James Joyce Irish Pub & Restaurant — Restaurant in Calgary

I was born and raised in a small, inconsequential town in northern England, so I'm familiar with what a REAL public house looks like.

This wonderful place is one of the very few REAL pubs in the entire city. So much care and dedication has gone into making the James Joyce the best place to go if you want to let off some steam after work or the game, meet up with friends or just enjoy a quiet pint by yourself.

If you look out the nearest window you will likely see yet another 'fake' Irish bar - the only things Irish are the name and perhaps the female wait staff forced to wear something approaching a Leprechaun crossed with a Gaelic dancer. Their biggest mistake by far though, will be the numerous flat screens affixed to any surface qualifying as flat. Each will feature a different sports game and each will have their volume set just high enough to irritate anyone seeking conversation with their neighbour (Hello Bank and Baron). These are examples of how not to pose as an 'Irish' bar - these are purely sports bars with as much Irish to them as a slice of pizza with a clover planted in its crust.

The James Joyce is a bastion of Irish heritage, it's walls are lined with history, be it photographs featuring famous places and cities in their youth or with a wonderful selection of antiques physically brought over and displayed with taste. They have an EXCELLENT menu that features many classic dishes guaranteed to satisfy you, a great assortment of draught beer and also one of the ONLY places in town to get a Guinness that's stored, poured and served to you in the proper manner.

The staff is warm and welcoming and will make you feel right at home whether it's your first visit or your hundredth (they are also not dressed up to convince you of their Irishness).

Finally, and most importantly, the James Joyce has a total of ZERO TVs. This is a pub in the truest sense of the word, a place where conversations are easily started and you'll end your visit with that special sensation that is often neglected in this day and age, human interaction. Although privacy is always an option, I personally dare you to pay a call to the Joyce and not walk out having made a friend or acquaintance - this alone is why I hold this pub in such high regard, because they know the second, crucial ingredient in the pub experience.

The next time you plan for a night out of any length or for any occasion, reward yourself by taking a seat inside, you will never regret it.

(I know this reads like a big massive lump of hyperbole, so I should point out that I don't work for nor am I affiliated in any way with The James Joyce. I simply love this pub and the spirit...

Wanted to go to James Joyce Pub on Thursday, August 5th around 9PM. Before I actually review this pub, let me paint a picture for you.

My friend who had been suffering from a hormone driven menty b (mental breakdown) reached out to me for moral support. She advised me that the only cure for said menty b was a shepherd's pie from James Joyce Pub. She had been mentioning this shepherd's pie to me for many months, each time we passed by JJB or made plans to go out for dinner. As a loving a supportive friend, I rushed home from work to get ready and we headed to JJB. The drive was a little long because we live in the NW end of the city, so along the way, our craving for this shepherd's pie grew exponentially, our hunger would be insatiable if we could not enjoy JJB's shepherd's pie.

We parked, but it was kinda far because it was busy along Stephen Ave. We walked, what felt like hours in the heat, even longer as our anticipation continued to grow. It felt like we would never arrive. JJB was a desert oasis that stayed far on the horizon, never nearing no matter how long we walked.

But alas, we made it. We couldn't contain our excitement. We waited a few minutes for a server to seat us. She greeted us, "for two?" she asked. YES!! Wow, can't wait. Now, this is the part where the glass shatters and you'll want to stop reading. The moment when the boats arrive and Rose nudges Jack only to realize he has frozen to death.

"Our kitchen is closed, drinks only."

We stood, shocked, heartbroken, nearly unable to respond. Why would they close the kitchen at 9PM on a hot, busy Thursday? My friend managed to express her disappointment and followed with a request to use the restroom, as you recall we had journeyed far and long seeking JJB's shepherd's pie.

"It's only for customers." she stated, rather insensitively as she walked away from the hostess booth. I'll never let go Jack, I'll never let go

Terrible service. Below average food. Sunday afternoon about 2:30, the place was NOT busy at all. There is a large black podium at the entrance to the patio that would indicate one needed to wait to be seated. I waited. I watched as 2 different employees passed me twice each. I went inside. As I stood near the door and the bar, 2 different waitresses walked right by me and didn't make any eye contact or ask if I needed anything, there was NO sign to indicate what to do or where to go. Do I sit? or do I wait? nobody's speaking to me, nobody's looking at me.. now I see a bartender that isn't paying attention to anything so essentially he's ignoring me too. I take an open table on the patio. The blond waitress (fat and frumpy one...) walks past me twice and doesn't acknowledge me at all. Finally, after about 5+ minutes of being here, another waitress I haven't seen before comes to my table and wants to know if I "need something" Yeah, .. how about a menu, a drink, some lunch and a little SERVICE !!!!! I didn't say that and I was polite (flat, but nice) and asked for a menu. I got an iced tea. It was sweetened - I'm diabetic and don't drink sweetened drinks. The iced tea was $3.35