Good local place to do some people watching and catch a game and a drink or two.

We went here for new years eve and it was an interesting crowd. I agree with whoever said it smells like smoke even though there isn't smoke since there's a guy smoking right next to the front door so you already smell like smoke before you get inside. Nothing special, just a typical dive bar like the kind you'd go to in college. except without the college kids cuz college kids go much cooler places on new year's eve. read more

It's good to have this place in downtown San Mateo as it's open till 2 am and seats are available most times. The biggest drawback is that the bartenders don't seem to be very knowledgeable and can make only very basic cocktails. It's cheap, and they accept cash only. read more

First time there was awesome! Seamus was kind, had some great stories, and the other bar tender (forgot the name, sorry!) was also nice. Very laid back place, CLEAN BATHROOMS, and good drinks. It is cash only, but they have an ATM! Even the other patrons were nice and friendly. We can't wait to go back. read more

Should be closed. They advertised a Halloween costume party then totally blew it off. Gave some lame excuse that the results would be on line. What does that mean? Bartender paid more attention to the women. Won't visit here anymore read more

Its a go-to kinda dive barish place that is awesome. People don't bug you, they have great song selections on the juke box, great bartenders and sports on the tvs. Usually good crowd that keeps to themselves. Beware however: cash only. They do have a nifty ATM on spot but who wants to pay a service charge of $3.00 for taking cash out when your drink is $2.75? Come cash prepared. read more

Pretty cool place in San Mateo. It is pretty open which I like about it and they have Pear Cider on tap so that deserves five stars.

Nice Irish pub with free peanuts that you discard the shells on the floor. There's a pool table with lot's of seating.

Came here visiting a friend up in Foster City. This place is a CASH ONLY bar just as a head's up. The bartender was very nice and made strong drinks, so that was a plus. The downside for me was that they had over 600 channels on their TV but couldn't get the Laker game on. Minus 1 star for no Lakers game, sorry. read more

Definetly a cool place to hangout, drinks are cheap there are 2 free pool table's... and of course you can peanuts and throwi the shells on the floor, this makes all the difference ! read more

I like this place. Came in randomly, got good and strong drinks, juke box spans 50 years of music, decent pool tables, laid back atmosphere. I liked the old-town saloon feel to the over sized mirrors behind the bar. I also like dim lighting, a standard for me in dives. Great place to have some drinks after work or before a movie. read more

One of the better bars in down town San Mateo good priced drinks friendly bartenders big enough for everyone and close to everything

The owner Shamus is hilarious. It's slower in here than it used to be but I like this bar a lot.

It's a place like "Cheers", except in San Mateo. Don't mind the peanut shells on the floor and don't put them on the counter. From what I hear the bartenders prefer them on the floor. It's easier to clean up at the end of the night. read more

Remembers me of a bar you'd find on a college campus which makes for a fun night of drinking dancing or just hanging out with the gang. Hard to get a place to sit but it's all good plus the bar can get extremely crowd at once! Fair warning cash only so no cards please read more

My favorite Irish bar on the peninsula! The owners are wonderful and the atmosphere great. We've been going this bar for over 2 decades and it's still great! Highly recommend it! read more

We wanted to try them out for St. Patty's Day for lunch, came in all green and happy. But the lady inside was so darn rude to us....we are not going back there! Way to attract customers! read more

For years this was our go to spot. It was fun and the beer wasn't expensive. But with time tastes change. Their mixed drinks are subpar, cash only locations should die out, and the crowd seems dead and selects the type of music in the juke box that just creates a depressing atmosphere. Unless colleges are on break. Then the place is packed with loud college kids and it's impossible to get a drink from the bar unless you push a sea of humanity out if your way. read more

I find this dive bar really chill. On the weekends they usually have a dj or a band playing. My only issue is how early they close. Especially over the weekend. Last call at 1 n lights on at 130. But i guess thats the norm in dt san mateo. read more

A madtown tradition. Get ripped,eat peanuts and toss the shells on the floor, play u2 on the jukebox. Spacious booths that will be able to house all your friends . Seamus the owner is a funny ass motherfucker,youll be lovin him read more

This is a nice Irish Pub. I probably wouldn't travel great distances to get here, but if you're looking for a simple night: beer, seating, friends, it does the trick. I got in around 10:45pm and it was half-empty, plenty of parking and easy to get a drink. Around midnight it really started to pick up. There is a nice blend of young people and older people. Just be forewarned, this place only accepts cash. read more

I went to McGovern's on 4-19-17 11:10pm'sh. Reason I went here is because of KJ Dan for karaoke. He promoted the event last Wednesday, but the owner didn't get his entertainment license. What I heard it is the same owner of Route 92 in san mateo. He had remodeled this bar and it's very presentable. As I entered the bar, I was standing to this older gentleman that was sitting at the bar. He told me he was going to Malaysia this evening, I think he was a seismologist and we spoke regarding earthquakes in Taiwan. He told me that he's glad that McGovern's had reopened this bar. I ordered a lagunita's ipa for $6--expected price. Afterwards, I asked Asa (bartender how much was the long island, she said it was $8---that's reasonable, the sculpin was $6 (I bought for my friend since it was his bday), I also ordered a whiskey sour for $4 and bottle of heinenken for $4. I sang a couple of songs "24 karat magic" by Bruno mars and "cake by the ocean" by dnce---the customers enjoyed what I sang. read more

When I first moved to California, I lived walking distance to McGovern's, and used to go on the weekends every once in a while. Now, I don't live in San Mateo anymore, but I still go to McGovern's because it is a great place to have a beer and hang out with friends. it's not too loud, so you can have a conversation. They have live bands sometimes, which is great. Sad they took the dart board down though. read more

What a great place. I just discovered it and lived here forever! Good mix of people had a great Jazz band playing. Gets crazy packed but that is how bars are! Great place & will definitely recommend this place! read more

If you want an Irish bar in San Mateo, this one is your winner. Foosball is fun. Music is good. Beer is great. Plenty of seating. Staff is friendly. Draws a varied but interesting crowd. Ended my birthday night dancing here- it was a blast. read more

My husband and I heard from a friend who lives in San Mateo that this is the place to go, so we went here for our one year anniversary, on a sunday (we're from southern California) it was awesome... our bartenders name was Jack and he was amazing, I highly recommend thIs joint!!! read more

i was here with two friends. one was a DD. the other friend and i ordered drinks. no id check. my DD friend wanted a soda. he asked for ID. we jokingly said she was underaged as she was pulling out her wallet to show her id. the bartender goes "i guess we can't serve you guys then" and then proceeds to throw away the drink that he already poured for her into the well! we barely spoke to this bartender. had simple drinks. weren't rude. wtf was this guys problem? read more

My new favorite bars. They have a lot of beers on tap now. I love the air hockey and Jenga too!

Came here on a Thursday night, and it was still very lively. I ordered a beer and my friend got a water to sober up from earlier. The beer was cheap and perfectly chilled. We sat in a booth and talked for a bit. Very chill bar. read more

Lots of 4 stars but I give it a 5 for Downtown San Mateo. If there is a better place to chill in DTSM I haven't found it yet. Seamus is cool, but I think Anna is the coolest little hippiesque (is that a word?) bartender around. She did tell me once it was time to go but she would see me later. Of course! There's a reason they call me Mulligan.... read more

hmm, guess I'm over the "nuts-on-the-floor" phase of my life. oh well, was a good run!! rather ghost barish on many nights from what I've heard from others, possibly due to some "bands" they toss in there, but the drinks and ambiance are pretty standard. not sure i would go back though; seemed like the regulars were protective and didn't really like outsiders. read more

If you're looking for a good ol' Irish pub, this is the place! They have lots to do there including pool, darts, liar's dice and a foosball table to liven up the evening with a little friendly competition! Also, the drinks are reasonably priced. They have live bands on Saturdays which offer a nice ambience, and you can still hear your friends with the music, which is nice. I'd definitely recommend McGovern's if you're looking for an easy-going night and want to stay local. Also, its nice to support this family-owned place that's been around quite awhile. read more

This is one of my favorite bars in San Mateo. The atmosphere is relaxing and not too stuffy. It's a place you can feel comfortable in wearing sweats, jeans, or a dress. It works for any mood you are in. You can really tell it's family owned by the way they treat their customers, you can tell they care and that they just want their patrons to have an excellent time. It's also great to stop by before going out to dinner or if you don't want the night to end after. Lately they have had live bands on Saturday which has brought a nice change to the bar. always a fun time. read more

Very Disappointing read all the reviews on Yelp and thought as Irish people just landed in San Mateo, this would the ideal venue. The place is nice, friendly crowd etc. However, for some reason, the bar-tenders took a dead set against us, we were far from been drunk (first place we went) or rude but they continually ignored us when we asked for a drink, walking by serving people on both sides of us. We did tip on our previous rounds so we ruled that out in our justification for such treatment. We were setting up to live in San Mateo for a number of years so we hoped to make this our local, after our experience in McGoverns, we'd prefer to stay at home read more

Love this place! Drinks are not super expensive and its such a big place you'll always find a place to sit (unless super packed). This bar is definitely a dive bar but you'll always have a good time when you come here! read more

Super chill spot. Typical dive bar/Irish pub. Cheap drinks and cool crowd. Nick and Jack are rad!

Been coming here since I was 21, and I have played on their sponsored teams in the past. Bartenders are great, and it's a cool place to hang out with your friends. read more

yeah its cool, we would just go cause it was near work and a nice place to just go for a change. cheap drinks, billiards, karaoke, music, you know what......i actually like this place. cash only though so put away your black card ladies and gentlemen. people with the black card don't tip well anyway, trust me, i've seen it enough to say so. i only know one guy that tips well. hahaha, sorry about the tangent read more