Terson L.
Yelp
I've been in the past just after renovation. Service and food was just as unpredictable and slow as before. Only Paddy and the gentleman with the service dog in training were consistently polite, professional and a pleasure to see.
Aside from some minor interior changes, it's all the same thing. Bar is open until... no idea. Hours continue to change (they don't update Google or Yelp). (Not a good sign.) Every time I or a friend has called, "Sorry kitchen is closed," as early as 9pm! Parking lot out front is almost always empty. Aside from a few disturbingly loud outdoor bands playing during the day you'd never know this place was even open anymore.
In regards to the kitchen, the food is hit or miss. Either the cook is on their game and they smash it, or they don't care at all. There is no in-between, the food is either ace, or total garbage.
After seating ourselves the waiter put down our menus, took our drink orders, my guest was immediately served their water. Waiter did not offer water to me (mistake). I continued to sit for 10 minutes waiting for my beer. We reviewed the menu but our attempt to order was prevented by the older, long silver-haired "bartender" who preferred to pace back and forth repeatedly, then wander around, talk to some old women and wander back out of site. Instead of pour a beer on tap he worked harder at looking busy. Waiter only stopped by to ask us if we wanted appetizers, we said we did not and were still looking at the menu. He vanished and never came back to our table. By now 15 minutes had passed, still no drink and the "bartender" was still making laps around the place instead of doing ANYTHING behind the bar. We got up and left, passing both the "bartender" and our waiter who was walking up behind us. Neither of them made ANY attempt to ask us if there was a problem.
The place was DEAD, and I mean like Walking Dead level dead. Not a soul in sight except two guys at the bar and possibly 6 people sitting outside (who knows if they had left or not). The old women the "bartender" had been talking to left with in minutes of our arrival. If it had been busy, I'd have been able to over-look the "bartender" taking upwards of a quarter of an hour to serve a beer. I stated earlier that the "bartender" prevented us from ordering; when the "bartender" can't be bothered to serve me, I can't be bothered to patronize the establishment.
Even before the remodel the staff was hit or miss, you either got a waiter who cared or you got a waiter who had absolutely no 'effs to give about you. The only staff member I will miss is Paddy. Hopefully he's moved on to a better place. I give Thos O'Reilly's until the fall before their doors close. No doubt the management/ownership is sinking profits from their other location into the Sandy Springs City Walk location which is clearly failing.
In closing, I refer to him as the "bartender" because the guy never served a drink and spent more time walking around the pub aimlessly.
Sorry Thos, you guys just lost two more customers, by ignoring them on a slow day and letting them walk out without trying to ask what you could do to fix the experience.