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, comfort food call 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 aplacethat you can order a pitcher of beer.
you know? if thisplacewas 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.

great number of choices in beer. the ambiance is lively and gets you excited. had been here for new year's and it was pretty fun. hope to visit again soon. a must visitplacewith your gang of friends.

i've been going here for lunch for years. love the veggie quesadillas. it's bar food, in a very casual atmosphere. service is decent. greatplacefor a quick weekday lunch.

bad service!. i was invited by some other teachers to hang out and eat after we got off work and had never been to thisplacebut wanted to try it. so when i got in, i had a veggie burger, which was decently priced but not too impressive. at the end of the meal, when the lady was ready to grab our tickets, she asked if we wanted them separately. everyone nodded, and i just turned around and told her that i wanted it separately, and she gave me this crude look as if i was an idiot that i didn't hear her already ask that question, then she immediately walked off after giving me that look. i can't describe it, but you should have seen that look she gave me! even the other teachers were telling me that it looked like she was making me out to sound like an idiot. why would a waitress treat the customers like that?

if you're eating here for the first time.... try the irish nachos. as many have mentioned, this restaurant is an arlington landmark, and arlington wouldn't be the community it is without it.

this was one of the first restaurants i ate at while attending uta, and to this day, i still regard it as one of the best. i was scouring the web for a good firstplaceto try near campus, and the novel idea that j gilligan's famous irish nachos were featured on the travel channel immediately got me hooked. be warned, it's not for the faint of heart: it's a hearty combination of bacon, chives, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos and a copious amount of melted cheddar. i shared the half order with my family, had to use a fork to eat it, and barely had enough room for my entree, so be prepared. but listen to the other reviewers, it's beyond awesome.

for my entree, i had the catfish with a side of fries and onion rings. the catfish was fried just right, the fries are fried potatoes cut into discs, sprinkled with a generous amount of salt, and the onion rings weren't too greasy. the catfish, my 32 oz. lemonade and the two sides came out to a little over $10.

the service was pretty good. i ate here again today, and even the peak lunch hour of 12-1, and sitting a fair distance away from the main dining area, my server was attentive and refilled my drink when necessary. though, be warned, if you're coming during lunchtime on a weekday, you may encounter the rowdy college crowd. though, aside from that, the ambience is very welcoming, and i'm sure you'll feel right with the community.

thisplaceis 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. greatplaceto meet people for lunch or dinner.

greatplaceto meet friends. j. gilligan's is within walking distance of the uta campus and a popularplaceto 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.

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. greatplaceto 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. thisplaceis 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