Erin’s Snug Irish Pub Quick Byte Review
Erin’s Snug Irish Pub
4601 American Pkwy
Madison, WI 53718
(608) 242-7616
Erin’s Snug Irish Pub has opened on the far East side of Madison. Located way out in what used to be considered the outskirts of town, but now nestled into the development which has sprung up around American Family Insurance, it seems a natural fit for the area.
A midweek visit for dinner found readily available seating, if not parking. The bar part of the pub was chock full of the after work crowd, and one can easily see why. Much time, thought and attention has been given to this establishment’s bar. Additionally, if you work in that area, the respectable watering holes are relatively few and far between.
But, we weren’t there to drink, we were there to dine. Well, and to drink, one must confess.
We started out with pints of Smithwicks. A note to those of you who have never ordered Smithwicks in Ireland. Sure, it looks like it is pronounced Smith - Wicks. But it isn’t. And if you try to order it that way in County Cork, you’ll be booted from the pub. In the east of Ireland, around Dublin, you can get away with ordering Smithwicks by pronouncing it “Smitticks”. And that’s the way to order it in the US as well. As you work your way west in Ireland, and as you consume more and more Smithwicks, the pronounciation becomes more rapid and slurred. By the Ring of Kerry, you are bellying up to the bar and ordering a “Smcks”. That’s right, no vowels. But in reality, that’s neither here nor there, as this is, after all, a seemingly quick review about a Madison Irish Pub.
Erin’s goes out of their way to satisfy the American idealized notion of a true Irish pub. It actually does a good job of that, living up to the stereotype that American’s have. They have the right beers, they have the right Scotches, they have the right Irish Whiskeys. These are all good things. They also offer flights of Scotch, Whiskey, and a mixture of both.
They even have the right items on the food menu. Bangors and Mash (well, that’s British, but…), Corned Beef, Shepherd’s Pie and Colcannon all make an appearance. And American dishes appear as well, to satisfy the non-Irish in the crowd. On our visit we tried the Shepherd’s Pie and the Chicken.
The Shepherd’s Pie was a ground beef based stew topped with Colcannon, served in a mini-crock. For those unfamilar with Colcannon, it is a mixture of smashed potatoes, cabbage and kale.
The chicken was not “chicken”. While listed as “broiler” chicken on the menu, it was, in reality, a cornish game hen, and it was clear that this had caused the servers flack often. Our waiter was very quick to point out that this was not a chicken, but a Cornish Game Hen as we ordered, causing us immediately to change our order from “one half a chicken” to “a whole chicken”. Diners be warned. It may seem very odd to order a whole chicken, but there isn’t much meat on one half of a Cornish Game Hen. We thanked the server for the warning.
In an attempt to make the “chicken” more Irish, we asked for a substitute of Colcannon in exchange for the standard mashed potatoes. Our server readily agreed, but the kitchen did not deliver, and our server didn’t catch it. The hen was served over the standard mashed potatoes, which were actually fine.
Erin’s has been open for a few weeks now, and we’ll go back. It is a very good place for a casual, inexpensive dinner, particularly on a cold winter afternoon or evening. And next time we’ll try the Whiskey Flights.
Join Email List
![Fish Fries](http://www.madisondiningonline.com/search/fishfry.asp?fishfry=<img%20border="0"%20src="check.gif">){kind=link}
![Sunday Brunches](http://www.madisondiningonline.com/search/brunch.asp?brunch=<img border="0" src="check.gif">){kind=link}
![Vegetarian](http://www.madisondiningonline.com/search/veg.asp?vegetarianofferings=<img%20border="0"%20src="check.gif">){kind=link}
![Carryout](http://www.madisondiningonline.com/search/carryout.asp?carryout=<img%20border="0"%20src="check.gif">){kind=link}
![Delivery](http://www.madisondiningonline.com/search/delivery.asp?delivery=<img%20border="0"%20src="check.gif">){kind=link}
![Entertainment](http://www.madisondiningonline.com/search/entertainment.asp?entertainment=<img%20border="0"%20src="check.gif">){kind=link}
![Banquets and Parties](http://www.madisondiningonline.com/search/banquet.asp?banquet_parties=<img%20border="0"%20src="check.gif">){kind=link}
I ordered the Wis. fish boil last night. I have to say it was good- only after I took it out of the ‘fish soup’ it was served in. The fish itself did not taste fishy. I was surprised by the fishy smell of the watery substance it was ladled in.
My husband ordered the Bangles and Mash after seeing it being served at the next table. When his arrived, his mound of potatoes looked three times smaller than the plate we saw at the next table. He said it was very good, but why the inconsistancy with the serving size?
4 of us girls went for dinner last night (10/25) none of us would go back. The potato soup was thin and not the most flavorful I have ever had. It cost .75 to get a little cup of dressing for the pile of greens on my plate. My friends fish tasted like a Mrs Paul’s frozen filet. My friend liked her chicken which as we know is not chicken and was very tiny. Another had the corned beef club on marble rye which was not even slightly toasted so it got soggy very easily. Service was good and she did apologize for having to charge us for a tablespoon of dressing, however, she did NOT tell us when we asked that we would have to pay for it.
My boyfriend and I met another couple at Erin’s on a Saturday night last month, at my suggestion. My 23 year old son and some of his friends had gone there and recommended we try it. The food was very good, the service attentive, the price good, and their signature brew (made especially for them by Leinenkugels) was EXCELLENT!!!
Four of us went to Erin’s for the first and last time on a Sunday night last month. The place is beautiful, but the food and service were both a disappointment. My husband and brother-in-law both ordered the half a chicken. When it came, it was clearly half a tiny cornish hen and a small scoop of mashed potatoes laying in watery juice. No rolls were provided and the guys did not get enough food to feel satisfied. My sister and I ordered the corned beef dinner. The corned beef was very good, but the mixed vegetables under the beef looked like they came from a can. Our waiter was indifferent and acted like he didn’t really want to be there.
I’ve visited Erin’s on several occasions with anywhere from 1 to 4 companions. The atmosphere is great, food is pretty good, the service has been friendly, there’s a great beer selection, but where’s the Irish music? On my part, there’s a strong desire to hear some great Irish music when I visit an Irish Pub. I’ll return when the music arrives!
There were 7 in our party (2 were children). We went to Erins to celebrate a birthday on a Sunday evening. The restaurant was not busy and we were seated by ourselves on the right side of the establishment. The hostess seemed about as uninterested in her job as she could, I don’t think she even made eye contact with any of us.
I was concerned about slow service since we were all alone on one side of the restaurant, I was right to be concerned. When our server finally arrived he took our drink order, he brought part of the order (the sodas), by the time he returned with the rest of the drinks (one beer and 2 cocktails) my husband had finished he soda and asked for a refill. By the time the refill arrived all the other drinks needed refills as well, including the beer. The food was ok, portions a bit on the small side. When one person in the party mentioned that we were celebrating a birthday our server said he didn’t believe they did anything for birthdays. He did come back as we were finishing and said that he had checked and the birthday person could have either a free beer or dessert. Since the meal was over the dessert was chosen.
The dinner took 2 hours, since we weren’t in a hurry that was ok but the length was due to slow service. We were underwhelmed by Erins and don’t plan on going back for a meal.
Wow…after reading some of the comments, I wonder if we were at the same restaurant…or maybe they took to heart some of the negative remarks. A friend and I were there for lunch today. We had amazing Bloody Marys followed by crab cakes and the soup of the day. All was wonderful with a great waitperson. The only thing NOT on our list of great experiences was the hostess. She seemed to know next to nothing about the place. In fact, didn’t even know if there were gift cards available. However, we would go back.
I have dined at Erins a few times over the last few months and while they started off impressively, things seem to be steadily declining. Servers don’t seem interested in serving, host/hostesses don’t seem interested in hosting, the menu is different and even the same dishes taste different. It seemed as if hardly anyone seemed happy to be there. Every time I’ve went in and requested a server or a manager it seems they no longer work there. The only thing that has remained the same are the beautiful design and decor. Maybe the owners need to restart from scratch.
I have been at Erin’s 3 times. The first was for dinner and the shepherd’s pie was good. The desert, carbanana (sp.?) was absolutely delicious! The waitress was very friendly and attentive. We were waiting for out of state guests and were given no grief or sense of taking up a table, even though they were late by an hour.
We stopped back later that evening for some hot after dinner drinks and it was a totally pleasant experience sipping and visiting before one of the big fireplaces.
I was so impressed that I went back for lunch. The corned beef sandwich was good — the service terrible. Even though the restaurant was fairly empty, the waiter was more interested in chatting with other staff in a different room. Another customer, who came in after me, did not even fair as well.
I will go back and give them another chance and speak to the manager, if needed.
I’m looking forward to trying their Sunday breakfast menu.
I have been there several times since they opened but I have given up.
At first, the food and service was great, but it has been going down hill quickly. The staff and managers keep changing and it seems as if the new people don’t know how to do their job.
I usually sit at the bar and get pretty good service there, but the food quality is getting worse. I also had to put up with the local drunk - does every bar have one? And then I found out that he is one of the owners. Erin’s used to be much more professional.
Fantastic atmosphere, Good drinks, but the food was really dissapointing. We ordered crab cakes, Guiness Beef Stew and a salad. The beef stew was very salty and not very good at all. The other things were not impressive either. We would definitely go back for the drinks, but not the food.
Looking at some of the reviews, we’re apparently going to a different Erin’s Snug Irish Pub. We’ve been there 4 times; twice for lunch & twice for dinner, and we’ll definitely go back. The food has been great each time, and the service has been quick, courteous, and friendly. One of our dinners was with a party of 12, and anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant knows this can be a challenge. Our server missed nothing, taking care of our every need quickly and efficiently, and we weren’t her only table. Highly recommended!
We had made plans to visit Erin’s this past Saturday before I saw the comments on this review so I was leery of going through with our plans. However, we were pleasantly surprised. The hostess’ were all very friendly, the waitress was good, managers were working the floor making sure everything was OK and we all agreed our food was good. We kind of sampled the Irish dishes, Shepards Pie, Cottage pie, bangers and mash, and the Irish stew. The drink prices are high but the drinks were good. The bartenders could be a little more attentive but, in general, it was a good experience and we will go back.
Plain and simple, Erin’s has a great building and atmosphere but lousy food. I’ve been twice and was underwhelmed both times by the food. What a dissapointment.
After reading other reviews, I was hesitant to take our group of eight there for lunch today. We had called ahead for a reservation and asked to be seated in a room with a fireplace, which we were. Our waitress (Rose) was most attentive to our needs, as we only needed to ask for more ice water, otherwise things went smoothly and no one complained of not liking their food. Six of us order a wrap sandwich and we had more than enough to eat. Rose even placed plastic take-away containers on the table without our having to ask for them. She also brought us two samples of beer to taste before we placed our order. It was a pleasant experience and we would definitely go back again.
We had been there for lunch a couple of months ago. The service was not as per the expectation. It took them almost an hour to get our food, which was very frustrating.
The service during the lunch hours is not what someone expect (fast and reliable).
Other than that, the bar is awesome in the evening with quick responsive service.
I have never been to this restaurant but it sounded great, especially the beers BUT after reading all the comments I have decided it will most likely but a disappointment which is too bad. Until management makes some much needed changes I’ll go elsewhere and spend my money. I do want to thank everyone that listed their particular comments because it really helps all those that might think of trying out a different restaurant.
Went to Erin’s once. The wait staff was awful. The food was awful. I think it is probably a great place to go after work for a drink. But stay away from the food. It is really a shame that the staff and food are so poor. Great location and nice building.
I’ve been twice. The lunch experience (August): Food was good! Service not great. He spent much of the time talking to his friends who were sitting nearby. The dinner experience (November): I had the lamb which was great! A couple of people in our party had the shepards pie (not impressed). Service was excellent. We had a party of 10 and everything went smoothly. Very attentive and timely service.
The hostess was terrible! It took us 20 minutes to get served a drink at the bar. 45 minutes to get seated, then when we finally did the server did not show up unitl about ten minutes after we sat down. It took another half hour to get our drinks and they were wrong twice. two dirty martinis were ordered and twice they brought us margaritas. they food took a total of 1hour 15 minutes to get it tasted okay but was cold. I will never go back. I do love the building and decor but the service it the worst and the food is okay.