Auld Irisher

Very disappointed with the Bar! They charged us $ 27.45 for 3 drinks. Irish Coffee $ 8.50 Baileys Coffee $ 8.50 & Red Bull & Vodka= $ 6.00 for Well Vodka (Smirnoff) & $ 2.48 for the Red Bull & I didn’t get the can! The poured the Red Bull & Vodka in a lowball glass! When I questioned the bill, my server didn’t even know what Vodka was used? She said that was how they billed for drinks! I should’ve known by how scarcely populated the place was. I’ll have to look for another bar to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! They are now out of business. Good!

Food, beer and ambiance were all amazing! What was not amazing was the service. Overall a good place to grab some beer and grub but if your on a schedule or like a smile with your service this is not going to be a good choice.

Let me start off by saying that I’ve been going to the irisher ever since it opened up. I live really close so it has always been my go-​to local pub.
Service:
I’m seeing a lot of people complain about the service and I agree… to some extent. Yes, there are few girls there that should not be working in customer service. There has been times (mostly around lunch time) that I’ve felt ignored. I’ve also had a couple servers with horrible attitudes. Now with that being said, I’ve also had AMAZING service. Nick, especially, is a great bartender! I see him behind the bar pretty much every time I go in. He is a great guy, tries to get you what you want as quickly as possible, and always makes me feel at home.
Atmosphere:
Typical Irish pub with all the stuff decorating the walls. They have a couple of TVs (which I always watch the Ducks game on) and they are scattered around so you can sit almost anywhere in the bar and still see a TV. About 8ish they turn the lights way down and they have live bands on the weekend. Tijuana Dogs and Pullman Standard are two of the bands that perform there every now and again. Go check them out!
Now for the food and beer:
Well obviously they have Guinness and Smithwick’s so I’m always happy! They have a full bar and like I said earlier the bartender is awesome. I usually stick to beer unless I’m celebrating with friends, in which case we go to shots. The waitresses are usually pretty good at recommending different shots so I always like to try something new. I usually get the Irish nachos which are perfection. My sister loves the spicy potatoes, which are good but not really spicy. Most my friends stick with the fish or corned beef tacos but I prefer the Ruben. At least we can all agree on one thing… tater tots! If you have tater tots on the menu, I will be ordering them!
I love the Irisher… it’s close to my home, the Honda Center, Angel Stadium, and the movie theater. If I’m going to any one of these places I usually stop by the Irisher first for a drink.

Before going to see the movie Chronicle, Duke D. and I decided that we’d have dinner at the first place where we had reconnected months ago. On a Thursday night, it was quite empty with only two people sitting at the bar. The bartender looked a bit surprised to see us come in for dinner but he was very nice. We had made it in time for Happy Hour so wanted to take advantage of that by ordering our desired pints of Guinness.
We also got a side of their «Irish Nachos» since it was on the Happy Hour menu, and we weren’t starving. We figured a side and an entrée would be enough. These were huge! They were basically like regular nachos but atop french fries rather than tortilla chips. I guess that’s what makes them Irish, the potatoes. These were actually very good since the veggies on them were fresh and the bacon bits actually pieces of bacon. The fries were hot and fantastic. I’m definitely getting these again.
Our entrée was their Guinness beef stew in boxty format. I’d say that these were a little uninspired in terms of flavor. I mean, it was great that it wasn’t too salty as a lot of beef stews tend to be but the flavor wasn’t very strong otherwise. I liked the potatoes inside because they were quite smooth in texture. The beef was soft, and the boxty slightly crisp. Would I order again? Probably not. Still, it’s a cool place to chill at.

Ok, so I feel a little bit torn about this place so I’m not exactly sure where to put it so i’ll try my best to explain my mixed feelings.
First off, I have walked by this place 100 times and always thought «hmm one day I will have to try this place out» but always decided against it because of all the other good restaurants right in the same area (Lazy Dog Café mostly). The Auld Irisher is more like a bar that serves food than a restaurant that serves drinks and I went on a random weekday for a bit of a late lunch and the vibe felt more like a seedy dive bar even though the décor said otherwise.
Most everyone in there was saddled up to the bar making idle chat with the bar tender, or sitting at a corner table with their nose buried in a newspaper. Even the waitress seemed pretty disengaged and would disappear for several minutes at a time while the bar tender was taking the orders and handing out menus to people as they strolled in. Eventually the waitress would emerge from the back to check her cell phone, take a shot (not kidding), and complain about having to stay later than she was scheduled or something. Pretty entertaining and it didn’t really bother me since I was just there for a quick hit of bar food so I wouldn’t say it was a negative thing, just different.
As for the food, I opted for the fish ‘n chips since there are a lot of places that do it, but not many that do it well. I feel like it is a bit of an «indicator food» since it is quintessential irish/​english pub food and a good bar by which other things can be measured. The verdict… It was ok. At $ 9 for a half order it wasn’t too bad considering I had more than enough food to fill up on and for $ 14 you can get a full order that would easily feed 2. Ultimately though, the fish was just fish and the fries were very pedestrian. It was good, but not great and considering the fish ‘n chips plus one Guiness got me out the door for $ 23 after tip; there are probably 2 dozen restaurants within 3 miles of this place that would be just as good, if not better, and closer to half the price.
To sum it all up, I was glad I went and to be fair the bartender there was really friendly and down to earth (the waitress might as well have been the coat rack, but ultimately that didn’t really matter). Food was ok, but I doubt I will be going back any time soon.

This review is for 12/​04/​2011. Just before the game, my boss wanted to go to their watering hole at a nearby bar before the game. They named this place their bar away from their bar. They’ve frequented the Anaheim Area for the hockey and/​or baseball game. I’ve heard my boss always mention this place called the Irisher, aka the Auld Irisher.
We arrived to parking lot at 3:50 p.m. with a security guards on-​site. Apparently, parking on the lot is a problem since Honda Center is just within a mile of the shopping center. We walked in and it was a good looking bar. We were greeted by a cute waitress with glasses, but I was nervous. I couldn’t even remember what drink I what I wanted… Oh yeah… Cape Cod.
While we were waiting, the Giants vs Packers was on. I know they have at least two TVs, but I am not sure where exactly where the other TV was located since I stared at the TV at the wall. Our group order two types of Sliders, Corned Beef and I believe it was just regular beef Sliders. Both have three sliders each and it was delicious. Also, we ordered one plate of fries with melted cheese. Our waitress definitely took care of me when I was about to order another Cape Cod. She knew what i was thinking.
I don’t have a price since my bosses paid for the meal since I drove them to Anaheim. Service was excellent and waitress was definitely cute. I may have to find some tickets for games in the area so I can visit more frequently. This place is definitely full of fan from Ducks to Angels before and after the game. I can’t wait to come back here again. By the way, I am Irish… Ryan stands for Little King :)
The Unilocal Universe. Where are you traveling today?

I’ve been here a few times and this is probably going to be one of my haunts now that I’ve moved closer to the area. As far as the food goes, you’re looking at the standard bar fare: greasy, filling, a bit pricey. It’s nice that it’s an Irish place so you’ve got some tasty twists (boxtys, corned beef, etc.) that you can’t find at other places. Also, they’ve got a decent beer selection with some good seasonals.
Amazingly enough, I really loved their taco Tuesday deal. The tacos are $ 1 or $ 2 depending on which one you order and they are about double the size of your typical street taco. There are four types and all are pretty darn delicious. Here’s the breakdown:
* Seared Ahi — Everybody in my group loved it. I thought it was decent but not awe-​inspiring. The fish is okay, the sauce has good flavor.
* Corned Beef — A very cool change of pace. Flakes of corned beef with horseradish sauce. Delicious!
* Fried fish — Batter was a bit doughy but the cabbage and sauce added great flavor.
* Mushroom — My favorite. A very strong spice and the mushrooms were actually quite juicy. Awesome!
The happy hour is pretty good — $ 4 pints, $ 5 wells and ½ off appetizers. Not the best but certainly not bad considering the selection. All in all, a decent option if you’re looking for good happy hours and tasty tacos.
Cheers!

Auld Irisher has so much potential, they have a great selection of draft and bottled beers. Their issue comes with the food and prices. Now I’m not saying all the food is bad its just hit or miss on what you order.
The fish and chips here for 14 bucks I feel could be better. The batter that they used just wasn’t that great and I like my fish crispy and it just really didn’t cut it for me. Instead of chips you can get tator tots which is what I did and the tots were good but its kinda hard to mess those up.
The spicy potatoes I thought would be great but just had nothing that stood out and I felt the potatoes could of been cooked longer. If you do come here I would suggest the Banger Won Tons these things are pretty darn good. Maybe if I come back I will try their Bangers and Champ.
For me and my wife we had a appetizer and the order of fish and chips and two beers and it about 36 bucks for us. I thought that was a little expensive. Maybe I could see coming here for a couple drinks during happy hour cause they do offer some great beers like Rouge, Boddingtons. So I may try this again but just not gonna go outta my way for it… CHEERS

I would love to be writing a review about the food and drinks at this place right now. Unfortunately despite being at the pub for over 30 minutes we didn’t get any.
I arrived here with some friends around 7:30pm on a weeknight, the place was pretty empty and they only had one server. We walked up and after no one coming to seat us, asked if it was self-​seat, they said that was fine… Ok… We sat ourselves next to the other groups which were outside and waited. Despite the server knowing we were there she never approached us, even after one of our group member got up, found her and asked for menus. After 30 minutes of being ignored, we got up and left.
I gave it a chance, probably wont give it another.

Had dinner here pre-​Britney concert with my friends. We started with the fried mac and cheese, which were average, but the dipping sauce served with them made them really good.
For dinner I had some potato leek soup that was delicious, and filling. I should have just had that and skipped on the entrée. But, I also ordered an Irish stew boxty, which was good, but lacking in the beef department. I think I received maybe 3 pieces of meat, all very small. It was mostly vegetables and gravy.
Service was good, prices were reasonable. When in this center, I prefer King’s Fish House, but I would come here over Acapulco any day.

Bar is = Very Chill. No cover charge. Mid 30’s to late 40’s crowd. Live Music. Patio for smoking.
I wasn’t that impressed with the menu and it is a BEER place, so if you are into Ale and Stout, you are probably in the right place. I am a wine drinker, so I was not and the wine was NOT good.
Also, they have a few tables in the bar area, but the stools are not very comfortable and most don’t even have backs. like the dunce stool in the old movies. not good. i like to relax and kick back when I am listening to a band.
The band was pretty good, a few people danced. it was not a very young hip crowd and I think I spotted some 40 something swingers…
So you choose… it wasn’t for me… but nothing wrong with the place. cute, chill, Irish…

First time here and I ordered catered food. Great to cater snacks of sliders and sides. Nick the chef really knows his stuff.
Off the catering menu, my guest loved the spicy potato balls and mac & cheese balls. The sausage pastry was interesting but definitely not a favorite of my group. If you come during happy hour, I personally love their crisps and how cheap the chips are too.
This location is hidden inside the same plaza with Fish house, Lazy Dog Café, starbucks and the movie theater. It’s also right across from the back parking of Angele’s Stadium where people take the metro train. Its also near Honda Center.
Again the chef was really nice. Just the food wasn’t my guest’s expected Irish preference. Still great snacks.

Carne asada fries for lunch on Friday, Irish nachos at dinner on Saturday, sweatpants on Sunday.
The Irish nachos were a bit disappointing (especially after carne asada fries). They’re basically like cheese and bacon potato skins, but on top of French fries. I could see how they might have been better had I been drinking, but alas I was not, so they were just average.
I also had the half order of bangers, which came with 2 big sausages, mashed potatoes and some veg. It was really good, especially the gravy on the sausages. I can’t imagine getting the full order; does it come with 4 sausages?
My dad’s fish & chips which were just okay for me. I like the super crunchy, thick crust on the fish they have at the Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica, but my dad preferred the one here. It’s definitely less batter, but the fish is nice and flaky and the curry chips were nice. My mom’s shepherd’s pie was good, but seemed a bit heavy on the mashed potatoes. The half order was very generous.
I’d come back if I was going to Angel’s stadium or the Honda Center, but I wouldn’t go too far out of my way.

Met a bunch of friends here for dinner on a Saturday night. We had about 20 people at least (more than we even thought were coming) and they totally accommodated us. We moved a bunch of tables together in the back and pretty much had the whole room to ourselves (no reservation either). Our waitress was amazing. I wish I knew her name. I’ll add it if I find out. She let us all have separate checks! I honestly dont know any place that lets you do that. She was fast, she was on our drinks, she was quick with service. it was a great night! They even played some U2 songs per our request.
Everyone at our party loved the food. The fried macaroni balls were very good. and very spicy! Good fries too (I didnt eat anything else because I had just had INO an hour or two before that (oops)). For my friends bday they brought out a Crème Brulee. it was delicious! We also did some shots at a the bar and the bartender was awesome, friendly, great guy. Cant wait to come back next time I’m in town!

Bangers!
I ordered Bangers and Mash, Corned Beef with Cabbage, Steemed Oysters. Details are as follows:
1. Oysters: A huge portion for a reasonable price. I would estimate 30, but 7 were not opened. 4 Stars.
2. Sausage was tasty but way over cooked. 2.5 Stars.
3. Cabbage-​2 Stars
4. Corned beef was chewy and not good. 2 Stars.
The service was slow. The server was nice. Great outdoor seating.
Auld Irisher. another reason the OC is the best place to live.

Found myself at the Auld Irisher for the first day of OC Restaurant Week. My brother, his friend DR and myself decided to try out the 3-​course, $ 20 prix-​fixe menu.
Since it was Sunday, the place was relatively empty save for some drunken regulars who were downing pints of Guinness and singing along to the Top 40 Rock songs playing. It took the one waitress some time to get our orders, and there was no actual OC Restaurant Week menu to choose from (it was written on a tiny piece of paper).
My orders for the prix-​fixe:
1.) Appetizer: Sausage Roll. This item was pretty good — ground sausage meat inside a flaky puff pastry. It was very reminiscent of the Vietnamese puff pastry «pâté chaud» that I’m used to, but a bit more pastry and not really very flavorful meat on the inside
2.) Entrée: Shepard’s Pie. It was heavenly! I couldn’t finish the whole thing because I was saving room for dessert, but the flavors of the meat tucked underneath the mashed potatoes made this a stellar dish.
3.) Dessert: Whiskey Crème Brulee: I should have gone with my first instinct and gotten the Bailey’s Cheesecake (which my brother got and I tried. it was delicious!) I think the whiskey overpowered the taste of what could have been an excellent crème brûlée. If it wasn’t for the raspberry on top of the caramelized sugar, I wouldn’t have anything to cut through the whiskey taste. I should have been smart and gotten the raspberry crème brûlée instead.
Overall, a pretty decent first outing to Auld Irisher. At least they have tons of beers on tap. I feel there is a definite crowd of locals that this place caters to, and since we were just dining we were somewhat rushed through our meal. Perhaps I’ll return another time.

I’ve only been here twice and this place is like the «Auld Dubliner» in Long Beach, but it’s not as good.
Every bro (D*bag) in OC seems to flock to place. It’s not cool. They can be really obnoxious and ruin other people’s nights. Although they did provide a few laughs when I overheard them arguing about who has the best hair, something I’d never thought i’d hear Guys argue about.
The wait service is really slow … 20 minute wait for our drink and food orders to be taken and another 15 minutes for our drinks to arrive … on a slow night! The inside of the place is really dark and nothing to brag about. I do give this place an extra star for their Curry Fries and Fish and Chips. My Long Island Iced teas were also really strong and that’s always a plus for me!

Eats: corned beef tacos
The talk was that our group would visit the Auld Irisher, because most missed the St Patrick’s Day festivities the day prior. On a Sunday night, the restaurant was at about ¼ capacity, mostly from another large group that was wrapping up. We were asked to sit where we wanted, but there really was only 1 spot to sit a group of 12 and it was already taken, so we broke up the group. Service was a bit mediocre with one of the drink orders being completely missed not once, but after 2 requests. Word on the group says that the fish and chips were good, and they looked good, but I decided on the corned beef tacos since they were the most unique in my eyes. The flavor of the corned beef was tasty being not too salty. There was also a light mayo based sauce which flavored the lettuce and tomatoes on the 3 street tacos. The amount of corned beef wasn’t skimped at all which made my tummy happy. One big mistake to ruin it all was that it came out a bit cold. Had they came out warmer, I’m sure that the flavor would have been atleast 3 times better. If I were to come back, I’d probably order corned beef tacos again to see if it improves, else the majority in my party said the fish and chips were pretty good.