I thought Dick O'Dow's was an okay establishment for lunch in Birmingham. We came here after finding out two other restaurants had 40-60 minute waits for tables. We sat ourselves and service was a little slow for the little amount of people that were dining at the time. I ordered the Macaroni and Cheese. It was okay, I would try something else on the menu if you are deciding between the mac and something else. I tried the sweet potato fries - those were delicious! read more

Dick O' Dows - American Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

Best place to get a drink in Birmingham. It's simple and clean and the staff is great. Food is for the earlier crowd but the night is almost club atmosphere. A true gem in the city. read more

I have been here a few times in the past and had a decent experience. Unfortunately, this time was not all that great. The service was excellent once our waitress took our order - unfortunately it took nearly 20 minutes to get our order placed. After that was very attentive to our table and kept the refills coming. The menu has really shrunk since our last visit - most of the items I wanted to try here were no longer on the menu. The food we ordered was alright, nothing over the top. My wife and brother both had buffalo wings and said they were okay. I tried the club sandwich (bacon, ham, turkey and egg salad) - it was different and the flavor was okay, but I am not sure if I would order it again. I paid extra for the onion rings and they were just frozen onion rings (they were mushy in the middle) - yuck! read more

Dick O' Dows - American Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

See all

Service was great. Unfortunately I can't say the same thing about the burger that I ordered, my burger was burned, I could taste the burn, the bund seem not fresh at all. Fries were good. read more

Downtown Birmingham has some great eats and Dick O' Dows is a great spot for price, quantity, and variety. Being an Irish pub, I had to try their fish and chips which were generously portioned with thick cut fries and a side of cole slaw. The flavors were on point and the food was definitely worth $13. The restaurant is very spacious and definitely designed for happy hours or watching sports events while drinking beers. The waitstaff is very courteous and attentive to your needs. The only reason I docked a star from my rating is that food prep time is quite long. Don't be surprised if you end up waiting about half an hour for your food to come out. Also, it's not a bad idea to stop by earlier to beat the lunch and dinner rushes. Besides that, great place for a great meal! Be sure to try the sliders! read more

Dick O' Dows - Doyle's Chipper (fish and chips) $13. - American Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

It's a nice place. Nice selection of beer and the menu is decent. The food was really good. This is the second time I've eaten food from there. The first time was carry out and this time we dined in. I ordered the double chicken burger with a side of Onion Rings. It was amazing! I absolutely loved it. Because I don't eat beef anymore, I love to find an amazing chicken or turkey burger and this was definitely in the top 5! My wife ordered the chicken sliders which were just ok. They were a bit underwhelming. The bad: the service was S L O W!!! I felt bad for the waitress because she was working alone on a Sunday night which wasn't very busy but decently busy and too busy for a single server. It took over 15 minutes just to come take our order. But the food was hot and fresh when it came out. Throughout the entire evening, the waitress remains kind, attentive and provided friendly service but I think she was overwhelmed which made for a less than inviting experience. Maybe we will come back and give it another try. If not for anything else...the food warrants a second try! read more

Dick O' Dows - Chicken burger - American Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

This place is only good for accommodating large parties. The food is sub par and the service was severely lacking. The waitress seemed extremely flustered when talking our order and rarely ever checked back or cleared the dishes. I literally stacked about 7-8 glasses and about 11 appetizer dishes before she finally picked them up. The food was just okay. The only things I would recommend were the southwest eggrolls and the ahi tuna slider. read more

Sat down to watch the K. Derby this Saturday, enjoyed a delicious mint julep and some store bought sweet potato fries. PSA honey mustard isn't vegan, I'm not too nuts about my dietary choices but be informed when you work in the industry. In any case I'll be back by choice any time; Good atmosphere, great service even better taps. read more

If you're looking for reasonable prices in Birmingham, this is pretty much one of your only options. The food is great! The wings are great, the burgers are great, and I had this salad with steak and blue cheese that was delicious. If you're coming on a bar night, be prepared for the place to be totally packed! read more

We love love love Dick O' Dows!!! Whether it is take out or dine in, they never disappoint!!! Thanks for being one of out favorite restaurants in birmingham! read more

Dick's is so doing their part during this pandemic. The owner, his wife, and all the staff bend over backward for their guests. The food, drinks service is great. Their outdoor seating in The Willits Alley is a virtual party with safe social distancing by all. They are a family-owned local business that are in the restaurant all the time working. read more

Slow service bar. Need an update for best seating/service. Waited a while to get drinks and hostess had no idea what specialty beers establishment had available read more

What happened to the days of good times (aka milfs at 11pm). Tonight was an utter disaster. Draft beer tasted like it had been in the lines since 2020. The place was so disorganized. Food came out wrong. I would have rather given my 70 dollars to the pan handler at Kroger. NEVER AGAIN. No matter how many Milfs are there. There are way too many good spots in Birmingham. This one belongs in the dumpster. read more

Overpriced for bad cocktails and worse food. I was also over charged and the bartender had to "fix" my tab 3 times increasing the price and not bringing me and itemized receipt thinking I wouldn't notice that the tab just kept increasing. Still not even sure it was correct but I gave up and paid the bill. This place was a 0/10 read more

I genuinely like Irish pubs but I'm not thrilled with all the noise so I went here for lunch with a few friends. The food is not Irish at all ok they had a corn beef plate and fish and chips. As for decor I really liked the inside of this bar/pub service was nice too. Now for the food and drink I had a few favorites a few not do much favorites we ordered the sweet potato fries and chicken tenders were tasty the fish and chips were good but the sauce home made tartar sauce was what stood out. The deviled eggs was not spectacular as an appetizer. The bread pudding was not what we expected. This place is mainly a bar food hang out with a great vibe. Parking is not fun it's metered or paid covered parking in Birmingham. For 3 people for lunch with drinks it was over $60 easily. read more

See all

Unfortunately, this is the best hang out in downtown Birmingham, so it attracts everyone from the full-douchebags to the semi-douchebags. I fall somewhere in the middle and even I don't like myself. The only reason I go there is because I can stumble home and even then I still seem to regret it every time. By the way, who would give this place 5 stars? It's a fake irish pub, with the red wings blaring, that serves mediocre food on dirty tables. This is so far away from 5 stars. read more

A really nice place. Food was very good. Drinks were good. The staff were hard working and enjoyable. The owner Mitch is a really nice guy that you can tell takes pride in his business. Will definitely come back! read more

This is our Sunday night go-to bar. It's open late (until 2 AM I believe) and has the perfect atmosphere to grab some tasty grub and a good beer before bed and embarking on another painful work week in the morning. I love the intricacy in which the interior is decorated and the unique giant wood tables in the bar area that look like they were carved from singular trunks. Although you can go to watch a game, DoD is definitely not your typical obnoxious sports bar filled with just-graduated ex-frats boys. Instead, it's filled with cougars and ex-frat boys in their 30's. But at least they're quiet. Between the boyfriend and I we've literally tried almost everything on the menu, but our favorites are the killybeg mussels (although the 'soda bread' does not cut it for me), wings (the dry rub is phenomenal but the buffalo is good too), chicken pot pie, deep fried zuccini, potato leek soup, and half the sandwiches off the menu. Did we miss anything? Ah yes, NEVER pay full price here. DoDs offers discounts on practically every website there is out there including restaurant.com and halfoffdepot. I don't see why they need to offer promotions like that, but you want to take 50% off my bill for not-your-typical bar food? Go right ahead! read more

I usually don't write review unless I am very disappointed. So I went to this place on a date to have a couple of drinks and some chat... We order 2 glasses of wine only. We had a good time chatting except for the fact the waitress kept coming by and asking us if we want to order something else. When they gave me the check I looked at it and it was about $35!!!! For 2 glasses of wine!!!! Honestly I was on a date and I didn't feel to discuss about the amount which should probably have been $15 before taxes, I just signed the check because I wanted to leave. I also put $5 tip which I thought was the right amount for the quality of the service. After a couple of days I was looking to my CC statement and I found a charge of $60 by this place on that night. I immediately contacted the owner via email asking for clarification. He said he needed the CC again to verify the transaction and that he would get back to me. I waited 2 days, then I contacted him again (he didn't actually wrote me back!!!). He said he had found the $60 charge to my name and that probably was a mistake (given 2 glasses of wine) so he would have contacted me again to find an agreement for a refund. He simply disappeared. I tried reaching him again a couple of times and there was always an excuse like "I will contact you back"... I think this is really a bad attitude because everyone can make a mistake typing a check, but a) how can you justify 2 glasses of wine for $60?? b) if you admit the mistake why delay so much replying and trying to fix it??? ... Seriously is this the way to treat a customer? I could have stopped the transaction through my CC but while I was waiting for his replies which did never come promptly, the CC billing period closed and the statement was printed. I don't care so much about the amount (and of course I will never put my feet anymore in this place) but about the attitude of non returning emails until the person gets sick of the situation.. Thank God there is Yelp where we can give our feedback. Be aware if the same could happen to you! read more

My favorite things here are the Irish Fry and the Guinness. It's probably the closest place to me where I can get a plate with soda bread, tomatoes, black and white pudding, Irish sausage and bacon, and a couple of fried eggs. Now, how authentic is it? Well, I suppose it's authentic enough; honestly, I don't have much of a frame of reference as I've never been in a position to get a breakfast plate like this in Ireland. What they put on that plate at Dick O'Dow's sure goes well with the Guinness, and that's enough for me for now. I don't know that I necessarily should be in a hurry to try anything else on the menu. I know that I am not in any such hurry. I may get around to it someday. I just enjoy the Irish Fry enough that I can't seem to develop enough interest to try anything else. read more

It's your standard fake irish pub. There's nothing too special about it, but they splurged on the decor because it's Birmingham. Like most folks, I didn't think much of the food - I mean it's not bad, it's just not outstanding - but their fried mac & cheese is surprisingly tasty. I wouldn't come here for a party, but if you play it right and head into the back where it's quieter and less crowded, you can still rack up a decent and enjoyable evening. read more

Nice little Irish pub in downtown Birmingham. I'm going to give them three stars for having a good selection of beers, and I think that I'll add another for the neat Guinness posters in the men's bathroom. If you're a lady, maybe there are other cool posters on the wall, but I didn't see them. However, I'll take one star back for there being a lot of smoking going on. We sat in the back room, which was pretty empty, so there wasn't anyone back there smoking (but I still ended up smelling mildly of smoke). The bartender will give you free pretzel nibs if you ask him. read more

We are Dick o Done with this place. Service staff is the rudest we've ever had and flat out refuses to get you food unless you arrive 5 hours before closing time. What the heck happened here? Used to be one of our favorite bars. read more

I will never step foot in this place again, I went there tonight the owner told my girlfriend and I that we needed to leave with our children. He said that we have been eating for 3 hours, it is 10:57 right now I am at home in bed. If they close the kitchen at 9 then how were we eating for 3 hours?? He was a total jerk and very disrespectful to woman with children! I have been a Birmingham resident for many years, it's sad that you can't enjoy yourself in your own city!!!! Do yourself a favor, DO NOT GO IN THIS Mother and Son none friendly establishment!! read more

Food is good, but I still avoid this place. Uncomfortable seats (like toddler stools) and rude (clearly over-served) regular customers ruined our last two experiences. A guy dressed like a 1998 Bugle Boy model got offended that we were seated at his "regular" table and yelled, "I make more money than you anyway!" and stomped away angrily in his Doc Martins. That is a typical regular. read more

As bars go this is the place to be if you want to be seen by the Birmingham crowd, however if you are looking for a good atmosphere to enjoy a tasty beverage with some friends, I'd recommend elsewhere. I should mention that this is more for the night crowd as during the day the bar is less packed and more tolerable. The owners spent a lot of money and effort to bring the look of an old Irish pub to the suburbs of Detroit, they did such a great job that it is almost too popular. Trying to have a conversation on a Friday night is useless, you'll loose your voice yelling at the other half of the conversation before you finish your first beer. I'm also not a fan of the bands they choose to play there. I've seen plenty of people dancing to the music but I'm not sure that is because of the band's talent or the amount of beer consumed. On the plus side they do have a more secluded and normal seating area in the back and serve good food. All said and done if you want to be in the biggest party in Birmingham this is the place to be but don't expect to be able to talk to anyone. read more

you can't hate the playa, you gotta hate the game.. this is a perfect example of that horrific motto. on appearance alone, this place is extremely ideal; pub"ish" if you will. The bartenders are nice. Drinks aren't that outrageous in price. Food..well I would say scrap the food, it's nothing to write home about. All that sounds enjoyable... then add the people that go there. This is the "game" part in which the "game" is a Birmingham bar. Chach-leroy and his boys creep out of the wood-work and skeezily saunter around shamelessly scopin' out any girl that just might go home with him. It's either that, or everyone from your high school DYING to know "what you've been up to." So if you feel like taking a trip down memory lane or creating a memory you'd soon like to forget, go here on the weekend. If you go during the week, typically it's an elderly dude-fest (think older business men watching sports.. still in suits), but generally less packed and easier to enjoy your guinness. read more

Good place to grab a beer and hang out. Anything beyond that and you're taking a big risk. The food is either horrible or totally average. The menu is WAAAY too big for an Irish bar. They need to drastically cut down on the menu size. This is what's on their menu: -14 appetizer choices, including egg rolls. At an Irish bar. -8 salad choices -9 burger options + 4 types of sliders -10 types of sandwiches & wraps -PIZZA -7 classic Irish entrees like bangers & mash and shepherd's pie Usually, the bigger the menu, the worse the place is (see: Cheesecake Factory), and that's definitely the case here. They should trim it down, focus on some things they do very well, and remove the rest. That said, it's a cool atmosphere both in the front and back; they also have a nice patio. The patio is rather small, so if you're expecting to sit outside on a nice Saturday, good luck getting a table. You might have to wait a bit. They also have live music on occasion, which is usually pretty good. It might get a little loud in the main bar area if you're on a date or trying to converse. In summary, go eat dinner somewhere else in Birmingham and then just stop here for a drink or two afterward. read more

One stars 'cause they have decent beer on tap. This place is my worse nightmare. Don't come here on Holidays. You are bound to see that person you never again wanted to see, here. The clientle is way too concerned with looking good and being cool. In the summer they have a deck they place in the street in front of the bar. Be forewarned ..... I am so very scared for those who dare to eat or drink there - looks like you are tempting fate. read more

This place is good. I went here on st. Patrick's Day. A waitress gave me fake 4 leaf clover tattoos. I had the nachos they were the best nachos I ever had. I would recommend this place if you want good nachos/service. read more

Most people are shocked that I've never been to Dick O'Dow's. I'm not sure if it's because I'm Irish or that I live a few miles away or maybe both. The opportunity just never came around and it's not on my radar. We went here for drinks and food after work. It's pretty much what I imagined it would be. Very similar to most Irish Pubs that I've been in, just a different name. I like the back area, where we sat. It's definitely a good space for groups. I did not order any food. I wasn't staying long, and made the mistake of parking at a 1 hour meter. The menu had a good variety of typical bar food, but nothing really appealed to me. My coworkers seemed to enjoy their food though. The beer list was just OK. I guess I have higher expectations for an Irish pub to have a good draft list. They do, however, have a pretty good bottle list. They have $3 Shorts beer bottles on Wednesday nights. They had several Shorts beers to choose from. I don't usually order bottled beer that I can buy at the store. I'd like to go back. Maybe if I'm up for some greasy, fried food, I'll try something off the menu. read more

Just a quick review which I may add more to later: This place was *fine* for kids, on a summer day for a late lunch. We ate on their patio out front (nice and shady). And they do in fact even have a kids' menu. My kids got burgers, I had the shepherd's pie, my husband had a corned beef sandwich, and all was tasty. Inside atmosphere was nice as well. read more

I'm giving it three stars because I didn't have to pay for anything, and the staff was REALLY accomodating to our drunken rambling demands. Inexplicably we had a company Xmas party out here, and as an old Midwestern girl, displaced in L.A. it was nice to get back to the kind of bar I used to frequent when I was underage and drinking heavily. Weird that it was the venue for a corporate Xmas party, though. I have to say, after nearly a decade in L.A. I'm not a fan of smelling smoky at the end of the night, but it was a LOT better than I remember bars in the Midwest being, so that was terrific. The food was ok. Not spectacular...but ok...for a pub. The drinks were strong and came frequently. I didn't love that twice my drink disappeared by overzealous bussers before it was finished...like an OBVIOUSLY unfinished drink. A nearly-full Whisky and Coke for example. Lame. But, listen, they rearranged the room several times for us, put up with our crazy party, and it was a really cute space for our party. So yay! But no Leinies on tap, which is what I look forward to every time I go to the Midwest, so boo. read more

It was my first time here with my wife and friends and their son. I like the fact that it has the feel of an old Irish pub. Our waitress was very attentive, coming back to the table often to see how we were doing. I had the Celtic Ruben, my wife had the Fish and Chips, as did our friends son. We were very happy with our meals. I liked the bar made potato chips that came with my sandwich, they were very good. Our friends were not as happy with their meals, the Bangers and Mash, and the Shepherds Pie. Although, it is hard to compete with their homemade versions. Overall, we had a great time at dinner. I will return. read more

Ugh, where to being....the place of where all duchebaggery is committed. I have to admit I do go here...only bar in downtown bham that you don't have to be a cougar or a loaded a-hole to go to....I will do massive updates with this bar too each time I go...so always remember to look this up. I was there recently and aside from some duchebags that were with the party I was with...I did not run into one other person from my past that wasn't trying to get info out of me as far as 'who is more successful now...' which in my drunken state was a bit of a disappointment, actually. Normally, I don't want to see anyone but the lack of crowd this certain Friday night has given me writers block for a good review.... Good beers on tap, food is OK...a couple things are good, but there are so many better places to eat. I have had ok salmon here before, but I have been to Ireland and uh, the 'Irish cuisine' it is not, especially the boxty's. Also, one of my favorite apps ever is fried zucchini, and as I found out and was EXTREMELY disappointed it was off the menu-BOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Height of duchebag season here: Thanksgiving, Xmas and NYE, and the Saturdays in the summer...you won't be able to move in here, and trust me the line is in NO way worth the wait unless you are specifically waiting to see someone already inside. 5/4/08-UPDATE. OK went for a quick dinner on a Sunday night, and I have upped my star rating...the food was actually GOOD...the mac and cheese is one of the best I have had...the farmhouse salad was fresh and filling with a delicious homemade dressing....I have always been a fan of the cod sandwich and once again it was on par....the crab cakes were decent...BREAD pudding-a fantastic must have...apologies to Dick's for trashing the food...but then again if you can't get it right on a dead Sunday night.... read more

The Dow is really cool. Watching the beers change prices was fun. The new space is open and airy. The food was really good too. Had sliders, fries and bread with the people at my table. No complaints from any of us. read more

See all

I've been here twice in the two years we've lived nearby. First visit, we got dessert and a drink. Dessert was not good--could've picked up a whole box of the same chocolate cake at GFS for the price of the single slice, and it would have been better and fresher. Second visit, we actually looked at the real menu. I was shocked to see gastropub- type dishes on the menu! I would never have thunk it, from the looks (and smell) of the place. Herbed goat cheese in puff pastry with crostini? Umm, yes please! Turns out, the pastry was more pillsbury, less puff. And it was not cooked through. It was chewy and gooey. The dough, not the goat cheese. Blech. It is always crowded, so I guess locals don't mind the sub-par food. Or the stinky, dank interior. We went on a Monday night in August for the second visit, and we were told it was a 45 minute wait for an outside table. We would have left, but we had to use up a Groupon that was set to expire. Stick to alcohol and you will probably be less disappointed. Oh well, lesson learned. read more

DICK'S - really, the only bar-bar in downtown birmingham. this irish establishment opened when birmingham was still a downtown for those that lived in the surrounding areas. the palladium was yet to be built, which also means blue martini was not around, and the hype of the 'ham was far far away. when DOD's opened, i was not old enough to drink there, but one time i ate there - and still to this day, i will not eat "irish fare." besides the food, the atmosphere is always dark, drunk and full of people from high school, private school, public school and everywhere in between - staring you down, buying you a shot and asking what you've been up to since they last saw you at the mobil on oak and woodward, geri wardach's class, that house party on burning bush or greek isles. besides the bombardment of people you have to push through while having HS flash backs, once you get past the long bar, the irish band and the bathrooms - you'll find yourself in "the back" where it's lighter and there are plenty of booths and tables to spread out at and talk shit about people who a) got fat b) got married c) is still a douche d) is a bitch e) didn't "say hi." there's a fireplace back there and some weird irish decor - once you sit down, a waitress will come by, which is an easier way to get a drink than trying to fight the masses (mind you - these busy times i mention are during thanksgiving, christmas, wedding season.) in the front at the crowded bar. dick's does the trick for a "regular bar" in downtown b'ham - the other options are: corner bar - i'm not sure how this place stays associated with the townsend; it's a hazarai of music and 40-somethings, 20-somethings and randos midtown - oh wait, this place closed 220 - more likely to run into your mom there, some cougars and an old guy with a cigar looking for a good time streetside - fishy and 50-somethings on dates or affair rendezvous camron's - you're trying too hard - it's a place to eat, not "grab a drink" mitchell's - older crowd, fishy mt. chalet - down woodward, a hike if you walked from the downtown - but this place is a good #2 to a bar-bar in b'ham. "get yer skis shined up, grab a stick of juicy fruit!" read more

Good: Outdoor seating in the summer Homemade potato chips Bad: The service - waited over 30 minutes for our food, no napkins or plates on the table with our apps. Food: Burger (a turkey and a bacon burger were ordered) were both just OK - they were bland, lacked creativity and were overpriced for being...plain. Salad: A fajita salad was ordered - pretty standard. Would have liked to have seen more "fresh" ingredients used - pretty much just iceburg, cheese, corn and tortilla strips. It would pay for Dick O'Dow's to get a fun chef to change things up a bit in the kitchen. There is potential with this place...but they are losing the local business. I imagine pretty soon, they will be living off of the 21 year old drunk crowd as everyone who appreciates good food will put them on their D list. read more

Arrived today (Wednesday) just before 2pm. Waited a while to get seated on nearly empty patio after being ignored by host for several minutes. We asked for an extra chair for our party of 5, and didn't want to remove one from another table table since we were told on a previous visit that they are accounted for. Waited 15 minutes and had to ask again, at which point the host grabbed one from an occupied table without asking guests if they'd be needing it. Service was unreasonably slow. Then, at the end of our meal, we asked for ice cream which was 'included' on kids' menu. Unapologetic waitress said we must have gotten wrong menus as they didn't offer that anymore. I asked for manager and was told there wasn't one on duty. It's not about the free ice cream, but the principal. Took kids across street to Sweet Earth for a great dessert! Very disappointing experience for a nearly $90 tab. read more

Dick O' Dows - Misleading and disappointing for kids. - American Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan