Popular spot for lunch or evening meal, got decent selection on the menu and food is ok. Probably…read morethe best descriptionfor the food is home cooked rather than haute cuisine. Prices are ok too. The place has got a nice homely old world type of ambience. Locally this place is known as Ownies and I have heard stories of a bad crowd at night ,especially the weekends! It is fine at lunch time and, as far as my experience goes, in the early evening.

I'm extremely surprised at the less than stellar reviews this bar has received so far…read more I have been coming here ever since I was old enough, and absolutely love it. Contrary to what has been said, I feel 100% safe in this bar, and unlike a lot of other places that can get a bit rowdy, I have never seen anything untoward in this bar whatsoever. Anyway, the Joymount Arms, or Ownies, as it is locally known, is pretty much one of the liveliest most popular bars in the town. They have had a refurb quite recently, and there is loads of space for everyone (my only complaint previously was that, owing to its popularity, it got so packed and it was hard to move!) They have two bars downstairs, and a further bar upstairs with a function room and balcony. They have a huge, covered smoking area with widescreen TV's outside, and lots of heaters, so even in the middle of the winter, you won't get cold! They have lots of live music, promotion nights, quiz nights, you name it. You will definitely have a great time here. Anyone who does not like this place must have a screw loose!

A lovely old pub in a sweet beach town just down the street from Carrickfergus Castle. The staff is…read morewonderful and if you get a chance, stay the night at Walter's Place next door. The inside of Ownies is beautiful dark wood, tapestries and local artwork. There is also an upstairs and a back patio for dining. The food is amazingly big and very well priced. I can't say enough about the seafood chowder! Thick, creamy and loaded with seafood and bits of potatoes. Best I've ever had. Highly recommend Ownies but it can get busy in the weekends when the tourists roll in.

Always ask the locals... I stayed in Carrickfergus about a month recently with my sister helping…read moreout with her new baby. Throughout my stay, many locals asked me if I'd been to Ownies yet. Just working on a schedule with a wee one, we hadn't made it there. So for my last dinner in town, my sister asked where did I want to go. Ownies, of course! I needed to see what the fuss was about! We went on a Wednesday night and they were able to seat us without a booking. The service was very friendly and helpful, especially with the baby who seemed particularly charmed by our server. We started with the assorted breads and spreads. They arrived still warm and soft and everything you want from bread. The olive tapanade was also delicious. Then I ordered what I'd been craving the entire trip... seafood chowder. It was a crock steaming full of salmon, cod, mussels, shrimp and potatoes. FULL of it. The base was a warm, creamy, indulgent soup that blended everything together perfectly. It's the kind of food that you almost want to eat in silence to fully let your senses enjoy the experience. My sister also raved about her cajun salmon and my brother-in-law devoured his half rack of ribs. I did not share my chowder. Sadly, I had not a bit of room left to order dessert. I can understand how this place is a local favorite. It will be on my must visit list on every return. I can't wait!

Gord and I had a late lunch today at Wetherspoons. So nice to have lunch on a patio overlooking a…read morecastle! Gord had battered cod and chips, which he liked. I had a pepperoni pizza ... the pepperoni had a weird taste. The prices were really cheap.

Wasn't great. Rude staff, the pizza was pretty bad (I mean it's still pizza so I'll eat it) for…read morepizza, and the atmosphere was just bleh. Should have read the Yelp reviews before going.

Lovely staff and lovely Wee spot. May be classed as an old mans bar but we where made to feel…read morewelcome and with great prices this was a welcome stop and shelter from a very cold and windy night.

'The Favourite' is a tiny little bar on Irish Quarter West, and is probably one of the only bars in…read morethe town that I had actually never been to. Many people will not know it is there, and even fewer will have been in it. Just out of interest, we decided to try it for one drink to see what it is like. It is very small inside, and quite dark. It is very much a 'regulars bar for regulars only' the regulars, being gentlemen, mostly over the age of 60. The gentleman behind the bar was friendly and served us our drinks, but we could almost feel the raised eyebrows as we sat down, and could almost hear them thinking "who are they? What do they want?" My drink was perfectly nice, but the bar definitely isn't for young twentysomethings. While not a bad place, it certainly won't be on my list of 'favourites'!

The Brown Cow comprises a bar and bistro…read more I would eat in the bistro regularly, and it is fantastic. They have a small but varied menu with something for all tastes, and they REALLY know how to cook their menu to perfection. A favourite of mine is the salmon, it is absolutely delicious and considering the high quality of the food, it is very fairly priced. I don't think the restaurant gets the attention it deserves, unfortunately, due to the reputation of the bar. It has a slight reputation locally as a bit of a rough place, and now because of the smoking ban, there are regularly crowds of people crowded out the front, which I imagine might put some people off. This said however, I have had a few drinks in the bar on numerous occasions, and not had any problems at all - so I would definitely recommed this little gem!

Thursday night. Steak night 2 steaks, sides and sauce plus a bottle of wine for £28 great! Loads of…read moredrinks promos too! Homely and friendly and a pool table. Look out for other offers on Facebook. Great!

Went here for the first time today, hubby and I got bottomless drinks (hallelujah!) we both had…read morecarveries which, aside from the roasties being a bit of a rubbery texture and the gravy being too runny, it was great! My son had the pasta and meatballs with chips and veggie sticks and he all but cleared his plate. Play area could do without those damn machines that makes kids crazy for money to play them but the soft play definitely give us peace and quiet to eat our dinner and catch up with our friend. Will be back!

As said on other reviews the food can be really hit and miss in here. It's really cheap, but some…read moreof the food definitely reflects this. The bbq chicken melt is tasty!!! Their buffet specials are good, plenty of choice and eat as much as you like. The choc fudge cake is amazing, worth going for one of these and a cappuccino! There's a kids play area at one side, kids running about everywhere so if you have some with you up that end is handy as they can go on in, but if you aren't too fussed on kids or the noise best place to sit is probably the opposite end. Called in one night and there was a pub quiz on, the atmosphere was fab and we won a bottle of wine! The drink isn't expensive especially considering the location on the harbour. Beautiful on a summers day.

Great beer garden on the rooftop. The floor of the main saloon was quite sticky from spilled drinks…read moreand the acoustics were just OK for the live band that was playing. I'd like to go back and check it out on another night where there is no live music, just to get a better feel for the vibe without the noise.

Great bands on weekend nights .. We saw a cover band called…read moreOff The Record .. Electric energy performance from a group of 50 odd year olds .. Slamming out Pistols , Thin Lizzy , Killers U2 , Stereophonics , T Rex etc .. with great accuracy and a few twists .. Food simple , yet delicious , well priced and served .. Great funky decor .. Love the JamJars cocktails .. Great night out .. Would recommend

Tiny tiny bar, if you can find it you deserve a drink!…read moreReally only frequented by locals, it's probably one to avoid. It's dark, dingy and the toilets are not too clean.

The Marine Bar is well hidden and like others have said tends to be inhabited by locals. That said…read moreit is a friendly bar and in my opinion the best of the two pubs in whitehead. An open fire welcomes you into the place and now that we have a smoking ban in place you can gram a pint make yourself comfortable and just sit back and watch the locals.

Relaxed, generally empty, local. Goggins is an exceptionally friendly pub, a family pub even. I…read morewent in the other day to find the barman nursing a baby. His mates had brought it along for a visit, it's that type of place. Gets a posh middle-aged crowd on Fridays and Saturdays. Has an excellent smoking area and a load of fireplaces, great for hot whiskeys around Christmas. The attached offy helps keep the party going, it's a nice pub to drop into for one or two before hitting the offy and the road.

Goggins is a darkish but open pub with a nice atmosphere. There are 2 parts to it, the older…read moretraditional bit to the front and a modern, carpeted groovy bit to the back. There are also a few Tvs scattered around the place which I absolutely hate in a pub but in the case of Goggins I am willing to forgive as it is about the only thing that is wrong with the place.