Emmett’s Public House

We just ate at Emmett’s for the first time last weekend. We loved the food and the atmosphere. The Corned Beef & Colcannon was delicious, as were the Fish & Chips. I thought it was odd though, that for a table of 5, we were only given 2 menus. When I asked the waitress for more, she said their customers normally share menus. I asked her if we could get some more menus anyway, and she gave us two more, so one couple still had to share. I thought this was odd for a place where everything else appeared to be top notch.

I really loved the ambiance here. Emmett’s is an upscale traditional Irish pub feel with beautiful Irish themed décor.
As far as food goes, we only had appetizers and cocktails. The food didn’t impress us (we tried the pretzel cheese curds and fries). The cocktails were okay, but for the amount we paid, it wasn’t worth it. We ordered the spiked hot cocoa and they used instant with peppermint schnapps.
Overall, it was okay, but for the cost we probably won’t be going back.

This is a casual place to dine or to have drinks. I liked the atmosphere, it was relaxed with dim lighting with dark wood work. There is a parking lot that Emmett’s shares with three other restaurants. I went here to have some appetizers. I ordered the pretzel battered cheese curds and the scotch eggs. The cheese curds were plain, nothing special. I thought the pretzel batter took away the flavor of the cheese and that’s why it was so plain. The scotch eggs were good but very rich. They were set on top of a rich white creamy buttery sauce. Overall, I liked the atmosphere but I’m not sure if I would come back here again because the food was just ok.

There’s something about «upscale» and «Irish» that just don’t mix well. The food and liquor prices are Summit Hill high, and the staff seemed under-​enthused. They have so many bar stools packed in that I had to stand up to allow someone room to squeeze in next to me.
When I think of an Irish pub, I envision a cozy, warm and friendly atmosphere. This place feels sterile, way too bustling and cramped, and very little like any Irish bar I know.

Emmets is crazy good. Whiled away a couple happy hours here this spring when the paint was hardly dry. Took my picky mom from California here and she’s been raving about it. Mom also took my 86 year old Granny here after our visit, and the scotch eggs are now legendary in the family vocabulary. Name me another bar on Grand that three generations can tolerate. This tiny place has cozy down pat, from the easy menu, blonde bartender who remembered us, and whiskey every which way. Glad to see a new place on Grand and hope they stick around!

This was a fun place to stop by while in St. Paul. Their menu is on the smaller side but they have some really savory options. We tried the Mac and Cheese with bangers and the 695 Brick Pressed Sandwich. Both were SO good! Honestly, I haven’t been to a good Irish-​style place in a while so it exceeded my expectations.
Our waitress was very friendly and accommodating — checked up on us at the just the right times. They also have good drink options and looks like a good happy hour — we had just missed it!

Emmett’s mixes tasteful Irish Pub décor with very good food. My Pub burger was pretty sloppy to eat, but it was succulent and had a huge array of flavors in it (the horseradish sauce was a delicious culprit in the sloppiness).
Their malted fries were outstanding in flavor, with that hint of malt vinegar and enormously crisp without being oily or losing the potato flavor.
The Irish MacCheese was rich and creamy with crunch from bacon fat fried bread crumbs, bell pepper and red onion. It had a little heat that built up after a while, which, while unexpected, was delightful (or so I’m told).
Great place, superb food, great service to boot. Definitely going back again.

We love Emmet’s, great food, great service and wonderful environment!!! Thanks for an excellent family dinner!!!

My fiancé and I finally decided to check this place out an we were blown away. They were not too busy for 7pm on a saturday which was pretty surprising. Quick service with some great recommendations including to try the Malbec. The Cork County Old Fashioned was a DAMN good old fashioned for a self professed old fashioned snob. The atmosphere is relaxing with the music not being to loud to enjoy dinner conversation. The curried beer & whiskey mussels have some great heat and are a deal for how much you get. And the Claddagh Fries… Oh man so tasty. Topped off with a super delicious dessert.
Can’t wait to come back.

No way to contact them on their website other than via phone. No email or contact form. Not good. Website in general needs big overhaul and more info.
Menu items are universally PRICEY. Combined with small portions this place won’t last.

I had the poutine (Claddagh Fries) and a coffee. They were both very good. The poutine, i think is the best so far i have tried in St Paul or Minneapolis, and that is saying something. I would qualify that the fries are commercial packaged mushies, not hand-​cut from good potatoes. But that said, the sausage, beef gravy, cheese curd… was very good. As was the coffee.
This restaurant shares Dixie’s kitchen. So the food is of comparable quality. Reliably good, They are small and don’t take reservations, so sometimes seating is dicey.
The happy hour is pricey, $ 4.50 for pints today, but tho the beer selection is small, they pour some good beers, including local brews.
I would recommend it.

Super delicious!
I had a Riesling and a glass of Bailey’s, my man had a Guinness. Both very happy with those choices.
We had the Irish Mac’n Cheese with bell peppers, onion and chicken. Delicious! we also had the fish and chips. Best fries I have had in a long time. :)
Service was great. They were quite observant!
Atmosphere is super cozy, pub-​like, almost romantic!

Start with the charming décor, get some excellent local or Irish beer on tap and some killer mussels in whiskey sauce, then get ready for the best fries and burger you’ve ever had. No Blarney and I’m not even Irish! Might be back yet this weekend with the whole family.

What a wonderful, Irish pub!
My wife and I went shortly after it opened, and were so taken by the place we returned a week later with a friend (who also fell in love with the restaurant).
We all agreed, the dark, woody décor was very comfortable.
The food was uniformly terrific. Fish and Chips? Perfect fish, and fries with spices that had me nearly inhaling them.
I didn’t think it could get better, and then on my second visit, I ordered the Bangers & Croquettes. If you want a dish that is tops in taste and presentation (and filling!), order this one.
And this pub serves a Black & Tan with the correct beers.
Both times we went on a weekday, early afternoon, so we had immediate seating. (It’s a smallish interior).
Weekend happy hour might be a little tight (but I haven’t tried it yet, so…)
The staff has always been wonderful, and I have to give a shout out to hard-​working Amanda, who served us on our second visit.
A great addition on Grand Avenue.

It was just okay. A bit over priced. Husband had a Jameson & water. It was what he calls a «safety pour». The wine pours are a more than a little shallow. Don’t worry about drinking and driving. The waiter was attentive. Not the best bar in the neighborhood.

Been to Ireland 6 times so I have a good sense of what is authentic. Emmet’s is awesome. Gorgeous. Friendly. Cozy. Outstanding food. Very friendly service. A huge winner!

A comfortable, moderately upscale Irish bar. Food was good, fries too salty. Will go again. No reservations taken. Not a big place; cozy.

(Kristin L’s Irish Husband, took over reviewing duties for this one…)
Finally got to try out this new place in St Paul today. As an Irishman based in Minnesota, I was curious to see what they were going for and I can say this is definitely an Irish Pub in training. It’s intentions are certainly good, but the execution is just way, way off.
The food menu is sparse and totals maybe 12 items. At 12 items they all better be seriously tasty and brilliantly executed, but they missed the mark. Not so much Irish cuisine as a blend of different styles from what I could tell.
Some pretty obvious mistakes –No kids menu to speak of and food selection limited so maybe this place won’t work for families.
Beer Menu and Whiskey Menu had NO pricing — I like to know what I’m paying for a pint of beer or a shot of Jameson 12 year! It turned out it cost $ 4.50 a pint but I had no way of knowing that until I got the bill.
The fish and chips is not even close to Anchor Fish’N Chips level which is close to the way we make chips in Ireland. In fact the chips are your standard American french fries fare with seasoning which is a shame. If you are presenting yourself as an Irish Pub why not go the extra mile and use steak cut style chips. The fish was tasty but way too small and at $ 14 it better be value for money which it was not. The Public House burger which had onion ring and cream cheese on it was well cooked and juicy but actually too spicy for my Irish palette I’m afraid so that kind of killed it for me.
The beer list is pretty limited. I was happy to see local craft beers like Bad Weather Brewing and Insight on tap along with a couple of Irish beers. However I did not like that they were served using generic non-​branded glasses which gave me the impression that I was drinking less than 16oz of beer which is a big no-​no. Especially considering American pints are already smaller than European pint sizes to start with. The Guinness which is on draught is pretty close in taste and finish to what you get from pouring a can from any liquor store, so that was disappointing. It lacked depth and flavor profile that I’m used too from Guinness. Along with draught beers they do have bottles available of different beers, but again no idea what the prices were and I’m sure they were your standard 12 .oz beer bottles.
The whiskey menu was good and I was very happy to see Teeling Whiskey on the menu for sure but again I have no idea what anything cost as their were no prices.
This place is small and seating is limited. I can see how this will easily fill up on a weekend night and you can expect to stand the entire night. The tables across from the bar have limited space so expect people to walk into you as they pass through to go to the bathrooms. Incidentally, the bathrooms are in the hallway next door so you travel through Dixies to get to them. The pub itself feels like a pub you might find it a Hotel or at an airport more so than a pub on a backstreet in Dublin, so if you can accept that you’ll probably be okay with this place .
Final thoughts. Please add the O’Hara’s beer range to your on tap selection– their Red Ale and Irish Stout are excellent and might get me to go back and try Emmet’s again. Magners Irish Cider should be your go to Cider on tap, the 4 daughters one you offer is not even close to an Irish Cider. Please use proper pint glasses when serving any beers ! The food menu needs to be bigger and needs an overhaul with better and more extensive selections and prices. I believe your customers and certainly your Irish residents here in the Twin Cities would appreciate it.
This place needs work, its not a complete and total disaster it just needs some serious refinement and editing !

We came in around 3. Basil and I can’t exactly slink into places, but there are some nook and cranny areas that can get you not noticed and it seems to be self seating. We were so close to the bar yet menus blocked the view and I eventually had to go up to ask for our order to be taken. Our waitress, Molly redeemed herself, and was very kind. She was focused on the right side of the place. Lesson if WE can be missed anyone can. The fish was recommended. It passed my hand eating test, and was beyond delicious. It didn’t need tarter sauce, but what they serve has to go. Be creative with the entrees. You don’t want to overpower fish. She said I wasn’t the only one to dislike it. She did give a warning that it was spicy. The fries were perfect, as well. I love the peas too. I got the Irish MacCheese. Super creamy, noodles just right, peppers would be optional for me. It reminds me of the Anchor, where it will do if you don’t want to make the trip. I love the seating variety, something for everyone. Need some Irish music in here.

Check out the new Irish Pub around the corner from a friend’s house? Don’t mind if I do…
Upon arrival last (Sunday) night, there was a 40-​ish minute wait as we had neglected to call in a reservation. No worries, we chose to put our names in and amble over to Saji-​Ya for some libations and to watch a little March Madness. Pat Kallemeyn is the owner there and our friends are pals with him so he stopped by for a chat. He clued us in on a fair amount of the thought process that brought Emmet’s about.
The brainchild of Peter Kenefick (one of the owners of Saji-​Ya and Dixie’s on Grand) this is a legitimate pub with a great selection of food and an atmosphere/​architecture that is pure Celtic/​British Isles with a dash o’ St. Small. An ode to his father, the attention to detail is fairly impressive. The floors appear worn and straight out of any generic pub in Ireland. There is a booth from Gallivan’s (old downtown St. Paul bar) that is very nicely restored and featured in the back of the room. Pics of the owner’s dad (Emmet) and Gallivan’s (including a classic scene of a Vista Cruiser planted in the door of Gallivan’s that I am CERTAIN wasn’t the result of one too many pints… LOL) as well as a vintage poster of the Gallivanters folk music group. We were seated at this table and it was very old school authentic. So much so that the springs in the booth are absolutely SHOT and sunken, but that added to the authenticity of the place. Peter stopped by and lent some history of the genesis of Emmet’s including it’s inception at a family Christmas celebration last year through the collection of ideas via a trip to Ireland all the way to salvaging the chandeliers and booth from Gallivan’s. A great story, indeed! BTW, included in the story was the promise that the booth will be fixed to a normal state at some point but some sacrifices were required as they worked diligently to open by St. Paddy’s Day.
The beer list was not extensive but very adequate. I didn’t explore the list robustly but the porter was solid and an oatmeal stout followed that was very smooth and didn’t last long in my glass. The Big Ginger (Two Gingers Irish Whiskey, ginger ale, lemon/​lime) is wifey’s Go-​To Irish drink and she was happy with the result. Modest wine list, normal bar liquors tending toward the high-​end.
As to the food, don’t expect every Irish dish that you can think of to be on the menu, but there is SOLID Irish fare here. The table started out with Scotch Eggs (WOW! SOOO GOOD!) and Corned Beef WonTons (Interesting concept and while I liked them, wifey was a bit «meh» on the taste). I chose the Corned Beef and Colcannon for my entrée and was not disappointed. Brussel Sprouts accompanied and were very tasty. Wifey had the 695 Brick Pressed Sandwich which she liked as well. Think «fancy Reuben panini». The bite that I got was wonderful. The malted house fries that come with many entrees were fantastic. Our friends got the Beef Pot Pie and the Public House Burger. There was nothing left over!
So to summarize, you won’t be disappointed with trying the new pub on the block. Even if there is a wait, you can choose from any of the three bars to pass the time with your lads and lasses.
Sláinte, Pat and Peter! Thanks for a great night!