CombatCritic's TravelValue™: Ireland

Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Bandon, OR: Second Verse, Same As The First - Tiny Pub Grub For Big Bucks

Foley's Irish Pub

160 Baltimore Avenue

Bandon, OR 97411

foleysirishpubbandon.com

Phone number: (541) 329-2203

Prices: $$$$

There was a young barmaid named Heidi

Who greeted us and offered a pi-e

The Shepherd's was small

But Heidi was tall

And we paid too much, leaving angry.

Heidi was very nice and treated us well, but having arrived 10 minutes before posted closing, we were told that the kitchen was closed, so all we could get were a cup of Clam Chowder ($6), a slice of Shepherd's Pie ($15), and an IPA ($7.75). We didn't know the prices, having assumed by the decor that it would be fairly reasonable. It was not, having paid $70, including tip, for a cup of soup, a tiny slice of lukewarm shepherd's pie, and a decent size mug o' IPA.

How does a place close the kitchen before posted closing hours? If they are supposed to be open until 9pm, then the goddamm kitchen should not shut down until 9:01pm. With that being said, Irishman owner, Foley I assume, sat down at a nearby table around 9:30pm and polished off a plate full of Bourbon Marinated Pork Ribs and Fries ($19.95) while we ate our nearly cold shepherd's pie.

Beside being overpriced, the food was bland and not hot. From what I have seen, the city of Bandon takes advantage of its proximity to the world renowned Bandon Dunes Golf Resort where we played earlier that day (Pacific Dunes), overcharging golfers who have little choice of restaurants in the area.

CombatCritic Gives Foley's Irish Pub 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

Friday, May 24, 2019

Washougal, WA: Don't Run With Bagpipes, You Could Get Kilt ... And Become A Kilted Spirit

Kilted Spirits Irish Pub
1926 Main Street
Washougal, WA 98671
Phone number (360) 844-7186
Prices: $$$$

With all of the cold, modern decor and TVs, it looks more like a sports bar or restaurant than an Irish pub. The service was excellent, but that could have been because we were practically the only people in the place at 6pm on a Sunday.

They have a nice selection of draught beers at fair prices, all running $5 or less for a US pint (regular price). I had the Irish Death Dark Ale, a thick, delicious dark beer reminiscent of German bocks or dunkels ... YUMM! My buddy had one of the rotating IPAs, but I cannot tell you anything about it because he has OCD and would not let me taste it.

Their menu selections are much more limited. They have a couple of sandwiches, but they only come with their homemade crisps (potato chips) which were a bit too much on the burnt side, even for me. I would have preferred some homemade steak fries (chips) with my Reuben Sandwich ($13). The reuben was very tasty and loaded with lean corned beef and sauerkraut, but $13 is a tad high for a sandwich and potato chips - $10 to $11 would likely be more appropriate. You can also get a bowl of soup for $12 or Irish Stew in a bread bowl ($14), Bangers (sausages) and Mash ($13), or Shepherd's Pie ($14 - it is actually "cottage" pie because it is made with beef - shepherd's pie is traditionally made with lamb or mutton in the UK, so I would think an Irish pub should know the difference). You can also get a hamburger, but they only offer a 1/4 pound (4 ounce) patty instead of the 6 to 8 ounce patties most decent brew pubs offer. Finally, my friend, who is vegetarian, had a choice between a $9 pretzel or the $8 onion rings, so if you are vegan or vegetarian, you may want to go somewhere else. He went with the onion rings, a normal size order of so-so rings that would cost $4, half the price, pretty much anywhere else.

They apparently have live music on Friday and Saturday nights, so that is a plus, being the only bar in or near Washougal offering that option. I was a bit disappointed because they are not that much different than the other mediocre brew pubs/bistros in the Washougal area with similar, boring offerings and excessive pricing. If their food menu were as reasonably priced as their beer menu, they would get a much higher rating from me. The place could also use a little charm or ambiance and some more good Irish ales, like Caffrey's, if they want to be more like an authentic Irish pub. They also do not bother offering a website to their customers, which tells me that they lack some of the basic business acumen required to be successful in an extremely competitive industry.

CombatCritic Gives Kilted Spirits Irish Pub 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

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Thursday, August 13, 2020

Bandon, OR: Second Verse, Same As The First - Tiny Pub Grub For Big Bucks

Friday, May 24, 2019

Washougal, WA: Don't Run With Bagpipes, You Could Get Kilt ... And Become A Kilted Spirit

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