This dive bar is a national treasure. Great booze selection, fun events, great crowd.

We ran into this bar on a sunday night after having dinner for my friend's birthday near by. We are never usually ever in San Mateo area, so we are so glad we found this spot. Such chill and hip ambiance. We did not order food and not even sure if they offer food. Honestly, we were kind of drunk already when we stumbled upon this place. I do remember the people were super nice and it was karaoke night! So here we were singing our hearts out. It was definitely a vibe. They had pool tables too where my friends played for a bit. Overall, we had a wonderful time! read more

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As a native San Mateo resident of over 50 years, I've been going to this bar since I was of legal drinking age in the 1990's, but I realized that I have never left a review for it, so here it goes! Originally ran by the sweet Irish owners Seamus & Geraldine McGovern, this bar has stood the rest of time, tech, change, culture, and the ever rise of rents in downtown San Mateo. Their success is pretty simple: good, honest, friendly service & neighborhood feelings. The location is outstanding, easily accessible from anywhere due to the fact that it's in the heart of downtown. Parking is ample/a plenty, and its proximity to restaurants, shopping, and entertainment such as the movie theater makes it an excellent destination to go to meet up with friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Everything is within walking distance and/or public transportation such as the bus, Caltrain, or even bicycles & skateboards. Fast forwarding to 2025, the formula pretty much remains unchanged. It has changed ownership from the older McGovern family to the younger Coit family and it still feels the same. Matthew used to bartend there for years and he is now the owner, but he pretty much runs the bar like Seamus & Geraldine did for decades. He also added & updated a few things to bring McGoverns to the modern tastes & cultures of going out to a bar. He's added entertainment including live music on the weekends, karaoke, trivia nights, and even open mic/stand up comedy nights. Almost any night of the week, there's something going on here. He's also added a stage, beer pong tables, a better juke box, video games, and air conditioning, which is good because this bar can get pretty crowded & stuffy with sweaty people drinking, partying, dancing, and just having a good time. The service is reliable & professional, thanks to long-time faithful bartenders like Asa, which is always nice to get service from. Matthew has added his own passion & interest in beers & whiskeys to the standard line up. Local microbrews & IPA's are now on tap next to the long time regular beers. He has bottles of craft beers, ciders, seltzers, and even good wine as an option. For those looking to splurge & venture out a bit, there's also top-shelf limited availability & new whiskeys to sample as a flight or to buy as shots & glasses. And of course, there's good cocktails & mixed drinks for those that are into those. All in all, this is a great place to meetup, hangout, or just do some reading or work. It's very spacious, has two entrances/exits, a massive beautiful decorative bar, and even a few booths and bar tables in case you want some privacy, quiet, or ambiance if you're on a date or having conversation. It isn't too noisy, it isn't too claustrophobic, it is t too chaotic. It's just the right blend of spacious & well-used space, enough things like music, tv, and games to keep you engaged, and mostly, good service, great drinks, and friendly people. This place has always been like Cheers to me, it's where everybody knows your name, even if I don't come around/go out much anymore because I'm an old hermit crab now. But on the nights that I do, I'll always remember to stop by here and have a good time. read more

Cool spot to hang, or stop by for a quick drink. The bartender was really sweet and my margaritas was good. They had the football game on, so that was a major plus. I would definitely come back if I'm ever in the neighborhood. read more

McGovern's Bar - Quick stop waiting for reservation.... - Irish Pub Near Me - San Mateo, California

Definitely a very casual laid back dive bar! It seems like a lot of locals visit here and the crowd isn't super rowdy, something I'm all for! They don't have food that I know of but so have light snacks in a vending machine. depending on the bartender you can ask for cocktails but beer and easy drinks are a no brainer. It felt super affordable, and big plus that it was so clean. The bar itself is large and very spacious, I'd gladly come back! read more

McGovern's Bar - a martini with a lemon wedge - Irish Pub Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Date: Saturday, October 1st, 2022 Time: around 6pm and then again a little after 12 midnight Party of: 2 for the first visit, then 3 for the second We got to the area early for dinner and decided to grab a quick drink. Since it was so early, the bar wasn't really busy. We easily grabbed two stools towards the back. I got a Jameson neat and my friend grabbed a Jameson and ginger. Price for both was $16. The bartender was super sweet and attentive when needed. I enjoyed the chill vibe as I'm old. It's nice to be able to have a convo without yelling. Plus, they were playing music from the late 90s and early 2000s. Totally my jam! After dinner, another friend joined us and we came back. I had a fair amount to drink by then, so my recollection of that is a little hazy. But I do remember liking the vibe more before dinner. It was much busier here after midnight. We did notice they do whiskey flights, so may come back to check that out if in the area again. read more

McGovern's Bar - Jameson neat, Jameson and ginger ($16 for both drinks) - Irish Pub Near Me - San Mateo, California

Dark and divey -- but clean, with friendly, attentive staff. Great craft beer selection! read more

McGovern's Bar - Beer taps - Irish Pub Near Me - San Mateo, California

I thought I knew downtown San Mateo, but every time I think I do, I run into something I haven't seen. I must have walked by McGovern's a hundred times without noticing. My loss. It is a great old school bar. A former worker and I walked by and then decided to grab a beer before dinner last Friday after work. The place bigger than it looks from the outside. There booths and tables a long bar as well. It was still early (5:30-ish) and there were only a few people in the place. It was an opportune time to have a couple of pints of Stella before rocking some North Beach Pizza. We were also happy to learn that it was still Happy Hour. I love joints that still have Happy Hours. The beer was cold and the price ($4) was right. The bartender was on point and served us right away. He's good dude. It was a great way kick off the weekend. I noticed stage area for live music and I can imagine it gets pretty lively when a band gets going. Nice. My buddy and I agreed that we'd go back and maybe have more than one pint next time. It is a good spot. read more

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Nice pub for what it is in the heart of downtown San Mateo. Chill vibes. Sports bar and nice service! Ayce! read more

After reading the reviews about how horrible and rude the service was, we decided to go and form our own opinion. The reviews were spot on, the female bartender was condescending and I even witnessed her rolling her eyes at a customer. What McGoverns fails to realize is that without customers, you have no clients and without clients you have no business. I'm a small business owner myself and would never treat our clients so horribly. Read the other reviews, the owner needs to fire his existing bartenders and hire folks that want to work. If you chose to be a bartender, know that you are in a service industry. I will never step foot in this place again and will tell all of my friends to beware, this place is a joke and the bartenders are in desperate need of customer service training. Very unprofessional. These bartenders will ruin this establishments reputation. read more

Maybe it's a bit naive to say, but I never realized how varied the watering holes are in downtown San Mateo until the last five or six years. Even just among the ones I've reviewed, there's a bit of everything - trendy (Mortar & Pestle), cozy (B Street Station), sports-centric (3rd Avenue Sports Bar & Grill), craft-y (Grape & Grain), Irish (O'Neill's)...such a wide range in such a small area! And now, with McGovern's, I can add something divey to the list! With its rather unassuming exterior, the outside of McGovern's is as nondescript as it is inside. Seriously, there's not much to say about how the bar looks, other than the small "stage" area for whenever they have live bands. At the same time, that's part of the reason to come here - no frills, just enough games to keep you entertained (pool, air hockey, darts, foosball, and some arcade games), plenty of empty tables to post up at with friends, and a well stocked bar to keep the night going. Whether you're in the mood for a brew or something harder, the bar is stocked with plenty of choices to pick from. More than a dozen beers on tap, probably just as many canned/bottled, and a solid selection of whiskeys (presumably the same applies to vodkas, tequilas, etc.). For my nightcap, I ordered a 14-year old Oban neat ($14) - pricier than what I normally order, but I figured it would probably be cheaper here than at most other bars. It didn't feel demonstrably cheaper, but at least the pour was decently generous, though I wouldn't have minded more. Given how my friends and I were looking for a relaxed place to grab a drink and catch up a bit before ending our night, McGovern's checked off everything on the list that we were looking for. That said, it's not exactly a destination sort of spot and the bartender seemed kind of surly about having to answer a couple of questions we asked. Still, while I wouldn't make it a point to come back again, I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to it for a cheap drink or two. read more

As I stood at the bar waiting to be served there was only one bartender so I was being patient. She kept jumping over me serving ppl on either side of me. Then four guys literally just walked in the place, walk up to the bar and she serves them before me. That's when I said something and she gets flip with me and tells me I haven't been waiting long. Finally she makes my drink and I tell her to drink it and walked out. Never will I step back in that place again. When you read the reviews it's one bad review after another about the bartenders. My question is where's the owner does he/she not read the reviews???? Seem like no one gives a damn. Way better options out there where ppl respect you and appreciate your business. This place is a joke read more

No nonsense bar. Cash only. Great place for pre- or post- dinner drinks. Very chill and laid back.

Matt's the bomb! I love this place. Great spot to grab an even better beer and enjoy your evening. This place looks like a dive but their beer list can't be beat. If you're into craft beers, make sure to stop in. You can't find a better staff. Jeanette, Christina, Ralph, Rick, Nick... they're all fantastic. read more

Very poor service to me and my friends she looked at us as thugs we didn't feel welcomed or feel good to stay.

stopped by here before everything got locked down due to covid, it is a solid spot that one of my co-workers recommended, the staff is friendly and attentive mixed drinks were made strong, hell yeah i'm coming back haha they do have food but we got there a bit late so I will have to come back and sample some of there offerings several drinks on tap, they can make any drink you ask with modifications hard wood everything, ice in the urinals haha, has that divey feel alright. On the night we went just few of us there maybe 4 other patrons and 3 of us taking with the bartender and amongst ourselves, good spot with good drinks, bring your friends. I will have to come back once covid passes drinks **** strong mixed drinks price $ service **** helpful and attentive ambiance **** divey for sure read more

Great atmosphere, good people and the owner Matt is amazing! Went for the Pliny release and was not let down! Love this place!

This bar that I was referred to was pretty unique. Had some time to kill before dinner so came in to have a beer or two. This is a pretty big bar and has plenty of seating and entertainment. I couldn't decide on where to sit so the up by the bartender was where it would be. Oh did I mention it was a Irish Bar, yeah awesomeness. Plenty of bar seats and booths and tables you would easily get a seat anytime of day or night. Plenty of TV's and entertainment like Air Hockey, billiard table and a coupe video games. Oh wait I can't forget the enormous Jenna blocks as it made me jumped a few times from it crashing down. Back to the bar. With many beers in tap and a good shelf of liquor, one would be happy with many choices to choose from. But I gotta say my best or favorite is that they have the oddballs here too, especially a variety of sours and local breweries. Prices was good and service was great. Great place to come and unwind after work or a good stop for your bar hopping night. read more

McGovern's Bar - Another Sour Beer - Irish Pub Near Me - San Mateo, California

Cute little bar with decent prices. I'm glad they serve their beer in the frosty, ice-cold mugs if you choose. I was also glad it wasn't overcrowded, so you can hear when others are speaking. There were several games, such as a pinball machine and pool.The bartender also was nice. The only downside is that they don't serve food; however, they say you can bring some in. I hope to return again one day. read more

The vibe here is cool and I enjoy it every time I come in. Beers are cold and drinks are good. Tip, the door that you think is the door to the Mens room is actually the broom closet. The men's room is down the hall . read more

Chill local bar located in downtown San Mateo. Decent beer selection with a full bar. Surprisingly large space so plenty of room for groups.

Much better now that they got rid of karaoke. Matt knows how to make a drink, and has a heavy hand on his pours. Most of the bartenders there are polite and fast with the drinks. Their happy hour is pretty good, their beer selection is amazing and so is there bourbon selection! Prices are the most reasonable compared to other bars downtown! read more

This place is better than ever! New owner, new vibe, new bartenders, newly remodeled & NEW BEERS!!! 22 new beers on tap to be exact, plus a wide selection bottles and cans. Swing by take a look have a drink! You won't be disappointed. read more

McGovern's Bar - Limited time!!! Get yourself a bottle of Kona Brewing Co.'s Wailua Wheat. All the way from the Big Island! - Irish Pub Near Me - San Mateo, California

Still a really chill place to be. Its gotten a lot cleaner then it used to be in fact last time it looked spotless. I kinda liked the peanuts all over the floor appeal tho. If you wanna charge your phone they have a huge big stage area with tons of outlets. The pool is still free too, yay Theres still tons of great beers to choose from. They have a lot of comfortable seats and stools. Man the booths are hella cozy, I saw a guy taking a nap in one of them last time I was there and I don't blame him at all. Those seats are so cozy I've felt like napping in them myself. They don't serve food here its just a great low key good ol'pub located downtown, the location is great and the personalities an service are great as well. read more

Really cool bar with an older Irish bartender. Stopped in for a quick sip and dash. Really cool place and nice on the wallet. Peanuts are free and toss the shells where you may... read more

Perfect dive bar - to a point. The Perfect Dive Bar has a great juke box, lots of different beer and spirits - but most importantly a pleasant bartender. Two out of three ain't bad - but was ridiculous. Rude, inattentive and rude - did I mention rude? One bit of advice, if you don't like your job - quit; don't take it out on the customers. read more

Excellent beer and whiskey selection. Super friendly staff. They couldn't be more accommodating here. Even though they we're super busy, the bartender took time to cater to my needs. Great local vibes and TVs for sports. Definitely would recommend and go here again. read more

I was in Saturday night, I watched and heard as the bartender was not only absolutely rude but mocking a customer. This was borderline harassment in his treatment. I would never walk in there again. Such a shame from what the bar was to what it is now. Not only have I been a bartender for years, I've managed them and have NEVER seen nor would allow any staff member to behave that way. People drink and act in various ways, it comes with the job, his reaction and "service" was appalling and disgusting. I would never go back or recommend anyone I know to ever walk in there ever again. read more

Since this place got new ownership, it's definitely improved. The service is great and the drinks are always on point. The bar overall is a lot cleaner than before. It is my preferred Irish/divey bar in San Mateo. The prices are reasonable. There is Pool, beer pong, arcade games, amongst other entertainment. And best of all, they finally accept credit cards as it used to be cash only. Oh and they have an amazing selection of beer on draft and bottled. Glad to finally have a decent bar around here. read more

McGovern's Bar - Irish Pub Near Me - San Mateo, California

Great dive Irish bar in downtown San Mateo. The pour a mean pint of Guinness and they have a great jukebox. Funky variety of locals show up from jocks to barflys and it's easy to spot th ehandful of regulars. Nice mix of booths, tables and bar seats. Pool tables, darts and foosball round out the fun. Laura and Seamus will definitely take good care of you. read more

This bar is a good size and has 2 entrances. The only reason why I give this place 3 stars because I'm from San Mateo and this place is just a middle school/high school reunion every time you go in here. The bar is always packed. It's always overcrowded. I would at least suggest this place needs to add some music on some nights. Maybe some local bands? read more

McGov's! The place where you run into people you havent seen in years! Especially on the holidays. Cash Only if I remember correctly and there are booths to chill with friends and tables in the middle as well, but dont sit there because there are usually too many people on the weekends. Grab some pizza man down the street and bring it back, no problems. Typical Downtown SM bar and it has its quiet nights sure but some weekends and around the holidays this place is packed. Whiskey Ginger me please! read more

Casual comfortable and clean bar with great service and drinks. Always encounter down to earth nice people. Will definitely go back.

Great vibe here!!! Love the staff/service and the happy hour. Highly recommend going here for a great time in San Mateo. read more

This place is NOT closed! New owners with NFL Sunday Ticket!!! ....sure, Yelp says they are closed, and the phone # voice lady says the number is "disconnected"..... but I am sitting here, the game is on and the Guinness is cold! Fuck'n eh right! GO STEELERS!! read more

Still my favorite bar downtown. Easily the best beer selection, best liquor selection, best prices, and most seating. I like that I can almost always find a spot to sit-down and have a beer with friends without being drowned out by music or people singing. read more

after a long shift of work why not having a cold beer to relax ? yeah they have a large opcions of beer around 22 draft beer plus a variety of bottles also ! great spot , very huge place and cozy the bartenders are always nice i really enjoy mc governs and be my regular spot ! ..... PS Now they accept cash and credit cards ! read more

McGovern's Bar - Nice and cold cheers ! - Irish Pub Near Me - San Mateo, California

I came here with Kevin N. for an afterparty after the UYE whisky tasting while we waited for his train. The first thing I noticed was all the peanut shells all over the ground. Somewhat amused, I knew this place was going to be interesting and it definitely had the dive bar vibe to it. We sat down at the bar and the bartender said he will clean up, so he took his arm to sweep off all the peanut shells on the bar to the ground. haha I ordered a pint of beer and Kevin got a Manhattan martini. While enjoying our drinks, a drunkard started to talk to us and kept telling Kevin that he was Phil Mickelson. I bet Kevin wishes he was since Phil is the 2nd highest paid U.S. athlete behind Tiger Woods. Also the drunk questioned Kevin's masculinity since he thought his drink was "girly". I don't really consider Manhattans girly though. At a certain point, I couldn't understand what he was saying. I probably needed a few drinks in me to decipher the drunk talk. You also have the option to play pool or foosball. This place is cash only and has an ATM on the premises. Drinks are really cheap and interesting characters can be found here. I wouldn't mind coming back again! read more

Ahhh. Now this is more like it. If you're looking for a dark, casual, and local place to catch up with friends over a couple of snakebites (half cider, half beer I'm told), or some black and tans, this is your place. Picture a long, almost shot-gun like room with a long bar down the one side, and booths down the other with a row of grubby picnic tables down the center. Grubby is the word that comes to mind. This is a good thing. I wouldn't go so far as to call this place a dive (pints are $4.50), but with a little less work, it could get there. Me and my boys spent a couple of hours here on a recent Friday night reminiscing about mutual friends, musing on life and raising kiddos in the modern world (where 6th graders get laptops and 8 year-olds know how to do Google searches for "nakid girl" at slumber parties), and, of-course, the always-entertaining indiscretions of our youth. McGovern's was very relaxed and chill, and yet busy. The room is pretty big, so even with a lot of people around, it doesn't feel crowded. I give this place high marks for authenticity including a grizzled yet friendly bar-tender who truly hails from the Old Country. Two head-scratchers worth pondering after spending time at a place like McGoverns: 1. How is it possible that I come home smelling like an ashtray in a place where there is no smoking? Dive bar aroma therapy, anyone? 2. Why do patrons of places with cheap drinks have worse urinating aiming skills than patrons of places with expensive ones? Someone hit me back here. 3 stars for this aspiring dive bar. Cheaper drinks and clientele who pump more money into the jukebox playing retro-hipster tunes would help bring this down to dive-bar hall-of-fame 2 star status. A bar can dream. read more

...scuuse me, but your nuts are on the floor. - - such judgment is checked at the door at mcgovern's, as they welcome peanut shells strewn about. one of my friends felt it cathartic to catapult his shells off our table, onto the floor. what's better than free nuts? a f*cking foosball table!! oh, how i wish i had my foosing partners (hayley w. and mary l.) w/me to challenge unassuming patrons... *rolls up sleeves* yeah, we're pretty good. ; ) probably the largest pub that i've been to. (...which brings me to an important point: a pub is NOT necessarily synonymous w/a dive bar. mcgovern's is certainly not divey in any way. - - just had to clarify.) the bartendress asked my friend if i was old enough to drink. ...which made my day. : ) gripes? my cranberry vodkas were very much lacking in alcohol, and, after the third drink, i woke up my liver and made the switch over to drinking beer. despite my poor cocktails, i still had a fine happy hour w/a few of my friends. notes: *cash only. read more