I like D'Arcys, but I think I liked the old location better, so -1 star for that. The new place just feels like a Shoney's, despite the efforts they have made to make it feel like an Irish Pub. Maybe it's the crowd, I dunno, but there ya go. Horseshoes are pretty good here, but the sauce is a little on the thick side and has a tendency to congeal quickly. I like the fries, good selection of toppings (almost too many - you can't make a silk purse out of sow's ear - horseshoes are best kept simple), and the portions are more than generous. They only serve Pepsi, no coke, so I take another star off for that and the tasty yet gummy cheese sauce. read more

At the insistence of my little girl, a "Man v. Food" fan, we stopped at D'arcy's Pint on our trip to Springfield. It absolutely lives up to the rave reviews Adam Richman gave it. I'd never tried a horseshoe before, and at the recommendation of Lisa, our server, I tried the buffalo chicken variety. Pure heaven on Texas Toast. Silky, flavorful cheese sauce poured over crinkle fries. The chicken had a kick, but not too hot, unless I dipped it into the pot of Buffalo sauce. My daughter had the bacon horseshoe. Huge quantity of bacon, and it's a good thing she is young and skinny. Service was great. Nice variety of beer at the bar. In addition to the obligatory Guinness on tap, there's Smithwick's, Harp and the other usual suspects you'd expect to find at an Irish pub. D'arcy's is a delight. I'd come back in a heartbeat, but if I eat enough of those horseshoes, I won't have too many heartbeats left. read more

OMG - since I had never had a horseshoe, the locals recommended this place. Decided to step out and try the weekly shoe special - Cajun Fried Tilapia. Included hush puppies and jalapeño tarter sauce, which was not too spicy but complimented the cheese sauce nicely. Would definitely recommend this place! Had the pony (smaller portion) but could still not finish it!! Service was fast and friendly! read more

D'arcy's Pint - Irish Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Always come here for the horse and pony shoes when we're in Illinois. This time I tried the mussels for something different- WOW, super impressed. The white wine broth had a bit of mustard in it to me and it was great. Waitstaff was exceptional. Brought my 1yr old and she was well attended to by the staff with crackers immediately when we sat down- lifesaver. Good seafood in the middle of the country, Smithwicks and Guinness on draft, thanks D'arcy's! read more

My husband loves D'arcy's.. They have great food... Though please note, if you order a pizza, you are in for a long wait!! It took about a hour after we ordered to get it. The waitress was great. She kept coming back to check on us... great server.. Just a long wait on pizza.. which was great btw! read more

I truly believe this place to be overrated. The food is really just above-average bar food but locals seem to treat it like gourmet. However, if you like basic burgers, fries, beer and of course Horseshoes...this place will do the trick. Also, be prepared to wait for a table. It gets very busy at lunch and at dinner (especially weekend nights). read more

Pretty cool place. I asked someone at the hotel I was staying at to direct me to a good LOCAL restaurant. The Horseshoe at D'Arcy's Pint was her recommendation. So off I went! When I arrived around 2:30PM (on a Saturday afternoon), it blew me away as to how busy the place was. People waiting to eat at that time. I went in and was lucky to find a spot at the bar. Asked for a menu and a Smithwick's and received both immediately. Asked about the "Horseshoe" and was told it's Texas Toast with ground beef and some onions on top, cover with French fries, then topped with cheese sauce. I'm not much of a cheese sauce proponent as it tends to dominate the rest of the order - but when in Springfield, do as the Springfieldians do. Or something like that. It was awesome. The fries were crinkle cut and cooked perfectly. The cheese sauce was a light one and wasn't the kind that overtook the dish. Was exactly the type of food experience I was looking for. Ordered a peppermint schnaaps and coke before I left - total bill was a few cents above $19. Good deal too. Glad I went - great reference by the Fairfield hotel staff. read more

We had to wait a bit because it's a popular place for a reason. There were loads of options on the menu. I had the corned beef sandwich, and it was delicious! read more

When visiting Springfield, I asked some locals to recommend best place for horse-shoes - this was overwhelmingly the first suggestion. Kids and I each ordered pony-shoes (we were told difference is only the amount of fries). This "sandwich" was incredible. I had buffalo chicken with a perfectly cooked breaded breast. Kids each had bacon. We were all quite satisfied. Cheese sauce had just the right texture and taste - it initially seemed like too much sauce, but once you dig in, you're happy to have it, because it's so tasty and unique. They do have an option for spicy cheese, but we opted for regular. Of course, we had to stop again when passing by Springfield. Second visit yielded corned beef for me and another round of bacon for the kids. Once again, the meats were fantastic. I found the beef more enjoyable than the chicken, but would order either again pending my mood. Probably going to try the burger next time, though. Service was quick and very polite to make the experience that much better. I wish they had option to "build you own" in order to combine different meats. Once that's on the menu, I'll add another star! read more

Finally got the this place after bookmarking it over a year ago! I made what was probably a poor choice to get a salad, not the pony. I know that's what they are known for, but opted for the buffalo chicken salad. The sauce was blah. Very average meal. They also have an outdoor area for warm days. read more

Darcy's is becoming world famous due to their take on the Springfield classic "the Horseshoe". It's been featured on FoodNetwork and Travel Channel, and I gotta say, it is definitely worth checking out. The staff is always friendly and accommodating. We went with three little kids who can be a handful, but the wait staff were patient and friendly. They have a good beer selection and pour a nice Guinness, but the bar food is what you come here for. It's not for people on a diet, but if you're looking for some good, greasy, bar food, it's great. I usually get the buffalo chicken horseshoe (their specialty), but I've had others and never been disappointed. If you happen to be in Springfield, it is a must try! read more

I came, I saw, I ate a horseshoe. But first I waited, and waited, and waited. I know the place is popular, and it was a Friday night, but over 30 minutes for a table of 2 seemed a little crazy...seems like we saw plenty more people leaving, than were going in. Our waitress seemed a little lost at times when serving us, but that's fine because the food made up for it. The potato skins were great and let's just call a spade a spade....the horseshoe is amazing. I never expected the cheese sauce to be as amazing as it was. I'm a big dude, and the half pint was more than enough for me. read more

I came here when I was visiting Springfield based on the positive reviews on Yelp. I was highly disappointed and wished I had chosen a better restaurant. I ordered the horseshoe and portobello mushroom appetizer. The waitress made it seem like the ponyshoe wouldn't be big enough for my family of 3 but the horseshoe was way too much. It was my first time ordering the horseshoe and I was super excited but it was a letdown. The cheese on the horseshoe was grainy and tasted very unnatural and weird. It tasted artificial and I almost couldn't eat it. The worst part is that we ordered the larger horseshoe portion and had a lot of it to eat when it was almost inedible. The portobello mushrooms were decent. How can you go wrong with fried food? I would not come back here if I came back to this area. I would choose another location for horseshoes. If I had known it would be this bad, I would have just gone to the location right next to touristy areas which I originally tried to avoid thinking it would be better at D'arcy's. read more

Several years back, the waitress noticed my body rejecting the hot wings, but my mouth was still inhaling them. After bringing me several glasses of water, she brought an entire pitcher of ice water and stuck a straw in it and told me to have at it! And I loved it! The white cheese sauce is the best ever. Several local restaurants try to replicate it, but all fail. read more

Hungry after the Christmas walk in Springfield. Got our waters quickly, but it took a bit for the waitress to return take our orders. I got the Paddy melt without bread, hmm it is amazing how much bigger a burger looks on a bun vs no bun. This is a typical pub, beer was cold and burgers were okay. read more

Every time I come back to Springfield to visit, D'Arcy's is on my list of must go to restaurants. It's also quite fun to take my non-Springfield friends and have to explain what a horseshoe is and then watch them fall in love with it. I always either get the Irish nachos or a ponyshoe. The walleye ponyshoe was strange to me at first, but was a winner. And don't forget the corned beef and cabbage in St. Patrick's day! I think the fact that this place is always busy when you go is a testament to how awesome they are. You won't be disappointed. read more

Anyone deciding to take a large plate and fill it completely with cheese, meat, and potato has my vote! Yum! If your getting the ever favorite "Horseshoe", you will not be disappointed. I tend to favor the regular cheese, which is a great blend of melted cheeses, and my wife likes the spicy (which is much better than any version of nacho cheese any day of the week). It is enough food for 2 or 3 meals. there is no way I can gobble down a entire horseshoe. You will have your choice of either large or small version, but the large version is only $1 more than the small 1 piece of bread version. I will say this- The 1 small version still covers the entire plate and was hard to figure out if it was small or large. Love the ground beef, but did not like the red onion large chunks in it, which were not cooked very well. Pretty much raw onions, so you may want to avoid that. Get crazy with it! Order pretty much whichever concoction of meat and veggies your interested in! Lots of parking, be prepared for a full lot for lunch and dinner service, along with a wait. Come hungry! read more

Always a delicious choice! My family of six always has incredible service, wonderful food whether we order horseshoes or reuben sandwiches! They are personal and professional! I recommend this to all locals and vacationers looking for the local's BEST! read more

Even if my life depended on it I really don't think I'd touch another horseshoe again! But that still doesn't stop me from saying that D'arcy's has the best horseshoe I've had. I was born/raised in California and ever since I was born I have made at least 2 trips to Springfield a year (my dads hometown and where my mom/dad met). I grew up thinking horseshoes were just as normal as a burger and fries are...then when I got older and started telling my friends about how great the horseshoes I had on my trip were..and their terrible reaction to "TOAST...FRIES...TURKEY MEAT....WARM CHEESE??? THAT IS REPULSIVE!!!!" I always found it hilarious! I've had pony/horseshoes from D'arcy's, Steak and Shake, Bernie and Betty's and a few more Spfd. places and I'd definitely have to say D'arcy's is the most flavorful and most satisfying ponyshoe. Maybe it's the fries, maybe it's the cheese sauce, I'm not sure, but I know D'arcy's is my dads favorite place too. I've never been to the new location, only the old but once we ran into my dads long-term Springfield High girlfriend and for some reason I found that cool to meet her there, haha. read more

One of our go to restaurants when family is in town. Always great food and great service they never disappoint!! Love their horseshoe!!

This is a Diner? Drive-In? Dive? None of the above, but we did see it on the Food Network show Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. So why not try it? I ordered the Italian Sausage horseshoe with Italian sausage, regular cheese. Before I forget, the service was awesome. Attentive, fast, knowledgeable. Ok, back to the food: The fries are crisp, they have to be in order for them to stand up to the cheese. I got a sample of the spicy cheese. This reminds me too much of pepper jack. It is also annoying that I can get a side of cheese, but I can not get a side of both cheeses (smaller sizes) or additional side that I could pay for. The Italian sausage was weird. I think of slices not a patty. It was a large patty seasoned like a breakfast patty. It was not what I was expecting. I would have made another decision based on this knowledge. The cheese was great. It is a fresh, white cheese that is melted well. It is also not too salty so you can get through your entire meal without feeling awful. Overall, the horseshoe was good but not great. Definitely something to try but it just was not for me. read more

I'm from New Orleans and come to visit my in laws here in Illiopolis. Husband introduced me to D'arcy's and every time we come into town, I have to get it at least once. Every shoe I've ever gotten has been so so delicious. I wish they franchise so it'll be closer to home! read more

Whenever I'm back in town, my mother and I get dinner here at least once. She's a bit odd and always gets the walleye. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's great walleye, but everyone knows you come here for the horseshoes. Best cheese sauce ever. Oh, and if you're new to town, do yourself a favor and don't freak out when you're told what a horseshoe is. Try it anyway. It's the best thing in life. read more

As my husband said, "Gordon Ramsey would have a week long tantrum about this weird place." Aside from the identity crisis (what IS this place trying to be?) there is much about D'Arcy's to puzzle over. We figured burgers were hard to mess up, so we ordered them. Our dinners (on plastic plates) included-- Crinkle cut frozen fries. Possibly oven baked. Potato chips from a bag. Possibly generic. Decently flavored burgers, sizable, yet a bit overwhelmed by massive Kaiser rolls. The layout is crowded and reminiscent of a cafeteria or bingo hall. The employees congregate in an area that blocks the mazy path to the restrooms. I guess I'm disappointed. The reviews misled me. Perhaps if I'd ordered the messy and lethal sounding "horseshoe," I'd be perky too. But probably just bloated. read more

Since I'm a Springfield native, I love horseshoes (I get a ponyshoe though-less food). I know some people think they are weird and no big deal, but they are a classic dish of the lovely capital of Illinois. I love the buffalo chicken horseshoe!! Awesome! Esp. with ranch to dip yer chicken/fries/cheesy bite into. You should try a horseshoe at least once just to experience it-the cheese at this place is phenomenal. They have the best in town, in my opinion. Loves it! read more

Wow, what a place. D'arcy's Pint is a one of a kind place with killer food. I came here with my cousin because he wanted me to check out this local legend. They are world famous for their signature dish the "Horseshoe". A horseshoe is a hearty burger on a slice of bread, covered in a pile of fries with a secret cheese recipe drizzled over top. You can also get additional toppings on the burger. Upon arriving we sat at the bar as it was packed full of people. Right as we say down our drink orders were taken, and our orders were taken shortly. Two minutes after we ordered our food was already out. Talk about quick service! The horseshoe is money, awesome atmosphere, great service, give it a try if your in Springfield, IL! read more

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I think I am a fan of this place - mostly. There is nothing bad about it; in fact, the wait staff was very friendly, they have great outside seating where you can look at the cars in the parking lot or gaze over some farmers plowed field. We were only inside for a moment but it seemed appropriately dark for an (almost) Irish pub. I probably am failing on being ironic and sounding more cynical or mean. I apologize for this, but Springfield was just so boring! The reason we went to D'arcy's is to try the horseshoe - and everyone told us this was THE place to go. Ok, if you are reading this review, you are one of three things: 1) one of my six or seven followers. 2) looking for a place to eat in Springfield, or 3) upset that someone would say something negative about Springfield or D'arcy's. Here's the good news. They had Guinness on tap, a pipe and drum corps paraded through the establishment, and everyone was friendly. So there. Now, on to the horseshoe. No one could tell us the significance of this dish (which seems to be keeping with the city. No depth of character). The horseshoe, and it's little brother the ponyshoe, begins life as a piece of white bread put on a plate. Then a hamburger patty (or some other type of meat) is placed on the piece of white bread. THEN a bunch of crinkle cut french fries are piled on top. The pièce de résistance is a cheese sauce is ladled over the entire pile and it is served along with the appropriate ooh's and ahh's. First off, DO NOT even think about asking whether the cheese sauce is related to cheese whiz - in polite company you will be shunned, in some of the darker places? Well I can only imagine. Don't think cheese whiz, think queso fresco. In fact, that is what it is. Honestly I think it may have been created by a Springfield resident who went to Mexico and demanded a cheeseburger and fries. The burger probably wasn't a real problem. The fries, well a bit of an issue, but since potatoes are used in Mexico, the cook probably figured something out. Of course a bun was out of the question and a tortilla wouldn't have been substantial enough so perhaps the cook flattened a churro out and didn't add the sugar. "How to serve it" the cook mused. Well put the churro down, put the meat on top, then the potatoes... Wait what about the queso? Oh, drizzle that on top! And the horseshoe was born. How it got its name, well I have some ideas but this is a family site. I was told by those in the know that we missed out. We should have gotten it with Texas toast, which makes all the difference. Funny, it may have - and it adds some credence to my own thoughts on its origins. Maybe it is more of a funky Ill-Mex dish. (Ill, by the way, is what happens when one is forced to use a san-serif font. Ill is short for Illinois, just like Tex is short for Texas). Any place else in the world this dish would be on a diner menu and be called a hamburger plate. And the fries would be on the side. But I got it for only a few dollars more. WAIT! Actually that is one of the other good things about this place, no fooling. The prices are very reasonable. I don't remember exactly what I spent but it was less than $20 for the horseshoe, two Guinness, and a good tip. And who knows, maybe watching corn grow makes for an enjoyable evening. read more

D'arcy's Pint - Chili Burger Horseshoe - Irish Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

I'm looking forward to a buffalo chicken pony shoe almost as much as I'm looking forward to seeing my family over Christmas. if that doesn't explain how good this place is, I don't know what does. go here. read more

Food is consistently great to go or in the restaurant. No matter how busy they are I've never felt my service was impacted. Great place!

This is truly the best place in town to receive abusive service from host staff, waitstaff, and management who treat guests as completely disposable. If you care about service quality go somewhere else. If you enjoy actually receiving what you've ordered, go somewhere else. If you like to wait around to be seated, wait around for beverage refills, have part of your table served several minutes after the rest, and then have all of the blame for these deficiencies directed back at you, this is your place. read more

We had dinner at D'arcy's Pint this evening. It was oodles of fun for an LA girl. It is raining, and there was lightning. Our waitress told us that if we hear sirens, we should head to the bathrooms because there are no windows. Sirens? What? Oh, tornado warnings. Fun... Husband ordered a Supreme Horseshoe - seasoned ground beef over Texas Toast topped with crispy French Fries, spicy cheese sauce, bacon, tomatoes and scallions. Could have used some extra cheese sauce. Very tasty... I highly recommend trying it out if you are looking for a local favorite. By the way, the spicy sauce is not at all spicy. Don't let that intimidate you. I ordered the Irish-American BLT. WOWZA! It was a toasted ciabatta bun with crispy bacon AND rashers with lettuce, tomato and garlic mayonnaise. Delicious! The rashers made the sandwich. I wish that the bacon had been slightly less cooked (my preference is not crispy), but the rashers are so tender that you forget that the bacon is so crispy. It is served with a dill pickle spear and chips - I skipped the chips and ordered a side of vegetables. If you want to skip the chips, order a side salad - it is much bigger than the vegetables, it is the same price, and the veggies are way boring. We, miraculously, saved room for dessert. Perhaps today was just an expand my waistline kind of day. We ordered the Banana Foster Ice Cream Pie and a couple of coffees. This really capped off a quality experience. The coffee was delicious - this place is not just a bar (we had enjoyed the Harp on tap and a nice glass of Shiraz). And, the pie was delish! I know that this came from someone else, but it was so tasty. Banana ice cream on a graham cracker crust with chunks of banana and a swirl of brown sugar sauce... There was whipped cream on top too. Oh my - I highly recommend it if it is on the dessert menu when you visit D'Arcy's. The hostesses were super unfriendly, but our waitress was a doll. She disappeared for a bit at the beginning, but then she was very attentive. Always filling our water glasses, coffee cups, and checking on our enjoyment of our meal. So, go, be nice to your waitress, order the BLT, the Banana Foster Ice Cream Pie and drinks. It will be a great evening! read more

Stopped in here on the way from STL. It came recommended as a decent place to get a bite in Springfield. After a deep decerning of the very complicated menu, I made my interviews of the two bartenders on duty for some direction. The place presents several "signature" dishes like something called "shoes". They also flaunt shepherds pie and corned beef and cabbage (strikingly NOT Irish btw). At the end of the day a steak du jour caught my eye so I bit. It ended up being a bacon wrapped filet with irish potato. I know what your thinking filet at an irish pub? The bartender mentioned her husband always has the steak and loves it, what the heck. Not a bad choice. Their cook knows what a steak is at medium and the obviously have a charcoal gill of some sort on site considering the great char flavor. All-in all I certainly cant be disappointed. I'll make it a point to stop by here on future trips as well. read more

Amazing Buffalo chicken horseshoe. Will definitely return any time in the area. Service was lightning fast, food was fresh and delicious, good portions and perfectly seasoned. read more

They have a decent menu, I couldnt find a better place in Springfield. If your from Chicago dont make the trip but if your down there you might as well stop in for a horseshoe. Frank Campeglia (The Food Club) read more

Food: First time I've had a horseshoe, it was a fat mans delight. I ordered the chili dog horseshoe. It was very heavy and filling. The cheese sauce they pour over the Texas toast and hotdog was delicious. There is chili dumped on it as well. It is topped off with a bunch of fries. I also ordered a side of the white cheddar nuggets. They were delicious and I enjoyed the breading, it had a little bit too much salt but still a great bar snack. Drinks: they had five beers on tap it was a nice variety, not the greatest but still a variety. One thing that impressed me was the fact they knew how to pour a Guinness properly. More on the service: I sat at the bar and it took them about 3-4 minutes to greet me, which was weird to me with the amount of people they had behind the bar. I think one of the bartenders was new, she looked at me a couple of times but walked past without asking me if I needed a drink or food. I say she seemed new because throughout my meal I noticed her asking questions on how to do things or I saw her being addressed corrected on some things. So maybe this had to do with my delay in being served? Finally when I got served, it was by another bartender, my service was great she checked in periodically. The bartenders did a good job for the most part interacting with the customers, which enhances an experience. The restaurant was filled when I was there and when I left they had a lineup of people waiting. I would return and would like to try some of their other menu items. read more

I've only eaten here once, and judging from the dishes that other people ordered, I can tell they have some delicious burgers here. I had the famous horseshoe and chose buffalo chicken as the meat of choice. The chicken was so freakin' delicious. The batter was really yummy and nicely crunchy. Wow. The cheese sauce is good as well, definitely not your usual cheese fare. I wasn't a fan of horseshoes in general, but I could guess that this was a good one. I think horseshoes are kind of gross as a whole.. the cheese, fries, fried meat, etc., it's just too much grease on one plate for me. But if you are into that, this place definitely did not disappoint in their horseshoe creations. read more

It's all about the horseshoe here. Not being from the area, the BF properly schooled me on what to expect. And though I know I really should get one, I saw the plates coming out and did not want to be miserable from overeating all day. And I would have. When something tastes good I will eat it all no matter how full I am. Obviously you needed to know that. Anyway. I did try some of the BF's horseshoe and the cheese sauce was delicious. I kept stealing his fries that were covered in the stuff. I got the pastrami sandwich and it was also really good. Lots of meat, a great mayo spread, not much more to ask for. I know I will be back when I am in town, and eventually I will give in and get my own. Until then, I will steal some of the BF's. read more

My friend and I checked out D'arcy's Pint on our way from St. Louis to Chicago, and in particular because my friend is obsessed with Man V Food locations. Naturally, we both ordered a Horseshoe, and I was mostly disappointed but it. For a menu item where fries are one of the main stars, the fries just weren't all that great. I wasn't really hungry enough to get anything else, but did have a couple drinks. The place had a decent but not great Irish theme, having been to several other Irish-themed places that looked and felt more "authentic" (I use quotes because nothing could compare to actually being in Ireland). Overall, not the best or worst place I've ever been to, but was looking for more from my Horseshoe. read more

Friendly staff, good food, nice environment. The Irish Cheesesteak horseshoe is particularly good

Consistently delicious food, and plentiful drink selections. The philly cheesteak is off the charts good. Not quite a traditional cheesesteak, but all the elements of making a dynamite cheeseteak. Lean cuts of steak, loads of cheesy goodness, onions and green peppers all on a soft hoagie roll. My mouth it watering. The Reuben is a great pick as well. Plenty of beers to choose from here as well. read more