a dive like no other. there was a a massive thunderstorm, a sold out show in the music hall, & the brewery was out of my favorites. needless to say my sister and i were literally pushed in to this bar after a massive wind & thunderstorm barreled down lancaster ave. the wind LITERALLY blew us into this bar. im always in the ardmore area hanging out with my cousin Bill, but we had never been here. this time i arrvied with my sister on a whim. this is clearly their local 'hole in the wall' it gives philly in the hardest ways: city wide special, chicken wings from a random kitchen, paid by the song jukebox on the wall, people taking shots of jagger.... it's perfect. please ask for Joe, Aileen, or Mary (these names could be completely wrong we were tossed) they were kind, attentive and made great drinks! this is a family run business and we hope it stays that way! cheers! read more

Had lunch with my classmates from Grade school & high school. Very nice & food was delicious.

6 years ago I reviewed this place as part of a group event and said we'd be back. We kept our word. We've had our yearly group event here a few times since. In fact I'm writing this as I enjoy the appetizer buffet they put out for us this year. 10 bucks a person got us a nice buffet of chicken fingers, French fries, tomato pie, pierogi, pub style soft pretzels, and meatball sandwiches. I have to say, in this day and age of inflation, that's a tremendous deal. We did the cash bar which worked out fine for us. I will say everything was of pretty decent quality. They refreshed it as items ran out. They didn't cheap out on us. Just a solid experience. They came through for us. They have every time. read more

Jack McShea's - A fine spread - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

If I was to ever go to a bar by myself to watch a game, this is where I would go. (Note that this is highly unlikely since I don't know --or care -- who's playing.) The folks here are friendly and the proprietor is happy to have you hang out over drinks. Anyway.... We remembered that Jack McShea's is a good place to go for a quick bite. When I order a burger I want it the way I want it: medium rare. They listen, and it came out great. (Look how thick the burger is! I cut it horizontally and took half home.) I don't think salad is available as a side without an up-charge. (It used to be.) So I went with fries which were skinny, seasoned and pretty good. When I asked T why he rated his Reuben 3.5, he said the meat was a bit fatty, but obviously not too fatty since he gobbled the whole thing down! I drank a glass of $6 house cab. It wasn't the best. My husband's beer was $3. Good prices! And the table at the window is great for watching passers-by. read more

Jack McShea's - Hamburger and fries - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

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The new Pizza offering is wonderful. Crust is shades of Chicago style but better. Let's call it Gaelic style! Service was excellent as well. Thought I was back in Galway with long lost family! read more

Friendly establishment with a great bar right across from Ardmore Music Hall. We had a great experience here prior to seeing our favorite band, Fat Mezz, at Ardmore Music Hall. Really appreciated the great service and camaraderie of the staff. read more

This is my favorite pub in Ardmore now that that much loved other place has gone. It's a great neighborhood bar with a wide variety of drinks and food options. Love the seafood menu and the entertainment every other Wednesday. Staff is always great! read more

Jack McShea's catered our open house yesterday at Visiting Angels in Havertown and the food was outstanding! We had a spread including hummus & pita, a cheese tray, cheese steak sliders, pigs in a blanket, shrimp cocktail and caprese skewers. Everyone LOVED the food and we cannot recommend McShea's enough for your event. We will certainly use them again! read more

Jack McShea's - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

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Went here for football Sunday to watch World Cup soccer and shoot some pool. Haven't been here in ages but i really wanted to play pool and there aren't many tables in the area. We were warmly greeted by the bartender and grabbed some brews while we looked over the lunch menu. Ended up getting the pub burger which was very good, and came with a boatload of fries. We had a couple beers and chatted with some of the others at the bar, it was a very friendly atmosphere. We eventually moved to the pool table and met some more people, playing doubles with them for an hour or so. 1.00 a game, the table is pretty level and there are a couple decent cues. Plenty of TVs everywhere here. Definitely be back to shoot some more pool and I want to try the smash burger next time, nice local bar. read more

And now, another entry in my "Dining in the Age of Corona" series: Jack McShea's for dinner. As you can see from my previous reviews, this is a longtime favorite restaurant. They previously did not do anything with takeout or delivery so I knew patience was needed as they worked out their process. The ordering experience was fairly easy and straightforward using an app on their site. We were hungry and so it was a big order, and we were thrilled to be able to get beer delivered with our food too! Delivery was not fast, again, big order, new process, but it was still quite warm and everything was well packaged. It's been about two weeks since we got our order and so I expect things will be smoother. The food? YUMMMMMMMM. OK first, the meatballs. I think they have kidnapped one of my Italian aunts because those meatballs in the meatball grinder were as good as any of them make, and that is saying something. They were perfect, nice seasoning, dense without being chewy. The Triple Decker Grilled Cheese with prime rib was likewise amazing, the NMA devoured it. They always do a great cheesesteak and this was not disappointing. The only light spots were the appetizers, crab quesadilla and Panzerotti were good, but not the rockstars of the meal. Salad was fresh, crisp with just the right amount of dressing on the side. We loved the beer - the one thing that slightly threw us was that they 'recycled' six pack holders so they didn't match the beer itself, totally fine, a moment of confusion but all is well and I like that they re-use stuff. Who cares what the holder says? Victory Brewing Golden Monkey FTW. We are definitely ordering from them again, maybe we'll pickup as we need the exercise anyhow to work off all the calories. They're good people running this place who we are happy to support. read more

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Hm. Citywides. Good pub food. One of those Touchtunes jukeboxes you can take over. Billiards. People who are friendly enough to play billiards with you. Yeah, we know I'd like this spot. I've been regularly meeting up with a friend who lives out in Ardmore at Jack McShea's and I haven't had a bad night there yet. They have a respectable beer selection, and VERY solid pub food. I've had their chicken sandwich (great) and their reuben (also great). Notable thing about the reuben is that the slices of corned beef in there are full-on, half-inch chonky thick slices that look like they never invested in a deli slicer. Awesome. Everything comes with very good fries as well. Probably my favorite bar in the burbs, and the food ranks well above many of the pubs that I regularly hang out at in city limits. And they have their own version of a citywide. You pay a luxury tax of like, $1, bringing the total after tip to maybe $6 or $7 but it's still worth it in these times, bro. Inflation... inflation will get ya. Billiards games cost $1 in quarters. You can get change at the bar. read more

I gave this bar 5 stars because it is what it is. It's a bar, you get your beer and a bunch of fried food. It's a simple place with a simple menu. Food was delicious, and came out hot. read more

Jack McShea's - Fish and Chips - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

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The music was awful and loud, so awful that we paid to put stuff on the juke box just to get a temporary break. Couldn't hear each other talk during dining hours. The wings were garbage, the nachos were such garbage that I asked for them to be taken off the bill. They tasted like they sat under the warmer for 20 minutes before they came out (our wings came out 15 min before the nachos). No fresh topping except for some scallions. Chips were stale. The salsa was disgusting and not fresh. The service sucked. Left and am getting food somewhere else. read more

Jack McShea's - Nachos - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Food was mediocre. Sandwich was dry. Ambiance is cozy & easy to get to. Service was friendly and efficient. read more

A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is from Irish mythology. To hell with a pot of gold! It should be this excellent corned beef sandwich! On a recent Saturday I blew in around noon for lunch. Note there is a decent public parking lot with cheap meters just west of the restaurant and on the same side of the street. The atmosphere was completely as expected. This is a faux Irish bar just like a thousand others across the country. Dark wood and a little beat up. Lots of Irish trappings scattered around. I feel comfortable in this kind of place. I sat at the bar and was greeted by Liz who turned out to be an excellent bartender and waitress. I love it when a bartender is a good conversationalist and Liz was just that. I perused the limited lunch menu and a hot corned beef sandwich ($9) caught my eye. I was elated to see it came with house-cut fries. I am so tired of frozen fries from a bag! When I see that fries are house-cut I start drooling. My sandwich arrived quickly and it was way beyond expectations. It was packed with hot and tender beef that was perfectly cured. And then there was this mountain of delicious house-cut fries. It was a little embarrassing but I moaned with pleasure a couple of times. For $9 it was a very good value. People joke about chasing after a rainbow to get that pot of gold. I'd run faster for this sandwich! read more

Jack McShea's - OMG massive delicious corned beef sandwich with a mountain of house cut fries for $9! - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Love, Love, Love this bar! The food is outstanding - really good quality burger, great bar food apps that aren't greasy (specifically the chicken fingers are my favorite). I think the food here is underestimated, it's really delish, and a hidden gem in Ardmore. The staff is really fun and friendly, always ready to suggest a good beer on tap or mix up a drink. My husband & I threw our welcome party here to kick off our wedding weekend. We rented the entire bar out and Neil threw us the best party, with a delicious food (and tons of it!), and made us feel super special. My favorite thing to do is to go there to watch the Eagles play on Sundays - be sure to get there early because it gets crowded. read more

Jack McShea's - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

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This is the absolute worst place I have ever eaten in my entire life. The fries were cold and stuck together, the quesadilla were microwaved, the drinks were weak. We got no utensils,no napkins, and the waitress was beyond rude. Absolutely never again. If I could give negative stars I would. I think maybe prison has better food. UPDATE.. very possible food poisoning. read more

While I've been to Jack McShea's a few times for drinks, it wasn't until the recent pandemic that I had their food. We ordered food for delivery. We shared the crab cake sandwich and cheese steak. They both came with hand cut fries. And oh my, the fries were amazing. Still hot an crispy when they arrived, they were so good. The crab cake sandwich was huge and not overall stuffed with breading in the mix. The roll was divine. The cheese steak was ok, a little on the salty side, but still good. Maybe the kitchen was just a little heavy handed that day seasoning the steak, but loved the shaved beef and had a good meat to cheese ratio. Great meal, not the healthiest as you can imagine, but hit the spot. read more

Jack McShea's. Just saying the name evokes happiness. Why? Because it's a mainline staple which I believe is still family run that has a nice beer selection and great food. Jack's is the perfect place to meet up with friends because there is plenty of seating both at the bar and at various tables. And everyone knows where Jack McShea's is. There is always a game on with easy viewing. Parking is a snap in the municipal lot in back of McShea's and situated to the right. The Multiple times I dined there in 2017 either with friends, the honey, or with my daughter have all been pleasant experiences with some really great food choices. The last time was NYE around 4pm- a kind of slow, before the rush time and yet service was attentive and the food was up to its usually really good standards. Frigid it was out and I, having cabin fever met up a fellow Yelper to watch the game. It was a good place to eat , have a beer or 2 while watching the Eagles game. read more

Jack McShea's - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

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Come to jack mcshea's and you will be welcomed with great staff who are smiling and ready to serve you. The menu hosts any kind of beer and simple heartwarming comfort food. My friend quipped "It will be a Good base for booze you might want to toss in your belly at the show across the street at the ardmore music all." My dinner partners ordered the Addictive Irish pierogies and kielbasa with housemade purple cabbage and sauerkraut. Give it a couple shakes of salt and you're in heaven. I had a lump crabmeat quesadillas which were priced well and pretty decent. I liked our cute server man who seems to be happy to work today... Maybe he is the owner!? read more

Jack McShea's - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

I'm sort of confused about how to feel about this place because our experience started out horribly and ended amazingly! My boyfriend and I stopped in here to take a study break. We knew the chances of a quick meal were bleak when it took a solid 15 minutes to be seated, and another 15 for a server to stop by and take our drink order. I was honestly ready to get up and leave by that point, as I glanced around from our cramped table that gave us no view of the TV (sports bar fail)? However, our waiter for the rest of the evening really picked up the slack. He was super hilarious and made sure our food was brought out quickly after our initial frustration. To top it off, the wings here are the bomb and we really enjoyed our entrées as well. My friends swear by the bar service here but I'm hesitant to return. If it wasn't for that one waiter that slew us with his customer service skills, I'd be giving three stars, or less. read more

Jack McShea's - The chicken quesadilla was killer! - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

While I don't love it as much as my beloved Narberth McShea's destination, I do love what the much larger bar space gives them the opportunity to do. And as long as that ranges from ample sized open mic nights, quizzo, movie nights, and then some, I'm proud to be a regular. Much like the Narberth destination the bar offers a solid menu of gastropub classics and a better than decent beer menu. But the huge horseshoe bar, multiple table areas, and overall space gives them more room to focus on the entertainment aspects that the Narb destination can't deliver pn without things getting crowded. While I easily could, I'd doubt I'd go hear to watch a specific sports event. But if I'm looking to unwind with some friends while catching a good bar movie, seeing a random show that includes a bucket of Rolling Rock special (go Tree Rats), or dominating at a night of Quizzo, I can't think of much better in the Main Line. And for that Jack McShea's is solid! read more

I didn't think it was possible to screw up Fish and Chips. These guys found a way. The fish was alright. The fries? Soggy, with lots of junk (for lack of a better term) on them. After eating the entree, I felt full. Not "pleasantly full", but more like "bloated". Ugh. Someone send in Jon Taffer. read more

Jack McShea's - Avoid the Fish and Chips - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Fun atmosphere and killer food--almost everything is made from scratch, and Chef Kaleb and the kitchen squad are awesome! The bartenders are stellar, smart, fast, and hospitable! The unofficial 'industry' bar of Ardmore -- great place to unwind after your shift! read more

Really fun local pub. The drink options are great and reasonably priced - with a large draft selection as expected. Citywide special is a fun way to kick off the weekend. This place seems to transform on weekends after 11PM - with a much younger crowd rolling in and the music transitioning to Top 40 Hip Hop/Rap. Very fun for the quiet neighborhood! Solid pub food - I recommend the fish & chips. Can't go wrong with grabbing a drink and a bite to eat here! read more

Garbage, this place sucks. From drunk bartenders and filthy bathrooms can't even imagine what the kitchen looks like. Don't want to honestly. Go to mkcloskeys down the street for a better Irish experience imo. read more

Stopped in here on game day to watch an out of market game. Plenty of tv's, decent beer prices, for game day. Staff was friendly and fairly attentive. One issue we had was trying to get onto the wifi... heaven forbid I make any fantasy trades. I asked the staff about it and she dismissed it as "oh, it's always going in and out, hahah" well, I would have stayed the whole game but without wifi or any effort put into resetting it... I couldn't waste that time on just the game. Food was tasty, the bacon perogies with a free beer were spot on. My burger was well done, stacked high with fixings and melty cheese. Fries were closer to wedge potatoes, but I love wedge potatoes so it was a win in my book... but buyer beware. Get that wifi fixed and I'd stop in more often, as well as give you guys another star. read more

Been coming here since 2014 - place sort fell apart post pandemic- been in a couple times in the last year - usually just one person doing both the bar and waiting on tables - no idea what's going on in the kitchen- couple time my wife and I had awesome fish and chips and corn beef and cabbage our most recent visit with another couple was a complete mess - again just one person handling the bar and waiting on tables - waited an hour for our food - and when it arrived the 3 orders of fish and chips were burnt my burger was fine - but the entire experience was disappointing. Hope they can turn it around, it was our go to place for beers and a quick bite on Friday night. I have heard that folks from McShea's in Narberth- which is closed now - are coming to Jack's - hope that's true. read more

Classic small town pub and a great place to meet up with friends, to watch the game or to have a snow day. Neil (and his bar family - not really sure who is related to who) is a very hands on owner who makes you feel right at home. Keep an eye open for Neil's home baked pretzels that randomly pop up on the bar. Once wound up drinking tequila with Robert Randolph and his bass player at McSheas long after the Ardmore Music Hall closed for the evening. Bands have been known to drop in after a show. McShea's is a great complement to the funky Ardmore scene of Irish Pubs, Hipster Beer, Craft Cocktails, French Restaurants and live music. McSheas pours a good drink and has a good selection of draft and bottled beer...great wings and stupid big sandwiches. They also have a dart board, which is a solid drinking sport. The Pub is kid friendly as a neighborhood pub should be, Nice collection of locals and people passing through or seeing a show across the street. read more

We stopped in here around 8:00 on a Thursday night. It wasn't busy at all, maybe 12 people at the bar, the bar is pretty long. There was only one girl working, she came over got our drink order, my mom asked for lemons for her Diet Coke. She brings the drinks back, no lemons...so my mom asks again. The waitress said oh yea I'll grab them, then took our order. We order....load fries, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, cheesesteak egg rolls and wings at 8:15. We sat there, empty drinks after five minutes, and the food finally came out around 8:55. Mind you no other food had come out of the kitchen while we were there. We had to go up to the bar to ask the waitress for refills. She didn't come to check on us, see how the food turned out, or even give us napkins,plates or silverware. Ive been a server, I have about 6 years of experience and my mom who was with us has over 20 years of experience. We couldn't believe that the waitress didn't coke to check on us, offer us refills or give us anything to eat the food with. We've both have worked busy nights in restaurants and it was not busy at all at this place. So either try to hire new people or have more than one person on a Thursday evening. Only reason this places gets two stars is because the wings were good, the fries came out cold and we're definitely old!!! Probably won't be returning read more

The cheesesteaks were amazing. The staff did a great job enforcing social distancing and you could pull up the menu through your phone once you sat down. Overall very chill, but glad they took it seriously. read more

This business has no covid precautions in place. It is also shameful for Yelp to issue a statement about how the businesses are "doing the best they can" during covid when writing a one star review. Jack McShea's "best" would then be a bartender WITHOUT a mask on. She smoked a cigarette with the entrance door half open so the entire bar smelled and proceeded to wait tables without washing her hands after said cigarette. I will never be returning. If you want to dine in 2021 - where people are aware of a pandemic - this is not the place for you. read more

Used to live in Ardmore and really enjoyed coming here after work for happy hour or the late night menu. (&The sauce that comes with the fries is heavenly!) But, came back into town for the first time in awhile and was really disappointed by the prices for very simple beverages. And when questioning if it was rung in properly (as a former bartender, I get it, we can make mistakes), I was told $5 (shot of malibu) and $7.50 (double in pint) for a whopping $12.50 was the price of my double Malibu and Coke. Frustrating to say the least. Lots of options on Lancaster, will be pursuing others next time I'm in town. read more

Do NOT sleep on Jack McShea's. This place is awesome. My boyfriend and I wanted to go out for my birthday dinner and could not find a place without a long wait. We went to Jack McShea's and were seated immediately. There only seemed to be one person on staff to serve both the bar and booth customers, but this guy was MOVIN'. He took care of our table while also keeping up with a packed bar. There was music on and basketball games playing- the vibes were incredible. And the food was FANTASTIC!! I ordered a chicken cheese steak and fries and it was unlike any cheesesteak that I had had before- definitely the best. I would go back here in a heart beat. read more

Two experiences here, one outshadowing the other. First experience was good - nice meal with some friends on a Saturday night. Good service...decent food (though the menu is a bit sparce). Had the mushroom quesadilla and was happy. Second experience: This weekend I popped in with my beau to watch the Flyers battle the Penguins since the game was on cable, which I am without. The place was empty except for about 10 other folks, who were all clearly there to watch the game. Why did they have the best of 70's rock on instead of the game commentary? It is a bit dull to watch a hockey game without the sound. People kept coming and going and I have a feeling it was because of that. We finished our food and left to go to one of the many Irish-y bars around the corner that had the game on, but I would have gladly stayed and spent more money if they had the game volume up. Also the sweet potato fries were way too sweet. Not sure they need to add sugar to them. read more

Recently moved to the area and have been looking for our "go to spot". Me and my husband have found it! We came in just to grab drinks and a bite to eat on a Wednesday night, I got a burger which was okay while my hubby grabbed a cheesesteak. They had my favorite beer (nugget nectar) and I was in heaven. After we finished eating we decided to stay and have a few more drinks. Our bartender (Colleen) was awesome and super helpful! She made us the best old fashions and we were feeling great! We decided to leave once the quizzo started, but all in all it was a great experience. When we were trying to figure out what to do the next night, it was easy, we came right back to jack mcsheas! This time me and Marc just split a couple apps! The mozzarella sticks were typical but the wings were very good well done (thanks for the heads up Colleen)! Again we had nugget nectars and old fashions, looks like I have a go to order already! Overall, the food is pretty decent for a pub type atmosphere and the service is top notch! Until next time Jack McSheas... cheers! read more

Wednesday March 14, 2012 - 6:30 PM I sampled the food of this "new" establishment formerly occupied by J.R. Monaghan's. The "new" restaurant is titled "Jack McShea's and, of course, Irish-themed . If the surname sounds familiar you'd be correct. "McShea's" is the same Narberth taproom that has been serving pub fare since 1996. In the spirit of transparency, I've never dined at the Narberth location but, have wanted to try it. I enjoyed the complimentary warm crab and cracker appetizer. I had to restrain myself from not eating much because I "had" to have the "crab" soup - worth the wait. The chicken cheese steak with fries was good. The server was friendly and patient with my questions. I predict this will a very popular choice for casual, relaxed, fun dining. read more

Awful! The first time I tried this place I wasn't really loving the crabcake sandwich. Tonight was truly awful - both the food and service. We waited at least 45 minutes for a pea soup starter. I usually like pea soup, but their version was one of the worst things I've ever eaten in my life. It wasn't even hot - barely lukewarm. We waited at least another 30 minutes before the waitress told us that another server had made off with my niece's chicken dish, so it would be another 10 minutes. Eventually (after more than 10 minutes) the meals arrived. At that point, the waitress was profusely apologizing to my sister and niece about the wait. She asked if she could bring them anything else. Meanwhile, I was sitting there with absolutely no food whatsoever. She had completely forgotten my order, which was simply a basket of (very expensive $7) sweet potato fries. I was told that she had been distracted by the chicken and forgot about them; it would be another 10 minutes to make a fresh batch. My sister's steak had a pile of horseradish just grated on top of it. It wasn't a sauce, or placed on the side - just what looked like a pile of raw, solid horseradish on the top, and no sauce. My niece said her chicken was good. I admit the fries were very good when they eventually came, but the saga I went through to get a horrendous bowl of pea soup and some sweet potato fries was pretty insane. If I ever go there again, it will be for the weekly Irish music and a beer - I'll be sure to eat at home first. read more

Annemarie is the greatest on Sundays. She will handle all of your special requests for your specialty drinks. She is very accommodating to all of my needs behind the bar. If you're in or around Ardmore on a Sunday, stop by to see her. read more

Jack McShea's - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

This is a weird little spot in Ardmore. They pour a generous drink and have a typical bar menu for food. Unfortunately, the food is subpar. Is it my imagination, or do all Irish pubs in the US deliberately serve poorly prepared food on purpose? I have been to many Irish pubs in Ireland and Northern Ireland and all took great care preparing their food. Why can't we do that here? It is a little dark and there are too many TVs around the room for my liking but that may just be my personal preference speaking. I found the service to be okay but it was a slow night so the waitresses spent too much time chatting each other up rather than attending to the customers. At one point, the owner?, came in and started rearranging the bar stock while I was eating dinner which was annoying. In the bathroom were huge signs saying employees must wash their hands, don't drive under the influence, and another one touting the latest lager special. Odd and weird. The place was absolutely dead on a Wednesday night at 6 pm. My food was a bit burnt and rather greasy. The hamburger bun was stale. It took forever to get my food and I was the only customer who ordered food. Three stars for for a bar, one for food, two stars for service. read more

Jack McShea's - Interior shot from the street. - American Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania