Claddagh Irish Pub

I tend to avoid chain restaurants in favor of more local places, but since moving to the far west side, this has been a bit more difficult. I now rationalize my occasional visits here by only going when there's a draw besides the food and drinks, and that makes it worthwhile. Just don't go on St. Patrick's day, unless a jam-packed anxiety-inducing fiasco is your kind of scene.

The ambiance is your standard Irish pub fare - dark wood, heavy tables and chairs, a fireplace of sorts, and random Celtic symbols and signs all over. There are TVs sprinkles throughout the restaurant, mostly concentrated in the bar area. They're often showing international soccer games, though they'll generally show any popular sport, so I've come here for the occasional NFL or NBA game. They don't have the sound on, but they do use closed-captioning (which, incidentally, makes Joe Buck's observations seem even stupider than usual, but I digress). The restaurant itself seems pretty clean, but that's a bit difficult to discern between all of the dark surfaces and dim lighting.

The staff is usually cheerful and happy to serve. On occasion, I've been in when the host(ess) is nowhere to be found, but that usually rectifies itself when a server notices me standing there waiting to be seated. They are fairly attentive and helpful, although I was a bit alarmed last week. A bat had gotten in through an open window (this would be one of many reasons why screens on windows are a very good idea in a restaurant), and it was obviously in distress, trying to get out. Bats happen to be my favorite animal, so I was happy when it was able to find its way out by itself and fly off, although not before our server went on a rant to us about how all bats carry rabies and she wanted a tennis racket to "finish it off." Yikes. Occasionally a company will be doing a promo event, so it's a little bracing when the reps come up to your table to bray a commercial for their product. On the other hand, I've gotten free beer samples and swag (like key chains), so there is an upside. They also have Team Trivia of WI every Thursday night, and the host is fantastic.

Most of the food is good, but not great. One standout dish, which is especially fantastic during a hot summer evening, is the duck salad. The duck isn't overcooked or greasy, though there isn't too much of it on the salad. The tomatoes, sun-dried cranberries, and oranges complement it well, adding a nice combination of sweet and tart flavors. I recommend the cran-raspberry vinaigrette for a dressing. The Galway and Fruits on the Green salads are also recommended for summer eating. The loaded pub chips are good for sharing, but not as good as the ones at the Brocach (although you can make them better by asking for BBQ sauce and ranch dressing instead of just ketchup). The fried pickles are pretty good, largely because the pickles are in chip form instead of spear form. That equals more crispy goodness and less "sweet Christ on a cracker, that's a torpedo of boiling pickle juice that just burnt my entire mouth." The spinach and artichoke dip is tasty but VERY heavy; I'd save it for cold, rainy fall evenings. Other go-to dishes of mine include the Shepherd's Pie and Chicken Curry. The French Onion Soup isn't bad, but it's quite salty. The Corned Beef & Cabbage is a fairly bland snooze-fest. If you want a burger, go Jameson Burger or go home. The beer selection isn't fantastic, but there's some local stuff on tap. One surprise I found on their generally-overpriced menu is a reasonably-priced flight of whiskeys that were fairly tasty.

Overall, this isn't a place I dream about, but it's worth the occasional visit with friends when you're looking to watch a game or play some trivia.

I always enjoy The Claddagh when I visit. I was there today and the lunch was a decent portion at a good price. The service was also friendly and fast. It is not the sort of place I go out of my way to go to anymore. I use to go very often but we had bad service one time too many. Today was a good surprise. It may be time to give them another shot.

I am visiting Wisconsin and this restaurant is close to the hotel. I love a good Irish pub so walked over. I got the corned beef and cabbage. (pictured). Thin slices of corned beef and chopped cabbage and under done potatoes. Very disappointing. I ordered desert. Also disappointing. Not terrible but so much less than it could have been. Even the service was mediocre. Probably a great place for beer.