McCarthy's Restaurant & Pub — Restaurant in Port Clinton

I find reviews helpful. There are so many options in many places, and being unfamiliar with the local turf, a tip from a fellow traveler is welcomed. I issue this recommendation in that light.

Right off the bat, upon entering this pub, one gets the sense that it is a fun place. Lots of Irish atmosphere, decor, high energy music, plenty of TVs (mostly with sports). My wife and I were traveling and selected this establishment based upon reviews and the fact that they offered a favorite of mine - fish & chips. The menu was fairly extensive and included plenty of types of dishes for almost any taste. The prices were fair for what was described, but one never knows until the food shows up. Right?

Well, don't worry. The food showed up in great plenty and quality. I rated my fish and chips up there with the best I've ever enjoyed and even gave the fish a slight edge to the front in its preparation. Crispy, crispy golden on the outside and a steaming hot fresh, perfectly seasoned fillet of cod within. One tip I'll offer fish & chip lovers who consider 'upgrading' to the french fries or tots - save your money! The home-made potato chips accompanying the fish were unbelievable! I would have paid extra for those!! Plus, the potato chips come with a generous serving of grandma's special chip dip served on the side.

My wife's dish was a bountiful serving of 'potato pucks'. We had never heard of these, but they proved to be a yummy excursion of delight. They consisted of havarti cheese, mashed potatoes, parmesan cheese, bread crumb coating and were deep fried, served with house-made bacon jam and chopped scallion greens. Yikes! 3 Pucks and yer out! She could only eat two, so should you order this - be hungry.

I've saved the best for last. Our wait person, Veronica, was incredibly delightful. I'm not sure what we did to deserve such marvelous service, but we felt special. She was thorough, professional, and light-hearted while showing that she truly cared about our experience. My wife and I felt that even as great as the atmosphere was, and the wonderful food - that it would be Veronica's special attitude that we would take with us as we loaded up the car and headed on...

I asked you young woman working at my hotel for a dinner recommendation, and she recommended this place. I arrived, and there was an event going on outside with the street closed, and a live band with lots of people. Not wanting to party, I decided to go inside. It wasn’t super busy with maybe half of the tables full. A young woman carrying a bundle of wrapped silverware seated me, but before I sat down I saw that the table hadn’t been wiped off, so I asked someone to do that. Even after it was wiped off, it wasn’t in the best condition. The finish was coming off, and the surface was still a little sticky. I found the atmosphere to be loud, but I suppose it wasn’t inappropriate for an Irish pub. My server came by and told me that he would be back after he took care of the large table that was nearby, and then if you want. It seemed a long time till he came back, but I think he may have been the only person serving tables. There was another young man milling around, but I think he was the bus boy. I found the menu a little pricey. What isn’t these days? The local perch dinner was $33, but it looks like the best option on the menu. It was served with their homemade potato chips and coleslaw, but I traded out the chips for tater tots. I can’t say I was super impressed. The fish still had the skin on, and it was kind of tough along edges, and everything seemed greasy. The tater tots were the frozen variety, and nothing to write home about. I’ve had far better better perch before. I was hungry and tired, so I ate it. By the time my server made it back to me I was ready for my check. I don’t think I would go back here personally, but I wouldn’t say the place...

Ok, so after a snarky response to my one star review, here's the gig. During the bike to the Bay recently held , our group of motorcycle escorts visited your establishment. I had the bacon wrapped hot dog thing, it came out like a Slim Jim wrapped with wax. The bun was dried out and hard on one end. I sent it back. The others in the group had burgers and two had steaks. All the meat was over cooked. All the while i waited for the second one come out after i talked to the waitress and a manager or owner, not sure which. He told us that he was going to the back to ream someone in the kitchen. After the rest of the group was finished eating, out came my order. Giving benefit of the duobt, after the first bite somewhat ok. After the second bite, the hot dog was cold. Less that room temperature. Still chilled from the fridge. Horrible. Now mind you, this is the first time ever in my life that I refused to pay for such food. Then after our checks came and was adjusted accordingly, we were apologized to again. No problem. However, learn to leave well enough alone when you get a bad review. We won't be back. I'll go so far as to tell anybody I meet, and if they mention your restaurant, I will recall my last visit and share it with them. So this is my detailed review, you probably wish you didn't reply and poke that bear with a...