Claddagh Irish Pub: User Reviews

Great Food, Slow Service
By RGreene1015, February 1, 2012

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My family and I went to the Aquarium a while back and afterward went to lunch. We had 4 kids with us, two of which could eat regular food, so we had to decide quick. We found Claddagh while walking around and figured it sounded like a good place to try out. We had plenty of time so we weren't worried. Went in and were seated fairly quickly; since it was around lunch, it was busy but not crowded.
We ordered our drinks and only half of them came the first time, and we ended up having to remind our server twice to get the rest of them. We actually requested a new server, and the second one was so much better than the first. We ordered our meals and after about 20 minutes the food came. I ordered the Shamrock Burger, which came with chips (fries) and it was amazing. They have a signature Shamrock Sauce made with green tabasco, which gave the burger the right amount of kick. The rest of my family went for Fish & Chips and they all loved it as well, even the kids, and they are picky about everything. I ordered their Warm & Tipsy Bread Pudding for desert, and it was incredible. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and you really felt like you were in Ireland with the Traditional Irish music playing in the background. Except for the one server everything was great. I definitely recommend going for lunch.

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Experience Didn't Match the Atmosphere....
By GregS18348, November 19, 2010

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This was a late Sunday afternoon lunch with my daughter before heading off to a show inside at Newport on the Levee. After waiting at the hostess stand for a moment, and having an awkward encouter with an "odd woman" (second greeter) of some sort, we were seated. We were greeted by a very pleasant young lady who was our server. We ordered drinks, which came quickly, and then ordered lunch. I ordered the Jameson Burger, medium rare, with a side of their Guinness BBQ sauce. The burger came with a side of chips (fries), and a small portion of creamy Cole slaw.
My daughter ordered the Chicken Kildare. This was accompanied by mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables. After waiting approximately forty minutes we finally had to ask about our food. We said that we had tickets to a show in about thirty minutes, and were concerned we wouldn't make it. The waitress replied that the Chicken Kildare took a while, but that she would check on our order. I should add the restaurant was almost empty, having only about six filled tables. Five minutes later, our meal arrived. My medium rare burger, which was a pressed, preformed patty, was well done throughout and burnt on one side. I did not ask for another out of fear that we would not make our show due to the slow service. The Jameson sauce was good, but nothing as unique as the "Jameson Sauce" would imply. The Kaiser like bun was nice, if not maybe a little dry. The chips were done well, crispy outside, moist inside. The side of Guinness BBQ sauce was good, but again was not unique, and definitely did not taste of Guinness (I would know, it is my favorite adult beverage). Not worth the extra charge for the side. The creamy Cole slaw was good, no complaints there.
The Kildare Chicken, like my burger, was also overcooked. The top was golden brown, the lower half was a moderately dark brown (see photo). We were surprised, as we were told that the chicken takes a while to cook. The chicken inside remained moist, however, and the garlic/spinach filling was very flavorful. There was a delightful dab of garlic butter on top of the panko type crusted chicken. The mashed potatoes were nothing special but they were acceptable, however the sautéed vegetables that came with this meal were very nice. They had just the right amount of "bite" and "give" to them, in both our opinions.
Overall, it was disappointing. I have eaten here before, and I recalled it to be much better. I had the fish and chips before, so maybe that's the key here. The server and the one greeter were great, the other greeter and the food were not. I mentioned this experience to a friend at work who goes here a lot. He was surprised by the food we received (He says he always has the Fish n' Chips, which he likes a lot), but was not surprised by "the odd woman". He said he knows who she is, that she hasn't been there very long, and that he has had similar encounters with her. With all of that in mind, I had to give it just two stars overall..

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