaurant. Our waiter, Josh, was great. Library seating is slightly quieter than main bar area. I really like all the Irish photos around the bar.

Came here for St. Patties day and didn't realize how LOVED this place is hahaha. They had a lot going on. They charged a $10 cover to enter, even if you're there to order a meal. I thought that was kinda lame. The vibes here were EVERYTHING, they had Irish dancers and live music. We did not reserve in advance so we had to do bar seating which was first come first serve. Theres an upstairs and a downstairs area. There's a parking garage across the street it's a small lot, but I believe it was free. The drinks in tap were really good! We ordered Guinness which was delicious. We ordered: Sticky Toffee pudding 7/10 Shepards Pie 8/10 St. James Gate Guinness Beef Stew 100/10 Fish & Chips 8/10 We literally loved everything we ordered!!! The food here is SOOOO GOOOD and I highly recommend it. Definitely get their beef stew while it's cold and gross out. I've been thinking about that stew for two weeks now lol.

Nice and fun atmosphere here! If you want Irish style foods, may the luck of Saint Patrick be with you. I've had wonderful meals here, although sentimental reasons, I will always be grateful for the Black Eyed Pea. That's probably been gone 25 years or so, but you'll find a variety of burgers, soups, and fish to make you happy. Their prices and portions are quite reasonable. As for entertainment, the music is pumping, and they have a full service bar. That's Irish! What makes a restaurant good, is that you feel welcome. This is that type of place. Whether with family, friends, or a date this is a venue to try. Located in Old Town Fairfax, parking is usually a cinch. Customer service marks are high. This is a fun place, that you should give an opportunity to. If drinking the alcohol, please have a sober friend or a designated driver.

First time here and it was very nice and cozy atmosphere. Alot drink and food choices! I had a nice draught and the wife had a chardonnay. I had the steak frietes, NY strip with handcut fries, and what a nice size piece of beef and cooked perfectly. Fries were delightful. The wife had salmon over spinach and a fancy type of rice. She said it was very good and the salmon was a nice size and cooked perfect as well. We were stuffed so no desert. The service was impeccable and our server offered some suggestions that turned out to be amazing..Thank You ! Looking forward to going back

It was restaurant week, what a great reason to head back to Auld Shebeen! I hadn't been to this restaurant for some time and I was happy to have a justification to return. Let me begin by saying that this place is truly a "classic" in all the best possible ways. It's great to have a restaurant that's been around for years and continues to serve high quality food with wonderful service! And the owners have keep the interior as welcoming and inviting as you could ask for in a pub. Since it was restaurant week we went with the fish and chips and chicken pot pie entrees which come with soup and dessert. For soup we tried the beef vegetable soup and the creamy potato soup. Both were great, although the beef vegetable soup was my favorite- great flavor. As for the entrees, both were very good. A nice size portion of beautiful fish, battered and fried just right! And the seasoned fries that accompanied the fish were very tasty and also cooked equally well. The chicken pot pie was equally delicious with a very nice flaky crust and a large amount of chicken. I enjoyed some of each entree, and while the fish and chips was the preferred entree for me, I would gladly order either entree in the future. We finished off the meal with an extremely delicious warm bread pudding topped with an unexpectedly high quality vanilla ice cream! After a bit of coffee I was truly stuffed but feeling great and looking forward to returning here again on a regular basis!!

Once again, restaurant week for Fairfax City came around. I was feeling like trying someplace new, so I took a look at participating restaurants and decided to try here with a friend. This is located in Old Town Fairfax, near the public library. There is no dedicated, but there is free public parking across the street (Old Town Plaza parking) and at the library. Note that from Monday to Friday at the Old Town Plaza parking, it is 2 hour parking in the blue lined spaces. During weekend lunch time, there was plenty of parking available. However, the restaurant was pretty busy. Luckily we were able to get seated quickly at the bar. My friend and I ended up ordering the following items from the restaurant week menu: Homemade Potato Leek Soup, Chef's Soup Of The Day (Chili), Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd's Pie, Bread Pudding á la Mode & Sticky Toffee Pudding. Everything tasted good and was well portioned, but I would say that my favorite savory dishes were the Chef's Soup Of The Day (Chili) and Shepherd's Pie because they were more hearty and flavorful. It was definitely interesting to see how the Irish versions of Chicken Pot Pie and Shepherd's Pie were interesting and I prefer them over the usual versions available at stores. The service staff were nice and attentive. The only downside was that there was a little wait and confusion with the bill. I believe this was due to the unexpectedly large volume of guests and the changes they made in processing this year's restaurant week orders. Overall the experience (both food and service) were good as well as the ambience. I've never been to an actual Irish pub, but I imagine it would be a little bit like this place. I didn't find out until I was leaving, but the Irish traditional music playing throughout the pub/restaurant was actually played by a live band in the corner of the restaurant. They were so good that I had thought throughout the whole time I was eating that the restaurant was playing Spotify or something. I definitely recommend trying this place and I'll come back another day to try the rest of their menu!

The food was really good and the service was great. The inside vibe is really great is like an Irish pub inside and really cool. They had games playing on the tvs around the restaurant. The drinks were good and averagely priced as well, this is a great spot!

Had a nice lunch here - decor is typical Irish but which fun to look at. We started with buffalo shrimp dip which was very tasty- the bread was piping hot and soft and wished we had a tiny bit more. Had a Cobb salad which was very good but everything on it was a touch salty ( egg, grilled chicken, bacon, blue cheese) . Son had a spicy burger ordered medium well and came medium which he did not like but the burger itself he liked. Hubby had Irish breakfast which he said was okay! Server was very nice and even gave us soda refill in a to go cup!

I came here for dinner with my brother. It was really good! I didn't realize how many Irish pubs were in old town Fairfax until searching for a place to have dinner the other night. My brother and I were very happy with the food. I got the fish and chips and he got the Reuben. It was honestly the best fish and chips I've had to date. The only drawback is that it was a tad oily but that's to be expected with fried fish. It came with tartar sauce and Cole slaw as well as the chips (fries). My brother got the Reuben and I had a bite. It was very good! Not as good as a New York deli but still really good. The service was good here. My brother and I sat at the bar and the bartender was friendly. He asked our names and then gave us his name. He got us beers when we needed a refill and he got our food out quickly. The ambiance is an old Irish pub essentially. It feels like you're walking into a little bit of history. It was a good cozy feeling place. Definitely will have to come back again to try more of the menu. They had trivia on the Tuesday night we were in. So they do have events during the week. Note that parking can be a pain since it is downtown Fairfax. There's a big lot that is free after 6pm on weekdays.

Guinness ZERO served here for those looking to keep your New Year's resolutions, they also have the original on tap as well. Service is prompt and the food is consistent and fairly priced. Tim was our server and he was great at asking we needed anything and getting our drinks and food in a timely manner. We had the BBQ short rib sandwich (moist without too much sauce) and the Irish breakfast (a ton of food on that plate). Parking on the street can sometimes be challenging to find, but there are pay options within walking distance. The ambiance is that of an outdoor pub, as if you were dining along a cobblestone Irish street. Good place to stop in for a quick bite and enjoy a Guinness!

It seemed appropriate to walk in to an Irish pub from the rainy streets and we were greeted with live music! The interior is warm and comfortable, the food arrived quickly and warmed us right up. We emerged with our belly's filled and energy restored. I would eat here again!

OMG - the fish and chips!!! GET.THE.FISH.AND.CHIPS. That was some good cod... delicate, buttery and encased in a beautifully flavored golden batter. It has been a while since I had fish and chips done so well! My husband had the Guinness BBQ burger, which was flavorful, but the bottom bun was overly toasted, like a crouton... nothing to cry about really because who cares?!? You should be ordering the fish and chips! I am so glad we tried this place though. We were driving through the area one night a few months ago, with the windows rolled down and as we were stopped at the light, I could hear lively Irish music coming from this corner establishment...I was intrigued... And it didn't disappoint. I loved the Irish pub feel, the wooden bar, the great selection of UK and local drafts on tap as well as the lively Irish music. The staff were friendly and attentive despite the crowd and I am looking forward to returning with the rest of my family when I will be ordering another round of fish and chips, while urging them to try everything else on the menu (I have my eye on that Irish Breakfast) and sneaking bites off their plates.... hey - how else are you supposed to try new things?!?

Assumed I would go and because of it being a pub I would have a burger or some other type of bar food. Wrong!!! I had the most lovely vegetable sandwich!!!!!! Kiddo got the grilled chicken sandwich & husband got the club. All were great, lovely service.

Love this little gem located in the heart of the City of Fairfax. You walk in to copious amounts of wood, and a large bar to the left. This place is perfect for groups, or for you lone rangers out there. The food is delicious, with fantastic customer service.

Our experience at The Auld Shebeen was absolutely delightful The cozy ambiance was the perfect setting to enjoy a delicious meal on a cold day. The Guinness Beef Stew was a standout dish that warmed us to the core, offering a comforting and hearty flavor. The service was top-notch, making us feel welcomed and attended to throughout our visit. We indulged in a variety of dishes, including the baked brie, artichoke spinach dip, Cobb salad, house hamburger, beef stews, and shepherd's pies, all of which were met with rave reviews from everyone at the table. The leek and potato soup was a revelation, resembling mashed potatoes bathed in flavorful leek soup--a definite must-try that exceeded our expectations. Our experience at The Auld Shebeen was truly memorable, and we look forward to returning for more delicious meals in the future.

Beautiful inside and such great food! We had the baked Brie, St James Stew and the Bo Porter cheeseburger. It was our first time here and will absolutely be returning!

The fish & chips are amazingly delicious!! So crispy and delicious, so airy and light! It's too bad that it only comes with two of them! It should come with with three and less fries, but nonetheless, DELICIOUS!! We also ordered the traditional corned beef and cabbage that came with a fluffy side of delicious mashed potatoes and a parsley cream sauce. The corned beef was super lean and cooked to perfection! The side mustards are a MUST when ordering this dish! Our server, Patrick, was perfect from start to finish! We can't wait to return for our next excellent Irish meal!!

Awesome Irish pub with great music, wide selection of beer and whiskey. The four beer flight sampler is a great way to try their rotating craft beer. The Guinness was cold and was my favorite. The Cobb salad with chicken was fresh and delicious. The bar & wait staff were attentive and the food was brought out to our table within 15 minutes. If your looking for a great lunch or dinner with live Irish music, give The Auld Shebeen Irish Pub a try. Great local establishment, and ask for Kailen for the best service.

The Auld Shebeen is a multi-story, authentic Irish restaurant that offers trivia night on Tuesday nights, EDM night on Wednesday nights, and live music on Friday and Saturday's. The restaurant interior reminded me of the Temple Bar area of Dublin with the back wall looking like two other pubs, O'Shea's and Fitgerzald's. I also liked the vintage ads hanging on the walls and the inflatable Guinness toucans hanging from the ceiling. Being St. Patrick's Day weekend, our party of three had to wait 15 minutes for a table and a 90-minute dining limit. We liked how Courtney was attentive. Our party enjoyed two Guinness's, Pom Gimlet, and Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale. The Pom Gimlet consisted of Irish gin, pomegranate syrup, lime juice, and club soda. It was light, bubbly, fruity, and quite refreshing. In addition to the drinks, I enjoyed their Homemade Potato & Leek Soup, which was served with slices of Irish brown bread and salted butter. Unlike most potato and leek soups I've had, it was thick and topped with Dubliner Irish cheddar.

Excellent service and food And Traditionsl Irish Music every Saturday 12-3pm an Irish Holiday in Fairfax

Went here with friends from High School. Mervin, Drake, Koala, and Betty Lou. Walking thru the front door, it was as if I entered Narnia! I felt like I was in Ireland! What decor! What smells! We enjoyed the spinach dip, bbq wings, and a pretzel. Then, swilling our beers, we moved on to the main course. Everyone had Shepard's pie except Tony who had a fine cheeseburger. Don't miss this gem of a pub. The food was "magically delicious" just like Lucky Charms.

What a great find! A fun atmosphere with live music. Delicious Irish food options! Fast and excellent service. Definitely make a reservation on a Friday or Saturday evening! Only negative was the burger was undercooked for Medium Well.

Saturday or Sunday Brunch - the full Irish breakfast is the bomb! It's one of my favorites, I recommend this place if your looking for a real pub experience for brunch.

The spinach and artichoke was excellent, it was nice and cheesy. The spiced cider was perfect for the chilly weather. My partner had the shepherd's pie. He says it was rich and consistent and delicious especially malt vinegar. I had the fish and chips, the fish was fried to perfection. It was firm and flakey and piping hot. Our server was so nice and friendly and periodically checked on us. I'd love to come back again for brunch!

First time at an Irish pub and it did not disappoint. We stopped by on a whim with my bf's family when we were driving through town. We grabbed a few bar drinks and some appetizers to share. The food was delicious. Definitely get those fries and curry sauce. My drink was also pleasantly good. Kiwi cucumber mojito, I think. Everyone was fairly happy with the food, drinks and company. We've been meaning to come back and we'll see if we can bring some friends along too.

Went here for lunch with my kids before they embarked on a musical tour taking them to Dublin. Mick made us feel so comfortable and had our kids very excited to begin their journey. This place makes you feel like family. Not only is the service amazing but the food is good too! Will be back again to listen to the live Irish music.

It used to be there were only 2 places you could get you an Irish Killkenny Irish cream ale. A place in california and a restaurant in DC. At one point none due to the pandemic. I called The Auld Shebeen and asked if they had Kilkenny and to my surprise the answer was yes! I asked again because I couldn't believe it. Had a most delightful meal with a Reuben and fries that were so delicious and a Kilkenny with great service in a welcoming atmosphere. I'll be back!!

Delicious food, prompt service and nice ambiance. Able to get a table in back area and it worked very well to visit with an old friend I hadn't seen in years.

The food was great and came in large portions. Service was also excellent. Free public parking is only a block away.

So my dear Jersey Girl has been on a quest for the last couple of years to find mind-bending fish & chips to rival some we got at the Gordon Ramsey place in Vegas. We have also been looking for a new, primary, go-to bar with good food and great drinks with a casual, hometown vibe that doesn't need a loan to pay for a couple of entrees and drinks. (Our last place of many years jacked up the prices 40% during covid and have not come back down to reality.) Tonight, we found solutions for all of these at Auld Shebeen. W both got the fish & chips after our server said it was the most praised item on the menu. I can now see why. The fish came out really fast in the form of two, monster chunks of golden fish. The chunks were like 2x3x4 pieces with a crunchy breading, freshly seasoned fries, coleslaw, and tartar sauce. They were delicious and very filling. We now have a new joint with a promising menu. I wonder how the wings taste?

Maybe coming on St Patrick's wasn't the best time to come since I knew it was going to be crowded on that day which happened to be my B-day as well. While the shepherds pie was very good with my Guinness ale the service could have been more prompt since I had to wait about 40 minutes for a server to finally come around to take my order after being sat down on a table. Had to track down my server as well for the check which took a while as well that another server had to come over to get my payment.

This is a neat place. I'm pretty fond of Irish pubs and this is that in every sense. Comfortable with good menu and selection. Located in a nice part of town and sometimes they have music. Definitely worth checking out.

Lovely restaurant and good food! Definitely a place to check out when you are in Fairfax!

Very quaint restaurant in Fairfax City. I love visiting in the winter when they have the fireplace going and live music. The menu has a large selection and everything that I've tried has been very good. I really like the Cottage Pie. The service is always pretty good. Wait staff is generally friendly and attentive. There have been a few times that we've had to wait for things, but overall service is good. I'd recommend stopping in for dinner.

We saw the owners on GMA3 a few days ago interviewing the owners of Auld Shebeen for restaurant week. My husband and I both thought the food looked great and decided to check it out. I ordered the cottage pie, my husband ordered the corned beef and cabbage. For dessert, the bread pudding . We enjoyed our meal immensely. The service was on point. The owner was very nice and the food came out quickly. We will go back and try the fish n chips.

The food was absolutely delicious. We got the St James stew, and the seafood pie, both had mashed potatoes that were homemade tasting not just potato buds. We have made this restaurant a new favorite

I love it so much!!!! My family all, what is it now 20,27 of us go to Auld Shebeen! I suggest making a reservation if you have a a good amount of people and you go on a Friday. On Fridays they have live music. 100% recommend!!!!

Went here for dinner with a friend. Had whiskey, Guinness, and a cheeseburger. Delicious and the service was lightning fast! Plus, there was live music and that was a lot of fun. Highly recommend if you're looking for dinner in Fairfax.

I've been to the Auld Shabeen half a dozen times. Every time I come, its as clean as a whistle, the staff is helpful, polite and wonderful, and the food is excellent. Every time I come up to Fairfax now I come here for lunch or dinner. It's authentic, Charming, and fun.

They used to be better but lately been forgetting to include the ice cream for the bread pudding in the bag so i wrote a notice but they still do forget it or ignore the notice and put an empty bowl?!?

We've been here a couple times before and had burgers, which were good! Recently we went with my in-laws and wanted to change up our order. My in-laws had the fish and chips and the Irish sausages and Mash. They said both dishes were excellent. I ordered chicken tenders which unfortunately were over cooked / rubbery, but our waitress took them off the bill for us. My husband wasn't thrilled with his chicken wings either, saying the sauce was pretty bland. I tried one and agreed. However - I asked if they could do fries with cheese and bacon on them and they DELIVERED. Oh my goodness, the best "loaded" fries I think I've had in my life. Since my chicken wasn't good, the fries became my meal and honestly I wasn't mad about it ;)

Their lunch specials was a great deal. I had half of a Reuben sandwich, chips,and a cup of potato leek soup for $9. And it was a GREAT Reuben with delicious pastrami and homemade sauerkraut. The also served Irish soda bread with it. A great deal!

I ate my traditional fish and chips in about five seconds and my wife's beaf stew had mashed potatoes at the bottom. Hidden treasure!!! As you can see I don't get out a lot (got two toddlers) but my wife and my anniversary was awesome and the traditional Irish band was actually pretty rock and roll will be back definitely before our next anniversary :)

Great food and great service. Love, love, love the spicy bloody Mary's. Excellent every time we go.

Great Irish menu, kind and attentive staff, family owned and operated. Always a good time.

My wife and I ordered from them through Grubhub. They were very prompt and the food was excellent. I had the Burdock Fish and Chips. My wife got the NY Strip Steak Salad. The fish was fresh and crunchy. My wife's steak was cooked perfectly to order( medium rare). They included everything we needed. I even requested extra tartar sauce which they provided a large portion free. I would not hesitate to order from them again!

First time eating here. I thought I would try it out since I've never had Irish cuisine before. I got the cottage pie. To me, I felt like a was eating a chicken pot pie with mash potatoes as the crust rather than the traditional pie crust on top. It came with broccoli and carrots sautéed in butter. There were big piece of shredded chicken and mushrooms in the filling. But the flavors didn't WOW me. It was very salty for me and I wish there was more dimension to the dish. The side of veggies was just there. I didn't really touch them, again I thought it lacked flavors. I thought the decor and inside was nice. It matched with the pub vibe. They had booths, tables, and bar seatings you can choose from. My server was nice and attentive.

You can taste the disappointment as you touch the soggy fries and dip your wings in the water they call ranch. Damn when does the band play. That would have helped. Service is friendly and very attentive. Thank you for that. Starting with the wine selection. The selection is caveman primitive (actually they options may be better). For example what quality restaurant would have cupcake or Sycamore Lane on their menu. The Irish has gone black here. The beer choices are not even worthy of being served here. The wine is priced 3x it's value. Do yourself a favor and get a good bottle from Total Wine on your way to the restaurant. It will save you at least $20. On to the grilled oil cheese children menu sandwich. It was well cooked perfectly. Any child would have been lucky to have such a perfectly cooked sandwich. That is until your child takes a bit. The look on his face is everything. I was puzzled at the look. How can a grilled cheese cause that look. Then I tasted it. Or should I say I tasted the vegetable oil that the bread was soaked in. I can only pray that he will eat a grilled cheese again. The jumbo wings are really about the size of normal wings that you can buy for $3 at a grocery store. The homemade dressing spent too much time in the sauna and absorbed too much water. It was runny and not very flavorful. The baked Brie was not even up to Costco standards. Do not order it. Prepare yourself for dismal Disappointment when you try the baked jerky (aka the beef brisket). Over slow cooked in an oven vs a smoker. Truly made like the dark ages in Ireland. The club Sandwich and Cahill Irish Stout Burger was decent and I really can't complain. However I would recommend looking into an Irish pub in Crystal City instead. In conclusion if you want outstanding service and to get a very expensive buzz on cheap wine and your children hate grilled cheese then this is the place for you. p.s. Again great service is exceptional. The management team did offer to replace the meal, took the brisket off the bill, and provided toffee pudding. That truly was the best part of the meal. In my wife's words "it is to die for" an addiction waiting to happen. However they charged for the dessert after they said they would provide it after the horrible microwaved brisket confession. Ugh!!!! I will never come back I would give 4 stars for service, 1 stars for appetizers, 2 stars entrees, 4 stars for dessert (mostly because we would not have ordered it, but they tricked us into getting it)

I recommend getting a reservation before coming here. It is a busy place with great service and great food. They have a nice selection of meals and a cool vibe and atmosphere. I got potato leek soup, a side Cesar salad, and the mousse cake. All my dishes were fantastic and I plan on coming back here. The food seems well prepared and is presented nicely.