Always consistent and delicious. If you sit downstairs or upstairs there is always a pleasant feeling. The service was great and the staff very friendly. We actually met Mr. Cowley and he is an amazing man and has a wonderful personality. You can tell that he is definitely a pillar in the community. Thank you and we will see you again soon! read more

Go for the music. We had a reservation for 6 upstairs for dinner. We were there to hear the band, The Phoenix Theory. We ordered dinner right away. 2 people had the rueben, one the french dip, one the crab cake blt, one the chicken sandwich and one the walleye. The french dip was so dry that even the jus couldn't revive it. The crab cake blt had no flavor and was to come with kettle chips. It came with the bottom of the bag regular chips. The rueben, which should be the star at an Irish pub was just okay. I Would recommend eating before hand and just listen to the band. They were fire!! read more

John Cowley & Sons - The Phoenix Theory Band - Pubs Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

I enjoyed a nice dinner with an out of state friend who I first visited this Irish Pub with a couple of years back. I went with the standby fish and chips which was a nice portion, cooked perfectly, and I also enjoyed the cole slaw to complement the cod. A Smithwick's Irish red ale was quite nice with the fish. My friend enjoyed the walleye which was on special. We set at a beautiful wooden bar that had a circular section at one end which offered us a great vantage point of looking at multiple TV's upstairs. Kim B. was a friendly bar tender and always served us with a smile and was very efficient. As we were finishing to head to a hockey game we noticed a live band setting up which I'm sure was fun for those who were able to stay, listen to some music, and cheer on the Detroit Tigers in game 5 of the ALDS. read more

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An Irish bar in an older but renovated building. A large free lot is less than a block away. Inside is an old dark wood stereotypical small city Irish bar. Many tables, a small bar in the corner, small patio out front. The bar stools are painful to sit on. Staff is nice, small beer selection. Staff was a little slow and good at not making eye contact. read more

John Cowley & Sons - Pubs Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

My wife and I met friends here for dinner on a Saturday night. It was not busy. I had a cup of the potato soup. meh. It had chunks of bacon and cheese. It was fine. I wanted the soda bread, but they were out. My wife and I split the French dip. It was fine for us. It was on the smaller side. It was enough for one person. We opted for the chips (not fries), which were a kettle-style. They were good. The atmosphere is a little nicer Irish pub. Lots of wood. There is a bar in the far corner. Our service was lack luster. My wife had to ask several times for water. The waitress never checked back if my wife wanted another glass of wine. ‍ Our friends had the fish-n-chips, which they said was ok. read more

I come here every month for their special wine tasting dinners and this is the first time I came to try their regular menu. I brought my family here for a special occasion/birthday and I made a reservation in advance for 8 people on a Sunday afternoon for lunch. They were very kind and even put us in our own room, called the Cool Henry room. This was a lovely surprise! The service here is always top notch. Everyone who works here is very kind and attentive. Ashley took care of my family and provided excellent service. The food is fantastic! Upscale pub food. They really elevate all the classics dishes. You can find a wide variety of favorites, such as Fish and Chips, Shepherd's pie, pizza, burgers, sandwiches like the Rueben sandwich, pasta, salads--there is something for everyone. They have vegetarian choices too. They have a full bar so you can order whatever alcoholic beverage you want. I got their famous Fish & Chips and I see why they are famous. Perfection! Crispy, crunchy batter around the fish, and crispy fries too, just how I like them. The fish was excellent. This is how fish and chips are supposed to be. I love how the shepherd's pie was served, with the lamb mince spread all around the plate, topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. In the past, I've had shepherds pie in a very layered, thick way, and this was much more manageable and aesthetically pleasing. Their famous potato soup was delicious! I loved the bacon, cheese, and chives in it. We also enjoyed the Irish spring rolls, filled with sauerkraut, corned beef, potato, mozzarella and served with 1000 Island dressing. The Mac n cheese is pretty epic. I love scallions so it was wonderful to find scallions and bacon mixed in. They have a very nice dessert menu too: carrot cake, cheesecake, tiramisu, chocolate cake, and ice cream sundae. Lovely lunch experience! My whole family loved it and wants to come back. There is a free parking lot behind the restaurant, and there is a good amount of street parking too. read more

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Came down from Northeastern Michigan for a friend's surprise birthday who's also in the band "Free Beer." All I can say is "Wow! What a cool place!" Steamed Mussels in Wine Sauce with garlic, herbs, and bread. Whiskey Salmon with carrots was delicious. You could taste the whiskey in the glaze but it was t overpowering. There was a generous serving of salmon too. Shepherds Pie looked deconstructed, but for what it lacked In presentation it made IP for in flavor. Made from a ground beef/lamb combo, the seasonings were spot on. This dish demanded to be eaten. Drinks were good too. Dirty Martini and Jack with Coke we're good. They do t have all the latest names (no Aviation gin, so went with my longtime favorite Tanqueray, but the drinks were well poured. Our waitress was the best! read more

John Cowley & Sons - Steamed Mussels - Pubs Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

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Do the Irish really eat here? It's been over 10 years since we last dined here. We only went this time because of a birthday gathering. We ordered the fish and chips and French dip. I asked for tartar sauce and the waitress said it comes with remoulade. I said I'd like tartar sauce and she said it's the same thing. I told her it's not. She then said, it's what we have - do you want it or not? The fish came out and there are three pieces with a small coleslaw and fries. The fish was okay, the batter is kind of heavy. The slaw was a little watered down which made me question its freshness. The fries were overcooked and dry. The French dip - the beef lacked seasoning and was overcooked. No amount of au jus helped. After 7:30p, there is a $5 cover charge upstairs as there is a band. That said, we were done eating and the band was running late and didn't start when they were supposed to! read more

John Cowley & Sons - Fish and chips - Pubs Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

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I'm focusing this review on owner Greg Cowley, who would apparently rather fabricate stories and insult his customers than issue a simple refund on an incorrect charge. I met two friends here for dinner on a recent Friday. The server brought my check and ran my debit card, and as I was about to sign the receipt, I noticed she had charged me for the wrong tab. She acknowledged the error and promised to void the charge, saying it would take a couple business days to go through. By the following Wednesday, the errant charge had yet to be refunded, so I called the restaurant and spoke with Mr. Cowley. This is where things immediately went south. After I explained the issue to him, he became standoffish. "What I heard," he said, was that I had been in too big a hurry to leave for the server to fix her mistake. I explained to him that in fact, the three of us lingered at the table chatting for half an hour after settling our bills. After a testy back and forth in which he alleged I was attacking the young woman who was our server, he promised to look up my charges to verify what I was saying. He called back, told me "you were right" about the two different charges to my card, but added, "What are you going to do about your friend who ran out without paying her bill?" You can see how the conversation devolved thanks to Mr. Cowley, who flatly refused to refund my errant $58 charge. Later, I learned that my dining companion, who lives in another state, had her bill voided -- meaning the restaurant refunded the wrong charge and I was getting grief for their mistake. Thankfully, my bank agreed to void the charge. No thanks to Greg Cowley, who seems to have no business running a hospitality business. -- read more

First time dining here last weekend. We came for lunch and we're the first people there. Our waitress I believe her name was Judy was very friendly and sat us at a table outside. She quickly took our drink orders and placed an appetizer order. We got the Rueben spring rolls, which were delicious. Not sure if they are home made but they seemed like they were. They were flakey and flavorful. For lunch I got the crab cake BLT and my friend got the Angry cod sandwich. Both were quick and HUGE. Mine had two crab cakes on it with a ton of bacon, and her fish sandwich was stacked. Both were tasty. Only downside was my friend got a carrot cake, and it wasn't very good. Other then that a great place to dine! read more

John Cowley & Sons - Rueben spring rolls - Pubs Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

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Mediocre food and overworked sub-minimum wage staff make this a place easy to avoid. Now that prices have been increased 20% most people will stay away in droves. read more

We love John Cowley's! It was date night for us and presumably a lot of other folks too. JC was pretty busy when we came in but there was one table left in the middle of a heavy traffic pattern and one little table off to the side. I chose the little table and we had great service. The food was delicious. The one tiny criticism I have of JC is that they don't have a drinks menu so you have no idea if you're ordering a $45 glass of wine or an $8 glass plus the waitress invariably acts like you're ridiculous for caring about the price. Then your bill comes and it was the $34 glass of wine that killed your entertainment budget. I don't know if it cost $34 but our entrees were $18 apiece and they totally bill was $65, $80 with tip. That's a bunch for a simple meal for two people. But we'll be back. It's a nice local place. read more

Food was mediocre and the service ridiculously slow. Then to top it off they added a 20% service charge on top of the bill. When I questioned the service charge I got some lame explanation. What are they thinking. Won't be back ever. read more

Located in historic downtown Farmington Cowleys is a cut above the average bar fare. I went there a few months ago with a friend. The interior really brings out the Irish in this place, you could swear you're in Dublin with U2 blaring on the speakers. But alas you're still in the US of A. We ordered the Blarney Crock w/tortillas chips ($8) which was creamy like artichoke dip. Very hot out of the oven but very good. Next up was the silky potato soup ($4). This was wonderful and starchy. The fish n chips ($15) came in a large portion but was lukewarm and had to be sent back. Took about 10 minutes and the piping hot version appeared. Very tasty and don't forget the tartar sauce and malt vinegar. Recommended. Lastly, the traditional Reuben sandwich ($12) was good but could have been tastier had they used corned beef with a bit more fat. Overall the food was above average. The service was average but considered acceptable considering the place was packed, not an empty table in sight. All things considered I will recommend this venerable venue. $$ read more

This review is based off 2 of the wine tasting and 4 course meals. I haven't not been to the restaurant for non wine tastings but based on these 2 events I would definitely be there no questions asked. Every other Wednesday, John Cowleys does a wine and meal pairing menu. You have to make reservations for this event as the food is prepared especially for the wines. There is easy parking nearby. I've only been on the street level part of the restaurant but it is not a huge place. When you come for the wine tasting, your get seated at a table with the menu and 4 glasses. I haven't seen anyone by themselves but it doesn't seem like this would be a problem as it is possible to separate smaller groups. Everyone gets served the same food and there are no substitutes as the meal is developed by the chef to pair with the food. You get a pour of wine, about 1/2 glass or a bit less as the food course is being placed in front of you. The sommelier tells you a bit about the wine (where it is from, what type of grapes, what it pairs well with, the price, etc.) Then you are able to eat the food and drink the wine. I recommend trying the wines with and without the food. It is completely okay if you don't like the wine and don't finish it. You are there for the experience. At the end of the meal, you get the opportunity to purchase any of the wines that you like as you get your bill for the meal. The meal is a flat rate and the wines are around $20ish dollars. Definitely a good experience to try. I will definitely be back. read more

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Where to begin? Should it be the $5 cover or should it be the $7 16 oz domestic draft beer? Maybe I'll start with the lack of seating despite paying to enter? They have these long beer garden tables, but those take up more space than they're worth. It's been about ten years since I've been here and will probably be another ten before I come back. Even bougie Royal Oak bars are slow to go over $5 for a beer. I expect my stay to be short. There are other options and I will avail myself of them. read more

Came here on a Saturday evening and it was empty... hope they can stay in business . I loved my perch served with rice and carrots . It was a generous portion. I had a glass of wine too. We have been extremely disappointed in the steak here ,so it was nice to find a winning dish ! My husband tried the deconstructed Shephards pie ( it doesnt look pretty lol) and enjoyed the flavor combo. I will come back for fish and chips and perch... weary of some of the other entrees. read more

John Cowley & Sons - Perch! - Pubs Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

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Food, service, and management are subpar. I would not recommend eating here. The Shepards pie was edible, but not very good. My friends and I also experienced service issues. After waiting an extended period of time for our bill, my friend discovered she had been charged for someone else's food. The server then made an error crediting the wrong card (mine) which wasn't discovered by me until AFTER my friend had a confrontation with a very rude owner. I assumed the credit card slip I signed had been processed, why would i not have? The mistake is on the restaurant and the server. Things happen and that is understandable, but the way the owner treated my friend is absolutely ridiculous. Refusing to refund her and correct the charges. The billing errors are 100% on the restaurant! Period! read more

I want to love this place because they have bands and i appreciate that but we don't eat here because the food is less than mediocre. What is really irritating is the 20% service charge to help pay wages. They enacted this increase on already high prices well before they had to increase wages. The wages only increased to $5.99/hour which does not justify the 20% increase. The other thing that's a bummer is you get the feeling that they don't really care if you come or not. This place could be a gold mine with better food and appreciation for customers. read more

I don't know how this place stays in business: the food is terrible and the service is worse. I actually had food poisoning the last time I was here and spent three days in bed before I realized what was wrong--the potato soup--which tells you that the kitchen is not clean. Waitress can't make a rum and coke without putting lime in it especially when she was told not to. The clientele are elderly alcoholics who have lost their tastebuds. I wish this place would close. It's an insult to the city and lowers the prestige of Farmington. Any place is better. read more

Upsetting to hear members of my community were denied access to this establishment - they were humiliated and discriminated against when the owner themselves denied access for the individual and her service animal. Per the ADA, this individual should have never been denied access due to needing an accommodation (their service animal). I sincerely hope this individual reports this to the ADA & Labor Board as this is a massive violation of laws set in place for these situations. Do not recommend- regardless of food & service, I wouldn't dare support an owner who thinks it's appropriate to hold the animals ID card& certification card above the head of the guest who had to JUMP to get it back. Absolutely ashamed to have this establishment & behavior in my community. read more

My review of John Cowley & Sons is solely based off the dinner and wine pairing event. This was my first time going, but it sounds like this is a monthly event. Future dates are posted on their website and Facebook page. A friend had signed up/ reserved a table for us, and it sounds like that was easy to do. We were seated as soon as we had arrived. Seating was a little cramped, which was a little disappointing as we were seated next to an empty table. Had they just pulled that table, it would have been perfect. Wines were poured a new wine before each course to pair with the next food, and we were told about the origins and process for creating each of the particular wines. After the meal they had bottles of wine available for purchase, or available for order. I had never been to an event like this, so I really didn't have any expectations. The food was incredible, and paired so amazingly well with each of the wines. I'm new to wines, but I will be back in the future for the food alone. Service was great- friendly, super responsive, and always helpful. I would definitely recommend this event for groups of friends or even a date night. read more

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The new added service charge to my bill left no money for the waitress paid eight dollars on a single meal. Did that money go to the waitress or does it just go to the owner? Yes, the owner he's ripping people off last time I go there Michael J Overall. read more

This is a great pleased to meet large groups of friends. The food is decent and these to have some of the best wine tasting here. So much fun and lots of good memories here. Come for the lively spirit here and make sure to bring a friend or two. It's an Irish bar after all. You can get your standard Irish fare or American fare too. Portions are pretty generous here too. The best part of this place is the chilled atmosphere but definite energy too. read more

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I've been coming here since I was a child so all of the nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks. We came on a tuesday afternoon before catching a movie so it was pretty slow and the service was perfect. I'm gluten free and ended up completely amazed at the GF options, over half of the menu has options for me to enjoy. The food here really hit the spot. Our fries were better than old school McDonalds fries if you no what I mean. I'm not going to post photos, just wait until you see their bathrooms. GORGEOUS read more

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Not good. Stay away anybody who serves fish and chips with remoulade and not real tartar sauce is insane. Lobster bake, I couldn't even taste lobster, super sour cheese, yuck. The closest thing they have to real food is a hamburger. There's shepherds pie. But it is a mess enough to serve a family of three. The place is cold all the time in the winter with the wind blowing through two doors that are open and closed. If you need to take a shit bring your own space heater. Hey folks, this is Michigan. read more

Just moved to the area and we ventured here on a Saturday night. We ordered the NY strip and the Whiskey Salmon plates and loved every bite. We kind of expected "bar food" but were wonderfully surprised to get "better then a chain restaurant"quality food. People complain about the price but it's about what we have paid for the 2 of us everywhere else we have went in the Farmington area. I can't stress that it's relative to the area because this is the historic district of Farmington. There's a lot of cheaper places in the Detroit metro then Farmington anything. The wait staff was absolutely charming and did great keeping up with us, even though I could tell she was running on fumes. I absolutely love the aesthetic! It has a perfect blend of authentic old world Irish bar with modern cleanliness standards and conveniences. Sports on the TVs and quality sound equipment and stage for the live band. I don't know if it was the usual crowd or if the band for that night attracted the more mature crowd, but I enjoyed the 60s-80s music. It was great seeing people relaxing and having fun at that age too. I personally love classic rock so I enjoyed it. I will definitely be going back and checking out other bands and live events. read more

John Cowley & Sons - Bar area - Pubs Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

We've eaten here twice now and both times service was good and food was delicious. We ate downstairs the first time and upstairs the second. Both nice read more

We had such a good time here. And the food was awesome. The steak tips were perfect. The live band was one of the best I've heard in the Detroit area a long time. Highly recommend this place. read more

Good food and service. One large beef. Came on Father's Day and you were closed. Your business is to be open when other people are off / celebrating. You close on all the summer holidays when people come to enjoy food and drink. This is totally antithetical to the business you are in. Being unexpectedly closed is not cool... Don't come here on or around a holiday expecting them to be open. read more

I typically do not like to write bad reviews. But sometimes they are absolutely deserved. We went to celebrate my best friends birthday at John Cowleys last night. We had reservations made weeks in advance through Craig to be able to sit upstairs and enjoy the band we came to watch, eat food and drink drinks. We showed up 20 minutes early before our reservation time just to be told Craig never wrote our reservations down and they did not have space for us. We were "accommodated" and put into a small room downstairs far from where we were supposed to be. And it quickly filled up and overflowed with people due to there not being enough space. Then comes the drinks and the food. Be prepared to spend $8 on a regular size can of white claw. I ordered a Caesar salad and when it was brought to me it was literally a plate of lettuce dollar store croutons, Parmesan cheese you put on spaghetti and cold dried out chicken. I also had soup and after I finished eating the soup within 20 minutes I felt sick to my stomach and was running to the bathroom puking. I had to leave for the evening because I was absolutely in so much pain. The way that management handled the evening was absolutely disgusting. They should be trained on how to handle their mistakes. The staff was rude. It was all poorly managed. Not to mention, they ruined a persons birthday celebration. I do not recommend this place at all. read more

John Cowley & Sons - $23.00 Caesar salad - Pubs Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

We hadn't visited this local eatery in a while and looked forward to outdoor dining tonight. Atmosphere was great, service was attentive, food was mediocre at best. Potato soup was terrible. It wasn't soup--it was a cup of old mashed potatoes watered down slightly, and with toppings. Also, we've been here before and had the potato soup before--it was great then, this was bad. Fish and chips were good. Chicken Marsala was okay. Again, atmosphere was nice, service good, food was just okay and at premium price. read more

Wow how this place has gone downhill. We used to really like going there. It has the old Irish bar feel with the dark wood. But we ordered the shepherds pie and there was no "pie" component it was ground beef and carrots in a sauce sitting in a bowl looked like slop. The ladies bathroom sink drain pipe was missing as you washed your hands it drained into a bucket. read more

I usually try to stop by Cowley's whenever I'm in town, but I was blown away by the treatment I received when we hosted my mother's memorial there in October. Alicia was amazing and turned a difficult experience into a lovely memory. All of our guests raved about the food and the staff who could not have been more helpful. Thank you to all who helped with our luncheon. read more

I experienced the most amazing wine tasting here last week. A friend of mine, who also happens to be an Elite, won tickets for it at a silent auction and invited me and a few others along. This was my first real wine tasting, I mean I do them all the time at home but I had no idea what to expect. So I did what any sensible human would do before drinking and ate like two sandwiches, just to be sure. But as it turns out it was also a pairing, so each wine we tasted was paired with a gorgeous plate of food. I couldn't eat everything since there was meat in some of the dishes but the ones I did have I really enjoyed. My favorite was the crab Rangoon and it was perfect. It was so good that I actually need to find a recipe on Pinterest for it, so I can make it at home. I also got to try some really good cheese (my fave) as well, expresso cheese which was a white cheddar with coffee grounds on the rind and the caramel cheese, that looked exactly like caramel and even tasted like it too. All the wines were really good too, I especially enjoyed the reds, they were all tasty and made me feel great. I believe this tasting is hosted every first and third Wednesday and will cost you $40. For the delicious wine and amount of food you get, I'd say it's definitely worth it and I can't wait to go to another one! read more

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I've been here several times. The food and service is consistently good, though prices are slightly high. This time, I ordered the veggie pizza and my Mom ordered a half Reuben and side salad. The pizza was good, not great, a bit bland and bready, but definitely satisfying with a cold draft beer. The salads are always super fresh, and the corned beef was tender and savory. My favorite thing about this place is the patio seating. read more

John Cowley & Sons - The veggie pizza with balsamic glaze, $9 - Pubs Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

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Normally a premium place to eat; tonight was terrible. After initial order waitress ignored us. Drink glasses sat empty for 15 minuets. Food finally came and fish was good as usual but fries were cold. We are a regular customer but this is the end. read more

Was craving some good fish & chips and this may be this best I've seen in the area so far! The place is close to basement burger in downtown Farmington. There's a parking area behind the pub that they share with basement burger and some other restaurants. Spacious inside, I heard there's live music upstairs at night/over the weekend? Came for the fish and chips and they were 4.5/5! The fish was really good! Freshly battered and fried!! The fries were not amazing but not bad. I may substitute them with sweet potato fries next time! They also give you a small side of cabbage (or slaw?) which was just so so. Overall great experience, will recommend for the fish and chips! read more

John Cowley & Sons - Fish & chips (juicy and fresh) - Pubs Near Me - Farmington, Michigan

Stopped by here because they have an outdoor seating area and it was a very warm Sunday. I didn't get to really see the inside, But it look like your typical bar restaurant. The patio umbrella was not very sturdy as it kept moving around due to the wind and actually hit me on my head so beware of the patio when it's too windy. The waitress was pleasant, she didn't refill our Water but she was pregnant so I was not too upset but overall she was decent and she smiled and seemed to have a positive attitude. They have a pretty big menu with some variation of items, the steak and fish options were a bit pricey for a bar in my opinion so I didn't order those and opted for sandwiches. I ordered the spicy Siracha cod sandwich with coleslaw. They placed two or three large round pieces of fish in between the bun so it was very difficult to eat. All the fish ended up falling out the sandwich and it was not spicy at all. It said siracha but it tasted more like red hot sauce. I also ordered some onion rings, which were not that good. Hubby ordered the burger with the burger with corned beef. it was OK not too much flavor and the bread was dry. I wouldn't cross this out from the list, may come here for a few drinks with friends and snacks but would not be my choice for food read more

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Joe V. and I hit this place up for lunch today. It's right up the street from my office but I haven't had the occasion to drop in until this afternoon. If you're not looking for it you'll likely miss it, but the Royal Blue façade is a dead giveaway. Parking is easier behind the building FYI, since street parking is at a premium downtown. It was pretty dead at around 130 with maybe 4 tables and a couple patrons at the bar. I ordered the Cowley Club with a cup of their Baked Potato Soup instead of fries or chips. The soup was delicious although a dash of salt and pepper and this would've been perfection, but the scallions and cheddar on top were a nice additional touch. The sandwich I ordered must've stood at least 4 inches tall with stacked meats on rye with ripe tomato and fresh greens, pickles and mayo on the side and they threw chips on the plate despite the soup I had ordered. The sandwich was almost too tall to eat but it was quality! The entire menu looked pretty enticing as it was...the Pub Burger, their Reuben etc., etc. I had a difficult time picking the Club over the rest. Service was fantastic and despite the fact that they were slow I get the sense that they treat their patrons well here. I glanced at the upstairs for a quick second...I'm guessing that's where the entertainment plays....it looked like a nice place to enjoy a few pints with friends. I'd like to come back and check this place out at night but I'll be back for the food sooner than later. read more