Everything was delicious. EVERYTHING. They even made melted cheese on toast taste great (welsh ratebit). The steak & Guinness pie was also delicious but the star of the show was the bread pudding. The sauce was creamy and the perfect amount of sweetness , not too sweet where you feel a little disgusting after eating it. read more

This review is for their South Bend Restaurant Week for the winter of 2026 where you could get three courses for $33. Last night was my first visit to Fiddler's Hearth, despite wanting to check this place out ever since I started dating my boyfriend, who lives in South Bend, a year and a half ago! Their regular menu looks sooooo good and their restaurant week menu also looked good! Just a note - only 2 of the items on their restaurant week menu appear on the regular menu, so get these unique dishes while you can these next two weeks! Like I said, I have been wanting to check out this SB institution for ages! Inside is adorable and absolutely maximalist. My minimalist mom would have a heart attack coming in here. So despite it being -5 degrees out, Fiddler's Hearth was packed and we were glad we made reservations. It was the first day they had the special restaurant week so it did take 2 hours for us to get through and finish everything because the kitchen had to make all these new items but I won't fault the restaurant for that in my review today. I am sure it is normally a well-oiled machine. My bf and I both got different things off of the menu but ended up splitting so we could try lots of different Irish foods. We started off sipping in some unique alcoholic drinks. I got the shamrock coffee which had Baileys and mocha. He got the restaurant week special of a pear and allspice old fashioned. His drink was very strong. Mine was delightful and I was a happy camper sipping mine. Round one goes to me for choosing the best drink. The drinks were about $9 for the old fashioned and $7 for the spiked coffee. Next round was our first course, the appetizer. He got the steak pie (a mini version of the Guiness Steak Pie on the normal menu) for the appetizer which was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC and seasoned to perfection with lots of onions. I got the potato and leek colcannon cakes for the appetizer which were very leek heavy on the taste. I liked it but agreed his appetizer was the winner. Next up to the plate were our entrees. He paid $3 additional dollars for their take on a salmon wellington. It came with a side of brussel sprouts and potatoes. I chose to be a fatty and get the patty melt with medium rare prime rib, stone ground mustard, grilled onions, and a side of pretty yummy chips (ie French fries). It was a very wet sandwich haha. I personally think mine was the better one, while my bf thought his was the best. Sometimes, you just need a really wet and juicy sandwich!! Haha! Last but not least was our desserts. He was the winner here but just barely. His bread pudding was a calorie heavy delight, smothered in a white chocolate sauce. Mine was a cute little classic Irish dessert, a cranachan, which was sort of like a trifle. On top was a moist and chewy gingerbread cookie. In total, our bill was a little over $100 for tax and tip. A little expensive, sure, but we had a great time and came home very full! I will be back! read more

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Stopped by the area for a quick bite and I'm so glad I stumbled upon this place. The vibe inside was very laid back with lots of seating areas for large groups and bar area. Got the shepherds pie and it was very delicious! Felt like a warm hug with every bite. The server was also very welcoming and I felt very comfortable eating alone! read more

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The Scotch egg was delicious according to my husband. And he said he really enjoyed the fish, which was cooked "perfectly". I had the cobb salad, which I believe to be one of the best I've had. The atmosphere is great, welcoming and interesting. The service was not that great. I think we lost our server for a while. read more

Came here for lunch. By the time we left, there was one table of two, and two person at the bar. We hadn't been here in a while. Was hoping it was as good as it used to be. Not the case today. Orders were for the Ploughman's platter (unable to be fulfilled-it happens). Two scotch eggs (two orders of one egg by two of us), a Rueben, and two orders of fish and chips, both with two pieces of fish. Server misunderstood the order for two scotch eggs. Again, things happen. They were decent. The fish and chips? Very small portions of fish. Seriously nothing like it used to be. Chips? Soggy and lukewarm. The Rueben wasn't that great, according to the one that ordered it. Had to ask for a refill of my drink. Other two went without a refill. Mediocre service when it wasn't busy at all. Mediocre food. read more

Fiddler's Hearth - Irish Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

Stopped in for dinner. We sat on the patio to void the wait. Our server did the bare minimum. She took our order, brought our drinks, and brought our bill. For the price of the items there it would have been nice to get service, see an actual menu, and receive a bill. She just showed us the handheld system which was a little annoying. We had the salmon, shepherds pie, and kid burger. The Salmon and potatoes were good. The carrots weren't my favorite. I would have preferred a green vegetable. The shepherds pie had good flavor and the portion size was good. It would have been nice to get some Irish soda bread with it. The kids burger was good but the fries were old. Overall it was okay but could have been better for $100. read more

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This pub honestly feels like you're in Ireland. It's so quaint and welcoming. We sat at the bar and the bartender was so friendly. Menu was filled with Irish fare, we only had the chips but they were delicious. Everyone else's food around us looked delicious. If you're looking for an authentic Irish pub this is your spot! read more

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I ALWAYS stop here when I'm in the area. They never disappoint. We sat at the bar and engaged with other customers and the bartender. It was between lunch and dinner so it wasn't crowded. We had a really nice time. Of course we both had the Guiness pie. My favorite! Looking forward to next time. read more

Fiddler's Hearth - Guiness pie - Irish Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

Had Sunday brunch. It wasn't a full menu but still lots of choices. I had the vegetarian breakfast with beans, tomato, eggs, potatoes and toast. It was like I was back in Ireland. Great service and not at all crowded. Great time to talk. read more

Awesome food and drink selection. Servers were friendly. Service was a little slow but they were debuting a new menu and we weren't in a hurry. Apparently you can make reservations, so if you're visiting for a football game, I'd recommend doing so. Otherwise there's communal seating. Would definitely come back if in the area! read more

Fiddler's Hearth - Shepherds Pie and Shaun's irish mess - Irish Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

Great service, food and atmosphere. I am eating there again prior to my visit to the Morris. This restaurant is within walking distance of the Morris theater. I highly recommend the fish and the shepherd pie. read more

Very cool place. Came here on a ND game day and got seated at the bar. Amazing atmosphere, it honestly feels like a pub in rural Ireland. Bartender was super nice and friendly. The chips (fries to us) were great and they pour a perfect Guinness and the place is great for Craic ! Sláinte! read more

First time in South Bend to see my favorite team Notre Dame beat up USC. Arrived Friday afternoon and was looking for a small place to get some bar food and boy did we find a great spot. Great Irish bar with awesome food. The staff there was on point with suggestions and service was even better. We sat outside and the look was amazing !! My wife and I highly recommend the Scotch egg we even are trying to make it at home. Can't wait to go back !! read more

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Great service and great food. Love the atmosphere and people. Very unique place. Will go again.

Food was amazing, everything is made from scratch. We were really happy to they had gluten free and vegan options. The staff super welcoming. Nice ambiance, very homey atmosphere. read more

We parked across the street in the public lot. The first two hours are free. There were plenty of spaces on a Tuesday at 6pm. We were greeted at the door and were told we could sit anywhere. We picked a long table by the stage. We were given menus and water. I ordered a scotch egg to start. It came out in around 10 minutes. It was really well done. Very tasty and not greasy. Our meals came out shortly after we finished the egg. It was an appetizer so we split one just to try. It tasted just as it looked good on someone's post. I had the shepherds pie. It was ok, a little greasy, which may have been due to adding the cheese on the top. I ordered this 2 days ago at another pub and this one just wasn't as good. I don't recommend it. My husband got the Steak and Guinness pie. It was delicious. The crust was a golden brown, light and fluffy. The meat was tender and flavorful. The mashed potatoes were home made and the candied carrots were just sweet enough. I had a third of it and loved it. I wish this was my dish. I highly recommend it. I would come back and order the Steak and Guinness pie. read more

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Ridiculously TINY shepherds pie. An absolute joke. I was really excited to discover the pub right next to my hotel, Fiddler's Hearth, had a couple solid sounding vegan options. I ordered the vegan shepherd's pie to go. When the guy handed me the box with my food inside, I thought to myself, "Wow. That feels light." When I got back to my room and looked inside, I practically gasped. My $14 shepherd's pie was portioned for a toddler's dinner. I am not kidding when I tell you the entire thing could easily fit into a one cup measuring cup. Even with the current economy and food prices, this restaurant is just being greedy. That is a $7 or $8 portion of shepherd's pie, at most. (The taste was ok.) The other thing that bothered me was the attitude of the staff. The bartender who took my order, Jeremy N, was just plain rude. I called to place an order over the phone and no one answered. I then went online to order, but the website has no link to order that way. So I decided to walk over and place my order in person. A one minute walk. One of the waitresses directed me to the bar to place a carryout. The bartender had 3 customers and seemed annoyed that I needed to place an order. He said I should have ordered online. I told him there is no link on the website to order. He then informed me that I could have used Uber Eats or Door Dash. Really?!! So my toddler sized $14.98 after tax "shepherd's pie" would have ended up costing me over $30 with the food price increase, service fee and tip included for a restaurant which is a literal one minute walk from my hotel. I'm in South Bend for work all the time and am never going to this place again, even though it's so conveniently located. I'll stick with Nom Nom Pho which is just another minute walk up the road and so much more satisfying with friendlier staff by far. read more

Fiddler's Hearth - $14.98 after tax TINY Vegan Shepherd's Pie - Irish Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

Great place to watch games, minutes from the stadium. Amazing burgers and fries. Good service clean facilities. Thank you read more

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Had a great time. Food was great, as usual. We had burgers and beers. 1 burger was a little over cooked, but it was ok. Our friend who complains about everything got that burger, so it worked out for us. Will return again read more

I had the Indian curry. My son had the Irish stew. Both were very good. They had live music from local musicians. We were quickly seated and waited on, food came quickly. The waitress was even from Ireland. I'd go back again. read more

Came for lunch based on the yelp reviews. The staff are great and service excellent. They have a nice list of craft beers and Guinness. got seated right away . We had the cobb salad and the shepherds pie. The portion sizes were good. The Cobb had green leaf lettuce no romaine. generous amounts of bacon. It was decent but missed the crunch of romaine. The shepherds pie was okay. I could taste the lamb. But it was missing something I'm used to but can't place it. So I was disappointed. read more

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Our server, Vanessa was awesome. She really knew her beers and menu. The scotch egg was to die for. The steak & Guinness pie with the fluffiest mashed potatoes was savory and delicious!! We'd definitively stop again on our road trip! read more

The food here is always on point. I'm especially obsessed with the Shepherd's Pie and the Fish and Chips--they never miss. The place has such a cozy vibe, and when there's live Irish music playing, it just feels extra special. If you haven't been, you've gotta check it out at least once. Definitely one of South Bend's best spots. read more

Fiddler's Hearth - Irish ambiance - Irish Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

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My husband and I stopped here last night. My family always go here for football weekends but I don't go. Tonight was awesome. Best Jameson & Ginger! Shrimp and chips were delicious. We will be back! read more

Our server, Vanessa, was fantastic, super knowledgeable about the beers and the menu. The Scotch egg was absolutely incredible, and the steak & Guinness pie paired with the fluffiest mashed potatoes was rich, savory, and satisfying. We'll definitely be stopping here again on our next road trip! read more

Feel - please feels like a pub when you walk in has all the makings of a fine establishment. Place was hopping on a Monday and there wasn't a free seat in the house. Beer - Subpar IMO. Guinness was poured and delivered flat with zero cascading happening with the beer. You can tell it sat in the window for a bit before making its way to the table. Also all beers they have to in Guinness glasses and once again that's a huge fail. I ordered a black velvet beer, which is half Guinness and half cider and they didn't even separate the pour. The two beers were in the glass all churned up. Again you pull that in Ireland and they would laugh. Picture attached. Dessert - Order the bread pudding. Seriously the best I've been had. Overall place looked like it had good food and judging by the crowd seems popular. My review is solely based on my experience. read more

Fiddler's Hearth - A real Black Velvet drink.... - Irish Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

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I ordered the shepherds pie and I thought it was very salty. The waiter seemed very tired, but he was friendly. The inside of the restaurant is pretty cool with a lot of history and things on the walls. The other people that I was with enjoyed their food. read more

BF and I went during a home ND game. We both got the fish and chips! It was amazing!! Nothing like watching the game and eating good food!! Will be back soon! read more

As a Notre Dame season ticket holder and frequent visitor to South Bend, where my daughter also lives, I've always looked forward to dining at Fiddler's Hearth during football weekends and family visits. Unfortunately, after my most recent experience, I will no longer be doing so. We were placed on the waitlist and told the wait would be about 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, we returned to check in, only to be told our table had been given away to another group they mistakenly believed had our last name. Instead of correcting the error, we were told we were now "back on the waitlist." When we expressed our frustration, the staff member we were speaking with, who we later learned was the general manager, was dismissive and rude. She offered no apology, only saying, "This is not a perfect system. Do you want the table when it opens or not?" Her tone and attitude were completely unprofessional, and it became clear we no longer wanted to dine there. We returned a moment later to ask for the general manager and were surprised to learn we had already been speaking with her. When we told her that her behavior was unacceptable and the reason we were leaving, she simply walked away mid-conversation, leaving us standing there. The assistant manager, who was clearly uncomfortable, did offer a genuine apology, which I appreciated. I told her the owners might want to reconsider who is representing their establishment at the management level. What a shame. Fiddler's Hearth used to be one of the places I most looked forward to visiting when in town. After this experience, I will be taking my business elsewhere and encouraging others to do the same. read more

This is an amazing place! The ambiance is welcoming and homey. We sat (4 of us) right beside the fireplace. The food was simply put- delicious! One of us had Salmon (hazelnut crunch on the outside and amaretto carrots) 2 of us had the shepherd's pie (comfort food full of ground beef) and 1 of us had the cornbeef and cabbage (everything is amazing with potatoes and carrots) 1 of us had the IPA Citrus drink.....and 2 of us had coffee with baileys irish cream. Simply the best meal I have enjoyed in quite some time. So much so, it has my husband and I looking for Itish pubs in any area we visit. Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the friends and family with us, the love between us, and the food before us. Amen. read more

Shepherds Pie and Stew. Brown and Tan beer. Chocolate Truffle Cake. All was amazing plus we had some live music. Such great comfort food. We will be back. Total with tip for two people $74. read more

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Love this place. It was amazing to see my sisters first open mic while sitting back with some shepherds pie! Delicious food, great customer service, great location, vibes were great! I'd definitely recommend! (Fries are TOP-NOTCH, don't even get me started.) read more

Fiddler's Hearth - Shepherds Pie - Irish Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

Had a great time here while in town for business and we picked the place just because it was next to my hotel .... What a nice surprise , good beer and really good food and even live music mid week . I think we got lucky and got the last table squeezed in the corner and just had the best time . Great , friendly staff . I ordered the curry and it was fantastic .... Spicy as heck , and the lady warned me about that too ! Really tasty and memorable read more

Delicious scotch egg! Loved the fries that came with my ham and Brie sandwich! Great meal with a beer for less than $40. We love that :). Bartender was quick and kind. read more

A group of 4 of us in town for work decided to give this a try. Such a wonderful decision. We all ordered different choices from the menu but were able to try a taste of each other's dish. Holly crap!!!! Everything that was ordered was delicious! We travel all over the country, and this is hands down one of the best Irish pubs I have been to in the States. I will return here anytime I come back to South Bend. The service was fun and friendly. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for some deliciousness on a plate. read more

Fiddler's Hearth - Bangers and mash! - Irish Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

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Josh was great, and the food was good. The ambience was on point, and we'd be back for sure if we're still around the area. We got the wrong order but once they were aware they immediately remade it. Impressed with their hospitality! read more

I had a blast tonight here and I highly recommend it! I arrived in South Bend for the first time today and early, because I magically got on standby on an earlier flight and skipped a long, miserable wait in O'Hare! A friend picked me up from the airport and drove me around. She mentioned that I should consider coming here for one of my meals. I decided tonight was perfect! When I walked in, I immediately was taken back to Doolin, Ireland where I brought my flute four years ago and played with the musicians who were jamming out and playing jigs at Gus O'Connor's pub (a bucket list experience for me). Also, I played in an Irish folk band called Ptarmigan when I was in college/grad school in Austin at Waterloo Ice House, and this brought me back. I put my name on the sign-in list and wrote "over 21" so I could sit at any table in the establishment. I was open to sitting at the bar but it was packed! It did not take long to get seated at a table that backed up to the musicians' circle. I sat facing the bar/TV, and Sam took good care of me. I started with a pint of Champagne Velvet, a pilsner from Upland Brewing in Bloomington, IN. It was smooth. I ordered the shepherds pie and got the cheddar topping, totally worth it. It came so fast, piping hot in a little cast iron pan. It was SO good. I asked Sam for a glass of water and to change the channel on the TV I was facing to the ALCS game. He tasked the pub's owner with that, and it was very difficult to find TBS so it took a minute, but eventually it was on in time for me to see Bregman's 3 run homer that ended up winning the game for the 'Stros. I was quite happy with the music, food, and ambiance, so I ordered another pint of champagne velvet. It was a fantastic evening, and I would definitely come back here for all of the reasons (service, atmosphere, food, beer, Irish music)!!! Sliante! read more

Fiddler's Hearth - Champagne velvet - Irish Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

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I've never been to Ireland but this is what I would imagine the vibe is. Loved the music although it wasn't live tonight. Fish, shrimp and mashed potatoes were delicious. read more

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Their French fries are absolutely delicious. I have been going here for many years and couldn't recommend a better Irish pub in the area.

We came in on a Sunday and each of us enjoyed our meals. We had the bangers and mash, the corned beef and cabbage, and the fish and chips. Everything was delicious! The server was delightful! read more