carrigan's public house

food is good, needs work. there was a group of 4 of us that went this past tues. we were all really excited to try out the food and check out the atmosphere of the place.there was no place to stand in line to put in your order or a waitress to help you out at a table. no place where menus were accessible to those who weren't being helped at the bar. everyone that came in before and after us were putting in drink and food orders. so, there was a bunch of people standing around, looking confused about who's in line next to order or they were looking for a menu.

we finally managed to get some menus and read through everything. we waited on one of the four bartenders to take our order for about 15 minutes. they were busy making drinks for other customers as well as putting in food orders. oh, and the drink prices are pretty high as well. the poor bartenders looked stressed, tired, and overworked. we placed our order and everything came out well. the loadedfriesand double burger were the best dishes at our table. they were worth the wait. i got the short rib sandwich, it wasn't worth the $13. wouldn't get it again. another diner got the felafel sandwich, he didn't finish it. maybe it was an acquired taste? he didn't seem impressed. i'm not going to lie, i love the look of the place. the rooftop dining and outside area are pleasing to the eye. the only reason i tipped over 20% was because i felt bad for the bartenders, not because i received excellent service. i really don't understand why there is a station to take orders at the end of the bar away from the alcohol if the owner won't bother to hire someone to actually use it.

i'll say it again, we were there on a tuesday. not a busy night for most businesses. there were tables available. it wasn't packed out. i can't even fathom what a weekend night is like. i don't feel like i need to go back.

the food was excellent. we had cold ramen, oxtail chili, fries, and humus plate. each item was delicious, healthy (except thefriescause that's impossible), and creatively done. the humus was sundried tomato; it was lemony and creamy, served with veggies, pita, olive tapenade, etc. the cold ramen was served with a large heap of smoked beef, kimchi, soft boiled eggs, etc. super. the chili was more like a stew with lots of tomato celery onion, wonderful flavor. it had a pile of shredded cheese in top, sliced fresh jalepeno, and garlic buttered toast. thefriescame with 3 good mystery sauces, 2 creamy, 1 tomato based.
the service was weird. you order at the bar, which is fine, except that we were forced to fight to put an order in on a slow day. had to chase the bartender around the bar some, kinda awkward. they could probably use an order food here sign to separate the drinks vs food orders.

best atmosphere in downtown, menu needs work. ate lunch there with two friends today. the atmosphere was second to none! the staff was ok, although it is a bar service so don't expect to see a waiter at your table. the menu and food/drink items left something to be desired.
firstly, we eat lunch out all over town every weekday, and we all have different tastes. also, while we have been known to spend over $20 on lunch, we prefer to keep it around $12. first impression of carrigan's was that it was similar to iron city; just the ambiance. very nice and i loved the land rover bar! the tables are works of art and the door handles are even cool.
as for the food, we opted for the cheapest thing on the menu, the $9 corndog. we also ordered sweet teas, our daily drink of choice. the teas were made with simple syrup with the largest ice cubes i've ever seen. after two sips, all the teas went back in exchange for cokes. i've never tasted tea like that. it tasted a lot like what i would imagine swamp water tastes like, only worse. the cokes were great but carbonation was "too high" according to bartender so over half the glass was fizz, which wasn't much liquid with the huge ice cubes.
then the corn dog. it was a large corn dog covered with a lot of stuff i can't pronounce. but deep down, it was a corn dog. halfway through, we scraped the stuff off and just added mustard! perfect! thefrieswere great btw!
went back for our last coke refill.....they were all flat. they adjusted the carbonation all the way down:(
we all agreed if the food was better, and less expensive, we could eat there two days a week. as it was i think one of our comments summed it up: "it's really a shame when the ambiance is better than the food!"

new favorite shindig. not only is it walking distance from my loft, the ambient atmosphere is cozy and inviting. plenty of tables to choose from, very clean, outdoor deck with stringed lights, not to mention the side of a vintage hippie van on the wall converted into a decoration piece with beer taps. their food is amazing! worth every single penny. my boyfriend and i had the perfect valentine's meal with crisp, bubbly champagne and plenty of beer to select from.

the fish and chips taste as if they're served right off a london boardwalk, crispy, zesty, drizzled with tarter sauce....the presentation in mouth-watering. the double burger withfriesis a 10/10, hands down. i was impressed by how well the meat held its juicy flavor and the cooked onions had a specialty sauce it was marinated in. also try the spicy ketchup made with guajillo peppers. definitely worth coming back for.

next menu items i want to try: the corn dog, pork sliders and the fried oatmeal cream pie!

food experience is underwhelming. i have a couple of gripes with my first food experience here, though it otherwise looks like a fine place to get a cocktail and/or craft beer.

i was drawn here after a friend mentioned the bar's pastrami mac & cheese (penne mac & cheese with bits of pastrami mixed in).

i ordered a couple of items to go shortly after 7 p.m. on a tuesday. i didn't get the food for 30 minutes, though the place wasn't that crowded, and most were drinking, not eating. these were not items that should have taken more than 15 minutes to prepare, tops. the cashier could have mentioned that the kitchen was slow. (perhaps this is intentional, so folks will continue to drink while waiting on their food?)

the mac & cheese is $12 and comes with a side mixed green salad (they won't remove the salad and sell you just the mac & cheese). the salad dressing was served on the side in a large paper ramekin, similar to the type one puts ketchup into at a fast-food restaurant. when i got to the car, i opened the box containing the salad to check the order, and discovered the dressing everywhere but int he cup. someone had dropped or knocked over the box before it was ever handed to me. whoever heard of liquids not being put in a plastic container with a lid for a to-go order? these guys, apparently, because the order of frenchfriescontained three sauces in the same paper cups (these had not spilled). as lettuce begins to wilt once it comes in contact with vinegar-based dressings, i ended up tossing the the thing by the time i got home.

the mac & cheese was tasty, but the bits of pastrami were so small that one doesn't get the expected periodic explosions of salty, fatty goodness a small chuck of pastrami often provides. (if it's still being served, trattoria centrale's penne mac & cheese with pancetta is a better bet if your looking for a salty, creamy overload.) at $12, the dish is overpriced for what one receives. i don't mind small portions if the taste experience is memorable. this failed on both counts.

the rusticfries($5) were good. soggy, though (the condensation inside the folded box suggest they were sitting around while the mac & cheese or salad was being finished), but these aren't the kind that are meant to be that crispy to begin with. three sauces were included.

when a bar charges these prices, the execution needs to be tip top. carrigan's leaves something to be desired in this department.

they probably have some sandwiches and burgers, though, that are worth trying, though it's apparent food is not their focus, even though their prices suggest otherwise.