I have to admit I was disappointed in my visit to this establishment. I had heard good things about it & the parking lot was always full, so I was optimistic. Decor wise, there's not much to write home about. Outdated with lots of wood but, hey, it's a pub. Which is why I didn't expect fancy restaurant prices. The evening started out fine. Our friendly young server brought us a basket of warm Irish soda bread with real Irish butter, which was delicious. Our water was served in cute logo glasses. Strangely enough, the beverage menu listed wine prices but not cocktail prices. And we wanted Margaritas, which weren't listed. When we asked our server, she immediately said they didn't offer them. Since they have a full bar, we asked why. I honestly don't think she knew what a Margarita was. She said she'd ask the bartender & came back to tell us they could make them. We asked the price. Again, she had to find out... $12. We agreed, but when she returned with two drinks in Old Fashioned glasses, I refused mine. The drink was literally 4 sips! My dining companion kept hers & said it was nicely made but not worth the price. I ordered a ginger ale instead ($3). We both ordered fish & chips ($21) and, again, were disappointed with what we received for the price. The chips appeared to be hand cut & were tasty, but the small, thin fish fillets were breaded in what I believe was cornmeal. Edible but certainly not what you'd expect from an Irish pub. Where's the beer batter? Neither of us liked the tiny cup of coleslaw. Afterwards, we asked for a dessert menu. Again, no prices. There were three desserts & several coffee drinks listed. We opted for Irish coffees ($13) and were pleased with the coffee, whiskey, brown sugar and fresh whipped cream concoctions. With tax & tip, the total bill came to $105.76, way too much for this kind of place. And, they ended up charging us $13 for that mini-Margarita. Whatever. We won't be back. read more

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Having prior experience with this establishment, I departed today with a sense of disappointment. My companion and I both ordered the fish and chips; however, the portion sizes did not meet my previous expectations. The coating was not the traditional batter but rather a crusted layer of bread crumbs. Typically, Irish or English pub-style fish and chips are prepared with a beer batter to achieve a crispy crust, a preparation I believe I previously enjoyed at this venue. Consequently, this was a notable disappointment. Additionally, when requesting two margaritas, the waitress informed us that they do not serve margaritas. While I understand that it is an Irish pub rather than a Mexican establishment, it is a fully licensed bar and pub. We did ask her to request it from the bartender, which was produced. Although it was good, size matters; it was a 4oz drink. Not worthy of a $13.00 price tag. Regarding portion size and pricing, the fish and chips were quite expensive, especially considering the limited portion size. My recollection is that in the past, the portions were sizable enough to share, but not so much now. Lastly, my observation is that many restaurants, once renowned for excellent cuisine, have exchanged flavor and portion size for profit. Giving customers less and increasing prices threefold. This is a pub, not an elegant establishment. I felt the prices were higher with less product for your money. I awarded two stars because the Irish soda bread was delicious, and the Irish coffee was quite exceptional. read more

Excellent food- beef stew and curry chips- and lovely staff!! Will come back to visit! read more

The Chieftain Pub - Irish cider! - Irish Near Me - Plainville, Massachusetts

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I have Irish heritage and we weren't disappointed with the menu items and beverages. The atmosphere almost makes you feel you are in Ireland. The owner DeDe is very cordial and a lot of locals love the place. There is music played on certain days of the week. I had bangers and mash -- must excellent and the fresh clams were not disappointing, a meal in itself! read more

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Cosy Irish pub! The food was delicious and the staff was very friendly and professional. The restaurant is very inviting with a variety of different seating styles. Two bars, high tops , low seating and booths under sky lights. Something for everyone! It looks like they might offer live music a night or two a week, call to be sure! read more

Nice spot, good people. Didn't have dinner however eager to try the menu next week ! read more

If you crave Irish food, this is a great place to satisfy that craving. Food and service are very good but the facility could use some updating. Well worth trying read more

As an Ireland native, I have to say their style of cooking Fish and chips was delicious and the Irish soda bread was a traditional tasting real Irish bread that would've made my granny proud! On top of that the setting and service was unbelievable and felt as if I was in a local pub back home. 10/10 I will be coming back. read more

The food was delightful. The best stuffy I have had in many decades. The atmosphere was charming and eclectic. Our service person was polite, attentive and able to make a gluten free adjustment. read more

First time for my girlfriend and I, we absolutely love this place. Great food, amazing vibes/ music, and lovely staff. 10/10! We live couple minutes up the road and will def be our new spot to get some good eats and nice little date night! Also, have outdoor seating which we love! read more

The Chieftain Pub - Turkey Club - Irish Near Me - Plainville, Massachusetts

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I am reviewing the food here mostly. The staff are very pleasant and good servers. I have no issue with the staff and their service. The food is OK but nothing great. The food is about what you would expect for a small local bar if not slightly better than that even. My issue is portions to price. I bought my wife clam cakes and chowder with a side salad. The clam cakes and chowder were ok with 4 clam cakes and a tiny drop of chowder. How small can they make these take out containers? It's sort of fun watching them shrink as the price tag goes up. The soda bread was good, awful and the is not normal here in the past. My wife usually wants to go just for the bread so not sure what that is about. Now to the part that earned them 2 stars. The salad was like 3 scraps of lettuce and a boiled egg. The salad was in a cardboard to go container which is a huge no no in restaurants. Well at least restaurants that care about the quality of their takeout. Cardboard absorbs the moisture from the lettuce. This causes the lettuce to wilt. I wish I had taken a pic, but my wife dumped it before I thought to. The +$2 salad dressing was in a 1.5-ounce container 1/2 full. 3/4 of an ounce for plus $2 really? You charged $6 for $.30 of ingredients the plus $2 just felt like a kick in the teeth. I'll go for a beer but never for food again. read more

Such friendly service. Walked in on a Saturday night with 6 people without a reservation and was able to get a table within 15 minutes. In the meantime we hung out by the bar admiring the really cool decor. We ended up with a great table and got incredible food. We started with delicious steamers and soda bread. Our entrees were so great too. We all got beef stew or shepherds pie (also gluten free). Can't wait to come back! read more

The Chieftain Pub - Soda bread - Irish Near Me - Plainville, Massachusetts

Went in with my niece after marathon Monday. We had two ladies helping us. One lady had an Irish accent and I want to make sure she gets recognized for her kindness and hard work. The food was amazing and steamers were just as I remember from years ago, amazing! read more

The Chieftain Pub - Steamer special! - Irish Near Me - Plainville, Massachusetts

Great local Irish pub. Service is great. Stopped in for a drink and appetizers.. 2nd time back as it's a bit out of the way for me but worth the trip. The live band was good the first time I was there. Ordered the pub pretzels and wings again. The bangers and mash were great. Decent consistent pub fare! read more

I hovered between 3-5. The bucket of steamers, the service, soda bread and Guinness, with Irish music in the background a def 5, the clam chowder while full of clams was a little grainy almost broken, not rich and creamy, the clam cakes also plentiful with clams a bit overworked and over cooked. The pretzels were delicious, crispy, chewy and not overly salty. Our waitress Kendra(who I think was really Kelly) was a really good waitress, attentive without being intrusive, and gave tips on what to do with take home steamers. Always good food and entertainment here! read more

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Best Pub in the area, Irish or otherwise. Staff is exceptional! They are always friendly, funny, attentive, and hard-working. You won't find a better pour of Guinness. Highly recommend the steamers and onion rings. Ask for French fries with curry sauce for an authentic Irish late night snack. Their family recipe soda bread is also fantastic. It is loud and busy at night, often featuring live bands. If you are looking for a more relaxed experience try lunch or a Florida supper. Sláinte! read more

This is the most authentic Irish bar in the area. The owners and staff are so friendly and welcoming to make everybody feel like a part of the family. The food is delicious and the beer is always cold. Whether you you're coming with the family or heading out with the boys, you will always have a good time at the Chieftain. They just redid the bar top as well, and it came out beautiful. Shout out to Hamlin Cabinet !! read more

We had an amazing time we went out to watch a band that I really like the Berkshire Valley boys. They were amazing we ordered a couple of drinks at night a local bourbon and a beer and then for dinner we had the clamcakes and chowder and then we had the large order of onion rings oh my gosh they were so light and fluffy and the clam cakes were full of clams it was nice and the chowder was thick it all worked out perfect.. Looking forward to going back another time with friends so we can take and get the steamers which they were sold out of as well as their homemade Irish soda bread. read more

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The chieftain restaurant has been around for years. Great food,good prices,Great service.

Cross between nice dining and down to earth food with pleasant atmosphere. Came here with my daughter craving the bucket of steamers. They did not disappoint! They were cooked perfectly and all the fixings provided. Roll of paper towels, butter and juice. Our server was a young man, I apologize for not remembering his name, but was attentive and polite. Did nice job! Was clean and interesting decor. read more

First I must say that this establishment makes you feel like you have been immediately transported across the Atlantic to Ireland. At the bar, on a Saturday lunch time, the staff was friendly and efficient (while moving at a hectic pace). Ordered their 'bucket of Steamers' and enjoyed a delicious draft while being entertained by the sports Chanel. Soon we Spyed our query and our seafood safari was about Tobago our quest. The steamers were abundant and flavorful. Being that we had just experienced a bout of bad weather the steamers had to be double dunked to shed the expected sand still clinging. One double dunked they were gladly digested. Love Chieftain when we can get back. Keep up what your doing and see you on the other side. read more

We love The Chieftain Pub...the food is always excellent & the staff is amazing! They have a lot of great bands on Fridays & Saturdays too!

Food was good, service excellent, but can you believe I got charged for extra dressing for my large Asian salad, never happened before

Fish and chips soggy, warm beer, dry burger. Wayyy overpriced for what you get. Service was mediocre at best. Won't be returning

The food here is always good and fresh. I love the bucket-o-clams and the free Soda Bread which is amazing. Staff is always fondly and that the type of service from a restaurant that's owned by Women. It gets busy, so you might want to get reservations. They also have outdoor dining in the summer time, it gets a little noisy being right on RT. 1 but if you love food and fresh air it's the place to be. Also plenty of room for Bikes. read more

Here is an updated review since my 2015 observations. The biggest change is the pub no longer offers counter seating in the dining room which I previously enjoyed . Unfortunately, when dining alone on two previous visits my only choices were the bar seating which was crowded or the two high top tables for two situated in a narrow hall. Those hallway tables promote social isolation in the colder months as one's view of the bar is obstructed. Likewise, in in warmer months one could experience the opposite effect as many customers must pass by those two tables though the narrow hallway to dine on the patio. I recommend you visit off times if you are a solo diner and prefer a table surrounded by other people. The service is always friendly but on my last visit there were 3 different servers at my table. While not bad I did have to repeat requests to each new server ( such as please bring some bread) as the other had forgot something. Each repeated request was honored quickly. The last few times I had visited I had the fish and chips with a thin batter which is better than many places but is also a smaller portion. On my last visit on a March Friday evening the fish was a tad dry which is unusual . in summary, the Chieftain was good but my visits have been less enjoyable since my last review. I read more

Great spot! Real-deal Irish pub with an ambiance and menu to match. 2 thumbs up (and 5 stars)!

Lots of bad reviews for a great place, IMO. Staff is always attentive, beer is always cold and food is very Irish, delish. We like to support local and this place is right around the corner. read more

First and foremost, Caroline is the absolute best server ever. She always smiles, is quick, kind, friendly, courteous and anticipates all of our needs. In fact, thankfully she was working tonight because the past couple of visits she was not there and it was definitely noticeable. Steamers are a must, best quality and value anywhere, especially on a Monday! All the food is great, especially the seafood and Irish specialties. Love the Irish breakfast when they have it. I would be remiss if I didn't mention they, of course, have the best pint of the black stuff anywhere in this area. read more

Great food and service. The fried clams are delicious. So is the pot roast. Every time we have been it has been great.

Excellent service and wonderful comfort food! Atmosphere cannot be beat with live music on Friday and Saturday!

Two stars only because the service was good. I mean, the lemon in the soda was crisp and fresh. Bonus. Tried lunch there today. Haven't been in years. Special was 4lbs of steamers for $32. So... I asked if it's possible to buy 2lbs for whatever the rate would be. Nope. Not possible. So after looking at a limited set of lunch options decided to just have a salad and calamari. Salad was crisp. Crunchy and fresh. That other dish... my God it was awful. Rubbery. No flavor. Some jalapeños haphazardly thrown on top with a bland watery marinara sauce on the side. Other close-by options like Home Plate and Alberto's offer a myriad of menu options. But alas, the nostalgia of good seafood meals at The Chieftain drew me back here today. Not today... I'm out. read more

The Chieftain Pub - Home Plate. So many menu options. Simple. Flavorful. Fresh. I'm being douchey but want ti show you a good lunch option. - Irish Near Me - Plainville, Massachusetts

Long time patron ! Food is always excellent. Best Guiness pour around! Great live music! Traditional Irish comfort pub. Wicked busy nights and and weekends as it should be. The staff? Unmatched! Highly reccomend! read more

Good hardy food. Great steamers. Barroom noisy but ample quieter spaces. Disappointed that the parking spaces out front were replaced with outdoor dining which should be in bad. Made it harder for seniors and handicapped. read more

The service,staff/entertainment and food choices (gluten friendly) reminded us of Ireland.

I'm not from the area & was passing through, looking for someplace to eat that wasn't a chain. This was just what I wanted. Service was great. Food was excellent although pricey. The Cowboy burger was $16. It's just a burger w/ bacon, onions & BBQ sauce - for $16. The Irish Mixed Grill was $25 (more expensive than the prime rib at $23. Unsure of the rib size, not listed on the menu board.) Highly recommend the huge basket of onion rings at $9. For 2 people: 1 app, burger, mixed grill, 1 beer & a soda came to $80 w/ tip. Ouch. read more

The Chieftain Pub - Huge basket of onion rings. Highly recommended. - Irish Near Me - Plainville, Massachusetts

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It's ok it' was better when they served home made Irish bread something happened Use to enjoy going here not so much any more. read more

I was very disappointed in the quality of the Corned Beef and Cabbage tonight. What was served was thin, dry sliced corned beef, possibly canned and mashed potatoes with a white gravy and cabbage. I thought a customary corned beef and cabbage dinner included boiled potatos and carrots. I asked for carrots and the waitress said no, we only have peas? Not what I anticipated. Also, the Shepard's pie was over allspiced or strong lamb flavor was jumping out....I use to love this place...quality has changed. read more

Food was awful music was way too loud and wait staff was sub par. I get it's a bar but I won't be back it was just bad

Hmmm, the Chieftain is a place we've gone to for many, many years. It was one of our "go-to" steamed clam places. It was a place I would have rated 5 stars 15 or 20 years ago. Yesterday we went for the steamers. You can eat in or out now, no masks. Service was good, we ordered the steamers (32.00?). We ordered an ap with 2 stuffed quohogs and white clam chowder. the chowder was kind of tasteless, the clams had burn't pieces of chourice piled on top of them. Very, very weird, this is an ap we've eaten here (and a million other places) many times and I've never seen anything like this. I wish I took a picture of them. I did take a picture of the crock of chowder, which had a huge chip out of it (see pic). This crock should never have come out of the kitchen like that. The clams arrive, the shells are snow white, inside they are very clean, but they are tasteless. Clearly, these are farmed clams, they have no real ocean taste. They have super long necks or feet, they are really weird! Then there's the fake drawn "butter" I complained about in the past. Both the farmed clams and "butter" are very common now, but the combo really hurts the dish. The price is fine for the 4lbs, you should raise it a buck or 2 and melt/ skim a real stick of butter! Anyhoo, I wouldn't recommend going here for the steamers. Especially, if you're making a special trip because you had them 5 years years ago here. You're going to be real disappointed! I still tipped the server like 30% (I was the deaf guy with a woman) . The other food may be better. read more