Price Guide (average entree): $ bargain - $6 or less, $$ inexpensive - $6 - $12, $$$ moderate $12 - $19, $$$$ expensive - over $19.
Quality Rating: Superb is the highest, considered the very best possible. Notes are qualifiers allowing insight into the reviewer's rating. Disclaimer
| Restaurant: | O'Dowd's | Location: | Plaza |
| Cuisine: | Irish | Price: | $$$ moderate |
| Ambience: | **** superb | Notes: | feels very Irish Pubish - working class - real |
| Food: | **** superb | Notes: | delicious - good portions |
| Service: | *** excellent | Notes: | Positive attentive service - sincere smiles - informative |
| Favorites: | Beef Boxty |
| Comments: | O'Dowd's brings out the Irish in me. The setting is wonderful, the service is solid and the food tastes great - great selection of beers and ales. I enjoy the working man feel of O'Dowd's and "buzz" of people spending time socializing. It's a real "experience" - more than good food - the place itself is entertaining. If I had to pick a favorite dish or a last meal - I'd go with the Beef Boxty - unearthly! If you're a meat and potatos person (is potato spelled with an "e"?, I don't think O'Dowd's serves quail) then check out O'Dowd's - I think you'll be delighted. |
| Reviewer: | Rich |
Date: | 6/27/01 |
| Restaurant: | WJ McBrides | Location: | 119th & Metcalf, OP,KS |
| Cuisine: | Irish | Price: | $$ inexpensive |
| Ambience: | *** excellent | Notes: | Darkened quality woodwork with groovy booths and snugs |
| Food: | *** excellent | Notes: | Somehow manages to make Irish food not bland. |
| Service: | *** excellent | Notes: | You're greeted, seated, smiled at and treated. |
| Favorites: | Dublin Coddle |
| Comments: | For food you can get in Ireland but with the American input of quality, service and value, this is an excellent place for lunch or dinner in a stunning environment that makes you believe you're on the other side of the Atlantic. Fair Play to them. |
| Reviewer: | Liam |
Date: | 3/21/00 |
| Restaurant: | WJ McBride's Irish Pub | Location: | 12030 Blue Valley Parkway (near 119th and Metcalf) |
| Cuisine: | Irish pub grub | Price: | $$ inexpensive |
| Ambience: | *** excellent | Notes: | Feels like the genuine article |
| Food: | *** excellent | Notes: | hot and fresh |
| Service: | *** excellent | Notes: | |
| Favorites: | Full Irish Breakfast |
| Comments: | It feels strange to step into McBride's and forget for a brief time that you even live in Johnson County. The wood floors, the convivial atmosphere, the private booths as well as seating at the bar, all remind me of actual pubs in Ireland.
More important is the food itself. "Irish Pub" is usually just a catchy name designed to attract drinkers into the establishment. Once inside, the food consists largely of American standards: burgers, reubans, even stir-fries. . . . But McBrides has several classic Irish selections on the menu, including fish and chips (served with malt vinegar--not just tarter sauce), shepherd's pie (a meat stew covered by a potato crust), and my favorite: the full Irish breakfast, which includes a rasher of bacon, the sausages, the fried eggs, a potato pancake, toast, beans, and grilled tomatoes. The sausages, if not actually imported from Ireland, are probably from Canada (where they do a fine job of producing typical Irish and English sausages), and the bacon also looks and tastes "authentic." They serve the breakfast at any time, and it's well worth ordering.
The beer and ale selection was also supurb. The guiness was as fresh as you can get here, as was the Harp (both on tap).
Service was terrific as well. Our waiter was not obtrusive, but he was friendly and he checked on us frequently without calling attention to himself.
We will definately make this place a regular stop. |
| Reviewer: | Andrea |
Date: | 12/14/00 |
| Restaurant: | W.J. McBride's | Location: | Village West-KCK (Near Cabela's) |
| Cuisine: | Irish Pub | Price: | $$ inexpensive |
| Ambience: | *** excellent | Notes: | Warm, beautiful wood. Well done! |
| Food: | *** excellent | Notes: | Unique, full of flavor |
| Service: | * average | Notes: | Our server was having a bad day |
| Favorites: | Corned Beef Boxty |
| Comments: | This morning we ventured out in the 90+ degree heat & humidity to shop for a new chair at Nebraska Furniture Mart. On the way home we were pleasantly surprised to find W.J. McBride's Irish Pub right around the corner in the ever-expanding Village West shops. The atmosphere was warm and lively, with beautiful deep wood mouldings and tile throughout the restaurant. We were seated very quickly and the host was very cordial. Our server was a bit slow, but it seemed she was a bit under the weather so we gave her some grace. My husband ordered the savory Shepherd's Pie and I tried the Corned Beef Boxty. A boxty (bacstai) is a traditional Irish potato griddle cake. Think blintz made with potatoes. This one was served stuffed with fork-tender corned beef sliced very thin, cheese and slow cooked cabbage that was actually sweet. It was topped with a mild and creamy tarragon mustard sauce. Fabulous! The flavors were divine and I could have eaten another one right away. Accompanying was a fresh scone and honey butter. A fantastic lunch and only $6.95 per person. We'll definitely go back to McBride's. |
| Reviewer: | Julie |
Date: | 6/26/05 |
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