An Beal Bocht Cafe — Restaurant in New York

Let me start off on a positive note: The server was awesome and so was the bartender. Their personalities made up for the rest, that was very disappointing. The last positive is that it is a lively group of people. It was certainly an eclectic mix, making everyone feel welcome.

I am very familiar with traditional Irish food. I've traveled to Ireland more times than I can count, my best friend is Irish, and if I do say so myself, I've made some pretty good Irish dishes with their stamp of approval.

I ordered the Shepard's Pie. It was mostly edible. Should I return, I'll never order it again. I also ordered their spicy margarita. It was not only not spicy but it had some sort of a smoky flavor to it that wasn't listed on the menu. I would never have ordered it had I known. I actually thought I was given the wrong drink. As phenomenal as the server was that night, she was so busy that I didn't bother complaining about the drink. When I was able to get her attention, I asked her about the drink's ingredients. She confirmed that it was not a spicy drink and yes it indeed had a smoky ingredient that was not listed on the menu. I'm still confused as I write this review. My friend ordered the cobb salad. She didn't finish it. She said, "It just wasn't that good".

Now, onto the crowd: It was a nice healthy diverse crowd. The college is close by so there was a young crowd. It's an Irish pub so there were quite a few Irish folk. Lots of people coming and going throughout the evening. It's a very busy area so the streets were loud, upbeat, and very much alive. As were the patrons.

We chose to sit outside at the lovely new "Covid Structures" as I call them. I was born and raised in Manhattan with many sidewalk cafes. When the outdoor seating became necessary due to covid, I was actually thrilled. Part of their outdoor seating is covered. The tables are quite large. They could easily accommodate a party of six. The problem with the seats is they are too far away from the table. I had sit at the edge of the seat in order to belly up and eat over my food. Perhaps this design is for different sized people but it made my stay very uncomfortable. My friend is even smaller than I am and she was terribly uncomfortable.

The last thing I will say about An Beal Bocht is; lots of smokers hang out there. They are not smoking at the tables nor in front of the restaurant, but they are smoking within arms reach at both sides of the outdoor seating area. I sat there eating bad food, drinking a bad cocktail, on an uncomfortable bench that was too far away from the table, all while inhaling cigarette smoke.

I thought I might give it a second chance between when I was there and my writing this review. Putting all of that experience together made me realize that there are many restaurants in Riverdale that I enjoy. It's just...

We love Beal Bocht for its atmosphere, good drinks, people, staff, decor. We have been coming here on and off for years. We have had lunch and dinner and the food has always been good, nothing fancy but comforting and just right. But today, a Sunday, we arrived during Brunch and we were excited about the opportunity of something different and of course the complementary Mimosa. I ordered the traditional Irish breakfast (1/2 portion) with eggs over easy, my husband ordered the American breakfast with eggs over easy as well. Our orders arrived extremely fast but (and I wish I took photos), the eggs were overcooked, the home fries completely dried, almost burned, unappetizing and not to be eaten, my husband's bacon looked old and dried. All looked as if it had been cooked the day before and was reheated in the microwave (I am pretty sure this is what happened!). Thank goodness the mimosa helped the food go down...We told the waitress when she came to clear out the plates that the home fries were absolutely horrible, she agreed that they looked overcooked and apologize but did not offer to rectify the issue. I will never have a brunch at Beal Bocht again, too bad, they have a great opportunity to make it very special. I will come back for a drink, music and atmosphere. But really, I am wondering how it is possible to mess up...

An Beal Bocht Cafe is a nice hidden gem restaurant! This restaurant gave really homey and cozy vibes. They have traditional Irish brunches like fish and chips, English beans, grilled cheese sandwiches, and sunny side up eggs. But what takes the cake and beats everything are their fries, their home fries are so good! The service here is also very good, the waiters are friendly and informative. The food also comes out pretty quick and they even have live music on the weekends. This place is very festive, and can also get pretty busy and crowded. It’s very old school, traditional, and cozy here! The prices are also decent, you can get meals from around $10-$20! So if you’re in the area, stop by here! The only criticism I have here is that they should just have the name of their restaurant more visibly written, so people can know the name of the...