McCool’s Pub & Grill

McCool’s is alright with potential to be cool, but the pub grub is mediocre. If you’re looking for some bar food and a brew for Happy Hour in Happy Valley, McCool’s Pub & Grill is a-​ok.
I’ve tried four food items at McCool’s (other than draft beers) and each was kind of so-​so.
* Belfast Banger’s & Mash
This was the most disappointing cause I had high hopes based on the Irish theme. Mediocre Sausages were the culprit despite a healthy dose of Mustard. (2 stars)
* Pasta Rustica
Grilled Chicken and Parmesan top this bowl of Penne in a bland Cream Sauce (3 stars)
* Halibut Fish ‘n Tots
Switched from Chips to Tater Tots, but the slightly over-​fried Halibut is the star (3 stars)
* Cobb Salad
Bacon, Blue Cheese Crumbles, Grilled Chicken and Diced Tomatoes form a reliable salad (3 stars)
Sitting at the bar is actually the better choice than the tables because service seems faster and friendlier. With plenty of free shared parking for the strip mall and a diverse American menu, McCool’s is more convenient and safe to watch sports in a bar than it is cool.

Great Irish food. The staff is so wonderful. The burgers are so tasty. Salads are so fresh. And the milkshakes are to die for. I am never disappointed and alway walking away with full happy bellies.

My food was good. I had the Chicken fajita wrap. Getting drinks refilled and paying was a little slow.

Ok, so if you are expecting 5 star food, service, and gourmet experience, obviously this would not apply to this local pub in a random strip mall in Clackamas.
However, if you are looking for a quick bite, friendly service, and a place to catch MNF, this is a great little pub.
The portions are normally pretty big. We usually get the full rack of ribs for $ 20 and it never disappoints. I would skip the fish and chips, but the clam appetizer is pretty good.
They have your usual fair of revolving taps and a decent whiskey list. Not a bad place to crash for a few hours to catch a game and the servers are always super friendly.

Truly one of the greatest family, sports pub and grill in town.
Have been coming here for the last 5 years, for business meetings with clients, to just having fun. The ambience is awesome, and the food is great. Check it out.

Alright so there breakfast suck, but comming back for dinner gonna say great, I tryed the jalapeño burger (it said it was spicy but it’s not so be warned if you like spice don’t order it cuz it’s not spicy but it was a good burger in general. I order the steamer claims as a app and those where amazing. fries normal bad fries nothing to write home about. I ordered the black ape which is Apricot and Guinness and that was aweosme ! then I ordered bread pudding made in house epic completely epic an I work in a bakery I would drive here to try it. They got a four total which was better then the last one

Just moved into the area so I thought we’d give it a shot. Result? Just like a weak, overmatched play-​off team… one and done. It’s just what you’d expect from a tepid, suburban area with low expectations from a local establishment: barely average, overpriced food (20 $ for fish and chips? WTF?); an uninspired selection of beers; little to no «atmosphere»…kind of like an adult Denny’s maybe?; and unknowledgeable, unfriendly staff. All this in a crowded shopping plaza with very little parking (even though we walked). This anecdote should tell you all you need to know… the waitress suggested a «local» IPA that «everyone just loves»…OK then, who brews it I asked… she hesitated for a moment and then replied, «I think Dos Equis makes it.» Silence. «Dos Equis? That’s a Mexican beer, no?» I reply, offering an out. «Pretty positive it’s Dos Equis.» Not a good sign, folks. As we were getting the check, I also noticed some action at the bar that seemed like a post-​50 age meat market of sorts… suburban creepiness at its worst. Bottom line: this place gets a robust thumbs down for multiple reasons, not the least that two people ate and drank lightly and shelled out nearly $ 60 for the «experience.» McCool’s? Not so much. More like McUnCools. You’d be better off at an Applebee’s…or at home for that matter.

First time here for lunch. Food is decent, not bad. Service was quick and Mister Waiter was friendly. (Miss Waitress, eh, dirty clothes and not too helpful.) Close to work, good food, quick service and I got to see some sexy Army men? Mos def be back. Lol.

I am mid way into one half of a phenomenal wrap and if you are not here you are totally missing out on an exceptional meal.
Thank you all for a great experience!

We used to love going here since we live nearby, but the service has become AWFUL! Rude, rude, rude.
We went in last night for a late-​ish dinner. The two unoccupied tables were filled with dishes. I had 3 different waitresses walk by me multiple times, and not one acknowledged we were waiting until I interrupted one of them 5 minutes later. After ordering, our food was thrown down onto the table without a smile.
There’s far too many other places to patronize around Happy Valley, rather than deal with that experience.
To the waitress: you didn’t get a tip because of the attitude, not because I’m cheap!

This is an update to my previous review on McCools.
I had a chance to talk to the Owner regarding his two employees.
Of course there is two sides of every story. His Server claimed we called her names such as fat. I find that hard to believe. While not obese I am far from small.
While the owner backs his employees 100 percent and at one point said
«I do not believe you» he did listen. Towards the end of the conversation he did ask what I wanted done. I suggested retraining. I also was told this Server and Bartender have a personal relationship. I do not know how true it is, but I would suggest they have different shifts. Giving a couple too much power is uncomfortable for other employees and can trickle down to patrons. Up until this incident, these employees were fine. Everyone has a bad night.

I do own a sizable business and am aware of all the challenges…
We will never go back, and are sadden by this. We have been long term customers and have several locally owned places we will frequent, but McCools was our hands down favorite.

One of my favorite places to go in Happy Valley! Service is always great and tonite I had the cottage pie! Made perfect and had left overs for lunch! I wish they had more cider beers but still worth the Trip

This place has THE BEST corned beef hash and Bloody Mary’s. The Bloody Mary’s taste freshly made, not bottled, and are even a bit spicy which is my favorite. The corned beef hash is also freshly made, not canned. The staff is friendly too!

WORSE SERVICE (if you are single.). I watched wait staff running around catering to groups of 2 of more. If your sitting there single, obviously you are a loser without a job that can’t afford a beer! This is the 4^th time in 6 years I have tried the place in hopes they got their act together. Always the same. DO NOT GO if you are single. With a group you are fine. I went next door to Chinese restaurant (read my review there. They are bad ass and cater to all!)

My mother took me to lunch here and it was amazing! I had the Diablo Caliente Burger. It was spicy but not over the top, it had fantastic flavors and the fries were crunchy just like I like them. For dessert we had the bread pudding alamode and let me tell you I was in heaven! It was absolutely the best bread pudding I have ever had! The wait staff was great, very prompt and friendly. All in all it was a great experience, I will go back as soon as I’m in the area!

Great for a beer (lots on tap!) and food. There are other options besides just «bar food», like huge salads and specialty items (lasagna, steak, etc).
You can tell they care about the community, like honoring high school athletes and hosting events.
Service is friendly and good. It may get crazy busy in there (they are just humans) and will get to you quickly if you need anything.
Try it out, you won’t be disappointed!

Love this place. Have been a frequent customer here for mmaannyy years. Very friendly family owned pub. They have the best clam chowder and chicken ceasar salad! If you want to know where the locals go this is it.

We love mccools. It’s a total neighborhood go to spot for good beer and pub fare with lots of sports on tv. My husband likes the beer and sports aspect and I like how friendly the servers are to us and my four year old. It’s nice to get happy hour prices with a toddler in tow! I always get the chicken dinner with asparagus. It’s healthy and yummy.

Nice beer list and standard pub grub. Service is also good but not great. Lots of televisions.
Worth going if you are in the neighborhood but there are a lot of better choices so I would not drive too far to check it out.

**HH review only**
We ordered nachos ($ 5.95), cod fish & chips ($ 5.95), double cheeseburger ($ 4.95), & a Fish Tale IPA ($ 4.00).
The nachos is loaded with ground beef, beans, shredded cheeses, chives, black olives, jalapeños, sour cream, guacamole, & salsa. It’s large enough to share with one other & of all the items on the HH menu this is probably the one worth its price.
The cod fish & chips weren’t that bad actually. Two decent size pieces & choice of fries or tots; we chose tots, cajun-​style. The basket of fries or tots for $ 3.95 on the menu seemed high for HH but paying $ 2 more & getting the same amount of tots as you would plus two cod seemed justifiable.
The double cheeseburger isn’t worth the price when all you’re getting is a double cheeseburger. I’ve never ordered a double cheeseburger anywhere but we decided to since our server enthusiastically reported to us that it was her favorite item on the HH menu. Double burger, double cheese, lots of pickles, & thousand island-​type dressing is not exciting nor favorable. At first bite, my fiancé described it as a BK double cheeseburger. I was immediately unimpressed.
The IPA was good but we were surprised for this being an Irish-​American Pub that Guinness was priced high at $ 5 a pint. Why not cheaper? Oh well, it was just an observation.
We liked our server right off the bat. Gail brought menus over right away & we asked about changing sports channels since we were eager to know a score of a football game. In an instant all the channels in the pub were switched to that game. She was quick to bring our food & refill our drinks & all the while with a smile on her face.
McCool’s has an okay happy hour but it isn’t the place to go for healthy foods obviously. This is pub fare & pub fare is usually just mediocre & that’s just what McCool’s is. Mediocre.