McDonaghs is a no frills Fish & Chip spot that specialises in serving high quality fresh produce. I think people have an expectation that it fine dining? Its not that. Its a fish bar. If you want to sit along the busiest pedestrianised street in Galway and people watch while eating high quality food this is the place. There is seating indoors too but best enjoyed outside with friends in spring/summer. read more

Saw as a MUST visit on instagram. Long line but it moves quick. Very quick service and good delivery. Casual vibe for a quick bite. Be ready to sit with strangers. Agree with a few other reviews that the chips were overrated and the cod was just okay. Better with the garlic sauce. The sausage skewers were okay, have had better. Mushy peas were just that, without salt. But the shrimp scampi skewers were a winner! read more

Fantastic fresh chipper in Eyre Square super convenient and reasonable. Clean, efficient with a variety of fish to choose from as well as other seafoods. No alcohol. Order your meal, grab a bench or table and dive in! Great memorabilia while you wait (short time) for your food to be up. read more

it's all deep fried food and when we asked for sauce this very unfriendly staff member shouted at us we have to pay for it when we didn't mind but she was so strict you can't have it because you already paid for your food. And by the way that's not chowder your staff said it was its shite soup read more

It was recommended by our tour driver. The fish and chips was awful. I've had a lot of Fish and Chips during my visits to the UK. I wouldn't recommend. read more

This is a must eat place for Galway, so naturally I had to try it. I loved the fish and chips and the oysters were really great too. They have a grab and go area or a dinning space for you to sit at. Everything is so fresh and tasty! I'm glad I made the time to stop here. read more

McDonagh's - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

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Very good fish & chips and baked fish pie in a very busy, "quick food" place. Service was friendly. Good spot to grab a bite when the other restaurants have long waits. read more

McDonagh's was listed by Rick Steves as a quick food restaurant that the locals enjoyed at a reasonable price. Since we were in the area we decided to stop in for a fast dinner. What he didn't spell out in his recommendation was the fact that the food is average... really average. Or that there is a possibility that you may get greasy onion rings, fish or fries. The chowder was hot and good but not great. Nothing in this restaurant was great. Rick Steves was right in that the restaurant was filled with locals, the prices were reasonable and the food came out fast. So if you are in the area and want to grab some reasonably priced quick fish & chips with the locals McDonagh's is your place. read more

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Very fresh seafood! Ordered the oysters as well and wow did they do a great job. Keep doing work! read more

McDonagh's - Oysters - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

A favorite for locals and tourists alike, a trip to Galway isn't complete until you try the Fish & Chips at McDonagh's. If you've made it all the way to Galway, you're probably looking for a bit of a break from the pounding your wallet is taking across Ireland, and you just want something quick and delicious. You see it there, on Quay Street among the street performers and college students, McDonagh's, which is probably mentioned in every guide book you own. Walk inside the natutical themed restaurant straight up to the counter and order (or turn right to be seated and served), selecting your fish and any sides - if you just say fish & chips they will give you the default. The restaurant seating is on the right, so if you order from the counter sit to the left or outside (they will bring you the food). Don't let big crowds deter you as the food is cooked quickly. My girlfriend and I ordered the...wait for it...Fish & Chips, with a side of coleslaw. They're definitely doing it right here - the fish is served straight from the fryer and perfectly cooked, with a hot crispy breaded outside containing the succulent, not-messed-around-with fish. The real surprise were the fries - large cut fries lightly fried and with little to no salt, it really brought out the flavors of the potato rather than it being obscured with a salt assault like in the United States. These may be my favorite fries of all time. So your guide book isn't lying to you - McDonagh's is one of the best value places in Galway with some of the best fast food. Definitely come here for an affordable dinner or a late night stop before heading to more bars. read more

McDonagh's - The classic Fish & Chips - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

My husband and I came here at the recommendation of our airbnb host. She said it was a quality cheap meal. She was right! They are primarily a fish n chips restaurant, and you can choose between several types of fish. The portions were really nice and the fish was fresh. Get the baked cod with fries! read more

McDonagh's - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

I like this place. This place is often sited in different Galway food guides as THE place to get fish and chips. The fried fish - yum yum yum. The chips - ... not so much. We came here and ate at the fast-food counter, not the restaurant. We ordered two orders of fish - the traditional cod and then the hake (rhymes with rake - don't get fancy and think maybe it's pronounced as a Japanese fish would). One order of fish is an entire fillet, i.e. very very large! I think we preferred the hake over the cod, but I thought the cook on both of them was very good and delicious. As for the fries, either skip them here or get them knowing that they are not going to be good. Something about them is a bit off - they're either not fried for long enough or sat out for too long - so it's not worth the conscious calories for them. Come here for the fish and probably not much else! read more

Just stopped hear for a late night dessert. I got the chocolate fudge cake with strawberry ice cream and OMG delicious. The waitress was super nice about me asking questions about the cake and ice cream options. Plate presentation was beautiful. The cake itself was a spongy chocolaty goodness, warmed with a thin chocolate frosting glaze and additional chocolate sauce. The strawberry ice cream complimented it quite nicely and the whipped cream sealed the deal. There were also two praline sticks and a mint leaf for extra flare. It all just melted in my mouth. I think I ate it in 10 seconds. Only 5 euros as well. YUM! Sorry I can't say much about the actual food other than I heard they have really amazing fish and chips. The place was definitely hopping and well attended, so it must serve pretty good food. I liked the decor of the restaurant too. Very fitting! BUT GET THE CHOCOLATE CAKE!!!!!!!!!!! read more

McDonagh's - Chocolate Fudge Cake with Strawberry Ice Cream - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

Did not live up to the hype. Fish was fine but needed a bit of salt, and was also very greasy. Chips were good, but weren't anything to write home about. Atmosphere was okay. In the midst of the busy pedestrian area which makes me think there are plenty of superior options for you. read more

McDonaghs is a Galway institution, having provided Galwegians and visitors alike with the best quality fish'n'chips for four generations. No trip to Galway is complete without a visit to this chippy. Situated on Galway's main drag, McDonaghs is probably on every tour guide's list of recommendations, and if it's not, it should be. McDonaghs is split into two sections - a restaurant, for more refined seafood meals and sit-down dinners, and the takeaway/fast food zone, where punters pull up a pew on communal tables and pass the salt and vinegar to friends and complete strangers alike. Personally I prefer the takeaway area. It's always bustling and full and there is always a queue for the goods. This ain't a bad thing at all - believe me, it is worth queuing for 15 mins to get your greasy fingers on this grub! And if the weather's really really nice, chance an outdoor meal at nearby Spanish Arch overlooking the Corrib as it flows out into Galway Bay. Lovely view. When in Galway, eat McDonaghs. read more

McDonagh's - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

On the fish and chip front, this place is solid. I'd say my rating is more like a 3.5. They have 2 parts to their venue: eat-in restaurant and take away counter. The take out options are quick, easy, and cheap! Almost wish I took that option, but I was afraid to commit and wanted a bigger option. We dined in the restaurant portion and it was okay. Fish and chips (traditional cod) were very crispy and tasty with a good portion. Mussels were good in the coconut milk and the starter portion was enough for a meal. Mash potatoes were dry but still pretty good with the onions. Mussels were big, but sandy which made them a little disappointing. Service was okay - nothing special. Bathrooms were disgusting. Don't eat outside unless you want to be attacked by birds. read more

Was going to give this place 3.5 stars, but the dessert bumped it up a bit. I stopped in here because I was really in the mood for seafood. For the most part, they delivered. I ordered a smoked salmon and crab appetizer. The salmon part was tasty, but the crab just didn't have a lot of flavor to it. For dinner, I ordered a lemon sole. It was light and I enjoyed it, but the mashed potatoes and greens that came with it left a lot to be desired, and I barely ate any of either. Finally, for dessert, I got an apple crumb thing of some kind which was really, really good. The place is a little pricey, in my opinion, but overall I enjoyed my meal. read more

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I was here for the first time recently with some friends. Hands down the best fish and ships I've ever had! I can't recommend highly enough

Note: all my recent vacation in Ireland Yelp reviews will have the same 1st paragraph preamble, for just the review itself skip to the 2nd paragraph. On a whirlwind 2 week vacation to Ireland, the girlfriend & I tried to see & experience absolutely as much of this incredible land as we could. We did not accomplish every last activity we wished we could have on our rather ambitious itinerary. Nonetheless, we did discover a land of numerous stunning & magical wonders. We did see a land of unending natural beauty. We did learn of a land with a monumentally long history of trials, tragedies & triumphs. We did get to meet many kind, humorous, warm & generous people. Our vacation to Ireland was just 2 weeks, but that was time enough to know this is a land easy to love & a land to be sorely missed. Based on a description in a guide for Galway from our hotel's lobby, McDonagh's sounded like a popular tourist seafood restaurant. This description reminded me a lot of a couple popular tourist seafood restaurants I've been to back in the States like Ivar's in Seattle or Anthony's in San Diego. Both of those places are divided into more casual/ fast food & more formal dining sections & McDonagh's is as well. Since those previous experiences were favorable, I was interested in giving McDonagh's a shot. For a late dinner, the girlfriend & I managed to get inside & get a table in the dining section just a few minutes before closing time. Our server was friendly but harried from also trying to start closing the place out. The girlfriend was seriously craving a total seafood feast & wanted to try the Galway oysters we kept hearing about so she ordered McDonagh's Shellfish Platter. At €35, expectations for this dish were high. To balance the indulgence of her dish, I kept my order simple & got the Seafood Pasta. We split an order of McDonagh's Fish Soup for a starter. Our food began arriving pretty quickly. McDonagh's Fish Soup was surprisingly bland. Even the judicious application of salt didn't breathe flavor into this dish. Next came McDonagh's Shellfish Platter & the Seafood Pasta. The shellfish platter was a giant heaping bonanza of scallops, prawns, mussels & crab. All of it was pleasingly delectable, but there was 1 disappointment. We came in search of Galway oysters & this dish did have Galway oysters, but in this enormous pile of shellfish there was only a grand total of 2 Galway oysters. The Seafood Pasta was nicely done & was a good complement to the shellfish feast. McDonagh's is, indeed, a popular seafood restaurant for tourists & locals alike. Even though the fish soup was a miss, most of what we had was very good, but it would have been nice to get more Galway oysters. read more

Going to a place with a reputation and coming away from it with a good impression typically boils down to two things: timing and knowing what to order. We went in the middle of the day, just after the lunch rush, around 1:30pm. It wasn't crowded and everything seemed fresh. In addition, this is a place that specializes in fried foods. They do baked specialties on the side to be accommodating, but it's not what their business is built around. Hence, I don't recommend ordering anything baked or anything raw. It's just not the place to do it. What you SHOULD order, however, is a piece of fried fish and a regular sized chips (good enough to feed two people!) with some sort of sauce (IMO curry is the best). The cod was good, but it's the plaice that really shines. We don't have plaice in the States - I think it may be similar to flounder - but it's the fish that used to comprise the majority of my childhood fish & chips in England, and there is something very visceral and nostalgic about perfectly fried plaice for me. And so, when I found myself in Galway with two crispy golden filets of plaice with moist and slimy flesh doused in malt vinegar and covered in heaps of salt all over my plate, I couldn't have been a happier girl. The chips are real chips here, so don't expect anything of the McDonald's size. And don't expect this meal to clear from your stomach anytime soon. It will sit there, like lead, for hours. To recap: order fried fish & chips, curry sauce, tartar sauce, and use loads of malt vinegar, salt, etc to enhance the glory greasiness of it all. read more

McDonagh's - Fried plaice on the right! Delicious!!! - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

Best Fish & Chips in Galway ...... They get a bit busy though and it's open seating after you get your food, but don't let that discourage you if you have a large group, split up and enjoy GREAT seafood ... read more

WOW! So not what some of these reviews are saying. We arrived in June of this year, party of 11 and half the seating was closed. Only community type seating on large picnic tables that occasionally get wiped down. Could have sat outside but would have been harassed by the birds that were on the tables and ground around the tables! We all gathered and decided what we would have and split our order in half to help avoid confusion. A majority of us ordered the fish and chips with Cod and a few ordered whiting and ray which because they were a different fish would take longer to cook. OK we ordered sides and drinks. Gave our name and found places we could sit relatively close together. When the first groups order came out every thing looked great. The chowder smelled really good. Then slowly the second order came out and then we found out that there was absolutely nothing that came with your fish and chips, cole slaw? extra. tartar sauce? EXTRA! Back on line we had to go. All of the fish and chips were bland and flavorless! For fresh fish I couldn't taste it at all! The amount of grease on everything was another yuck factor, by the time I ate my fish and some of my onion rings I was ready for a bath I felt so greasy! Long lines are here for sure and they do move fast yes, but the food wasn't worth it, price wise or taste wise. Would not recommend at all. read more

This was really great fish and chips. We were looking for a spot to have our first fish and chip meal and saw this place after reading Yelp reviews. As the place was "too casual" looking for us, we decided to do another Yelp search while having a drink at a pub. We asked the bartender where he would recommend, and what would you know? He recommended McDonaghs. That sealed it. After a couple of Jameson's, we headed back and got a fabulous fish and chip dinner for less than 20. Quick line, delicious food, friendly on the wallet. read more

Pretty good and affordable. Wanted to try the sting ray but they were out. Mackerel was really yummy with salt and vinegar

I loved this place. It might have been my favorite from the entire trip. My husband & I were visiting friends who were studying in Galway and they mentioned the best fish & chips you can get here are from McDonagh's. They were so right. Since it is a college town, the vibe in there is just like back home. A ton of college kids (and families) cramped into a small restaurant. It was great. You order at the counter. We all get the fish & chips. It is so delicious and simple. Much less salt used in Ireland than back in the US and they don't provide anything else. There is ketchup on the table, which I must say, is even better than in the US. I don't know how to describe it, it's just different and I fell in love with it. If we ever return, I'm sure this will be one of our stops! read more

McDonagh's - Fish & Chips - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

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Best fish and chips!! Can't go wrong coming to eat here! The whole family ordered the fish and chips and we all agree it was the best!

5 stars for food. 4 for service at dinner. There's a takeaway side before 5 pm, and we decided to wait for a seated dinner. Fish and chips (cod for both of us) were so yummy! Light batter, moist fish, not greasy. You can't fake fresh and this was the real deal! Homemade fries and a side of really crispy fresh vegetables for the picky one (me) :). The tartar sauce was a nice blend of creaminess with a hint of horse radish and dill? So good! May go back for lunch tomorrow! read more

McDonagh's - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

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Can't say much for the customer service, but the food was delicious! This was our first time eating Hake and we loved it! McDonagh's batter is light and crunchy, as it should be. The chips were crisped to perfection and the amount of salt was balanced, not overbearing. The house tartar sauce was very good! The location is great and the atmosphere feels authentic. This is obviously a time honored eating establishment in the heart of Galway. I just wish you could order a draught beer to be enjoyed with the meal. read more

McDonagh's - Hake and chips, house tartar sauce. Delicious! - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

After hearing from multiple people this was the go to place for fish and chips in Galway, I had to hit it up. The Fish was average, not much flavor and the batter was soft, which it's borderline criminal. But hey, it's not the end of the world.... But you wanna know the place that is.... Flo's clam shack in Newport Rhode Island!!! First of all, they took my freakin review down because I let the truth out, claiming u had "the worlds best claims, the worlds best lobster roll". You are the worlds best liars and you rip off innocent families!! Kids come in after a day at the beach and your making them pay $20 for a terrible meal, you are the real criminals! Screw you flos clam shack! read more

Delicious! We were having a hard time picking a place for dinner, but a had a rec here from a friend. I was eager to get fish and chips while visiting Ireland and this did not disappoint! Great food, huge portions, and a great price! read more

McDonagh's - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

Just visited after reading the reviews and having high expectations. We got cod, hake, chips, mushy peas and a cole slaw for 20 euro. The fish and chips had no flavor. The man next to us really enjoyed the oysters but summed it up my saying he couldn't get enough salt on his fish. The staff is really nice but I would not recommend you make a trip here. I felt like I had to make the review to adjust the ratings because currently what is posted is so misleading! read more

Yummy fish with lots of chips. Super quick service yet all the food was hot and fresh. Got the cod fish & chips of course!

Meh. After reading the reviews about this place and everyone telling me this is the best fish and chips in Galway I was expecting something really really good and I just got fairly average fish and chips. The chips were good but again standard chipper chips. The fish seemed a bit dry and the batter was again just standard. I got smoked coley, a curry sauce and a large coke and it cost 10 Euro. That was without any chips. My boyfriend got a large chips so I shared his. A tenner for fish, curry sauce and a coke was a little on the expensive side, especially for coley, it wasn't even cod! The chips were better than the fish so I'd be more inclined to just get chips for a hangover snack rather than spending over a tenner for chipper food. Being from Dublin I am probably spoiled for choice when it comes to chippers and I would consider myself a chipper expert. Maybe this is the best fish and chips in Galway as I have nothing to compare it to but it certainly isn't one of the best in Ireland. read more

It was freshly cooked. We didn't enjoy it as well as the cod and fish on the south's end of Ireland. The advantage is you can get any fish on the board. Fries are great. Tator sauce is good and freshly done. read more

McDonagh's - Cod and chips. - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

For fast food, McDonaghs is as good as it gets. Food was delicious and tasted really fresh and the portions were so perfect and priced very well. Would 100% eat again! (I ordered the cod fish and chips) read more

I was in the way of the server, looking at a poster on the wall, and the server gave me a whole body shove against the wall. It was really shocking. As we were leaving, the same server elbowed my friend in the gut AND THEN SMIRKED as she passed my other friend who followed behind us. No fish and chips is worth two physical assaults! Admittedly, the fish was good. The chips were fine. read more

Known for famous fish 'n chips! Good for kids. Very casual and quick with outside seating. read more

McDonagh's - Fish 'n Chips - Fish & Chips Near Me - Galway, G

Not just fish and chips. When you come here read the story and enjoy. Historic location and a great vibe. Eat in or take out. read more

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More of a 2.5 star fish and chip place. The place was pack and flowing out the door but half of the seating area was being closed off, the COD was good but the chips where a bit under cooked. The dill in the tarter sauce is yummy but the water down malt vinegar is tough on the chips. Also pass on the onion rings unless you like bland and mushy. I did hear and read good things about here, maybe it was a one off. read more

This was my foray into "official" fish & chips. The venue has a cool ambiance in terms of a bustle and insider-type order. The place was packed. Service was speedy. "How do I order traditional fish and chips," I ask. "Cod and chips" is the reply, as a a plate is slapped on the counter in front of me moments later. Reading the advertisements, it seems their fish comes from sustainable stocks, they continually change their cooking oil and used oil is recycled into bio-fuel, which is pretty cool, in my opinion. The fish and chips... eh, they were ok. A little on the mushy side for fish texture. read more