Mary O's — Restaurant in New York

I came to Mary O's to watch the 2nd presidential debate between Secretary Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and somehow my dinner turned into a heated debate with my awful human of a server who threw a full-blown temper tantrum I have never seen come out of an adult before.

I was at the pub with two friends; I ordered the fish and chips, one friend ordered a burger and my other friend ordered the veggie pot pie. Think to yourself for a second of what a "veggie pot pie" would be.. my thought was a chicken pot pie with just vegetables..also my friend's impression. She asked our server just to double check she liked all the vegetables that were to be included in the meal, where our server responded that it was an assortment of fall vegetables with a fennel/carrot mash on top. What arrived was not a pot pie...it was literally a bowl of vegetables with cheese and shaved carrots on top. No crust, no pie?? After 2-3 bites, my friend felt the name of the dish was misleading and the overall taste was bland, so she shared this with our server and asked, "Could I please get something different." The server said yes, and my friend ordered the fish and chips as well.

When paying for the meal, I saw we were being charged for the veggie pot pie, so I kindly asked my server to take the meal off of our ticket. She stared at me blankly and said, "but your friend ate half of it." Having been a server in the past, I was shocked by her answer because I had always served with a 'the customer is always right' mentality. I responded, saying that she only ate two bites of it and in addition, had asked for something different - her question clearly asking for a replacement for what she did not enjoy. Here is a following script of what I remember the server yelled, not kidding YELLED at me:

"YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK? I THINK YOUR FRIEND SAW THAT YOU ORDERED FISH N CHIPS AND THEN GOT JEALOUS OF YOUR MEAL AND DECIDED SHE DIDN'T WANT WHAT SHE ORDERED ANYMORE. AND YOUR FRIEND ATE HALF OF IT, I SAW IT WHEN I TOOK THE DISH AWAY. WHY SHOULD I TAKE SOMETHING OFF YOUR RECEIPT WHEN YOU WERE THE ONE WHO ORDERED IT? HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EATING THAT DISH ALL NIGHT, AND EVERYONE LOVED IT. YOUR FRIEND WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAD ANY SORT OF PROBLEM WITH THE DISH. AND I TOLD HER WHAT WAS IN THE DISH PRIOR TO HER ORDERING IT, SO IF SHE DIDN'T LIKE IT AFTER IT ARRIVED, IT'S HER FAULT, NOT MINE."

There was slightly more back n forth than this, but all of these words were things she actually YELLED at me during our conversation, where I remained cool, calm and collected and tried to explain to her that I was sitting at the table, I saw the two bites my friend took before pushing the dish away, I worked in service and I have never caused a problem when a customer did not like their meal, and that her expectation of the meal was for it to be a pot pie.. there was no pie. Regardless of whether or not one-hundred people liked the dish, there can still be one person who did not like the dish. She ended up yanking my credit card from my hand yelling, "FINE! I'LL PAY FOR IT! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING YOU ORDERED, THIS IS SO RIDICULOUS! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! AND I'M SURE YOU GIRLS MAKE A LOT MORE MONEY THAN ME, SO IT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE THAT I SHOULD PAY FOR IT" and she continued to yell at us after we signed the bill and left the bar (btw we are all students, so I'm unsure of what gave her the idea we were more well off than her, and I can't even speak to how inappropriate it is to assume you know a customer's financial situation).

As we left the pub, we planned to write a yelp review for this business to warn others from eating here and we looked at our receipt so we could include the name of this server in the review. Lo and behold, our server was the MANAGER. I am speechless as to how someone with such a bad temper and horrendous customer service would be running a restaurant. Homegirl really needs to find...

There are good bars, there are great restaurants, and then—once in a long while—you find a place like Mary O’s Irish Restaurant & Bar, where the food is honest, the pint is perfect, and the soul of the community beats behind the bar.

Let’s get one thing straight: Mary O’s pours the best Guinness in the city. Full stop. It arrives like velvet in a glass—cold, creamy, and with that signature cascade that only happens when someone truly knows what they’re doing. There’s reverence in the pour, patience in the wait, and pure bliss in the first sip. It’s not just a drink here—it’s a ritual. And at Mary O’s, it’s sacred.

But Guinness is just the beginning.

Step into the cozy, glowing warmth of this East Village haven, and you’ll be greeted by a menu that defies repetition. Why? Because Mary shops fresh—every day. No freezer, no shortcuts. Just honest-to-God cooking with whatever inspired her that morning at the market. The menu is a living, breathing love letter to Irish comfort food with a market-fresh twist.

And there’s one dish that haunts my cravings daily: the Irish chicken curry. Creamy, fragrant, perfectly spiced—it’s a dish that grabs you by the soul. I’ve eaten curry across continents, and I can say—hand on heart—this is the best I’ve ever had. If Mary ever stops making it, I may start a hunger strike.

But what truly sets Mary O’s apart isn’t just the food or the pour—it’s Mary herself. Her commitment to the community is legendary. She doesn’t just open her doors—she opens her heart. Hosting fundraisers for puppies (yes, actual puppies), providing all the food and drinks herself, just to give back. Or opening up early so that the exhausted camp counselors from the local programs have a place to unwind.There’s a quiet, unwavering generosity that pulses through this place, and you feel it in every detail—from the smile behind the bar to the food on your plate.

Mary O’s isn’t just an Irish restaurant. It’s a place where stories are told, pints are honored, and strangers become family. If you haven’t been, go. If you have, you already know: there’s nowhere else quite like...

AMAZING.

Scones are the best I've had in my life (fluffy, perfect blend of sweet and savory, absolutely decadent with the butter and homemade jam they send in the package).

I feel like when I order scones (non Mary Os) they can be dry or tasteless or doughy. Not these. They are game changing. But they will make it so you can't order scones anywhere else for the rest of your life because they won't be as delicious as the ones from Mary O's, but that's a small price to pay to taste these pieces of heaven.

Bonus: the blessing that Humans of New York (HONY) promised would come with the scones? IT WORKED. We have had the absolute BEST LUCK since we first ordered these in 2021.

Extra bonus: they are the kindest people. We ordered scones again recently (2023) when we saw the portal was open for new orders. And they wrote a message on our box "sending lots more luck your way" with lots of hearts. SO KIND!!!

Extra extra bonus: we also sent a friend these scones in 2021 (after we had amazing luck), and he's also had an incredible string of good luck. We just ordered him another box, and I'm sure we'll be ordering boxes for years to come. Highly recommend.

Thank you Mary O's and the...