j. gilligan's bar & grill

another return visit. ok, so i wasn't a big fan of the instant potatoes that i ordered with my cfs. fortunately my wife and son ordered the irish nachos and a burger so i had some of their fried potatoes. yes, they were kind enough to share a couple of nachos.
i know they don't make their own onion rings here, but they picked a good supplier because i really like them.
tragically, they were out of killians irish red so i had to settle for a pitcher of shiner bock this visit. no big deal.


-----31 mar, 2011-----

j gilligan's where its always cool. it wouldn't be arlington with out it. i can't say anything about the irish nachos that hasn't already been said. they are wonderful; i drive a gauntlet to get there from where i live, and it's always worth it. locals love it here, if you have ever gone to uta no question you have been here, and have been back numerous times. and if you have moved away, you probably miss the place.

i don't know what it is about j.gilligans for me it just feels like the heart of arlington, and it's what makes arlington a community.

bar food, comfortfoodcall it what you want its always good, the service is friendly and i guess they just figure you're a regular by the way they make you feel at home even if you cant get there but a few times a year. and with the draft house next door, is there a beer they don't serve? i just love a place that you can order a pitcher of beer.
you know? if this place was in ireland they would call it a pub. and just like in ireland, it would be just as much a part of the community as the church. and that's pretty cool in my book.

irish nachos. also, the service and the otherfoodwas great! atmosphere was very inviting. we felt like we had been there a million times! we are only in town a few days and like to try new things, but will probably go back before we leave town!

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"fooditems 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.

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 thefoodis 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 thefoodand 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.

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 offoodand joint i'd like to be able to come home to forever

good. has very good barfoodand music, go there when elvis t. busboy is playing.

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. freshfoodat a great price, can't beat it.