Best shepard's pie of my life, amen. So rich and everything that's missing in other pies. Don't share it :) Definitely go here for home cooked meal vibe. read more

Finnegan's - Irish Near Me - Galway, G

The service was good and the Shepard's Pie was okay. However, the lamb stew was fairly tasteless and all the accompanying vegetables were boiled to the point that they had no taste at all. I would not go back. This was one of those stereotypical bland and tasteless meals that left us disappointed. read more

Soo, this place was a dud for me. The food wasn't great. Looked like Grandma Emma's living room. Our server seemed like she wasn't having a great day. Good history though being one of the oldest pubs in Galway. read more

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3.5/5 overall. It was a good quick lunch spot but the food wasn't anything special. We probably wouldn't come back here. read more

Finnegan's - Irish Near Me - Galway, G

Really beautiful medieval building which was just lovely. Super affordable restaurant. Got the Irish breakfast and everything was grand, coffee and orange juice are a nice bonus. Service was lovely as well and I left stuffed to the brim. Thanks! read more

Finnegan's - Outside - Irish Near Me - Galway, G

Very friendly service! Excellent Guiness Beef stew and beef lasagna! Serving sizes were spot on! Bathrooms are really clean and well stocked. Quite cozy atmosphere and tight quarters, but totally worth it! read more

I visited here yesterday with my family. We sat down outside and first impressions of the servers attitudes were not good. It's as if you were a hindrance from the get go. She just slapped the menus on the table and took off. I realise that Galway is busy most of the year but the owner should hire more staff and friendly ones at that. I hesitated in ordering because of the cold welcome we got but we decided to order and I ordered the set menu of a dinner and dessert and tea. The shepherds pie was one of the nicest I have ever tasted. I never got the dessert and tea and just paid accordingly at the end. The rest of the food ordered was also nice albeit the wait we had. Would I go back again, most definitely not. read more

This was below all standards in many ways. We had dinner in this place and food was very low quality. Irish stew looked like made few days ago (grey, sticky, no taste). Shepherd's Pie was tiny portion and no meat at all or microscopic pieces not visible. We ordered bottle of Malbec and waitress brought open bottle which was full up to neck so presumably we got so called "leftover bottle" consisting all kind of wines collected together. Top of that waitress tried to charge 1 euro more for all dishes and wine, when we asked that, waitress mumbled something about new menus not yet published. She took off this extra charge. Never again to this place! read more

Only the Irish would serve potatoes three ways on the same plate and consider that haute cuisine. Jamie W. and I were on our way back from the Cliffs of Moher on our last night in Galway and had no idea where to eat. We had the bus driver drop us off near Shop Street since that's where things seemed to be happening at night. It was raining, and we felt sorry for the forlorn people holding up sandwich boards to the restaurants nearby since they were getting drenched as they were texting on their smartphones. The rain must have brought out our need for comfort food, and that's how we ended up at Finnegan's. It's a relatively unassuming place in a medieval building that looked as if it had been redecorated sometime back in the 1960's. We were led to the empty second floor thinking maybe that the sight of a same-sex couple may have been too intrusive on the more gregarious first floor. No matter as the dining room started to fill up soon after we sat down. Looking at a robust menu of traditional Irish fare, we shared an appetizer, the Garlic Mushrooms with Salad. Unfortunately they don't disclose that they're breaded and deep-fried and that the salad included a pile of cole slaw (photo: http://bit.ly/2eFU2As). At the same time, they were piping hot and a tad too greasy for my taste. The mushrooms came with my entree, the €14.95 Roast Breast of Chicken with Pepper Sauce, and that's when all those potatoes arrived - two scoops of mashed, a handful of new potatoes presumably boiled and cubed potatoes mixed with the carrots and cabbage (photo: http://bit.ly/2fioMsj). The chicken was actually quite succulent as if butter was slathered on the inside somehow. Jamie went for the €9.90 Homemade Irish Beef Lasagne, tasty enough and also piping hot but also dwarfed by a huge pile of fries (photo: http://bit.ly/2fivuRz). Yes, more potatoes please. We were getting quite full but not enough for us not to order the €4.95 Finnegan's Famous Irish Coffee (photo: http://bit.ly/2fiwllr). Now that was a winner and a smooth finish to our meal. We weren't looking forward to facing the rain, but at least Finnegan's kept us warm while it lasted. FOOD - 3 stars...it was indeed comfort food with not culinary adornment but a whole lotta spuds AMBIANCE - 3 stars...like a rugby club cafeteria SERVICE - 3.5 stars...attentive enough TOTAL - 3 stars...no-frills Irish fare and plenty of it if you're hungry read more

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My husband and I stopped in Finnegan's for a very late dinner....we arrived 10 minutes before closing without realizing it, but were happily welcomed and seated. The dining area was quiet, with only two other tables of people. We ordered a Guinness and Bulmer's to drink. I ordered the chicken goujons (basically chicken fingers, but way better!!!) and my husband ordered the fish & chips. Great meals had by both! We were happy we found this place off the beaten path. read more

Did a day tour to Cliffs of Moher and stopped in the town of Gallway on the way back. Finnegan's was recommended by our tour guide....traditional Irish food for as little as 10 Euros and large portions. My friends and I ordered the vegetable soup which was delicious. It was a cream based broth served with sides of soda bread and that amazing Irish butter. Our main meal was Beef lasagne and Shepherd's pie. Although the serving sizes were huge, the meat was bland. My recommendation is to stick with the vegetable soup and bread...it's thick and hearty and will fill you up. read more

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Hm. Other reviewers seemed to enjoy their visit, which makes me wonder if a) they ordered something off a secret menu, b) they have a very low bar set for food, c) I'm a jerk. Well, I can be picky and so can my wife, but I think together we're fair judges of food, and we were by no means applying the same rigor to pub food as we might to a nice restaurant. This food just wasn't any good. At all. I make a lovely Shepherd's Pie at home and have been wanting to eat a good one here in Ireland (spoiler alert: this wasn't it), so we opted to split one. We also got a side salad and a side of chips. The chips (or fries, if you're an American reading this) were the best part of the meal inasmuch as they were chips. You know. Nothing wrong there. The salad made me sad. It was a dingy and lifeless plate of iceberg with a clump of onion all in one place and some corn scattered festively over the top. No dressing. We ate it because it was vegetable and vegetable is good for you. But it was sort of like punishment. Re: the shepherd's pie. Okay, first of all, if we're being picky, it was actually cottage pie. That is, it was made with ground beef rather than lamb. I mean, no biggie - most Americans sure wouldn't know the difference but I figured they might in Ireland. I wanted the lamb! But it didn't make much of a difference. What we got was a tureen of undifferentiated meat goo covered with tasteless mash and tasteless gravy. It looked and tasted like cafeteria food. On the side were some small boiled potatoes, a small pile of boiled carrots and potatoes, and scoop of mashed potatoes. I get it: Ireland has a lot of potatoes. But we didn't need all of them on one plate. It was really quite disappointing; like salty tapioca pudding in flavor and texture. I asked if they had any HP sauce to help it along, but they didn't, although we were pointed to a plastic packet of "brown sauce" (both a description and a name - how efficient!) that tasted a bit like branston pickle but without any of the chunks. Weird. I have no particular complaints about the service, although it was not particularly friendly. It just wasn't remarkably slow or UNfriendly. Fine. Anyone who rated this place as fantastic probably had a few pints of Guinness in them first (my fault: I should've done the same). Those who called it "no-frills" and "inexpensive" were correct, but I don't know about "tasty." It's a skip for me, thank you. Sadly... I've had better pub food at Irish pubs in America. read more

Finnegan's - Sad salad, chips, boiled veg, and meat goo covered in cafeteria-style mash and salty brown stuff (they were calling it "Shepherd's Pie"). =/ - Irish Near Me - Galway, G

Recommended by the Lonely Planet, every table of this restaurant had a copy of this book. No joke! It supposedly attracts an Irish clientele, but when I was here it was all tourists. One thing that the guide book did get right was that the food is authentic. Every meal comes with two kinds of vegetables (cabbage and carrots) and two kinds of potato ( mashed and roast). Just like my boyfriend's Irish mother makes! I ordered the roast pork and it came with gravy and apple sauce. I wish that the meat wasn't so dry and overcooked, but boiling the bejaysus out of things is what the Irish do best. The best thing about Finnegan's is that mains cost 10 Euro. I didn't need to order dessert because I was so full. The service was decent as well. Two foreign girls were working on the floor and they were polite and efficient. Overall, this restaurant is a pleasant experience. Nothing fancy, but decent. read more

Finnegan's - Irish Near Me - Galway, G

While in Ireland, I was on a bit of a fish & chips binge, I guess you could say. Out of every place I had fish & chips over the course of 11 days, this was by far the least appetizing. We began by ordering two Guinness and asked to look over the menu. We didn't receive our Guinness for at least 10 minutes after being greeted. Shortly after ordering- each of us requesting fish & chips and a salad, we received our salads which were quite lackluster. I don't think I've ever made such a dull salad- even when I was hungover. The fish honestly tasted like it was frozen and just microwaved, such a huge disappointment. I had done a quick search upon arriving in Galway where we could find the best fish&chips and this was one of the listed spots, so we went for it. In retrospect, I would have asked around for a suggestion from one of the locals. The service was average, nothing to write home about. The one cool thing I found right before we left, was what could only be described as a vintage whiskey vending machine up by the front. Probably exclusive to this tiny place in Ireland-but it was really cool! read more

Finnegan's - The whiskey vending machine - Irish Near Me - Galway, G

This was one of two places we found in Galway that was open for breakfast. The service was very friendly and helpful, and the food tasted great. It's tucked away on a street that tends to be a little quieter than the Shop St area, so it was great for a little break from the hustle and bustle. read more

We went here on a recommendation from another restaurant, looking for authentic Irish food. Superb Irish Stew, loaded on the plate were 3 other veggies. We ate so much, there was no room for dessert. This was Irish food at its best, and good Guinness as well. read more

Great late lunch, sat outside as we had our dog with us. The waitress offered him a bowl of water straight away and brought him a snack too.. even before we ordered they were always going to get 5 stars for this alone. Lamb chops, mash and veg and a veg curry with rice. Perfect. I would say basic but solid.. Staff as mentioned above 5 star. Atmosphere was lovely. Great spot off Shop street to get away from the crowds. Prices very reasonable and portions are generous. Toilets well maintained. Will make a point of coming to try the breakfast next time. Thank you! read more

You get a lot of bang for your buck here. Good deals with very large portions. The food was not bad. I had the bangers and mash. The sausage melted in your mouth and was very good.b they have 5 big spoonfuls of mash which were pretty good. Overall I would come back for a good cheapish meal compared to the rest of the area. The place was a little cozy with good service. read more

Finnegan's - Bangers and mash - Irish Near Me - Galway, G

I guess I wasn't prepared for almost every restaurant in Ireland having beef lasagna on the menu, so I tried theirs just to say I had it while I was here. The lasagna was decent, and came with a salad and fries (or chips as they call them.) I can eat fries with anything, so I was pretty happy about this. The wife for the Irish stew. She loved the stew, but said it came with too many sides. I remember potatoes, cabbage, and probably 2 other things on the plate. We also had the fried mushrooms, but with chili sauce (yum) instead of the garlic-mayo you see everywhere in Ireland (gross.) For desert, the profiteroles, and they were small enough to be great without being too filling. Also, we got the chance to listen to these 2 old Irish guys having a conversation about... something.. we couldn't understand them... and had a great time laughing at that. The service was not that great. The lady didn't really seem to enjoy life that much, and was very short with us. I would go back, and just hope to get a different server next time. read more

Good, hearty Irish food at a fantastic price. Yep, if you're looking for a fine feed in Galway then look no further. You can get mains here(lasagne, shepherd's pie, Irish bacon & cabbage etc.) for just €6.90! And before you ask, the portions are BIG. They also do a special of Soup + Main Meal + Tea/coffee for €10! Needless to say we filled ourselves before leaving, and our wallets also thanked us for visiting. Service was warm, efficient and friendly and there was nobody rushing you out the door when you were finished. All in all, well worth a go, it's time to reward places like this that make an effort. read more

This place was on my list when we were staying at Galway. Very cool spot, I loved their theme. We went close to an hour before closing but the ladies were in no rush. Got ourselves Guinness, a panini and sausages. Their servings are HUGE! We were full and we still had some leftover which our server was more than happy to pack for us. Would highly recommend this place! read more

Food was very bland!! Irish stew massive disappointment. No juice very dry and Mush on a plate. Boiled bacon and cabbage was no better. Think twice before eating here!!! read more

This is the place to come for a Full Irish Breakfast or in my case a "full veggie breakfast" which they serve all day long and is really good! I got the veggie lasagne here once and it was a pretty standard Irish-style lasagne served with a lashing of chips of course...which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think of Finnegan's as a the kind of food I used to eat when I spent a lot of time with my parents...which again isn't a bad thing! But come here for the breakfast ;-) read more

Decent Irish food, a little bland on the seasoning, but they serve you a lot. The staff were quite nice, contrary to what the other reviews say. Located right next to a major pedestrian street/shopping area. I went with my family of five and this place seemed well suited for older children. read more

I came here a sunday morning in search of a "traditional irish breakfast", as mentioned in some guidebook. Openening at 11am, this tavern-style pub did not dissapoint. Although we were the first ppl through the door, within 15mins the place was packed with locals... For €8.50 you get a full breakfast which was absolutley fantastic! I fully recommend this place for a cooked breakfast. read more

Had a great time! We had the shepherds pie and absolutely loved it!! I wish I could have gotten the recipe one of the best shepherds pie I've had!! read more

Finnegan's - Shepherds pie - Irish Near Me - Galway, G

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Food definitely Irish, all deep fried, no fresh salads (just some tasteless tomatoes and lettuce), tasteless, not even enough salt added. Vegetables? What vegetables? Just cooked carrots (with the addition of SODA to keep colour) Staff - not taking care of hygiene, with runny noses sneezing in your food. It is cheap, but if you wannt cheap food, you can go to MacDonalds. On one occassion there was a toilet blocked just weeks ago, and the kitchen staff were told to keep working even if the pipe bursted onto the kitchen floor. Only when we, customers noticed the filth coming onto the restaurant, did the owners closed down the place. Disgusting, tasteless, not hygienic - dirt and filth. If you want to eat Irish, just go, once, and then you know all about Irish food. and service. read more

My husband and I simply had to visit this restaurant due to a similarly named restaurant in our hometown. It has a very rustic atmosphere in a location that once was an old house. Its large hearth is its central feature. Below there's the bar and some tables while on the second floor there is extra seating for larger groups or overflow from below. The menu offers a decent amount of choices. I had the Irish lasagna while my husband had their BBQ ribs and mashed potatoes. Let's just say the portions were large. We also indulged in a dessert (a puff pastry decadence with cream for me and apple pie with ice cream for my husband) as well as a Guiness and Irish coffee. Walking out of there incredibly satisfied, it cost us only 37 euro. We were quite shocked at how generous and delicious the food was for the price. read more

The food is really good, they have a really nice vegetarian lasagna. However, the staff are always extremely rude and have made me feel uncomfortable every time ive been in there by myself. Ive stopped going in purely for this reason. Ive talked to afew people i know and they wont go in for the same reason. Its a pity because the food is good and its one of the few places i can get a vegetarian lasagna read more

Don't go for the fine dining (you wont find it) - go for the no-frills, hearty, inexpensive, tasty food.

the food and atmosphere in this restaurant was outstanding. I had the shepherds pie and my bf had the chicken. it was one of the bet meals we have both ever had. the staff were wonderful. the irish cream cheesecake is TO DIE FOR!!!! read more

Good basic food but stick to traditional meals. Always a good sign when the place is full of locals.

Traditional Irish restaurant in an historic building off of Eyre Square. Definitely not a pub - no music and exceedingly quiet despite being almost full. Menu mixes traditional Irish fare with odd mix of Italian and American dishes. Food was less than impressive. Staff was pleasant but harried. Prices were reasonable but we won't be back. read more

I liked the two story building with the medieval fireplace upstairs. The food was just ok. You get a TON for your money

Solid food, good location in a nice area of Galway, reasonable in price.

Quick! Name a restaurant that seems to exist in both my hometown and in Galway. 1. McDonalds. True, but so what - I ain't going there no matter what. 2. Finnegans. Yes, this is the answer I was looking for. Back home it is less than a mile away - close enough that my wife go there on a regular basis - specifically Tuesday nights to partake in trivia contests (we do well, thanks for asking). Not coincidentally, it plays up its Irish name, including Guinness (there is a difference in quality between what you get in Ireland and the States, so it's not an old wives' tale), and a giant clock counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds (!) until the next time it opens - on March 17. Beyond that, though, its credentials as an Irish restaurant are somewhat questionable - apart from maybe a stew, their menu features an array of hamburgers, flatbreads and salads. And it's certainly costly to eat at the local pub - but that is most assuredly not the case at the Galway version. For under E40 we got: * Full meals (one BBQ ribs and one lasagna) * Drinks (beer and ice tea) * Desserts (apple pie and cream puffs) At the American equivalent, you'd really have to press to get the full meals under $40 - and you'd probably have to squelch on the tip, which of course is already included (along with the applicable taxes) in the list price. Like many a building in Europe, the floors are not consistent, so one has to take the stairs whenever progressing from Point A to Point B. But that's part of the charm. Waitstaff was decent enough, but the reason this place doesn't earn the coveted fifth star? We wanted clothing proof we'd been there, but were told that, due to management decree, no Finnegans merchandise was available. read more

As a student in a city in Ireland with its soaring prices, it's extremely hard to find a restaurant with decent food, for decent prices. But for me, Finnegans is the place. I found it because a friend lives nearby and the menu happened to catch my eye, because of its great value menu. Finnegans is located in the perfect spot. Just off shop street so it's never too busy, There is a special part of the menu where eleven meals, ranging from Lasagne to a breakfast roll, are on offer for €6.90 each. As well as this, this great value menu has a lunch special offer where you can get two main lunch courses, ranging from homemade vegetable soup and homemade Shepard's Pie to homemade vegetable soup and Irish stew. These two lunch courses come with two portions of potatoes and two portions of vegetables. That's two dinners in my eyes, and both of these for a meagre €10. €5 each? It's a steal! But if this lunch menu is too much for you, even to share, there's always the amazing light lunch deal. The light lunch special consists of homemade vegetable soup, a choice of three sandwiches with a side salad and a choice of tea, coffee or a soft drink. All for only €6.50. If this doesn't appeal to your hunger, it will at least appeal to your pocket. For a student like me to find a restaurant like this, when all I really eat is spaghetti hoops and hot chicken rolls, at such cheap prices was a dream come true. And I haven't even mentioned the extremely generous portions they give you. Plates piled high with delicious chips or potatoes and more sachets of ketchup that you could ever need (this was the selling point for me), it was perfect to fill my hungry stomach. And only cost me less than the equivalent of one hours work! The staff are always friendly, seat you in the nicest table possible, and never leave you go without vitals such as condiments and drinks. Speaking of drinks, Finnegans don't give you a small can of coke or orange with about 5 mouthfuls in it and then charge you just under two euro. No, Finnegans give you a bottle of Coca-Cola or orange for the same price you would buy it in any shop. It's the little things like this that make Finnegans a really great place to eat, breakfast, lunch or dinner. The atmosphere makes you feel at home, the constant flow of music keeps you entertained, and more than anything, you can come out of there without feeling guilty for spending so much money. I would recommend Finnegans to anyone. read more

Staff here are they worst staff I have ever come across in a restaurant which is very disappointing considering the food is good and well priced.Not once have I ever came out of here without being disgusted by the attitude of each staff member.Between gum being chewed in my face to menus been literally thrown onto our table to then not ONCE getting my order correct.They make you feel like your a burden on their life if you ask for something as small as extra sauce.After many times I have eventually given up as well as at least 10 of my regular friends deciding never to go here again!! Im so surprised after reading all the reviews on websites something as not being done about this .Appalling service. read more

Nice atmosphere, great tasting food, generous servings, good service and very reasonably priced. Friendly staff, lots of locals dining here and a nice pace when you're in-between checking out various venues for live music. read more

Massive portion size, food location, great prices, hearty Irish menu, not the best seating plan, lovely staff. Lunch menu is impressive if you really want value for money and to walk away feeling utterly stuffed. read more