Delaney's Irish Pub & Scratch Kitchen — Restaurant in McKinney

Based on all the great reviews, we were very excited to try this place. We were so disappointed by the service and the food. I expected so much more from a "scratch kitchen." This is a sports bar with bad service that has okay food.

When we walked in there was a woman at the host stand. After some time she coldly asked "how many?" and walked away. Another woman came up and asked how many. Neither of these women were pleasant or seemed happy to be there. As soon as we sat down we were asked what we wanted to drink. The waitress seemed disappointed we just ordered water - but we did not have a chance to look at the menu yet. The beer list is okay. A few local beers, but nothing special.

We ordered boneless chicken wings - they were not fresh as listed on the menu. They looked and tasked like prepackaged wings from the freezer section.

My son wanted the Guinness Stew. The waitress commented the stew had a strong beer taste so my son chose something else. Guinness Stew is made with Guinness, but it should not have an overpowering beer taste. He ordered the Cajun Shrimp Pasta. The rest of us ordered Steak & Mushroom Pie, Ribeye and Patty Melt. The menu stated the 'hot and fresh pies' are cooked fresh and could take up to 25 minutes. Our food arrived under 10 minutes. The Steak & Mushroom pie was bland and the dough was still raw. I saw reviews raving about the fries - the fries we had were 'meh' and undercooked. The rest of the food was okay - not great.

The service was poor and rushed. The food quality was meh. I know staffing issues are a problem - there is a sign on the door asking for patience due to staffing issues. Staffing issues can be overcome with great service and good food - this place had...

Went here to watch a soccer match but I came too late, wound up staying anyway bc the atmosphere was lively. I went to the bathroom and put my napkin over my drink and placed another larger napkin on my chair to show that the seat was taken. Upon coming back to sit down, I noticed it was gone. I asked the man beside me and he just said he threw it away bc he thought it was somebody’s trash. I said cool no problem but then he spoke over me and said well the napkin was right here, pointing to the seat next to me. I just said still that was my seat, then he said the napkin was on another chair. Cool. I just proceeded to say that usually when ppl do that it’s to show that seat is taken. Mid sentence he turns around and goes to talk to his cronies. I tapped his shoulder and said, sir you turned around mid sentence and I was not finished talking. He interrupted again, “I SAID OKAY”

Wow. I’m not sure about the rest of the clientele here, but I’m not willing to come back based off that encounter. I told one bartender, she said sorry, which I didn’t need. Told a second bartender, Kara, and she was very kind and understanding, maybe said something about how ppl get too comfortable? I think she said they were regulars, but anyway she said she would speak to him about it. She really sounded like she cared and proceeded to ensure me that she would take care of it. I guess I was an easy target for that guy, petite, no man by my side, and stuck out like a sore thumb, yeah, I looked pretty different from the rest of the clientele there. I would go back if Kara were there for sure. I really found the atmosphere lively enough to enjoy, but damn did he...

UPDATED REVIEW:

Since I first left my review a couple years ago, I've come back multiple times as of late, and I wanted to add new pictures and about my experiences. Long story short, there's so many great food options here. The corned beef and cabbage is excellent, the Shepherds pie, pot pies, fish and chips, so many great entrees. The pickle soup is absolutely fantastic and a must. The bread pudding is to die for.

A few weeks ago, I had my first negative experience while dining in, and I sent an email that night to let them know. I believe in situations involving customer service that it is important to communicate with the establishment so they have the chance to fix it. They went above and beyond in their response not only ensuring that I was satisfied, but that it was an educational opportunity for the staff to learn and improve. My visit after that I had 2 managers shaking my hand thanking me for giving them the chance to fix it, and I'm very satisfied being a regular at Delaneys.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

First time visiting Delaneys today. Was seated as soon as we arrived and our waitress arrived quickly. I believe her name was Isabel and she provided great and helpful service in a timely manner.

I ordered the potato skins to start which were nice, hot, and crispy. Ordered the Guinness Pot Pie which was delicious, hearty, and the crust was excellent. The newspaper like sheet on it was a great touch with mine having the Miracle U.S. hockey, Berlin wall, and Titanic discovery on it.

Based off of my initial experience I will be back with family and friends and invite any potential customers to try Delaneys out...