Eatery: Shamrocks Bar and Grille
Type of food: Bar food
Cost of visiting(1-5):3
Our Rating:9/10
Re-visit:9/10
Shamrocks has been in business for 20+ years and has 2 different locations here in Lexington, but that isn’t why I wanted to go and try it out for myself. For years I had heard that Shamrocks was the place to be for watching UK games, both Basketball and Football. Because they are an Irish Bar and Grill type place, I ignored people telling me these about this place. Frankly, I would rather watch a game at home on my own computer or TV. So, what prompted me to go out and try this little Bar and Grille that is close to my office? To be honest, I didn’t feel like cooking lunch one day and decided I would go out and give this place a try. I have eaten out a lot, but I had never eaten at a Bar and Grille type restaurant before Shamrocks. After eating at Shamrocks multiple times, I decided to do my review of this precious gem of a place that I feel deserves being discovered by others.
In my review, I will discuss the food, the pricing, how I feel the food stacks up to chain restaurants that one could select at a comparable cost (i. e. Applebee’s or TGI Fridays), and the atmosphere. Shamrocks compares favorably to any of the big chain restaurants I have visited.
The food at Shamrocks is cooked and made to order. That means instead of having frozen burger patties somewhere in the back that other restaurants often use, the kitchen makes your order fresh when they receive it. Because they are an Irish Bar and Grille their burgers are named O’rounds instead of Burgers and their O’rounds are served with chips instead of fries. You can substitute fries for your chips if you like for an additional charge, but their chips are pretty good.
Do I have recommendations on the menu, or do I have a favorite item on the menu that I would recommend when visiting? Well, if you like spicy and jalapenos on your burger, I would recommend that you get the Volcano O’round. It comes with lava mayo, jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, onions, and tomato. I also highly recommend their mac and cheese. While it isn’t as good as the ones you can make from scratch and costs a little extra to sub in for the chips, its not something that you typically get at other restaurants around here. I have also tried a variety of their soup of the day selections while I have sampled different items on their menu. I must say, I haven’t been disappointed yet with the variety of soups they have offered on different days of the week. If you want an appetizer, I recommend you try their Irish nachos. I know what you’re thinking, Irish nachos? Aren’t nachos a Mexican thing? Well Irish nachos aren’t normal nachos, they are waffle fries, with the normal nacho toppings, jalapenos, sour cream, ranch on the side, beef or chicken, your choice.
You may be asking yourself well the food does sound appetizing and may appear good, but what is it going to cost me to eat here? Not as much as you might think. You can either sit at the bar and be served by the bartenders, or you can sit at a table or booth and be served your food by the wait staff. Either way, you will need to tip since this isn’t fast food, it’s great food delivered to you by a server. In my experience, the service you will receive is top notch, so make sure your tip matches what you would typically pay for service at a nice restaurant. I have never experienced a time where I show up and just get forgotten. Food pricing here is reasonable, a table for 2 can eat for around $20 if you just want soft drinks and food, and about $30 if you want an appetizer, or if you decide a meal without an alcoholic drink is a must. Since Shamrocks is an Irish pub, the prices are along the lines of what you would pay at places like TGI Fridays, Applebee’s or Logan’s roadhouse in town. Don’t let that discourage you. If Shamrock’s didn’t have good, reasonably priced food, they wouldn’t still be in business in Lexington after 20 years. Lexington is a town few restaurants survive for decades unless they have something special to offer the public year after year.
The atmosphere for Shamrocks is another aspect I love about it. My main concern the first time I went here was that they were described as an Irish pub and bar. I wasn’t sure what to expect from them the first time I visited. There really isn’t anything I dislike about eating at this place, outside of maybe going here on a UK game day. During basketball season or on a Saturday during football season, Shamrocks can be absolutely packed with people interested in watching the ballgame. Shamrocks has TV’s all over the place, so whether you’re sitting at the bar or at one of their tables, it is unlikely you will miss any of the game action, unless the game you really want to watch is not a UK game, in that case you will be out of luck. Nearly all of the TV’s will be tuned to the UK game of interest, and the speakers will be playing whatever is on that UK game. On non-UK games, it is more likely you will just hear music than a blaring TV.
I’m not much of a sports fan, but I don’t mind following our UK teams. I do enjoy watching the games here in the presence of others who are clearly far more engaged in the games than I am. What I really enjoy is the atmosphere, even the servers look like they want to be at Shamrocks. It makes it seem at least this isn’t just a job, but a calling. The staff are always upbeat and smiling from the time you walk in the door. If you decide to eat here for dinner, you will probably have to wait to be seated unless you take a seat at he bar. If you go for lunch, you can probably sit anywhere you want unless it’s a weekend and there is a UK game on their TV’s.
I would recommend Shamrock’s bar and pub to anyone who is in town visiting for the week, or even just the weekend. Shamrocks isn’t just a little hole in the wall restaurant despite its looks. It’s a treasure for Lexingtonians to have and to show off to guests. I have met people here who moved here or were visiting Lexington from out of town, and they were telling me how good Shamrock’s is and how they have just had to try it out. Yes, I do recommend that you at least try Shamrocks, at least once. I believe you won’t be disappointed. I enjoy the atmosphere here even if it is a little loud on UK game days. The pricing is, dare I say a little better than other restaurants we have tried, and one of the biggest reasons I keep coming back here to eat. I find the food here to be cooked to my expectations, and better than I expected the first time I tried it. I have to say, I’ve gotten hooked on coming back here. This has become my go to place if I really want to watch a UK game and get excited about the action, instead of sitting on my couch alone trying to get into the game.
I hope this review makes you at least want to try Shamrocks. Even if the food isn’t your thing, come for the atmosphere. I don’t believe you will be sorry you did.
Thank you for reading
Jason
