Flann O'Brien's

Very relaxing interior! They have a fire place which really adds to the atmosphere. Pool tables in the back, really big bar and a couple of tables. I'd come here again, even though I absolutely hate the area.

If you drive you could potentially park behind the stop and shop if you aren't staying too long.

Flann O'Briens is the bar for students and fans of weird Anglo-Saxon sports (like rugby, hurling, and *ahem* soccer). It's the most affordable bar in the area, with $7 specials that rotate through week and $5 specials (and drink specials) that you can hear about if you sign up for their daily text messages. Between 2-6PM, there's also buy one get one free appetizers, and the appetizers are quite large.

- The most popular $7 special is the Monday steak tips deal. The steak tips are really great, and it's served with toast, asparagus, and your choice of fries or mashed potatoes. The chicken pesto salad wasn't so good - they used chicken tenders.
- The wings are great here. They serve solid, meaty wings - not wings from some underfed and emaciated chicken. Great deal if you do the buy one get one free appetizers.
- Irish nachos were a hit with my coworkers when we went for lunch - they're nachos, but with round fries instead of tortilla chips.
- I've come here for mimosas and greyhounds (vodka+grapefruit juice), and they've been great. Fresh squeezed juice.

The slow service here is a problem, especially if you're going during your lunch break. The order wasn't taken quickly, and it seemed to take forever for the food to come out once the order was placed. Otherwise, this is a great bar, and I'll have to come back for karaoke or trivia night.

Being a resident of Mission Hill, I've been to Flann's on several occasions. The atmosphere is that of a fairly typical Irish-themed pub. Prices are average as is the selection of beers and whiskey. This would be a great place to hang out with friends after work and have a conversation or play a game of pool if it weren't for the music being so damn loud! Even on a quiet night when there is clearly nobody interested in dancing, the music is blasting to the point where you can't hear yourself think.

I once ordered Jameson (whiskey) neat and the bartender promptly served up a shot glass. I objected, stating that I would prefer to sip my drink out of a lowball glass (seeing as I was not trying to get hammered on a Thursday night). The bartender gave me a confused look and simply said "this IS Jameson neat". While technically he was correct, I don't know of any truly Irish pub that doesn't serve whiskey in some sort of tumbler.
On a separate occasion, I ordered a Guinness and a different bartender placed the glass directly under the tap (no tilt in the glass) and proceeded to dispense a pint of pure foam (This time I actually was trying to get hammered). Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy a foamy head, but a 19 year old sophomore could have poured a better beer (and this place claims to be IRISH).

Judging from my experiences, this pub tries way too hard to cater to undergraduate college students and not hard enough at being truly Irish. An Irish bartender knows how to pour a drink and what to serve it in (ESPECIALLY whiskey). Also, an Irish pub should be a place to hang out during the week, and liven up on the weekend. Flann's wants to be all party all the time which, in my opinion, is a mistake.