The Irish Lion Restaurant & Pub
| Address: | 212 W Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47404, USA |
| Phone: | +1 812-336-9076 |
| Site: | irishlion.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
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Rebekah Perrin
I would love the Irish Lion if they didnt serve food. The downstairs is so charmingly decorated and the old-world ambiance is second to none in Bloomington. If I could, I would curl up in a booth with a blanket, Irish coffee, and a book for hours. But please just do not make me eat. The first time I visited, I order the special and it was just okay. High quality salmon, but barely seasoned and served with your basic rice and steamed vegetable. Husband ordered fish and chips which he liked, but found to be nothing special. I had a cup of the Celtic stew and liked it, the lamb especially. We decided to try it again eventually given how much we both loved the atmosphere, despite the so-so food and lacking service. We went tonight and will not return again. I ordered a bowl of the stew and it came out cold - on a Friday night?! - and the lamb in it was slimy and chewy. I completely lost my appetite. Husband ordered fish and chips again and was surprised that it was a much smaller portion than he received last time. His fries were cold. I would have nicely said something to the waitress, but we did not see her or any other server again for over 30 minutes when she asked if we were ready for our check (despite the full bowl of stew on the table). Not impressed.
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A Private User
Ambience is great (especially for Bloomington) but the food is average and the menu a bit puzzling. No bangers & mash, for instance, and yet you can get Fettucine Alfredo or Chicken Kiev (Ive had both--unspectacular). They do offer coddle and celtic stew, either in a boule or served in a bowl, but the portion is pretty small. Only two choices for burgers--beef burger with cheese (provolone?) or lamb burger with sour cream. The lamb burger isnt bad but theres so much rosemary in it it could almost be any meat. Beer selection is decent but not overwhelming. Poutine & mead are available. I got onion rings once and the batter was awful, but Ive been told the onion rings are delicious so maybe it was a bad batch. ETA: Id never tried the brunch until this past weekend, and it was delicious. So Ive upped the rating one star. Excellent Eggs Benedict, served with fruit cup and potatoes. One of the best breakfasts in town! ETA 3/5/2012: I really wish this place could get a menu overhaul (for lunch & dinner anyway). Pub Grub could be expanded & improved. Burgers are way too average, bangers & mash should be fixtures. No one goes to an Irish Pub for Chicken Kiev or Chicken Marsala.
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Matthew Bentley
Normally I love the Lion, it has wonderful atmosphere and the service is usually outstanding, but this time the service was below subpar. This happened on December 19th, I was with a friend and we decided to go to the Lion, normally excellent service but that night when we walked in there was no hostess at the front, so we had to wait at least five minutes before being sat at a table. Then the server came by, didnt give us any water to begin with and took our order. I ordered the gaelic coffee, the cream was flat and the coffee was lukewarm at best. Our food finally comes, I ordered the Stew and my friend ordered the Coddle, both in bread bowls. The server forgets which one is which and touches my food to see which one it was. We finished our meal and another server had to remove our plates because we hadnt seen our original one until it was time for the checks. Which he almost messed up as well.
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A Private User
1st visit- We had no reservation, but it was a Wednesday night so we expected to wait 15-20mins. However, the hostess seemed insulted by this and talked down to us. We walked out. 2nd visit- Hostess gave away our table because we were 15mins late (reasonable, I suppose), however, she insisted we were over 30mins late and she was VERY condescending. She put our name in again and said itd be 15 mins MAX. 50 minutes later and after multiple parties without reservations were seated(one with 10 people), we left and let them know we were unhappy. Very insulting and unfriendly hostessing. Unfortunate because the food looked so good! I would know because I had 50 minutes to look over their menu...
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Christopher Park
Went here for brunch on Sunday and walked in right when it opened at 11:00 a.m. The restaurant felt authentic, and we were dining with many people from across the pond. There was a large selection of Irish whiskeys and other cocktails. I ordered the Dublin City Breakfast, which was good, but didnt blow me away. Standard scrambled eggs with cheese, white toast, Irish sausage, and a fruit cup that was mostly melons. This place didnt blow me away, but it was solid. Id suggest going somewhere else as there are many better options, such as Tap right next door, but its not usually crowded.
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Peyman Pejman
I brought 2 friends for a small birthday celebration which was ruined by the awful food we were served. All 3 of us ordered steaks, New york strip and filet mignon. Hands down, they were the worst pieces of meat we had ever had. We barely ate half of them and even ate that much since we were starving. The meats were extremely chewy, with ridiculous amount fat. On top of that, none of them was cooked to order. I guess it was our mistake to order steaks at 9pm on Sunday night, but a tad bit more quality control and oversight would go a long way Im sure.
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Joseph Petrovich
Had to be seated up stairs as one of our group was under 21. This was not bad except our server split his time between both floors. As such the service was very slow. All 4 meals were unimpressive. 2 had the over cooked lamb burger. 1 had a very dry corned beef dinner. And I had the lamb stew which was really just gravy with a few measly bits of lamb, carrot and potato. Very disappointing. The best thing was the pint of German beer. Authentic. I do not recommend this pub until they do a better job with the food. Atmosphere was good. Wont be back.
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A Private User
Yes the decor was unusual. The service was beyond awful. The waiter accusingly asked where our cutlery was? I was wonderring the same thing and got a fork from another table for the appetizer. Then he passed my granddaughters across me and the table. Visiting with grandaughter or the hour wait for a meal would have been intolerable! and the 37 minute wait after the request for the check was too much. And on slow week day. Meal was just ok and pricey but the time with my granddaughter was priceless..
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Brandon Signorino
Great fish & chips... seasoned well and the fries were perfectly crispy. One thing you must try is the Blarney Puffballs starter, which is deep-fried potato balls made with a cheese & garlic mixture, served with sour cream and chives. Delicious! The only reason I give 4 stars instead of 5 was that our server was a little placid... you could tell he did not want to be there. To be fair, it was late on a Sunday night and he was probably a student, so I am guessing he would rather have been elsewhere.
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A Private User
We visit Bloomington when transporting our daughter to/ from IU or visiting for a concert. We love the ambiance created by the old tin ceiling and woodwork. I personally,however, am not a fan of the stuffed deer and other animals on the wall. Our favorite item is the fish and chips- light, not greasy like some. I also love the chicken salad and the celtic salad. My husband wishes they had shepherds pie. Waiters and waitresses have always been friendly and attentive. We will definately go back!
