Pog Mahones Irish Pub & Restaurant — Restaurant in South Island

On holiday with the family, we circled Queenstown almost 3 times before we poked our head into Pog Mahones. For some reason we were struggling to find a high chair for our youngest, but here at this amazing Irish pub, we were in luck. Warmly welcomed and presented with a booth/bench type seating near the front. The kids got colouring in books and crayons, so was fantastic we had a way to keep them entertained. We ordered fish and chips and chicken tenders for the kids, my wife had the mushroom risotto and I had the American cheeseburger with the craft beer of the day. We also got some arancini balls as a side. I’m usually a little skeptical of pub food quality, but man, does Pog Mahone deliver! Arancini was amazing, chicken tenders looked home made, fish was crispy and cooked perfectly! The risotto was fresh and delicious and my burger was a great size (make sure you bring your appetite) - we all felt very satisfied. The food is matched with exceptional service from the staff and an intimate atmosphere that oozes comfort(I would love to go back for an evening beer!). A perfect spot to eat in Queenstown, great for a family meal, it will definitely be somewhere we will visit again! Thanks again Pog...

Came here as there were epic reviews about ribs of yesterday. What I got served was perfectly normal that was about it. Nothing gourmet or extra tasty about it. So if you want excellent ribs not the place! Great atmosphere with live music at not defeaning levels. Most people and staff in there are happy. Except one staff member who can't project his voice and carries the weight of the world on his shoulders (the shift seemed ordinary or quiet to me). He muttered something about glasses, I said excuse me as I could not hear him. He then put energy into rolling his eyes and using passive aggressive body language to turn away from me without further explanation. Like I wouldn't notice, well I did. I was having a good evening till then. A colleague then had to rescue this fumble of his and explain what was meant. You all know who he is...

Came to Pog Mahones specifically for the live music, and on that front, they absolutely delivered! The music was fantastic, really created a great atmosphere and made for an enjoyable evening. The drinks were fine, nothing particularly special but did the job. However, and this is a big however, the cleanliness of the place left a lot to be desired. It felt quite dirty, with sticky surfaces and a general lack of attention to tidiness. It really detracted from what could have been a much better experience. If you're primarily after good live music and don't mind a bit of grime, then Pog Mahones might be worth a visit. But if cleanliness is a priority for you, you might want to think twice. Hopefully, they'll address this issue because the music scene they've got going is...