I wanted to like this just because the friend I was staying with seemed to like it. It had all the hallmarks of a great experience: Free Valet Parking Great interior Friendly waiter Made me feel like I was back home in the UK although Anyway I really fancied fish and chips, and stupidly I ordered them. It was pretty revolting, bland, damp and warm i.e. not hot. COnsidering the other 2 had cabbage and gammon and the other a cottage pie mine should have been the last to be cooked so it would be crisp. The fish was translucent i.e. not cooked and clearly from frozen, which I would expect but come on at least get the batter right. The batter was damp and not crispy at all. The fries were not hot but were not bad. I detest tepid food I mean really bad. 2 days later I went to Bethesda and had fish and chips in this massive empty restaurant with a big fire at lunch time which was brilliant so I know it can be done. The cabbage and gammon looked really nice and the cottage pie was a joke, portion size. It came in this ultra tiny copper saucepan, I mean teeny portion for the price. Cottage pie is not expensive to make so to charge $13 or $14 for a childs portion in a pub is really taking the piss. Anyway my partner enjoyed it but said I wouldn't have because it was tepid, he likes his food a bit cooler. But clearly they have an issue with serving hot food. Shame, its a nice place, great interior but average pub food and expensive drinks for a pub I would say. read more

Hands down the worst service I have ever had at a restaurant (would give negative stars if I could) My friend and I were seated by a nice enough blonde hostess and then everything went downhill from there...3....yes THREE other groups who were seated after us got their orders taken and were served their drinks...we had to chase down the waitress (an older lady with brownish red hair)...when the waitress finally took our order, she barely looked at us and then left mid-order after getting our drink orders to help another table...we had to then track her down again to get an an appetizer order in. To top it off, when I asked about the happy hour she asked me "what time is it?" To which I responded and she said, "oh ok you can still do the happy hour".. all with a super sour expression...the delay in us being served was even noted by the next table over when the family commented "oh, that's weird...you guys came first and we already got our drinks." Another waiter, an older bald man, was not much better...when I asked where the bathroom was, he also avoided looking at me, gave me a gruff response, and answered as if I was bothering him. When we got our bill, we were charged FULL price...for pretty good crab dip and superbad drinks (my pomegranate cocktail tasted like cherry cough syrup and my friend's gin and tonic completely flat)...it wasn't until I asked the waitress why that she gave us a discount...if I hadn't said anything, well...full price for awful service and drinks..what a way to start a Friday night...the hostess was fine and the people bussing the tables were fine...but what is up with the wait staff?? I had been to the Irish Inn a few years ago and had a great experience then...I was excited to bring a friend here who was visiting the US from Portugal for the first time...only to have our night start off on a really crappy note by waiters who made us feel like we were not wanted. Thanks Irish Inn...I will never come back and am urging everyone else not to either. read more

Every time I would drive from NW DC to my girlfriend's house in NoVA I would pass this place and just wonder "What is this place?" and "Why is it here?" If you have been wondering the same thing, I only have one piece of advice - GO HERE. I decided to cave and go to the Irish Inn for my most recent birthday, sat in the restaurant side and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Everything was absolutely perfect. Ambience was pleasant - very nice, but also felt down home and welcoming. Very authentic. Servers were helpful and didn't look down on us even though we were slightly underdressed for the restaurant (I'm pretty sure I was wearing a baseball cap). This would not have been the case at most nicer restaurants in DC. Food was awesome. I had the Mahi Mahi special which was extremely good, but also very unexpected from a restaurant with a pub. And I ordered it with a pint of Guinness, which in my mind, makes the meal a perfect 10. My girlfriend had the salmon, which was also cooked well and very tasty. This last part is unique to my own experience but as an older couple was leaving the restaurant, they came over and gave us their unfinished bottle of very nice red wine (about half full). Must have been regular customers and it felt like they were welcoming us to their favorite local restaurant. That made the meal even more special for me! I'll certainly be back for more meals and may even try out the pub fare. read more

Nice atmosphere but the food is not good. Ordered crab bisque. I kid you not...there was not one piece of crab in the whole soup. They did try to make it right by offering something else but I was over it at the point. read more

My boyfriend took me here for the first time on a special date and we could not resist sitting outside on a beautiful day. Our cozy table would have been perfect minus the crazy bee trying to attack us and ants trying to crawl up my shorts. Our server was pleasant and very accommodating with a few special requests, but it would have been nice know the happy hour specials before we ordered. Wish we would have known because they had $1 oysters! Awesome apps and house mixed drinks and yummy cocktails for $5, $6 glasses of wine. Plus, $10 sandwiches. Drinks are a tad watered down. We had the calamari to start, which was perfectly fried, not too much batter. I ordered the braised beef short rib sandwich (apparently very underrated) with fresh mixed green salad. Amazeballs! I usually go for the Ruben (which my boyfriend got), but my sandwich was seriously THE BOMB. He even liked mine better. We will definitely be back to try some of the other items and to check out the live music inside next time! read more

Located right next to Glen Echo Park, its the only reataurant in the immediate vicinity (or at least the only one I saw). Its a decent place to eat if you are going to an event at the park but it is certainly nothing to write home about. Tries to do too much by having both a dining area and pub in such a small building resulting in both feeling cramped. There is patio dining but the tables are so close together that you are going to hear your neighbors conversastion whether you like it or not. The food was average and the portions were pretty small given the high prices which I guess is more of a convience surcharge. Is a okay place as long as you know what to expect going in. read more

​ Of the bars and restaurants in the area, the Glen Echo Irish Inn has the most Inflexible and restrictive seating policy. And it is not enforced in an equitable or intelligent way. We walk into to bar see a couple empty tables, i ask for one, i am told they are reserved. I sit at bar. Some table dinners finish meal, pay, leave. Offending waiter then sits at one of now several empty tables and rolls napkins and chats to other idle staff. Several tables still empty when we finish drinks/meal at bar. None of the 'reservations' ever arrive for their table. Bipolar unfriendly style, The waiter who tends to be in the bar area, is non attentive, seems unable to focus and lack a systematic approach to serving. Menu: okay, fried food offerings. Prices average to above for Bethesda. Beer: limited beer selection. read more

I love the setting and the service is generally OK, but the food can be spotty... the eggs benedict for breakfast had a non-bearnaise sauce that was interesting, but cold; the shepherd's pie is small and average, but when you want comfort food, it hits the spot. The potato and leek soup with the truffle oil is lovely. The $3.50 charge for a side fo bacon 92 pieces) or a single sausage seemed too high... But a charming pub and it's where I met my husband, so it'll always be special. read more

I have eaten here twice, once with a weird pseudo-date and once with a group of friends. I don't remember much of the food except that it was affordable (for a Night Out --not for Every Day) very good and that we sat outside in the summer evening, which was lovely. What I do remember clearly is the Best Dessert Of My Life. It was a chocolate cake with warm chocolate-cherry goodness inside and Guiness ice cream on top. I have had a lot of dessert in my day, in a lot of countries, and I cannot think of a single dessert I have enjoyed as much as this one. It was, unfortunately, the dessert o'the day, so who knows if they still occassionally serve it...if they do, buy it and savor it. 4 stars for good food, a pleasant location, and mostly, that one unforgettable dessert experience. Minus one because the entrees were good but not superb, it's not metro-accessible, and both times, there have been problems getting the bill straightened out. read more

I went here with Cyrus N. for Mother's Day (his mom and my MIL) and I had high hopes when I first arrived. The restaurant itself was quite cute--it's located in an actual house and it feels quite quaint. Unfortunately, the food was a bit of a letdown. It's not that it was bad--it was quite good, actually--it's just that there was nothing really exceptional or outstanding about it. Everything was just sorta...middle of the road, I suppose. Maybe I should have ordered another main course besides fish and chips, but my wife's shepherd's pie wasn't that great either. It wasn't awful by any means, and the portion sizes were very generous, but it wasn't an experience that left me genuinely sad when the food was gone and eager for my next visit. One drawback of the unique setting was that everything seemed a bit cramped. The waiter bumped into me several times while serving other folks; I got tired of this and tucked my chair in to the point where I was uncomfortable, but at least I didn't leave with black-and-blue marks on my head. Also, the cramped foyer leaves those waiting for their cars at risk of being hit by an opening door. I give five stars to places to which I would return in a heartbeat and four stars to places that were great but had a few negative aspects to them. Places at which the food was decent but not outstanding get three stars...so the Irish Inn gets three stars. I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to eat here and enjoyed what I had to eat, but this place is sub-par in comparison to the other outstanding places in the DC metro area like That's Amore, Shanghai Cafe, Guapo's, and others.... read more

I don't know what's the statute of limitations for giving a bad review during Covid times, but I feel like certain things can't be just written off to staff being overwhelmed. This restaurant has a great location, with a great outside seating; the vibe is country and clientele is mostly older. This was my first time here and I came with my 2yo son. He's a good sport and wasn't disruptive of anyone around. I was enjoying myself and suddenly realized that we are just being IGNORED by the waiter. It took us a while to get any service. I had to constantly call out for waiter's attention and even people from other tables were flagging the waiter for us to help. When he finally had a second to take my order, I had to remind him to bring parts of the order when it arrived that he kept forgetting or for silverware. Silverware was another gem - attached is the picture of the dirty roll up on our table. Then there's the ridiculously overpriced food. Not only that of all the ingredients were cheap (the sides with my crab cake, which is the priciest item on the menu) were of an airplane food quality - green beans and mashed potatoes. I asked a side of veggies for my son - green beans. My son's pasta - even at his daycare the food is better quality than what this boxed macaroni was. I get it, it's off the kids menu, but all of this was $75...so no, I highly not recommend it. read more

The Irish Inn - "Fresh" roll up on our table... As if they wiped the floor first with this napkin and then rolled up the silverware... - Irish Near Me - Glen Echo, Maryland

Terrible service. We waited 35mins to order food. To make matters worst, I had to twice signal our readiness to order. TWICE! Train your staff or fire them for incompetency. Our food took another 30mins to get to our table. This is inexcusable as it is pub food (fish and chips, burgers, etc). The food is expensive for the quality and quantity. The fish and chips were just haphazardly thrown on the plate, and they were no better than frozen fish sticks. read more

I had a very nice experience last night at the Irish Inn. My boyfriend and I were seated in a small front dining room, and a gentleman at the next table said upon our arrival, "you are going to have a very good dinner tonight". Such a nice endorsement from a fellow patron. We both had the mixed greens, and entrees were trout w/corn pudding, and sea bass w/heirloom tomato coulis and vegetables. Both were delicious, portions were ample, and food was plenty hot (seeing that other diners in the past had fretted about the food temperature, I thought I would mention ours was just fine). We also had very attentive (yet not intrusive) service. All in all, an A+ date night for two people who really needed a nice night out. read more

It was a very fun experience. Me and my family really liked it .we got a private room to eat in but the only thing that we didn't like is the food from the kids menu .the food from the adults menu was very good.l would go back but I would have my kids order from the adult menu. read more

We enjoyed the prix fixe menu on New Years' Eve and were amazed that they managed to turn out good food, attractively plated and served, on such a busy evening. Although we are of the "old crotchety" age that a previous reviewer complained about, we found the noise level very acceptable, and the small rooms upstairs allow one to be quiet and even moderately private if that's your choice. We were, however, not impressed with the much-touted home-made ice cream -- it tasted like they were skimping on the calories. We live fairly close so will definitely go back, probably for lunch, and hope to find their regular menu with more directly Irish-type cuisine. read more

Had an excellent meal here over the Christmas season. It was decorated so nicely for the holidays and was very homey. Our little group of six had an entire cozy private room to ourselves for dinner! The beef stew and potato leek soup were delicious and their bread pudding dessert was outstanding. The Irish aren't exactly known for their food in general but this place could change that! Excellent service as well. read more

Before my first night of blues dancing at Glen Echo, I stopped by the Irish Inn with a group of people in order to loosen up before the dancing commenced. When we got there around 8pm on Thursday, it was fairly crowded because (I'm told) a group meets there for drinks every Thursday. They eventually thinned out around 8:30 or so. I got a few beers and wasn't sure if I should eat something small for dinner but then saw the chili on the menu and gave in. The chili is "texas-style" (I'm still not exactly sure what that means), and uses stew meat rather than regular ground beef. I thought it was pretty tasty, and the cup for $8 was especially filling. My only small complaint is that it didn't seem very hot. After i mixed the sour cream in, it was almost lukewarm. But the flavor was perfect, and had a bit of peppery zest. Next time I come here, I'll try to work up an appetite so that I can try the mussels. My friend who raves about them ordered a bowl and they looked delicious. Also, Diane is the best! read more

Drove past this place on my way to a job interview and determined I absolutely had to stop here and I've been here many times since. The food, especially the non-Irish menu items, is way better than you'd expect it to be. The bar could use another TV or two but the one they have is classily hidden behind a chalkboard that can be removed when a sporting event of note is on. Probably the best place I can think of to sit and enjoy a glass of dram or two on a rainy day. The deviled eggs and fish tacos are great and I try to never miss a St. Patrick's Day lunch of corned beef and cabbage here, complete with old fashioned whole grain mustard. read more

Made reservations for eight. Added two more--no problem. Added two more-- still no problem. Got there- seating no prob- everyone is happy. Everybody was happy with their food and drink. The specials were nice. I had the venison and it was as tasty and tender as filet mignon. Interesting dishes that you can't find anywhere else. Neat old times vegetables like parsnips. We were treated very well and there were no issues. I was very happy and impressed! Also, the place is right next to Glen Echo park which is cool. Thanks for the great food and service Irish Inn! read more

Summary based on 1 dinner: --food ok --atmosphere quite pleasant, actually --parking easy --friendly service Went here with a local and I'd be fine going again. It's one of those places where the company matters more than anything else. read more

Drove by and it caught our eye. We stopped, were seated promptly, and the service was prompt and friendly. Fish tacos were tasty. Not traditional, but very good. The fish sandwich was ok, but the curry coke slaw didn't really compliment the fish. Scraped it off - it made the bun soggy. The sandwich was good - maybe ask for the slaw on the side. Nice outdoor seating and a comfortable location. read more

Went in for lunch first had to wait 10 minutes for the bar maid to check her cell phone for face book or her plans for the upcoming night we were ignored.Finally got a menu and ordered hummus and pita .Hummis tasted like it had peanut butter in it and was not very good.the fish and chips are ok but not over the top and the fries were cold Or seemed like they have been sitting around ,I ordered the shepherd pie it was not bad but to pay $90.00 dollars for 1 appetizer and 2 average lunches with a few drinks their are too many other Restaurants that offer a better value.And the atmosphere is depressing! read more

Miserable service tonight! Lovely pub, however, it has happened on several occasions to be rubbed the wrong way by the service staff! Tonight we were there for appetizers and drinks (that could easily have ended up in dinner!) The service boy advised us that we HAVE to sit at the bar if we don't order entrees. The pub was EMPTY! No more than 6 patrons in the entire place and 8 empty tables!!! Mind you that at our last visit we spent $500+ on a dinner for 4! Way to go Irish Inn! Harp and Fiddle is a good alternative! read more

During COVID Saturday lunch outside at labor. Very lovely very packed. Good service good food

A cozy treasure near my sister's house. We escaped the family for one lovely hour for appetizers and draft beers during happy hour. The place was packed! Hubby had Kilkenny on tap (not easy to find!) and I thought the deviled eggs were delicious. The ladies behind the bar were friendly. Happy hour prices kept our bill low and sealed the deal for us - we will be back! read more

They promised us they would stay open for a wedding after party. They confirmed the day of the wedding. They bailed on us 10 minutes before we were going to show up. I grew up going here but I've still never been treated so poorly. Fine place, don't rely on them for anything. read more

Best Irish Pub me and parents have ever been to. I feel like I'm at grandmas, when I eat there and there is no other feeling in the world like that one. The service was absolutely amazing, the warmth and love they gave was superb. Best Shepards Pie I've ever had, best food I've had in a, while. Will definitely come back as soon as possible. Thanks for the wonderful staff, God Bless always! read more

I hadn't been to this restaurant in maybe a year or two, and if I'm going to be 100% honest, when I ordered the fish and chips the dish was a bit fishy. It was almost like they just went to Safeway and bought some cod and then just fried it. The fish was beer-battered and it was cooked well because the fry hadn't reached the actual inside of the fish. Still, the fish wasn't very fresh but the fries were delicious. Very good beer selection and delicious dessert. read more

I am a CHEESEBURGER aficionado and WOW the Irish Inn has the best Burger in town. Yes, I have tried all the great burger spots in the Washington Metro area. I've NEVER had a better Cheeseburger than last night at the Irish Inn!!! What a great place. I had some super beers and my Fantastic Cheeseburger sitting outside in a wonderful relaxed atmosphere! The owner and staff are warm and friendly too! This will be my new, GO TO place for an AWESOME Cheeseburger from now on!!!! See you there!!!! read more

I've been going to this place for a while now, usually before going to an event over at Glen Echo park. The pub is a great place to grab a drink before events, the servers are welcoming and the ambiance is great. They occasionally have live music thats very hit or miss, usually miss for my taste, but apparently people like it cause its usually packed those days. The rest of the restaurant is good as well. The food is delicious and the servers are very helpful making suggestions. The bread rolls are usually pretty good, but sometimes over toasted. The desserts are not always all listed on the menu, they've had some great off menu desserts in the past. Cons: - when the band is playing, you can't escape the noise, even if you're eating upstairs. - some of the customers are old and crotchety. They'll complain about anything. I've had friends cut off because they were having a boisterous discussion which the old people thought was because they were drunk. The management needs to realise that some of their older customers have nothing better to do than complain. read more

The food is always very good and service is excellent. The atmosphere is friendly and everyone's neighborhood restaurant. The staff goes out of their way to accommodate. I highly recommend this place! read more

This review is for the restaurant. There is a pub attached with less formal and less expensive fare. The food here was very good. My husband had the Fillet Mignon with a whiskey sauce and enjoyed it immensely. I had the Potato Leek Soup and the house salad with an "Irish" Vinaigrette dressing. The server told me the dressing had 7 different mustards in it when I raved about how delicious it was. We split the Warm Chocolate and Sour Cherry Cake with Guinness Ice Cream for dessert (Sounds odd, but is too die for). The only problem was that the server mistakenly put the 6 desserts from the table next to us on our bill (No wonder those people were tripping all over each other to leave after paying). The error was fixed quickly and politely. read more

You walk in thinking this place will be just like warm bar food like you'd see at Irish Times but noooooo. The menu is full of great food with nice variety. Had a kale salad for starters that was overflowing with feta and tomatoes and olives. Nice. And got a refreshing rum punch just because. Our meal of bacon wrapped cod over a bed of rice was surprisingly tender and tasty. We also tried the shepherds pie of course which had a nice fluffy layer of mashers on top and delicious beef inside. Even their burgers were large and well made. If you have a big group try and get their private rooms upstairs. read more

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Ordered a bunless burger with a water medium rare. The burger was extra well done and tasted like shit, I was with a large group so I didn't try to send it back. Total price was over $25. Will NEVER go back again!!! read more

hmmmm.....how to rate an institution...?? This is a place u go for AMBIENCE...not 4 food! The interior bar w/a live jazz band playing on a Sun. nite just can't be beat! The food is...um,- how do I put this graciously,- "underwhelming"... Having said that,- u really can't go wrong w/a Smithwick draft in a 16 oz. glass poured all the way to the rim (probably 20 oz. !!) for only $6 or so... If ur getting my drift,- ya'll need to ck this place out on a Sun. nite but grab a seat early @ the bar cuz it's SRO come 5:30- 6:00PM!! read more

Excellent food and even better service! The Irish Inn staff - especially the manager, Frank, and the bartender, Nuala - made me feel like family. The salmon was perfectly prepared & the swordfish was cooked with delicious spices. Plan to return very soon! read more

We have been customers for years, and now are doing take-out during the pandemic. The Irish Inn is wonderful. It is part of the fabric of our community and we are very glad that we can still get their great food. Everyone should continue to patronize the Irish Inn! read more

My review may be a little biased considering one of the people I went with here is a regular and is friends with the owners. However, I get the impression that even if that were not the case the food and service would have been just as great. The restaurant is a gorgeous place next to Glen Echo Park. We enjoyed some beers on tap and a whole lot of their delicious dinner entrees. The Shepard's Pie of my colleague which I tried was tasty. The Shrimp and Grits I ordered was surprisingly good - shrimp, scallops, sausage and grits in a tomato-based sauce. Also tried the bread pudding, creme brulee, and this amazing warm chocolate cherry cake with Guinness Ice Cream for dessert and all of them were amazing! It seemed a bit overpriced to me, but worth it. And they also have a less expensive (but I'm told just as great) menu in the pub area that I'd like to come back and try one day. read more

We hadn't been in a while, so stopped in for a Sat. lunch. Unfortunately, a large private party had just arrived, so it took more than a few minutes to seat us outside on the nice deck, which is covered & has fans now. Lovely Irish server. DH had amazing Reuben with real corned beef and I had the quiche and salad, very good. Both $13, not cheap, but generous and of excellent quality. I note they have official Happy Hours M-F 4-6:30 which explains why it is packed during rush hour. Great place to meet people from around area with free valet parking (do tip!) Drafts $5, Miller Lite $3, food specials, including $4 slider and $5 fish taco. Will have to get there early! read more

My family made reservations for brunch this past weekend, and my mom had called two different times (one to set up the initial reservation, and the second a few days later to confirm something). Both times she clarified that we would like to be seated on the covered patio if possible. The manager she spoke to was the same both times, and was very polite and friendly. He confirmed that we had a reservation on the patio and we were looking forward to it. When we arrived, we were "greeted" (I say that in quotes because he curtly asked what we wanted) by a different manager - I'm not certain of his name but he is an older gentleman with an Irish accent. My mom explained that we had a reservation on the patio and gave her name, time of the reservation, and the number of people in our party. The manager looked over at the patio (which was full) and said "Well it's full so who do you want me to ask to leave then so you can sit there?" Surprised, my mom explained that she was just clarifying the details of our reservation. The manager interrupted her and pointed to one of the picnic tables covered by a canopy in the parking lot and told her "You can sit there or nothing". Because we were meeting family for our first get together since all being vaccinated, and because it was a gorgeous day out, we decided to stay knowing that we were unlikely to find something elsewhere in a short time period. Our waiter was wonderful and the food was very good, but this manager left a horrible impression on us. We understand it was a busy day and he was likely stressed, but his attitude towards my mom was downright rude and uncalled for. Due to the rest of the visit being pleasant, I'm sure we will return, but I sincerely hope this manager is talked to about his interactions with customers. read more