Nantucket is full of restaurants that primarily target the influx of tourists in the summer. Of those, only a small percentage are year-rounders, serving year-round Nantucketers, who tend to be more down-to-earth and less inclined to pay $30 for a sushi roll than the average fair weather islander. Kitty Murtagh's is one for the year-rounders. Tucked away on a small side street behind the mid-island Stop and Shop, this reliable old Irish pub is low key and pretense free, with a lovely patio for al fresco dining in fine weather. Indoors, there are pool tables and occasionally live music. The food is nothing earth shattering, but it's fairly priced and fairly good -- and the Irish menu items are fairly authentic. No surprise since co-owner John Keane is an Irish transplant who came to Nantucket in the late 1980s to work as a bartender at the Chicken Box, a semi-legendary live music venue a few doors down (where my BIL used to play with his band, incidentally). Keane and his partner, Caroline Montgomery, own not only Kitty Murtagh's, but also Queequeg's, Tree Bar, and Town, downtown mainstays. At a recent dinner, IRISH NACHOS ($15; Melted Cheddar, Bacon, Tomatoes, Scallion, Potato Skins) were well made, with a good balance of crisp potato skin, cheese and other toppings. You won't find Irish nachos on menus in Ireland, unless it's at an American pub. Like green beer and big parades on St. Patrick's Day, they're an American invention -- quite a tasty one, though, unlike most green beers I've had. More authentically Irish GUINNESS BEEF STEW ($20; Gravy, Root Vegetables, Mashed Potato, Dinner Rolls) was made with tender beef and carrots in plenty of gravy. It was particularly lovely to discover that the mashed potatoes that came with the dish were scratch made and quite delicious. It's hard for me to resist an IRISH FRY UP ($20; Eggs, Bangers, Rashers, Black & White Pudding, Charred Tomato, Irish Beans, Mushrooms, Fries), otherwise known as a full Irish breakfast, whenever I see it on the menu, even when it's dinnertime. Kitty Murtagh's version was fairly good. I loved the nicely pan-fried little disks black and white pudding, charred tomato, mushrooms, and eggs, which I requested over easy. Bangers had been a bit over boiled and the "Irish beans" were probably canned (tinned) Heinz baked beans, however. I have a number of Irish friends who enjoy the nostalgia of tinned baked beans, especially on buttered toast, but they're not my personal favorite. Fries were a stand-in for more traditional pan-fried potatoes. We were not overly fond of the IRISH CHICKEN CURRY ($32; Indian Madras Curry, Jasmine Rice, Mango Chutney), which was made with several times more untempered "curry powder" (aka garam masala) than there probably should have been. It was also weirdly and horribly sweet. We do sometimes enjoy the genre we think of as British-Indian food, e.g. the chicken curries you can find at just about any pub in London. I can only guess that the chef mis-measured the amounts of curry powder and sugar while making this batch. Our ten-year old insisted on ordering the GRILLED CHEESE & FRIES ($12) from the children's menu, which she found very much to her taste. I didn't try it, but it was made with amply buttered white bread and American cheese. She said it was good as Panera's, her paragon of grilled cheese. ;) Overall, it was quite a pleasant meal. We'll surely be back with the pup to sit on that pretty patio and try the shepherd's pie. read more

See all

My go to place for dinner on the Island and NEVER disappoints!! I've literally had everything on the menu off and on season. I can't recommend Kittys enough Amazing comfort food! The burgers are great! The hot chicken sandwich is phenomenal. Great staff! Pool tables I love Kittys read more

This place absolutely sucks. The bartender is ridiculously rude and terrible service. Highly would recommend not coming here. Not worth your time and you're almost guaranteed to get into an altercation with the bartender. read more

Had a surprisingly lively stop in at Kitty Murtagh's on a Wednesday night. We were greeted by a great wait staff who took our drink orders. Drinks/food were reasonably priced. The cherry-on-top of the experience was the little Irish music group that happened to be meeting while we were there; they really made this a unique experience and we stayed longer (and ordered extra drinks/food) than we expected just to listen. We ordered the Shephards Pie to share... it was really tasty! We will be back! read more

Kitty Murtagh's - Shepherd's Pie - American Near Me - Nantucket, Massachusetts

See all

I have been here twice and loved it both times. The service was awesome! The last time was on St. Patrick's Day. We sat downstairs and it was quieter and more family friendly but still a great time. The food was absolutely delicious! I ordered The Painkiller for my drink and absolutely delish! Will definitely be back! read more

They make the best brown bread, and I always feel welcomed. It's a warm and cozy getaway I have many fond memories of.

From the service to the food and the atmosphere, I'd go back in a heartbeat! Their hummus was homemade and a definite must try! read more

Cozy place with flavorful food. The beef stew and clam chowder make for a filling, well spiced dinner for a foggy summer night.

Our trip to Nantucket was interesting to say the least. After we walked up & down the pretty streets, we decided to venture away from the hub of downtown and the tourists and meandered through lots of pretty streets we happened upon this Irish pub/ restaurant. Heaven.... So as an Irish person, I am always dubious of the "Irish Pub" scenario here in the US. Today did not disappoint. The pub is large (much larger than most at home) but it was fabulous. Every aspect of the decor was nailed to a T. I loved it here. We sat at the bar, it was super quiet and we had the bar man all to ourselves. We ordered an Irish Breakfast Clam Chowder, Fries with curry sauce... ALL OF IT WAS OUTSTANDING!! Well done to everyone and especially the chef. It was just like home. It actually made me homesick to be honest. So if you are ever in Nantucket seek this hidden gem out. It's about a 30 minute walk from the ferry area and worth every step. Of course you can always call a cab or get an über! read more

See all

Was excited to try this place. After getting seated by the hostess, I waited 8 minutes and wasn't even acknowledged. Was going to chalk it up to being understaffed. But then watched 3 other parties get seated and immediately served water and their orders taken. Walked out disappointed read more

You want to know why I go to Kitty Murtagh's? They have a damn good soup and salad bar. At the risk of sounding like my 80 year old parents, it's reasonably priced as well. This two level establishment is what every Irish pub should encompass: dark wood, a pool table and solid pub fare. Speaking honestly now, I wasn't a fan of the curry chicken, at all. But they do a pretty standard burger between English muffins if my memory serves me, and I can actually go and enjoy a few delicious go's at the salad bar and be one happy camper. What makes this salad bar so special you ask? It's fresh and filled with all things you'd want on a salad ranging from the typical cucumbers and tomatoes to a few more sexy items like artichoke hearts and pepperoncini. Oh and bonus? The delicious croutons and the real bacon bits... hey yoooo. For those with kids: very child friendly and the lower level is without a bar, so you can definitely guarantee a less rowdy time. Located on the outskirts of town, this casual pub is a jeans and hoodie type place; a nice change of pace from some other options. read more

Awesome lunch or dinner. Love the Chicken Kabob Gyro at lunch time. Shnitzle at dinner. The chef has great specials every day. Kitty's is always a delicious option. They have T.V's to watch a game, a couple pool tables, and plenty of room if you have kids to feed. There is also some outdoor seating in the works for next year. read more

This is a great find thanks to yelpers. It was a ways out of town, $20.00 cab for us. But, worth it. Had wings to start and I'm not a wings guy... They were great, meaty and well cooked. My wife had the beef stew and loved it. Thick, meaty and plenty of food. I had the schnitzel and was it perfect??? Yes!!! I loved it with the mashed taters. Great sauce, Our 10 year old had the ribs from the app menu. Great and fell off the bone. Good solid service. Pretty good wine list and very good Jameson! I would go back tomorrow. read more

Our hotel gave us a voucher for this place and we decided to try drinks and appetizers here. Service was terrible and food was not great. It seems like a good place to get a drink and watch a sports game. read more

I usually eat at Kitty's about every 10 days. The food is good, the price is reasonable, and because it is located out of town parking is usually not a problem. You've GOT to try the pork schnitzel. I don't even like pork, but this version is great! UPDATE: I happened to be looking at my Yelp reviews and noticed my Kitty's review from 8 years ago. I almost hate to post this here (because I do not want them to be come tooooo popular! LOL) .....but.....Kitty's continues to be one of my go to restaurants on Nantucket. They never disappoint! read more

Kitty Murtagh's - Kitty's - American Near Me - Nantucket, Massachusetts

Kitchen was super fast. Wait staff was attentive. Menu is small and priced to the local market (but way too high). I like the off street parking. Everyone seems to know the customers. I had the seafood pie. It was really more of pie and salmon than anything. It was not a light flaky pasty as promised and really was more than 1/2 of the pie. In terms of seafood it had everything listed but really only I piece of everything but the salmon. Not impressed. read more

Kitty's won my heart today and all they had to do was serve me a good sandwich. The first visit here I got a burger. Good, but not the best I've had. On a whim, I decided to stop in again and try something new. Every place deserves a second visit before I pass judgement, and considering the lack of cheap options on the island, i have to. Ordered a French dip with Swiss on sourdough with a house salad and house made Au jus. And the skies opened up, the angels sang, and I uttered a hallelujah when I took my first bite. Good. So good I considered getting another to have for dinner. The bread was toasted perfectly, the beef tender, the Swiss a great addition... We don't have enough time to talk about why I loved this sandwich. The ultimate is the fact that my wallet didn't weep when the bill came. $11.77 after tax and a decent portion for the price. If you've gathered anything from looking at my page, you know I eat out a lot. So if the food doesn't hook me, I won't return. Kitty's did a great job hooking me. For life. I guess some people come to Kitty's for the down home, neighborhood bar feel. Really, I don't go to any place for that "Cheers" feeling, but if you're looking for that, it can be found here. I'll be back! I'll even do the unthinkable and try something different. read more

See all

I went in on a Wednesday evening, the 7th and there were no tables available. No big deal, the hostess said to make reservations next time. So on Friday the 9th I called at 4pm and made reservations for 6 people at 7pm. We get there at 7 and we are turned away because " the people at your table are still drinking, I can call when they leave". So here we are back home and still no call at 7:45. what exactly is the point of a reservation? read more

We needed a restaurant that was near our house and not too frou-frou for some people in our party. The food was really good and the service was great. My only suggestion would be to brighten up the lighting. The lower level was too dark to even read the menu, but our waiter brightened up the lights for us. If you want good comfort food, this is your place! read more

I went for a small bite to eat and drinks galore. I got the petite rib-eye, which was the cheapest steak they had. It was huge and fatty and not very well cooked. Granted I wolfed the whole thing down, but I was hammered and perhaps the slightest bit baked. The sides it came with were good, but I wanted more of the sides and less of the steak. A side of asparagus was a paltry 3 pieces of asparagus. The bartender was friendly though and still hit on my friend even after I told her he had herpes. That shit stays with you forever. read more

My husband and I ate here last night, the place I wanted to go to was closed and I'm usually not a huge fan of Irish food. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, and would go back on out next trip. I had the Shepherd's pie and my husband had the beef stew. Both were very tasty, and hearty. Portions were big, we ended up with leftovers. The bill was very reasonable which was a great surprise for Nantucket. read more

Kitty Murtagh's - Shepherd's pie, yum! - American Near Me - Nantucket, Massachusetts

Great food, prices and cool atmosphere Grace from NJ

This is the equivalent of TGIFs. I had their version of a Big Mac and thought it was good. I think we spent $12 for potato skins and it came with 4 pieces of greasy potatoes. The chowder tastes like it comes from a can. The salad bar is scary. It's in the basement near the bathrooms, and consisted of chopped iceberg lettuce and a handful of other things with store bought salad dressings and probably some Progresso Soup that had been sitting on a heater for a few hours. (i.e. don't pay extra for it.) And the two of us spent $70 for what we got - 2 dinner entrees and 2 appetizers - (a decent burger, lousy pasta, potato skins and chowder). So this definitely gets filed under sticker shock which is what you'll find on Nantucket. But when you want decent predictable food-service quality comfort food, this is a reasonable option. Hmm... maybe this is why we always go to Charlie Nobles instead. If you're gonna spend $70 for comfort food for two, it should be amazing. read more

It is nice to have this as an option to dine at while on Nantucket, that being a relatively affordable irish pub. The atmosphere is fairly upbeat with a staff that seem to know their regulars and greet them with a smile. In fact, one of them even dashed away from reading the specials to someone who was about to order, so they could say hi to a familiar face. That was clearly unprofessional and if I was the person about to order, I would been very annoyed. Moving along, the food is good & presented well on the plate. And you and your crew will have a few different TVs to help keep you in tune to the sports going on. read more

My husband and I loved the prime rib & salad bar. Great service. Our server was efficient & friendly. The drinks were good, and my husband was psyched they had Sam Summer. I loved the lighting & the seats were comfortable. We'll definitely be back! read more

Decent Irish pub on the island. We ordered the wings for the app which were ok. Main courses: The steak and mushrooms ($12) were decent, and the bangers and mashed were interesting. It used to be served with the bangers cut up and mixed within the potatoes, but they were strategically placed kind of....um....fancy? Please don't give me "fancy" in a pub!! Also, the mashed potatoes were kind of dry... Also, they only have 5(?) beers on tap? I'm not sure why they don't double the drafts during the summer, and then go back down to 5 for the winter. Not my decision, I know, but a bigger selection would be nice. read more

Visiting family on island and wanted to give this place a shot as my parents (who live on the island really like the place)... During the off season they have $5 burger Tuesdays and you can't beat that for the island... Now to the food... We had a party of 6 and when we got there the place was empty, and we were still told we would have to be done and out of the place by 6:30 (my 1 star knock), not what you tell customers... Sorry.. Hostess wasn't the friendliest.. When we were seated the waitress was fantastic... She saw we had a baby and was very prompt with us... We had 2 members get the soup and salad bar... 1 get the chicken sandwich, 1 get the veggie burger and 1 get the burger... The soup and salad bar was very nice, though they could offer more than 1 soup, though still very good.. Options on the salad bar were all fresh and very tasty... You cold tell they chop the green peppers, which was nice... The burger, which I got, was extremely tasty and actually came as ordered, which now a days doesn't happen often as I order it medium and most kitchens are scared of pink... Very good burger... The veggie burger looked decent, definitely home made...as it wasn't the typical veggie burger... Worth going too!!! read more

Wow what a pleasant surprise! Just dined here for the first time after enjoying many drinks here over the years. I had a delicious lunch special that was a bowl of cream of mushroom soup served with 2 cheeseburger sliders. YUM. Would eat that again right now if I could. My table also enjoyed the brisket quesadilla, seafood chowder, and salmon tacos. Waitress was adorable! read more

We we're out bike riding today and happened to stop at Kitty Murtagh's. There were four in our party and all of us were thoroughly impressed. Three of us had the scallopini on ciabatta with fresh mozzarella and roasted tomato and we all agreed it was outstanding. The fourth in our party had the corned beef sandwich and instead of thin sliced, it had a thick slice of wonderful meat. After our disappointing, overpriced lunch in town yesterday, this was a big win. Prices are reasonable, service is good and food is great! read more

I feel like I may have liked Kitty's more than others in my group. The food was always pretty good- warm comfort type food. Love going on live music nights. Definitely a locals place and you will find your older crowd here bellied up to the bar. Pool tables available. Shepard's Pie and burger night are the bests! read more

For it being "off season" didn't expect to wait 45 minutes to be seated. It was $5 burger night. We waited another 45 minutes for our burgers. The poor couple with 2 kids next to us was seated way before us and we got our food 1st. When we mentioned to the waiter that they were sat before us he came back 10 minutes later with a wrong order for them!!! They ended up getting up and leaving.Not happy with this restaurant's staff and the burger although good size was NOT worth the wait!! read more

Kitty's is a wonderful addition to the restaurants on the island -- it is a year round establishment with fantastic deals -- especially in the off season. Enjoyed their prime rib special this May and also tried their shrimp and linguine special which was fantastic. The place is hopping -- so if you have a taste for a good cut of beef -- get there on the early side. Definitely reco! read more

Great bartenders. Perfect for comfort food , to watch a game & come early or late if you're thinking burger night

My husband and I tried Kitty's the first night we stayed on the island last month - and we are so glad we did. Loved the ambiance and warm greeting we received upon arrival. We were sat right away and had the most friendly and knowledgeable server. For dinner we started with the Irish Nachos - home made Irish style chips cooked perfectly - crunchy on the outside and soft in the center - loaded and topped with Chopped Bacon, Jalapeno,Dublin Cheddar Cheese, Tomato, and Green Onion. I was in heaven! For dinner I had the Roast Prime Rib with mashed Potato and Grilled Asparagus. The meal was full of flavor and rib was cooked just the way I wanted. My husband had the Braised Beef Short Ribs with caramelized Onions, Blue Cheese, Grilled Asparagus, and Mashed Potato. He said it was some of the best short rib he has ever had. We walked here from the center of town, and while it is not close it was a beautiful walk to and from down the winding streets of the island. I cannot wait to come back here next summer! read more

Irish pub serving Irish favorites. Open year round. I had the Shepards Pie. Good flavor, but not enough meat ( too much mashed potatoes and a gravy with little meat). My friend had beef stew, which was your typical beef stew. Good winter, comfort food. read more

tuesday night 5.00 burger night pros: look above, also bangers & mash get it! do it!, do it! bangers & mash do it!, do it!. cons: they close! read more

Very good Irish pub food. If it looks good to you on the menu, there's a good chance you'll like it. I haven't been disappointed yet, and I've tried a lot off their menu. Nice place to have a couple beers, wings, and can't forget the Irish nachos! read more

We just left. I am appalled by the way we just got treated. I want to preface that I worked in the restaurant field for 13 years and worked and opened several of them. I do have a soft spot for the industry and I am very patient. We just went to kitty's about 8:55 and waited 15 minutes at the door. It was busy so we waited. Needless to say I finally asked if we could be seated and they stated the kitchen closes at 9. Every employee saw us standing there. Ok you don't want to seat is at 8:55 don't let us stand there, knowing that your kitchen is closed. Apparently most of the restaurants on the island during this time of year closes at 9:30. Which I'm sure they knew that too. If they had let us know the kitchen was closed at 8:55 we would have been able to get served somewhere else. So my advise to you folks at Kitty be kind. If you see someone standing there at the hostess podium they probably want food. Let them know your kitchen is closed. Correct your hours on your online and social media platform. We will never frequent your restaurant. Folks if you are reading the reviews. Eat somewhere else and tip someone who cares! read more

Lunchtime portions were generous! Had the seafood pie, filled with salmon, scallops, shrimp. For what you got, it was a bargain.

Went to dinner with a friend seating was prompt, but service almost non-existent, ordered drinks never got the second round had to go to bar ask for condiments never saw the waitress again. Children crawling under our table and kids running around yelling and playing on top of pool tables. Just wanted out of there had to ask the hostess for our check which had the additional drinks charged, but we never received. Terrible dining experience read more