What a great place! Sorry to hear it's closing. Food is great and our server Emily was just the best ever! Last time there we had Sarah as our server. Also outstanding See u there St Pat's Day! read more

Flew in to town for brief business stop and friend recommended meeting here. Excellent choice to enjoy pub style food and drink while catching up. Good for groups big or small. Service was in point and food was quickly prepared. Staff is attentive to ensure a good dining experience! read more

Hooleys Public House - BlackBerry marg. - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

Meh, just okay as far as good goes. The Mac and cheese is decent. Sirloin sliders just okay, my buns were burnt, same with the 50 50 burger. Mashed potatoes good, sausage also just okay. I think you go for the atmosphere and Guinness. Staff was good and helpful. read more

Hooleys Public House - Sirloin sliders - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

We came after we saw a post for their Irish New Years toast! I have to say this will now be a yearly thing!! So much fun!! Absolutely love the vibe! Our server was Allie, and she couldn't have been better!! We hadn't the Guinness, bratwurst, and the large pub pretzel which is our usual go to anyways. But wanted to try the bratwurst this time. It was so good! There's cabbage... really a must try even if you were as a side. We will be back before next new years, but wanted to highlight the New Year's Irish toast, because in looking for places to hang out and go to to celebrate before the actual midnight time is hard to find. Love it!! read more

Hooleys Public House - Guinness bratwurst - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

The bar as the only part open and it was a bit loud and only high tops were available. The server was great. The fish tacos were good and the fries were outstanding. Overall an okay night just wish the other side was ioen. More comfortable. read more

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Met up with some friends here today! We were able to enjoy appetizers and drinks. We tried the fried PB&J sandwich, the fried calimari, the buffalo bites and salad. We tried the PB&J on the recommendation of the waitress. It was definitely good. I'd order that again. Everyone working there were super nice and friendly. Next time we'll go during Happy Hour for better pricing. read more

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We love Hooleys. Got the Fish and Chips and the Fish, Shrimp and Chips. Finished with the butterscotch bread pudding. It was all so delicious. Our server Alex was so sweet. Ambiance was typical for a pub on a Thursday night. read more

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Walked in and ordered. After 25 minutes, we were still waiting and no drink order arrived. Asked a waiter and he said have to find your server. There weren't even drinks on the bar to be delivered or a bartender for that matter. No one even stepped up to the plate to assist. We gave up and We walked out!! This place is closing and I thought I would miss it but after this they deserve it: If I could have them 0 stars I would. Sad experience! read more

A cozy old world atmosphere and a pint of Guinness can go a long way to making a restaurant feel unique compared with the loud club-like scene of modern dining establishments. Hooleys Public House goes against the grain and looks to the past for inspiration. From the tavern like interior to the darker lighting it feels more comfortable and intimate than most casual dining spaces. The food is a fun play of Irish themed dishes with a San Diego twist. What other place can you get shepherds pie tacos?! We opted for the classic fish and chips as well as the Hooley Mac. Both were amazing with big portions and great flavor. The service was top notch. Everyone was very nice and polite. It was a great first experience from a place I've been wanting to try for a while. They do have Hapoy Hour 3pm-6pm during the week and seem to do regular themed events as well. If you've been thinking of trying something new, gives Hooleys Public House a try. read more

Hooleys Public House - Fish & Chips - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

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hooleys hosted my 29th annual Christmas party. Erin and sarah were amazing. The food was fantastic. Service was amazing. I couldn't ask for a better location to have our Christmas party. Thank you very much for doing such an amazing job.. read more

Hooleys Public House - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

The best fish & chips short of actually bringing Ireland. Never had a problem with service (unless it's around Saint Paddy's Day!) casual dining which is great for a date night or a group party!! read more

Hooleys Public House - Breakfast Skillet & Irish Coffee - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Great place to satisfy your fried food craving. They have a Thursday night special $5 off fish and chips or $5 off shrimp and chips and $6 pints of Guinness. As for me I always enjoy the hooleys famous corned beef tacos. read more

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Great place for a Guinness and some Irish inspired fare! The Guinness is a perfect pour. We had the corned beef tacos for Taco Tuesday and they're a tasty mix of corned beef, irish cheddar and corn tortillas. We also had the classic corned beef and cabbage, and the serving size is big for the price. Had enough for lunch the next day. You also can't miss out on the bread pudding! Its great food served in an authentic modern Irish bar with plenty of seating and cute high tops and tables with great service! Our server was very kind and attentive. Food came out relatively quick as well. read more

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Food was delicious! We ordered Fish n Chips (tots), the giant pretzel, and what we love the most was the bread pudding. It's the best bread pudding in San Diego! read more

Hooleys Public House - Fish and chips (tots) - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

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He Said; We visited on a lively Sunday to have a lunch with family who are semi-regulars here. They pour a great Guinness, that's for sure! I had a corned beef burrito, with eggs and other breakfast items inside. The tortilla was fairly greasy, but the innards were nice enough. I'd lean 3-stars because it was generally just okay, but She was more impressed. Service was excellent, for sure; very attentive, friendly, and helpful. 5 stars for it! She Said: I had the Chipotle BLT wrap and thought it was really tasty. That combined with a properly poured Guinness and a terrific server made it a 5 star experience for me. I'll happily come back! Potty Points: I used the potty a couple of times since we had settled in for a relatively long visit with family. There was never a wait and it was always tidy. 4/5 potty points! read more

Went here for lunch for a birthday party. Their Guinness stew is from a Campbell soup that I recognized. They poured soup in a bowl. It was lukewarm and charged $15.. Our server was great. read more

My french onion soup came with the croutons in the soup. Normally they come wrapped up on the side so you can add them. Not nearly enough cheese as they normally give. read more

Hooleys Public House - French Onion Soup - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

Questionable service sign says you can seat yourself in the bar area and then no one comes to check on you. So yea idk bad experience I just left. read more

My thanks to Olivia at the Grossmont Center Hooley's Public House for her assistance in getting me a gift card for someone turning 21 who wants to savor his first Guinness. I no longer live locally, but Hooley's was always my go-to for great Irish food and drink when I did. Olivia helped me to get a gift card and direct mail it, as they don't do cards on-line. Charming on the phone. I could feel her smile even from half way across the country. Thanks for your help, Olivia. read more

This review is of a lunch in January of 2026. Fish and Chips lunch portion which I saw on the website was not offered without asking.. Nonetheless one large piece of cod with ample chips Quality was pretty good Service was fine Cost of one large piece of Cod with a good amount of Chips One Iced Tea... About $ 20 before tip I tipped %20 for a total of around $24 You can make of that price what you will January 2026 Please support local businesses as you are able read more

We went here on New Year's Eve afternoon to ring in the Irish New Year at 4 pm. The place was packed with wonderful people and all ready to have a great time. It has the look and feel of a traditional Irish pub and so do the patrons. We had a great time with the band and then sat to eat some Sammie's of course. Reuben and corned beef sandwich were delicious and had the crispiest bread. I would return just for that. The fries were crisp and generous. The fish and chips held up for the ride home and as expected crispy and not overcooked with a proportionate amount of batter. The wait staff are very accommodating and happy people. Slainte. read more

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We came on a Saturday evening around 6:30pm and were able to be seated right away. The service was good, though slightly slow. It was nice to not be rushed. The interior of the restaurant is cozy and feels very private which was perfect for us. I had the fish and chips. The fish came out hot and crispy! We will definitely be back. read more

Hooleys Public House - Fish & Chips - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

Love the Irish stew, the Fish and chips are great my wife and I love to have our date night there! Servers always attentive and friendly. Good food good atmosphere! read more

A long overdue update to one of our favorite places for Brunch, Taco, Tuesday, and Happy Hour -- we've been here dozens of times and it never disappoints! We love the dark decor and delicious food and excellent service, especially from Emily, Alex, Luke, and Anthony. Their restaurant manager and bar manager are both at the top of their games -- everything is spot-on at every visit and we have them to thank! Highly recommend checking out Hooley's! read more

I'm vegan. Is there anything that I can eat here? I think my options are limited. Good thing that beer is (usually) vegan. The selection here is OK. Hot tip: Not sure why this is, but they don't include their draft list on their menu. Hopefully someone has uploaded a better pic than I, but I'll share what I got as a public service. My man Chickenbone Slim sometimes plays here. If you love the blues, you have to check him out. At least when I am hungry, I can walk over to the Grossmont Center Food Court. read more

Hooleys Public House - OK, fine. I just wanted to show that the draft selection is much better than what the menu indicates. You're welcome! - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

Stopped by for Irish cuisine!!! The corn beef and cabbage was delicious!!! The white wine sauce made it even better. The kilkenny was amazing!!! Service with a cute smile!!! read more

Around noon we picked up sandwiches and soup from Hooley's pub house La Mesa. What a poor excuse for a french dip sandwich. The meat didn't even cover the bun and most of it was burnt. Tater tots is a basic side . So very basic. Potato soup again basic. There was nothing basic about the price. $87 And change and wanting a tip. Maybe different if we sat down, but my son just got out of the hospital and wanted to eat at home. miserable excuse for a restaurant. I would have been better if going to Arby's fast food. I recommed not even stepping foot in this establishment. Waist of money. read more

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Wow Kate the host was so amazing! She was so friendly and able to get us a table nice and fast. Definitely will be back for the best bread pudding in SD read more

We stopped in for a drink last Saturday night. There were people waiting for tables in the "lobby". I walked up to the stand to ask if we could just go in and sit at the bar. I didn't even full full sentence out, and the guy behind the stand started shaking his head no. He wasn't even listening to me. I said, "So we can't just go in and sit at the bar"? He then replied, "Oh the bar? Yeah". And then put his head back down. Not the most friendly of greetings when you walk the front door. There was only one bartender who seemed to be slammed. And we waited for about 15 minutes before he even acknowledged us and took our order. We had one drink and left. Have to say that the experience was not very enjoyable on this visit. We've been several other times for dinner, and it was good. This visit, not so much. :( read more

Great food, great service, and wonderful music. It's no wonder they have been in the same spot for many years.

Horrible experience. I made a reservation for 9 people on March 8 at 6pm, for the main dining room. I specifically said not in the bar. Got there, and they immediately tried to put us in the bar. We had a child with us! I said no! They said, it will be 20 or 30 minutes or so for a place in the dining room, but we can put you on the patio. The patio is ugly, it looks like it doubles as a storage room. Took 20 minutes to get the menus. Took another 15 to get mediocre drinks, that were 1/2 full! We ordered all of our appetizers and entrees at the same time so we wouldn't be forgotten again. Horrible service, horrible seating and mediocre food! We used to go to Hooleys a lot...not any more! Horrible experience, and we were there to celebrate 2 birthdays. Bill came with 18% tip already added and, would you like to add more tip, nope, absolutely NOT!!! Never Again!! read more

The bread pudding is the best dessert I've ever had, seriously! Loved every bite. Nice atmosphere.

Environment and people are always great with service, go there while waiting for my girls practice with family and friends, enjoy that Kilkenny beer and cheese curds read more

This is one cool bar. Great place to see sporting events, prices are reasonable and even though it's a larger venue, it FEELS like a neighborhood bar. Service is attentive the bar is very clean. Whenever I'm in this neighborhood and need a cold one, this is the spot. read more

Came to this Irish Pub for St. Patrick's day and it was sooo busy! We were lucky we went in "fast"! They had live music, great beer and we ordered some tater tots for a snack - the potatoes were fast and delicious :) The only think I missed was green beer but everything else was great! read more

Hooleys Public House - Beer - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

Great pub. we had a large group so we were sat in the Guinness room which was perfect and had a big projector screen for us to watch baseball and hockey on. food was great; we ordered the pretzel, scotch eggs, and jalapeño poppers. our server was lovely and made splitting the checks seamless. can't wait to go back. read more

Hooleys Public House - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

Waited 40 mins to be seated and when finally called no longer that 2 minutes seats were given away. When finally seated, no one showed up to help us or bothered to ask if we needed anything. 2 hours wasted. Horrible service! read more

Erin the event coordinator did a fantastic job with my networking group that meets the first Tuesday of each month for tacos from 4 to 6 PM. She made sure to communicate well, follow up and even has all the A/V equipment set up for us on arrival. Ian, the server did a great job. Made sure that everyone was taken care of. We always have a wonderful experience at Hooleys. If you're looking for a place to host an event, consider Hooleys at the top of the list. read more

Hooleys Public House - Our first Tuesday of the month Taco Tuesday networking meeting. Left: Carter Short, Lita LaGuire, Kyle Taylor, Matt Gardner. - Irish Pub Near Me - La Mesa, California

This has been a favorite place for us to eat. But don't see us coming back anytime soon. Super disappointed to be charged almost $8 to use a credit card or debit. Also the $15 pretzel no longer comes with cheese that's an additional $3, really?! Love the service, food and atmosphere but these upcharges are ridiculous. read more

Service was good. Food was mediocre. I am turned off by fluff fees. They charged for credit cards even after they required it to keep a tab open. Had I been informed of the charge, I would have paid cash. They even charged for soda water from the tap. Please just be up front with the charge and include it on the menu. read more