McNamara's Irish Pub & Restaurant
McNamara's Irish Pub & Restaurant things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Plan your stay
Affordable Hotels in Nashville-Davidson
Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.
&promo_pic=/one-page/coolest.jpg)
The Coolest Hotels You Haven't Heard Of (Yet)
Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.
Trending Stays Worth the Hype in Nashville-Davidson
Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.
Posts
It started out ok, with a seat at the bar with a friendly, (at first), bartender. The broccoli soup was delicious, as was the steak sandwich which was the daily special. Getting enough mayo was a challenge with two measly packets, followed by one add'l when I asked for more. When it got busier, it went downhill. Half the bar is in one room, the other half in another room, so the bartender has to pass through the connection in the middle to handle both sides so he'd disappear for a while. I wanted to take two desserts to go, and I asked how different the Irish Cream Cheesecake was to which he responded, "Well, it's made with Irish Cream so...". I asked about the bread pudding and he said both were good so I ordered one of each to go. It was like I was bothering him by asking two simple questions. Fifteen minutes later, I got it, with another almost ten minutes to check out, only to realize getting in the car that one of them had ice cream that was melting because it was wrapped in plastic wrap with the bead pudding that was heated up! It barely made it to my hotel. Not even a heads-up and the menu doesn't indicate that it comes with ice cream. The cheesecake was so-so, but the bread pudding was literally inedible. It was made with apple slices, had zero flavor, and the oddest texture. I got half a bite through it and it was spit out and tossed in the garbage. I ate a couple of bites of the cheesecake but it went the way of the bread pudding, and at $12-15 per dessert. The steak sandwich didn't cost much more than the dessert and was delicious. Stick with the regular food, but definitely skip dessert.
Heather DeVitoHeather DeVito
00
This is the only restaurant my husband and I would consider ourselves ‘regulars’. To start, the staff is absolutely fantastic - Scotty, Brigid, Mike, Miss Kathy (Go Birds!), Luke - are all incredibly kind and excellent servers/hosts. This place is consistently packed and they go above and beyond to be sure you have everything you could need or want even when they are very busy. I should mention that my husband is from Co. Donegal in Ireland, so as far as authenticity goes it meets the Irish standard for a pub/restaurant in the US. The food is consistently excellent and as my husband says “it’s the closest taste to home in Nashville” and “the only place you’ll get a proper cup of tea.” Our favorites are the fish and chips and the Irish breakfast on the weekends. The best live music is in the main dining room on Wednesday evenings with The Sternwheelers and on Friday/Saturday nights with Sean McNamara (the owner) and Nosey Flynn. If you want a more dive-y atmosphere, the upstairs lounge is for you with full service and several nights of live music also. This place is very family friendly and you can tell with the consistency of the staff and patrons. We love McNamara’s and highly recommend for an Irish pub experience!
Sarah GarySarah Gary
00
tl,dr: yes please! I wondered what I would run into in this Irish pub. My previous encounter had to do with a Tilted Kilt in Charlotte, NC. That is NOT an Irish pub. That's an Hooters with an Irish theme. I don't suggest that place at all... I digress. McNamara's was a fantastic experience. I walk in to find myself transported to a dimly lit, yet lively atmosphere with Irishmen playing some great tunes. I almost started dancing right away. I regret that I didn't. When our food came out and was transported to Irish heaven. The steak and Guinness is amazing, the Jameson Whiskey fantastic. I tried some of the Irish coffee and that was great too! But what made the experience really pleasant was Brandy. She was helpful, super organized and "v chill" (as the youths say). I was a part of a group of 16. They don't split checks, but Brandi broke the rules. That's right. She said "frick the rules, I'm gonna be practical and helpful! My name is fricking Brandie!" Ok. She didn't say that actually. But if she did, I would've loved it. Regardless, thank you Brandey, you made this a great experience. Also, this picture of a toucan is nice. Adds to the great atmosphere.
Brad RobertsBrad Roberts
00
Traditional Irish bar owned and ran by long term Nashville musicians out in Donelson and wherever you are in the area it's absolutely worth the drive. Step inside to a plethora of wood and a beautiful wrap around bar. Live Irish music plays nearly every night downstairs. Up stairs is open seating for the Turks lounge which itself is worth the trip. Great beers on tap Guinness and Smithwicks being my standouts. You can also get a delicious pot of Irish tea served in a nice ceramic teapot. Food wise the Shepard pie, Guinness pie, and Irish stew do battle to satisfy your cravings for a meaty savory comforting dish especially when it's cold out. The ribeye sandwich is delectable for lunch but the chicken sandwich is a strong choice too. Don't sleep on the spinach dip served with little potato latkes. The full Irish breakfast is also available and while not my thing it sure looks impressive coming out of the kitchen. My only complaint about this fantastic pub is they are not open late or on Sundays! 9pm and I'd Still love a tullamore dew. However when you can get in the door find a table or seat at the bar its a top tier experience in Nashville.
Trey TollisonTrey Tollison
00
Let me just say right off that Brandy (bartender) is awesome. K? Fer starters I had the vegetables n barley soup. Very, very tasty. The scotch eggs were a letdown. They appeared to have sat under a heat lamp waiting for somone to order em. Not much flavor. A little dry, ya know. Then I had the FISH N CHIPS on the advice of a previous reviewer. The flagship meal of any self respecting Irish/Gaelic pub/restaurant, right? I'm slightly jaded by my awesome experience at Leo's in St. John NL. The "now hiring Cooks" sign out front kinda warned me, I guess. The fish was fine. The quality of a good piece of fish in this particular meal, is found in the breading. The breading was of the pancake batter type, which i prefer. The chips however, were less than stellar. It seemed like I was served a combination of saturated fry basket orphans and heat lamp leftovers with a few fresh ones thrown in for fun. Not a good dish of chips, at all. Some were oily, some were hardshell. Atmosphere is a 10 Staff are a 10 Prices are high Food is meh... If you cant keep your quality consistant, how good is your place?
Herban GypsyHerban Gypsy
00
I come here a few times monthly and it is my hangout spot to play darts and have a good Nutty Irishman. Today must have been an off-day for the kitchen though cos my Steak and Biscuits were too salty, charred on the outside but bloody on the inside. Oh the one thing that is always frustrating is that the price of a small loaf of soda bread is never consistent and I'm charged $5-7 depending on who rings it up. But today I was charged a whopping $9! I paid it of course but anything more than $5-6 is just plain ridiculous. I'm going to start deducting from the tip based on what I'm charged the next time. My 3* is for the inconsistent pricing that the server charges based on how good or bad his/her shift is and how unsatisfying my dinner was today especially when I was craving the Steak n Biscuits which were a total disappointment this evening. I truly hope my next visit is better bcos I'd rather continue coming here cos my next option is The Pub in The Gulch and it's not as homely as McNamara's.
MyFoodie TravelsMyFoodie Travels
00
Nearby Attractions Of McNamara's Irish Pub & Restaurant
The Salon Professional Academy
Donelson Plaza
Hip Donelson Farmers Market
Tots Aloud Soft Play Party Rentals & Event Space (Nashville)
Nashville Public Library Donelson Branch
Donelson Jewelry
Movement Lounge, By Yoga Muttz
Cloud 9 Mobile Massage
Pieces to Peace Massage Therapy
Heidtke House, A Rare Find Vacation Home in Nashville TN
The Salon Professional Academy
4.8
(948)
Click for details
Donelson Plaza
4.4
(311)
Click for details
Hip Donelson Farmers Market
4.6
(60)
Click for details
Tots Aloud Soft Play Party Rentals & Event Space (Nashville)
5.0
(41)
Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of McNamara's Irish Pub & Restaurant
Uncle Bud's Catfish Chicken & Such
Party Fowl Donelson
Phat Bites
Homegrown Taproom & Kitchen
Edley's Bar-B-Que
Italian Pizza House
Sicilian Pizza Airport
West Coast Taco Shop - Donelson
Birrieria y Taquería Arandas
Nicoletto's Italian Kitchen
Uncle Bud's Catfish Chicken & Such
4.5
(1.8K)
Click for details
Party Fowl Donelson
4.3
(1.6K)
Click for details
Phat Bites
4.4
(877)
Click for details
Homegrown Taproom & Kitchen
4.5
(527)
Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
2740 Old Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37214
Map
Phone
(615) 885-7262
Call
Website
mcnamarasirishpub.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.7
(2.1K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Classic Gaelic tavern food with a variety of whiskeys & beers, plus live music in a large playroom.
attractions: The Salon Professional Academy, Donelson Plaza, Hip Donelson Farmers Market, Tots Aloud Soft Play Party Rentals & Event Space (Nashville), Nashville Public Library Donelson Branch, Donelson Jewelry, Movement Lounge, By Yoga Muttz, Cloud 9 Mobile Massage, Pieces to Peace Massage Therapy, Heidtke House, A Rare Find Vacation Home in Nashville TN, restaurants: Uncle Bud's Catfish Chicken & Such, Party Fowl Donelson, Phat Bites, Homegrown Taproom & Kitchen, Edley's Bar-B-Que, Italian Pizza House, Sicilian Pizza Airport, West Coast Taco Shop - Donelson, Birrieria y Taquería Arandas, Nicoletto's Italian Kitchen
The Hit List
