O’Connor’s Public House

Food is nasty. But the staff is friendly. Good place for a drink other than the over all cost. Just don’t eat anything.

Man, I have to say, I am incredibly surprised at these reviews! Maybe y’all came on a bad night.
I guess I will give the naysayers one thing, the restaurant really could use a host (and potentially more bartenders and servers). If you’re not in the «fend for yourself» go up to the bar, order your beers, and point to the table you’re at to get service mood, you will undoubtedly be waiting around a while.
Okay, now that that’s out of the way, The Good Stuff: I’m an out-​of-​towner hailing from foodie haven, Ann Arbor, MI (meaning: I’ve eaten so much good food… So Much Good Food). If anyone out there is from Ann Arbor and is reading this, O’Connor’s is reminiscent of a baby sized Heidleberg (without the boots of beer). The ambiance is warm and inviting, with chalkboards calling out the rotating beers on tap, a nicely sized bar, intimate lighting so you won’t know exactly how drunk you are until you leave, a pool table, live music, and a chalkboard that lets everyone know «work is the curse of the drinking class — Oscar Wilde.» From the get-​go, I’m into it. I’m a recent college graduate, and this is the kind of vibe I’m into.
I find the menu to be very reasonably priced, especially considering the mountainous portions. On my most recent visit, I had The Big McGuire burger with a side of coleslaw. They’re not kidding by the way… It’s big! It was incredibly delicious, with a firm but not too firm potato bun, perfectly crisped bacon, a fried egg, and oozing, glorious American Cheese. I see a lot of reviews saying their burgers were a combination of under-​cooked and burnt, and that the server never asked what temp you wanted on the cook. I ordered mine medium rare and it came out perfectly cooked, pink, and juicy. Maybe next time specify the temp you want; perhaps the chefs are just spiting your lack of knowledgeable ordering skills by slamming your patty into the depths of Hell. Who knows.
Also, definitely an underrated menu item was that side of coleslaw. Wow. Like, give me a moment to collect myself, damn! This was no ordinary coleslaw. It was crunchy, perfectly seasoned and spiced, with hints of garlic and a nice bite of parsley and dill.
Also recommended: the Mac n Cheese Burger (so I’m assuming also the mac n cheese), the fries!!!, the sweet potato fries, and the veggie burger. AKA everything I’ve tried on the menu so far. I’m excited to sample more from the menu! Namely the fried pickles.
One other thing that may be worth mentioning is, if you go during live music, maybe don’t bring your grandma. It gets pretty loud and may be difficult to hold a conversation if you’re not into that sort of thing.
***Please note: I would’ve given this a 5 star review if it had slightly better organization (as in, perhaps a larger staff or simply a more active and engaged managerial staff), and if so many of the other reviews hadn’t complained about waiting. Last time I was there, there was only one woman working! She did a fantastic job though; no complaints with her timeliness. In the end, I think O’Connor’s is not going for the «Hi let me seat you I’m a host get ready for fine dining!!!» vibe. I think they want you to grab someone’s attention! But hey, American’s are lazy and expect to have their asses constantly and tenderly kissed :~)
Edit: Ya know what, why am I letting these other reviews influence my opinion? 5 stars!!! Never had a long wait nor a rare burger. I simply see where problems could potentially be had. Knocking on wood as we speak.

I went here Saturday night with a friend, and immediately thought the atmosphere was great. We ordered the mozzarella sticks and loved them. I ordered a burger and when it came, I cut it in half only to find it completely burnt on the outside and red in the middle. Mind you, I didn’t even pay attention if they even bother to ask me how I wanted it cooked in the first place until after I ordered the burger and this was just gross. I’m not a chef by any means, but I think it’s common sense you don’t cook meat on a high setting on the grill because all you’ll get is a burned outside and raw middle. I ate around the edges because I was starving and I’m not the type to say something (my own problem) and not surprisingly I spent the entire next day feeling sick and vomiting. I would not order any food item here in case something wasn’t cooked properly or contaminated, and just stick with the drinks. At least the hard cider was cold.

A friend of mine and I came here before a show at the Warner. We just wanted a quick bite and some drinks and we didn’t know the area very well, so we decided on O’Connor’s. Service was mediocre, had trouble finding the wait staff most of the time. The food wasn’t spectacular, I got wings that were tough and over cooked and my friend got a burger that looked like it was on a grill that was way too hot (burnt on the outside and pink in the middle). We also got mozzarella sticks and those happened to be amazing. The staff was very friendly but I would only go if you’re looking for drinks and mooz.

Takes forever to get a beer, bartenders like to chit chat more then serve. Food was burnt and cold… I went on a Tuesday… And it took no joke 45 min to get my beer… I finally got up and basically got it myself while the bartender was chatting with her friends… What a joke…

Not the best place to sit and talk over dinner; music is too loud for that.
Best food on the menu was the fish and chips, I could take or leave the rest.
Good place to hang out and drink with friends. Not a great sit down meal restaurant.

It’s a solid spot (especially for Torrington) with nothing outstanding about it but at the same time nothing terrible. We stopped in for a quick bite just after the typical lunch-​time and to check it out. The place was pretty empty so we sat at the bar. It’s got a good atmosphere and does carry that Irish-​pub type feel throughout. The menu is all encompassing and the prices are fairly reasonable, not to mention a decent selection of beers. The service was a bit sporadic but I chalked that up to the in-​between time we were there. We started with a fried pickle appetizer which was pretty good and then shared an order of wings with cajun seasoning and the fish and chips. The wings were pretty good and cooked nicely without being drenched in too much sauce. The fish and chips were just eh… The fish was good, however, the breading they used was a major turn-​off. It was a thick coating and tasted like a corn-​dog (not really the best way to eat fish and chips). Overall, it was decent and a place we might stop back in at, depending on how busy the other places in the area are.

I thought I have left a review for this place but I guess I didn’t. O’Connor’s is an irish type of bar that actually brings that vibe. The staff is always friendly and some people actually have an accent. You get the true Massachusetts irish bar feel when in this building from the decorations, the beer selections and the food choices. Speaking of food, the prices are extremely reasonable and the portion is huge. The good tap selection always makes the time better and flat screens in each direction you look. It’s worth a stop in if seen by. Parking is in back since it’s nearly impossible to park out front with Bachi’s and the other shops surrounding the place.

Best new bar in town! I have been here a handful of times in the last six months and it never fails to impress. The bartenders are helpful and the overall atmosphere is a good time!
Choose from a menu of delicious draft beers or appetizing dishes. Not to mention that it has a second bar on the other side for busy nights and has a small stage where bands play every Friday night along with karaōke on Tuesdays!

I tried — three times. I really tried because I really want to like this place. It takes forever to get a drink. The bartenders don’t really seem to know what they’re doing. The third time here we gave up on getting a beer and went to Backstage.
I’ve only eaten here twice and that was really quite enough. The first time was with friend at the bar. After finally getting menus after asking multiple times, we got them and then were forgotten. We flagged down the bartender again and placed our order. We finished our drinks and were forgotten again. The bartender showed up again and got us our drinks and we asked where our appetizers were. She disappeared and we were forgotten again. Then, all the food came out all at once. Appetizers and all. The food was not at all appetizing and over salted.
The second time I’ve eaten here was with a large group. Although the waitress was extremely friendly and nice I don’t think she really knew what she was doing. Our meals arrived sporadically. One person didn’t get their meal at all. The waitress was more interested in chatting us up than in checking where some of the meals were. Very few of us liked their meals and the consensus was that we would not ever eat there again.
The atmosphere is OK — it certainly doesn’t have the feel of an authentic Irish or UK pub. It’s more the feel of an American «Disnified» creation. (Odd, since the owners are from Ireland — perhaps that’s what they think Americans like?)
The other thing that puzzles me are these other reviews. People are giving them three or four starts, yet when you read the reviews, there are LOTS if issues. I can only assume that everyone else really wants this place to succeed too.
The food at Backstage is far superior to this place (and that’s only a 3* restaurant). It’s easier to get a beer at Snapper’s (if you don’t mind a dive-​bar).

Very cool atmosphere and the bar area is very large. Came here with some friends. My friends got burgers and sweet potato fries. They liked it! One of them tried the burger with Mac & cheese and said it was great. It looked like a heart attack on a bun but hey, it’s a burger with Mac & cheese after all.
I got a chicken sandwich with bacon and I was disappointed. The chicken was tough & rubbery. A little annoying because I could have made a better sandwich myself.
I should have ordered a burger as well. But I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to visit again.