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, theserviceis 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, theserviceand the other food was 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!

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

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 first place to 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.

theservicewas 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.

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 goodservicethis is your place.


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

i had the chicken fried chicken & it was delicious!

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.

theservicewas 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