Linda S. M.
Yelp
Disclaimer: My husband was raised in the UK and we've spent many an hour in authentic pubs throughout our adult life together.
While we don't really expect to find a truly Irish pub experience in the US, there are plenty who try for decent food, hospitality and some decent brews on tap.
Unfortunately, this was not one of them.
I will give credit to the rustic vibe which does slightly resemble a small village pub you might come across now and then. And our server was friendly and attentive enough to warrant a decent tip.
My husband ordered a half and half which is an equal mix of Guinness and Lager. He found it to be an uneven pour and light on Guinness. Not a dealbreaker, but that's the kind of thing you expect them to get right.
But what really shocked us was what the kitchen was passing off as a Shepherds pie. This gold standard - everywhere - is a mix of ground beef (or lamb), peas/carrots, gravy sauce, topped with a thick layer of mashed potato and a spare bit of cheese. This pub reinvented some kind of gooey mix of oddly-spiced, over-cooked, ground meat topped with a thick, greasy layer of cheese and about a tablespoon of potato lost under all that. I didn't finish mine, brought it home and ended up tossing it.
Both the person who greeted us at the door and the bartender gave off weird, unwelcoming vibes, which is kind of sad because this place could be a neighborhood gem with the right management and attention to kitchen details. Needless to say, we won't be returning.