j. gilligan's bar & grill

an arlington classic!. j. gilligan's is one of the classic establishments in arlington. it has an atmosphere that is great for a family, watching a game with the guys, or a girls night out. it has some of the best "feel good" food items on the menu. irish nachos...are you kidding me? this is great! and the personal ouch you receive there is almost extinct in this day and age. support an arlington tradition and enjoy a great dining experience.

irish "coronary bypass" nachos. cheap bar food. at least the prices match the quality. over-hyped and highly disappointing.

unimpressive. i do love the irish nachos at gilligans but it doesn't make it worth the trip. i stopped by recently after i was hit with a craving for the awesome potato goodness. every time i go, i remember why i only go once or twice a year. in all the time i've been eating there, i have never once had good service. other than the nachos, everything else i've had there has been bland bar food. from now on, i'm getting the irish nachos to go.

.... irish nachos are really good !! worth the trip!!!

i have never eaten such a wonderful meal as the irish nachos. i love the idea of the potato instead of the tortilla. there is nothing at gilligans that i have eaten that is not good.

arlington landmark!. a must for anyone living in or visiting arlington. the irish nachos should be required for every guest and the burgers haunt my dreams! during my most recent visit, i tried the alien amber ale. verdict? out of this world! (seriously though, a tremendous beer selection.)

this place is really kinda cool. they have a restaurant separate from the bar area. so, if you just want to eat without all the rowdiness of the bar... that's possible. now, for the food, it's your typical bar & grill menu except way better! i'm a big fan of their chicken fried chicken. but they are known for their irish nachos. so if you want good food, good atmosphere & pretty good service this is your place.


-----24 jul, 2009-----

i had the chicken fried chicken & it was delicious!

great place/ good people. i have been eating at j. gilligan's for years and have set up a number of special events there. the owner and staff have always been great to work with and the food is always delicious, from the irish nachos, chicken fried steak & hamburgers to the qesadillas you can't go wrong. great place to meet people for lunch or dinner.

great place to meet friends. j. gilligan's is within walking distance of the uta campus and a popular place to have a drink at the bar almost any night. not being much of a drinker i go just for the food and a big glass of sweet ice tea. the irish potatoes and chicken fried steaks are what i like the best. the waitresses are all very nice and if the owner randy is there, he always comes by your table to say hello and asks how was your meal? on game days you can take a shuttle to cowboy stadium from j. gilligan's parking lot.

awesome bar food!

home sweet home. service: 4 stars
food: 4 stars
beer joint ambiance: 5 stars

somebody famous said "you can't go home again" or something like that. i guess they meant things can never be like you remember them to be. well they're wrong! i haven't been to j. gilligan's in five years and it's exactly as good as i remembered it to be.

how often does that happen? i used to eat the irish nachos and the self proclaimed "best hamburger in arlington" at this spot and they are just as good today as they were five years ago. the cheeseburger comes in either a 1/3 or 1/2 lb. size and is just as well cooked, seasoned and covered in melted cheddar as i remember. still even comes with those potato chip shaped french fries. the burger has just enough grease for flavor without over doing it. not always easy to find that happy medium. the irish nachos (like potato skins, without actual skins) still come in that small fry pan, covered in cheese, bacon and tomatoes, with some sour cream on the side. my wife and i shared each others meals and both really pleased our cheddar palates.

the service was friendly and very attentive. the waitress even put our burger and fries in two separate plates for us when we told her we wanted to split one. very considerate.

now as to the ambiance. that hasn't changed a bit. even has same old photos on the walls from decades that can be identified by the clothes and hair styles. great place to drink beer, looks like a college bar should look to my mind. formica or wood table tops and metal chairs, wood plank walls and trim. this place is a time machine. i hope it never changes cause this is the kind of food and joint i'd like to be able to come home to forever

good. has very good bar food and music, go there when elvis t. busboy is playing.

so good. irish nachos all the way!

friendly and fun. they are known for these irish potatoes and i sware, they are freakin awesome. our waitress was really sweet and gave us the whole low-down on the place. worth the drive and the prices are very reasonable. my husband had the chicken fried steak sandwich and was the biggest sandwich we have ever seen. fresh food at a great price, can't beat it.