Aidan's Pub — Restaurant in Bristol

I went recently for lunch with my wife. We were seated immediately and greeted by our server in a timely fashion. We ordered a draft ale each to get things started and they came in a short bit, nice and cold. We decided on a couple bowls of clam chowder (one RI style for my wife, and one New England style for me) and 6 clam cakes. My NE chowder was good. It tasted and looked like most any good chowder of its kind. Very much like the ubiquitous sealed in a pouch chowder manufactured by a well known local soup maker, but I have no proof that was the case- only that it was perfectly acceptable. Unfortunately, that’s where the story takes a turn or the worse.

My wife’s clear broth RI style chowder was flavorless apart from the taste of the copious amounts of dill in it. Now, the latter part is on me. I detest dill, especially in my clam chowder, but I blame myself for that. Obviously, many people are quite fond of it, since I encounter it more and more in clam chowders around the area. What I found unfortunate was that it was totally lacking in flavor, despite having what appeared to be a generous amount of clams. It was almost as if the clams were rinsed and then the clam liquor was discarded. That’s strictly conjecture on my part, but I’m quite convinced it lacked any flavor other than the aforementioned herb. I wish that were the worst of it.

The clam cakes were so greasy! They were fairly tasty nonetheless, but I just couldn’t get past the greasiness. They were literally drenched in oil. At least the oil tasted clean! Another aspect of the cakes that I found a little peculiar was that, when I broke either of the two that I attempted to eat open, they didn’t split down the middle. The crispy crust sort of separated from a spherical core that seemed less soaked in oil. I don’t know what to make of that, but if it were the only thing, it wouldn’t have mattered.

I wish I could have a better review, because every team member we encountered from the moment we walked in the door until we left was cheerful, polite, and competent. In addition, the atmosphere seemed very energetic, and all the other diners were chatting and seemed happy to be there and, for all I could tell, were enjoying their meals. The dining room seemed well maintained and clean. We were seated at a pedestal table on a hardwood floor and the table didn’t rock! That scores big points with me, not enough to earn a third star. While we didn’t let it ruin our day, it was a disappointment. Maybe they had an off day in the kitchen. We might give them another try in the future. I think they deserve a...

We visited this weekend for some much needed R and R and would normally have gone to lunch around Newport, but my wife found Aidan's Pub online. Our son's named Aidan as well and he thought it was great that it was spelled the same way. We did not wait long for a booth and they have outside seating as well. We ordered two apps--. Mozz. sticks and Irish nachos. I had the Mountain Meatloaf, my son had the Southern bacon cheeseburger, my wife and daughter had vegetarian options. The mozz. sticks were the best I have ever had and the Irish nachos were extremely yummy. My son's burger was easily a lb of meet and my meatloaf dinner was so large I could only eat half!

The best part about this place is place is the staff is attentive and available and you don't feel like you're in a bar trying to be a restaurant where your kids will hear things you don't want them to. The floor was clean, the chairs were clean, and the lighting was relaxed with lots of sunlight coming through, truly a beautiful day.

The check came and I saved about $60.00 to $70.00 of what I would have normally paid for the same amount of food elsewhere and the refills...are $.50 cents each! Who can beat that in this day and age. In fact, I liked the restaurant so much, I thanked the manager on the way out and he gave my son a pub t-shirt...so in return I'm putting Aidan's on the front page of my non-profit's website, VetFuel.org as a supporter. Folks. In this day and age where everyone is out for your last dime, it's nice to know there are still restaurant people, like those at Aidan's Pub that still want to feed the people and not rob them in the process. Thank you for a lovely day, we will be back again and again. Truly remarkable. Drew Messore, M.S., M.P.H., C.E.O....

We stopped by Aiden’s Pub in Bristol hoping for a laid-back meal and decent service, but unfortunately, it missed the mark completely. The place was almost completely empty, which made the lack of attention even more surprising. The server—who seemed more interested in chatting and laughing with the other employees—barely acknowledged us. No one checked in, asked if we needed anything, or made any effort to make us feel welcome.

What made the experience even worse was the uncomfortable atmosphere created by the staff. They kept whispering, glancing over at our table, and laughing in a way that felt directed at our group. It was awkward and unprofessional, and it made us feel completely out of place.

The whole visit felt like we were interrupting their hangout, not dining at a place that values its customers. With how quiet the restaurant was, you’d expect good service to be a priority—but instead, it felt like we were being mocked just for showing up.

Honestly, it’s no mystery why the place was empty. With service like that, I won’t be coming back—and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else either. GO TO THE...