Went here for the first time, and overall, we had a pretty good experience. My wife and I both ordered the shepherd's pie. The flavor was excellent, but the dish was a little heavy on the mashed potatoes and could have used more meat and vegetables to balance it out. The service was good, and the prices were reasonable. My only real complaint was the lighting--the dining area was extremely dark, especially over the tables. We had to use the flashlights on our phones just to read the menu. Turning the lights up a little would make a big difference. Overall, the food was tasty, the service was solid, and the price was fair. A few small improvements would make the experience even better. Solid 4 stars. read more

Cleary's pub is a beautiful hundred plus year-old brick building right off of Grand River in Howell Michigan. I can't honestly remember if I've ever been here before. I suggested to my sister-in-law that we meet there because there were several reviews raving about the French Onion Soup. We both enjoy that so we didn't agreed to meet and have a little bit of a late lunch. Normally, there is plenty of street parking and there's a huge parking lot behind the entire block of retail. I ended up parking in the back because there were orange cones advising that there would be no parking available between 3 and 6 PM due to a Homecoming Parade. Even though we met at one, I know how much we talk when we get to meeting with each other since she lives in Michigan, but it seemed to move to Texas and of course I've been in Texas for over 30 years. Anyway, just trying to save the ambience in that restaurant at bar is lovely. We had a great server. Dang, if I can't remember his name, he was very professional and polite. I asked him to let me know what appetizer was the favorite and if the French onion soup was really as good as their reviews indicated, he responded positively to both and recommended the breadsticks so we got an order of those. They came with a side cup of ranch dressing and marinara sauce for dipping. It was a huge order. The breadsticks which had been brushed with butter and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese were quite large. I believe they were under nine dollars so a really good choice for four very hungry people. We both ended up eating one, but then took the rest home and we actually ate them with our meal which was the French onion soup. Our server brought them just a little bit prior to our soup. He had asked if we wanted them separate or with the soup and we both said we honestly didn't care. I hate to say this, but both of us were very disappointed by the soup-we just kind of looked at each other at the same time as we started, carefully taking small amounts in our spoons as it was quite hot (when I get soup the hotter the better) so that was actually a positive for me. We both thought the broth was lacking the beefy onion flavor. (We usually eat at another chain restaurant but we both love to support local. The chain restaurant had consistently provided good French Onion Soup. We also detected a sourness which we didn't believe belonged in French Onion Soup. There was definitely an appropriate sized chunk of bread and some cheese melted over the entire crock. When it came to the table, it looked very tasty. Would we come back? I for one wouldwould definitely try it again-the restaurant not the soup. Other diners appeared pretty happy eating and the burgers looked good so that's probably what I would try. (By the way, I forgot to say the brick is inside as well as out. It's absolutely stunning!) read more

My wife was in the mood for fish and chips and Cleary's typically doesn't disappoint! On this evening we got there just in time to beat the rush, as parking can be a nightmare when it's prime time. My wife had the fish and chips and I had a Dubliner sandwich. Both were delicious, my wife really enjoyed her fish! Our server was very friendly and took great care of us! It's typically pretty loud, but that's what makes it a great "pub" experience. Thanks Cleary's! read more

Cleary's Pub - Dublin and Guiness - American Near Me - Howell, Michigan

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This is a popular joint for the locals, most especially for St. Patty's Day. We have only been here once, years ago with my FIL. My husband likes their Reuben or their burgers. Their seasoned fries and food is decent. Nachos are simple, but not too bad to share for starters. I think they're better for their burgers or sandwiches. It's a cozy ambiance and feels like a small local place. read more

This place is divey. Outdated. I know that's some of the charm for people, but they could at least get some comfier seating. The menu doesn't have much variety in my opinion. They could keep their classics and give the rest of the menu and overhaul. This place gets packed during sporting events. Bartenders are always very nice and attentive. Good beer choices. read more

This place has a great menu. Delicious food and the best shepherds pie I've ever had. Highly recommend it!

Place is a pit. Attitude towards customer certainly needs to be improved. Gone are the days that it was advertised on radio to "meet you and greet you". read more

It's always a pleasure to eat at this charming Irish pub. Fast friendly service and great food.

Cleary's is a great local bar with good food and beer. It is a fun Irish pub themed restaurant and a great place to have dinner and drinks with friends. We ended up spending awhile at Cleary's having a few pitchers of beer and good conversations. I found that the service was prompt and we never struggled to get more pitchers. Cleary's is a staple establishment in Howell and I plan to come back many more times in the future. read more

I try to limit my consumption of French fries. I defy you to leave any of Cleary's fries on your plate. They are hot and delicious. We had a great time on a very cold day at Cleary's. A wonderfully friendly waitress named Grace warmed the day. Great sandwiches. Very reasonable prices and a cold Guinness. read more

There pizza is awesome Service was great If you like to drink and eat great place to go. Easy to find we can walk there read more

Best place for French onion soup and a beer. If you are looking for an authentic, family owned, Irish Pub, look no further. This place provides an original, relaxed, family-friendly environment for guests to enjoy. Service is fast and fabulous. The staff is friendly, patient and kind. The place does get packed, but never crowded. Belly up to the bar, rub elbows and make a new friend in Howell. You will not be disappointed here. read more

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Fun Irish pub. The service was excellent. The Shepards pie was delicious. Great atmosphere.

Loved our time here! Connor was friendly and fast. Order the breadsticks and take home the extra, someone at your house will thank you! We got fish and chip ... light batter and very good. Top menu item. Coleslaw was fresh, cabbage still had a crunch, and easy on the mayo. We also got the Irish Melt that is turkey and bacon. What made this was a basil mayo that hit your taste buds after your taste! Ask for extra, it was that good. Irish Mule was made with Paddy's and was well done. read more

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First time here and it was fabulous. All the staff are so friendly and welcoming. Our waitress was wonderful. We had a party of three and everyone enjoyed their entree. Thank you to Taylor, who made some good menu suggestions. The nacho is delicious and enough to share. The Michigan salad was so fresh. Loaded with blue cheese, cherries chicken and more. The Cleary's sliders (you get three) were so good and filling as you get a hearty portion of fries too. read more

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Great place! Tasty bites and brews, staff is awesome too! Definitely worth the half block further past M59. read more

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Great food at a fair price! We love going here for a family meal out and have never been disappointed!

Great service for what you pay for. A solid beer list and rotating specials make me happy, and as a coleslaw lover I have no complaints. Would've been 5 stars if the soup of the day was good... I got the oddest clam chowder I have ever had though. Very thick but the flavors were all there. All around a classic Irish pub in Howell where everyone can find something they like. read more

Great service, excellent food. Cannot go wrong. Lots of seating and a great selection of tvs to watch.

I moved to Howell several months ago and Cleary's has become my "go to" spot! A friendly Irish Pub with a great staff who treat you like family right from the start. Their Shepherds pie is fantastic, the fish and chips is one of the best I've had and The Cleary Burger is my absolute favorite! Great portions at a fair price, cold beer and a decent whisky selection. I love it! read more

The food and service was amazing for our recent memorial luncheon. Thank you to Mackenzie and crew.

Fantastic service!! Loved the pub atmosphere. Breadsticks were good. Food came out quickly. I had the Reuben-a little thin but tasty. Convenient parking outback. I can't wait to return! read more

Just had a great dinner at Cleary's! Place was crowded and loud,but in a good way. Service was excellent, waited less than the quoted time to get a table, and our Server was quick and friendly. I had the fish tacos (3) with fries. Delicious! Fish was crispy outside and flaky inside. The spicy sauce was the best! Added a nice amount of flavor. Husbands Bacon Cheeseburger was cooked to his liking and the bacon was crispy. Fries delicious.....wasn't going to eat them, but I couldn't resist. Great energy on a Friday night! read more

This is a great place to eat in downtown Howell. The building is vintage and the interior is spacious and nicely done. It's aesthetically pleasing, but indoor dining did not appeal to us on the Saturday we visited because 1) it was a nice day and sitting outside seemed like a great idea and 2) they were busy and the observation of safe COVID practices was pretty lax from what I could see (I'll lay that one on the patrons, not the establishment). But outdoor dining was a great option, so no harm done. The theme was that of an Irish pub, and I must say they were a little better at it than most. At many so-called Irish pubs, essentially they serve "Applebees fare". While there is nothing wrong with this, I like a little more creativity that meets the theme. And we got a little of that with this menu. My wife was the most pedestrian among us in getting the Chicken Tenders dinner, but that was so there was something to share with our grandson. My son got the Fish and Chips, for which he had high praise. My daughter-in-law had the Irish Melt sandwich, which features sliced turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and basil mayo baked on a ciabatta roll. She was very happy with her choice. It came with fries, as did everyone else's, and it's worth mentioning that the unanimous opinion was that those were also exceptionally good. I opted for the Dublin because, to me, Irish fare means corned beef. This sandwich was composed of thinly sliced corned beef, swiss cheese, pickles, red onions, thousand island dressing, and coleslaw. This is grilled on rye bread prior to serving. It was excellent. The service was essentially good. There were a couple of small things forgotten (dipping sauce, for example) when the food was first brought out, but that situation was rectified fairly quickly. The prices were very reasonable. With everything together including food, drinks, tax and tip, our bill was $76. At $19 each, plus feeding a 1-year-old, this was a very good value. We will definitely try this place again. read more

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This was the best place i have ever aten at! The food was absolutely amazing. The service was also one of the best. Everyone was so kind you can tell that all these people are very ambitious about their job and care a lot about the community. Love the place ! Thanks clearys read more

We've driven by for a few years always saying someday. Well, someday came and we've been back twice and can't wait to return! Ambiance is terrific; not too stuffy and formal but very nice casual, comfortable vibe. We've had the same server both times and he is terrific! I had the best bar burger of my life the first visit and spouse had the three piece fish. Everything was supurb, served hot, fresh and relatively quickly given how busy they were. Our second visit we had pizza and breadsticks. I am hooked! Can't wait to go back. Nice menu selection and prices are very reasonable. Parking lot out back makes for easy in-out. read more

The best cottage pie this side of the ocean! The creamiest and cheesiest mashed potatoes on top of the right amount of beef, veg and gravy. A winner! read more

Best food in Howell. The ambiance is quite noisy though. I do recommend their fish & chips on Friday.

Nice Irish pub! Great food and service! We will be back!!. We all enjoyed our meals and good portions!

Great service! Wife had French onion soup and sweet potato fries. I had the Dublin sandwich and fries.!the sandwich was delicious and the fries were to die for. I'd go back again just for the fries.' Mmmmmm read more

This place was good. I liked it but my husband did not. I got the Shepard's Pie which was pretty good, but nothing to write home about either. I've never had Shepherd's Pie before so I can't tell you if it was authentic or not but I'd definitely try it again (just not here). My husband didn't like his wet burrito too much. He said it was not very flavorful and was mediocre at best. They have a decent amount of beers on tap and the service was super fast (almost too fast). Our waitress was fine but it took a while for her to notice us and another woman (perhaps the manager) ended up getting our drinks as it was taking so long. They had a lot of seating including out door seating. I'd try it again for food but my husband said he'd only go again if we were just doing drinks and maybe appetizers. Overall it was just okay. read more

Cleary's Pub - Wet burrito - American Near Me - Howell, Michigan

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Delicious French onion soup. Busy at lunch but still great service. A little loud but it's a bar. Nice outdoor seating. Nicole C is a great, attentive server. Tip well. read more

Staff: Friendly Price: Great Food: Excellent The bad reviews on this place is a joke, I've never had a bad experience here. Today I had the Rueben, last time I had the fish and chips. Both meals were better than anywhere else I've been in this state and I've lived here a year now. My wife had the chicken salad, mother-in-law had the wet burrito, daughter had the chili, and we all ordered the cheese curds as an appetizer. Our entire bill (plus drinks) came out to $60, and everyone said their orders were the best they've had in a long time. The cheese curds are the best I've had ANYWHERE. If I lived any closer this place would be our family's regular restaurant. read more

Food was very good and reasonably priced. Service was friendly and prompt. Ambiance was very pleasant. I've been there several times and it's always the same, one of my favorite watering holes. read more

WiFi service went from poor to nonexistent. I'll be looking for another local pub for lunch unfortunately as I really like the food, service and ambiance at Cleary's otherwise. read more

I have never in my life had better service then I did on this special day, my daughter's wedding!! The service was absolutely amazing! The staff was spot on! we never needed to ask they were at our beck and call before we needed it! I'm so blessed to have such a perfect day for Kyle and jaclyn, the staff went above and beyond and made our day perfect! I thank you dearly and keep it up we'll be back!! read more

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Wow!!! We went there last night for dinner and were expecting "bar food", but it was REALLY great service and amazing food. We started with crab stuffed mushrooms which were huge and yummy along with breadsticks. OMG... you have to go there just for the breadsticks. I was expecting the typical dry smal breadsticks, but they were HUGE and doughy and absolutely incredible. I had the lobster Mac and cheese, which is the best I've ever had. Instead of heavy and greasy, it was lighter, fluffy, and very flavorful. They set the bar high on that one I don't think any restaurant can beat. My husband ordered the fish tacos, and they came with a WHOLE battered fish filet in each of the three tacos. He loved them! My husband also liked the perfect way they poured his black and tan. I ordered a Ketel One dirty martini which tasted perfect. Service was amazing and our server said the place was run by family with lots of brothers, sisters, and cousins working there. It's nice to bring our business to a place like that. We liked the privacy of the booth we got and the ambiance of the place. We walked by a couple other restaurants in downtown Howell that were brightly lit and looked like cafeterias. I highly recommend Clearys and we will be back often. The only thing that would have made our dinner better was blue cheese olives for my martini. read more

I have never been here before and live relatively close. We had James as a server and the food and drinks were great! It is a cozy place and the atmosphere is great. I would recommend read more

It was the first time we have been to Cleary's Pub. Three different families were meeting in Howell. We decided to pick Cleary's Pub and were so happy we did. We made a reservation not knowing how busy they would be and how large the restaurant was. We were not disappointed. The food was great, especially the service. Grace took excellent care of our large party. She checked in on us often and made our celebration extra special. Thank you Grace and Cleary's Pub!! read more

Wait staff are beyond nice, I've never had a bad meal there. I've had the chicken wrap, wings, artichoke dip, and salads.