Rare Old Times

I’m glad I found this little hole in the wall. It’s so unassuming from the outside.

Great food and great music every time! The service is always spot on. I wish they had a wider draft beer selection …

Easily the best Irish pub I’ve ever been to, and certainly my favorite in the greater Richmond area. The atmosphere is perfect, from the staff to the live music to the aesthetic; I first stepped foot in what my friends and I simply refer to as «the pub» about two years ago, and every time I return it just feels like coming home. There’s always something going on, from open mics to trivia to live Irish music… and I haven’t even gotten to the food! My goodness, the FOOD. Best shepherd’s pie I ever had, and I would recommend the Big Fella to anyone and everyone. Great drinks, and a wonderful selection of Irish and Scottish beers that aren’t always easy to find in Richmond. Short version: I will always remember Richmond in the Rare Olde Times.

Disappointed that they did away with the Karaōke on Sundays. Never advertised for the DJ (NOT ONCE) on the board or online, and expected him to bring in his regulars. That’s not how a good business works. There are a lot of singers in the Richmond area, Some advertising would have brought them in. That’s what businesses are supposed to do when they provide public entertainment. Now that the weather is finally warming up, I am positive the DJ would have had more positive results.

Rare Olde Times is a great, authentic Irish neighborhood pub. The food is consistently good and the craic (beer) is grand! The staff is light-​hearted, welcoming & friendly.
If you’re visiting the otherwise lame west end of Richmond (or even close), make the trip to Rare Olde Times & order up a pint. Delicious comfort food & good cheer for all.
I’m proud to call Rare Olde Times MY PUB!

Great place to stop in for a drink, darts, trivia or some live music. Be sure to grab dinner here too. The food is great. Try the cold smoked salmon salad or the poutine.

Casual, good food, fun environment! Went for a late dinner on Friday night. We were pleased to be able to listen to live music while we enjoyed our dinner. We had the cheddar bbq burger and the big fella sandwich. Both were very good and came with fries. The staff were very nice and knowledgeable. We enjoyed some Irish whiskey after our food and even a drink called an Irish breakfast.

We came here for Sunday brunch. We ordered the «steak and egg» as well as «drunken pig.» The steak was a good portion for the price. It’s not the fatty and greasy steak that some people associate with higher end steak. It’s lean but tasty, done medium rare, just the way I like it. The ambiance was nice. There were people playing music. The waitress was also very attentive. Definitely highly recommend!

Serve great food accompanied by a great atmosphere. I’ve tried and liked all of their sandwiches which come with some of the best fries around. Always get a few of their low priced PBRs with my dinner!

A really nice place to relax and enjoy reasonable portions of food. With live music !!!:-)

A coworker and friend of mine recommended Rare Olde Times as a good place to take another team member who was in town last week as we were looking for a good Authentic Irish pub. It’s pretty easy to get to, right on Patterson Ave, so we were all able to meet here no problem. Walking in the door, it’s a dimly lit place, and got this pub feel to it, with folks’ hanging out at the bar, and a big grungy, but not in a bad way. One of the downsides for our visit, and probably why I’m hesitant to give them ore than 3 stars is that we were there on one of their event nights, and even though the event wasn’t starting for a couple of hours, they were still unable (or unwilling) to pull some tables together for our group, so we ended up sort of standing around over by their tabletop shuffleboard table and using a couple of booths to put our food on, not quite the best atmosphere to sit back and relax in.
I went with the Bangers and Mash for my dinner, and my wife the Fish and Chips; we found both of them to be good, but nothing what I’d consider a showstopper. The flavors were all there, and I really liked the bangers, however my wife felt that by the time her fish had gotten to us, it wasn’t as crispy as it could have been, and that didn’t help the oily mouth feel on some bites. Both of our meals were slightly cool when they were brought out to us, and I’m not at all a fan of cold (by the time I got to eating them) peas and carrots as my vegetables. One high point is that they have Harp on draft, which was nice. Our waitress was also very attentive and took care of us, so they get kudos for the staff as well.
I’m not one to let one decent but not stellar night spoil the fun, so definitely willing to come back and give them another shot when the opportunity presents itself

I thought it was excellent. The waitress and chef were from Ireland, so it can’t get more authentic than that. My only complaint is the location. It’s not the nicest corner of town and seems a bit secluded. I think with the amazing food along with the complete lack of competition, they would do well anywhere. Overall, two thumbs up, will return

I am admittedly biased because I occasionally perform at Rare Olde Times, but I adore this place. Solid food, great ambiance and regular live music, a rarity in the West End.

The most authentic Irish pub in Richmond, the friendly staff is top notch. The traditional ambience is inviting and comfortable. The prices are good and they have a large selection of beer on tap including Guinness and Smithwicks. Tuesday music trivia is also a lot of fun.

I visited Rare Olde Times years and years ago once, and was instantly not a fan. So when a Groupon showed up, I hesitantly thought maybe I should give it another go. It’s a greet your neighbor, hang out by the front stoop kind of atmosphere. And to be sure, when we pulled up, there were 2 or 3 guys sitting on a bench out front.
So the inside décor is a bit dark — wood type of thing but it just plain feels right. There’s nothing pretentious about the place or the atmosphere. We were there for an early dinner and sometime before we left, one by one, guys starting showing up with guitar cases so I guess it must have been some sort of open mike night. Some other time, but not tonight.
So GD had a grilled cheese with bacon — and they outdid themselves with the amount of bacon. Now just a little more cheese and she would have been in heart attack flavor heaven! I had the Rueben and unlike the photo, mine was not a double decker but who needs the extra bread. The corned beef was fabulous — just loved it. Everything about the flavors were perfect. And if you want REAL fries, get some of these and throw the malt vinegar on.
GD had the brownie a la mode and was done before I could get half of the whiskey bread pudding eaten. I have another meal for myself at home! The bread pudding was moist but firm, plenty of raisins, cinnamon and just not enough whiskey sauce!
My Sprite turned out to be carbonated water, but I was ready to leave then so didn’t bother to mention it. It seems to attract an older crowd or maybe that was just the time/​day of the week affecting the clientele. Nice excursion and we enjoyed the meal.
Waitress was very attentive as well — kudos on the service!

The best Ruben Sandwich that you will ever have!!! The staff is very pleasant and always welcome everyone with a smile. The music is authentic and very enjoyable.

We love this place! Awesome food (the Big Fella is our favorite!) good music, cozy atmosphere and fun friendly people. Can’t beat it!

Anybody who doesn’t appreciate the charm of Rare Olde Times doesn’t understand what an Irish pub is all about. If you’re looking for high-​gloss paint, Restoration Hardware fixtures and trendy gastropub finger food, allow me to direct you to the suburban utopia known as Short Pump. Leave Rare Olde Times to those of us who know why we frequent the place. The pub food is authentic and tasty, the staff are friendly, helpful and packed with character and the crowd is always in good spirits. I’ve been here a number of times now and, so far, I have zero complaints. R.O.T. is as close to the Irish pubs of New York City as I’ve found here in Virginia. The food, the people, the beer and the whiskey are as good as you might hope for from a true public house. I’m not going to go so far as to claim it’s straight out of County Cork, but for my money you can’t go wrong with a night of pints and the Irish Dip sandwich down at Rare Olde Times. They know how to do it up right. Slàinte!

I have been to several Irish Pubs, And Rare Olde Times outshines them all. For starters, they are located in a hidden strip mall on Patterson Ave. There is available parking near the Pub. Don’t let the bland and boring façade fool you. Because once you walked through those doors to enter, you are transported to another place and time… back in Ireland. The first thing that caught my eye was the fully stocked bar. Second was the decorations around the place that screams Irish. We were greeted enthusiastically by the server who seated our large group on one long table facing the Wimbledon match going on then on their projection screen. The indoor lighting is a little subdued, several tables scattered around the dining area, a stage in the corner for live entertainment, and the projection screen for major sporting events going on. It took a little while for our food to arrive, but it was worth the wait. The Reuben Sandwich was piled high with Corned Beef, it will be an effort for someone who can get the first bite in. The Mean Veggie Sandwich containing a giant portabella mushroom cap grilled and topped with vegetables was satisfying and delicious. The Irish Breakfast is a plateful of hash browns, sausages, eggs beans, toast and mushrooms, you already had your fill for the day ahead. The Smoked Salmon is a lighter selection for brunch, wherein the smoked salmon complemented with the mixed greens, capers and brown bread. All the dessert selections we had were all equally delicious as well. I was fully satisfied and happy with the experience we had at Rare Olde Times. I hope you all come out and find out for yourselves…

My Wife, good friend, and I had a great time at the 20^th Anniversary. I haven’t been there since it first opened after Loose Ties closed and they were still smoking in bars. I really enjoyed the smoke free atmosphere. I will definately go back soon.
The food was delicious and the Wait Staff was awesome!

I was there today for the singers and dancers sponsored by Wild West Irish tours. It was a good show and the beer food and people were amazing. Will def be back

Delish been here a couple times now and have tried quite a few dishes and loved them all. I’ve had the Irish dip which is basically a French dip made with corned beef instead and it was wonderful on a yummy chewy soft grinder roll. The soup of the day Guiness Onion Soup was very good, the shepards pie — hearty and delicious, steak and cheese — one of the best steak and cheese sandwiches I’ve had in a long time, no steak umms found here! Special of the day andys burger — omg! So good if you see this get it, even if its not the special they can usually make it, It’s basically a burger without the bun add mushrooms mashed potatos gravy and peas, the burger is so huge it almost looks like a big chunk of steak. If the burger and sheperds pie had a baby it would be this dish and you couldn’t help but love this hearty meaty baby drenched in gravy. Bangers & mash — good, yes I’m working my way through the menu, fries are fantastic and there is something about the ranch dressing that makes me want to dip everything in it! A couple of times there has been a band playing and each one I’ve seen has been quite good. The last time was an Irish band that was absolutely great. They also have music trivia and general trivia nights. Service can be lacking at times however they all pitch in and help eachother out usually.

Rare Olde Times is what it’s expected of an Irish Pub; so details of the décor will not be necessary. It’s a cozy and friendly place with very friendly staff and guests. Started off with a Pint of Guinness which was delightful. Following the pint was an enjoyable bowl of gumbo which was recommended by the server. «The Main Event» was the Fish ‘n Chips which was satisfying. Rare Olde Times is a place where one can unwind, have a beer and a quick bite with friends after a long day.

Went to Rare Olde Times with a Groupon and it’s located near my place. I instantly loved how big the place was once you stepped inside, very much a casual and friendly bar with plenty of regulars. My husband and I sat down and our waitress was attentive with getting us a hard cider and beer. We ordered the shepard’s pie and corned beef with cabbage, two Irish staples. They were a great portion size and decent flavor. The bread pudding though saved the meal for me, it was delicious and moist and full of great flavor.
I’d really only recommend this place for the beer and the atmosphere more than the food. I plan to come back for drinks soon!

This place is absolutely disgusting. I would love to throw the 1 star bash at it HOWEVER the service was amazing. The Irish blonde woman who waited on us was as pleasant and fun as could be, but sadly she couldn’t save the food.
I had the burger and without hesitation can tell you its the worst burger I’ve ever had. I’m not sure if it was frozen, or fresh, but still somehow rotten, but somehow so off putting it was purple, I’m not even sure what to say. Additionally the fries were burnt, flies covered the table, kitchen forgot to make one of my appetizers before my entrée, and mash potatoes were gummy. I get the whole stereotype that pubs have bad food… but this is ridiculous.

A fun little hole in the wall near our home. They draw in a good crowd, have a nice pub menu that features homemade desserts, and have live music on the weekends. But what really makes this place even more fun is the Wednesday Night trivia contest!
I dragged DH out for Trivia Night (because I am just that kind of a geek). We arrived a bit early to make sure we could get a seat. Most of the tables were already «reserved» for big trivia teams (8 – 10 members), but we got the last booth left. We did well enough, but 2 against multiple teams of 8+ members is not exactly a fair fight. So I will certainly come back, and this time with lots of friends to kick some trivia-​butt!
Be on the look-​out for an UYE and join in the fun!