Galway Bay is far better than you might expect in a summer resort town, at least in terms of ambiance (Irish pub), and service. Â Seating is comfortable and the noise level is acceptable. Â They have a good selection of beer. Â What more could you want?
Well you could want good food. Â And what you get, for fine dining prices, is blah. Â Dull. Â Not bad but not good enough so that you want to finish your portion. Â And that's saying something for me, because I almost always want to finish my portion.
One standout: fresh baked soda bread.
I could be nice and give Galway Bay four stars, but the setup (ambiance, service, beer, soda bread) really raises your expectations, and then they are dashed. Â Not good. Â Sorry.
Live music. Guiness on tap. Fried oysters. WOW. The place was hopping and we sat at the bar, kick ass service. And then later after many pints of Guiness, we got to hang with the band and our bartender grabbed a guitar and started jammin! FUN was had by all, and I'd go back in a heartbeat.
Review Source:Great Irish menu and large variety of wonderful beer. Hubs ordered the Beef in Guinness - a hearty and oh so tasty stew slow cooked for hours in Guinness stout. He loved the subtle lager flavor. I had the Shepherd's Pie made with chopped steak and lamb with sauteed carrots, green peas, onions, potatoes, garlic and herbs under a savory layer of Colcannon and Guinness gravy. Perfection!! Soda bread, salads and of course Guinness rounded out our dinner. Best place to eat in the area. Excellent, friendly and prompt service. You definitely get your money's worth.
Review Source:The food was good but overpriced. The crab dip, soda bread, and beer was fantastic. The steak was good but not $26 good. The atmosphere was decent, but the beer garden was pretty great. The waitress we had was fantastic! Now, the owner is another story. We were greeted by him and he was very rude. He threw a fit thinking the waitress didn't check our ID's (which she did), he was huffing and puffing walking around the bar rolling his eyes at customers, and when I asked him where the bathroom was he looked at my like I just asked the most ignorant question possible. Considering that it is very hard to find good food in Ocean Shores we will probably be going back but hopefully the owner is in a better mood next time.
Review Source:We were in ocean shores for Memorial day weekend. We stopped here because it had decent ratings. I ordered the fish and chips and my wife ordered the chicken Caesar salad. The fish and chips were delicious. The salad was just ok. It had too much dressing so we had to send it back. The chicken on the salad was very very tasty. The dressing wasn't that big of a deal and really its all personal preference. My wife wanted to go back the next day. The only downside is that it took a while to get our food out and it wasn't very busy. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. We liked it.
Review Source:whoa- this place was super gross. we went here on mother's day when we were driving through ocean shores. about 2 other people were in the restaurant in the bar area and that was it. i ordered the Guinness stew, my husband ordered the corned beef sandwich and my son ordered the mini pizzas from the kid's menu. they brought the soda bread for my stew out first, which was fine as long as it had butter slathered all over it. the food came out shortly after, it actually seemed to come out pretty fast and i was surprised.  i tasted my stew and it was pretty much flavorless. for the first time ever i reached for the salt shaker to see if that could make it taste better.....and it made it worse!! now it was bitter while also being tasteless AND there were hot and spots as if it had been microwaved to heat it. hmmm. my son's "mini pizzas" looked like two hamburger buns with squeeze-tube  pizza sauce and melted cheese. he barely took two bites. it tasted just awful. my husband's said his sandwich was good so i don't know if we just ordered the wrong things or what. i also ordered coffee for myself and my son ordered milk. the coffee was terrible and my son complained that the milk tasted gross. he never complains about milk being weird so it must have actually been pretty bad for him to say something.
Review Source:I spent many a night roaming the streets of Galway including binge jaunts across to the Arrans. Spanish Arch, Salt Hill, the Quay, scarfing down post-clubbing Supermac burgers in Eyre Park @ 4 am, etc.
Who would have thought a rustic and fairly authentic Irish pub like this would exist in Ocean Shores (of all places)? Would it be too far-fetched for one to suggest this place be a reason to venture North at the Aberdeen exit? Indeed it would not.
Beer, great choice of traditional Irish food favorites: rack of lamb, various steaks, seafood, pasties, fish & chips, sausage rolls & bangers, meat & seafood pies, chowders, soups and stews, colcannon, soda bread, salads (perfect pint of Guinness), friendly service AND a reasonably interesting Irish gifts stockist complete with an array of hand-made Arran sweaters.
If you're looking for an escape from the sand-box graveyard, real estate agents market as "houses" in a 'neighborhood' and the (lack of) trees that developers bull-dozed in order to make room for said sand-boxes, Galway Bay pub is a great escape. And escaping to Ireland fits perfectly with the coastal geography and sea air.
It really does.
As an FYI: Corned beef and cabbage is NOT an Irish dish. It's Polish, absorbed into Irish- American culture once immigrants passed through Ellis Island. So don't bitch about an Irish pub not serving it. If you see it on a menu be grateful and STFU.
I have had a recent string of food when out of town that is super top notch; now if I could get my hometown of Seattle to deliver to the same level....but I digress. Here's what we ordered:
Soda bread
Clam chowder
Shepards pie
Seafood puff pastry
White stew
Dressing lager like vinaigrette
American brewing stout
I'll keep it short - the food was so good, I went back to the kitchen and personally thanked them. Not inexpensive, but very worth it. All four at the table were delighted.
A great place to go on a wintery, blustery, coastal day. Â My friend and I warmed up with some good beer and excellent food. Â I loved the live music, too. Â Overall, a really good place and we'll definitely be back.
I also love that there are parts of the dining area that are open to families!
When going to Ocean Shores you can expect to eat some of the worst food found in this solar system. Trust me I'm an astronaut.
I have had the unfortunate pleasure of trying a few of the local establishments and then wishing that I would have just rented a giant Seagull costume and chased people around the McDonalds parking lot attempting to pilfer their fries.
By far the best place I have found to get a decent meal is Galaway. The corned beef sandwich (8.99) I had on one of my trips was moist and flavorful. Lean brisket sliced thin, piled high and topped with Swiss cheese on a bun. It also came with a side of chips and fresh horseradish.
I have only been there twice but both times I have left with a pretty content stomach.
Caffreys, Harp, Kilkenny on tap, The Guinness pie & that cabbage crap, The ideal wannabee Paddy trap, We'll call it an Irish pub.......My favorite thing about this place is the live Irish music played while you sip your Whiskey and stuff your face while clapping on the table.
Great environment, great service, great food, a darn good time!
Soda Bread and the Corned Beef Burger was the ish! Â The Corned Beef was succulent and fell apart before even attempting to take a bite. Â Therefore a bit messy but totally worth it. Â The fries are homemade chips (like potato chips) Â ohhhh my goooooodness. AMAZING! Â This dish is a must try.
It's a little on the spendy side for the area so be warned you will spend at least $50 drinks & grub for two. Â If you are a Whiskey drinker like myself be warned they pour very light. Â Though it was only $6 it still left me a little underwhelmed.
The restaurants links with a novelty shop that has all kinds of fun little quirky do dads. Â The place never seems too busy, its always just right. Â If you are in the shores area on a Friday or Saturday this place is a must.
For what it is and where it's located, it's not bad - though a tad on the pricey side, even for a tourist-trap-zone.
The soda bread was, in fact, awesome.
The Bailey's-soaked steak was, in fact, really weird. Â Irish Teriyaki? Â Would not get again.
The Guinness Stew was unremarkable.
The bread was good. The beer was good. :)
Nice atmosphere.
We are here for the Irish Music Festival and I guess I expected more,
The soda bread was very good but no corned beef and cabbage dinner on the menu? There were many stews and pies to choose from but no corned beef
except in a sandwich. The potatoe soup as gooey and not much potatoe taste.
The oysters were just O.K.
Great pub atmosphere inside (don't judge it by the outside). I so wish Olympia had just one place like this! I would be their Norm (Cheers). I had a really good fish sandwich. I know...not very Irish, but I didn't feel like stew for lunch on a sunny day. The Galway Ale was the perfect accompaniment. This place is owned by the same people who own 8th Street Ale House  in Hoquiam -- another great pub. My parents owned a pub in England when I was a kid, and this felt like home.
Review Source:If your looking for a place to wait to get served, snobs and you want to through away money this is the place for you. Â I don't know any of the locals that go there at all. Â They think there better then we are. Â They call it Irish pride. Â I call it stupid. Â I would " NOT!" Â go to this place ever again.
Review Source:Came in about an hour before closing (which in Ocean Shores everything is shut down around 10pm) and had a wonderful meal. My girlfriend got the Chicken.mushroom pasty with puff pastry and a whiskey cream sauce. Amazing! Shepard's Pie was hearty and delicious. Both were served with irish soda bread which also was addictingly good and colcannon (mashed potatoes and cabbage). All in all, this was a hidden gem amongst many subpar restaurants in the area. I would definately go back.
Review Source:Honestly, ignore the 1 star comments. Just got back and it was AMAZING i had the shepards pie, my mom had the forfar bridie, my dad had half rack of lamb, and my brother the limerick sausage roll
We asked to speak to the chef after eating telling him how perfect everything was, we passed everything around while eating everything was incredible, service was great supern friendly people i cant imagine anyone giving bad service, 1 star raters obviously want to complain about small issues
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
We visited this restaurant on our first trip to Ocean Shores recently. Â It was definitely one of the highlights of the weekend. Â We liked it so much we went twice - once on Saturday night for dinner and then again on Sunday for lunch. Â The food was fabulous and so was the service. Â They had a great selection of beers. Â The atmosphere was laid back and fun and there was great live music on Saturday night. Â We'll definitely go back.
Review Source:We were out to have an evening drink and my friend wanted to check out this place. Â It took a while for the server to come to our table. Â It was one girl working the whole place from what I could tell and my friend and I agreed that she wasn't very friendly. Â
I don't drink beer these days so I asked the server if they had some other options that I liked. Â I asked her if they had Harvey's Bristol Cream (British sherry), which they did not. Â I asked if they had various hard liquor for mixed drinks, to which she replied "we don't have girlie drinks." Â Ok then. Â
I settled for a glass of Langavulin scotch straight up. Â It's my favorite scotch and I know it's always pricey. Â But I probably should have asked the age and exactly how much it was going to cost. Â But it's small town Washington. Â We got the bill - $18 for my small glass of scotch! Â I mean, really, I could see paying that in a city, but not here. Â Their prices were a bit ridiculous for other things as well. Â $20 for Shepherd's Pie!
I probably wouldn't have minded paying that much for the scotch if we didn't get such a crappy attitude from the server who had a smart mouth on her and the atmosphere of the place was a bit better and clean. Â So I'm sharing my experience with you, dear Yelpers, to warn you. Â Good luck if you go here because you're going to need it!
WTH!!! Someone needs to be fired!!! Â I have loved this pub for years, but today my friends were greeted by an upset host that barked at them at the front door. Â These were the nicest people I know, THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN YELLED AT IN THE FRONT DOOR.
It is my hope that this is a random bad employee or someone having a bad day, not a change in the quality of service. Â It will be very upsetting to lose such a favorite destination when we come to Ocean Shores.
Had a really nice lunch here after a walk on the beach nearby.
The corned beef sandwich was very good and the bowl of horseradish made it great.
The homemade chips are really good...can't stop eating them good.
The house red beer was nice too and the bar tender was friendly and polite.
A very good choice for lunch in ocean shores.
We were really excited to go here. We had a small wedding party here, and they sat us in the back room (which was nice). Well, at least I thought it was nice. After they sat us down, it was like they forgot we existed.
Not only did it take forever for someone to take our orders, but then it took forever to get our food, and they brought all of the dishes out at different times. (With big gaps inbetween.) And they mixed up our meals.
All in all, it was just bad. And for what we got, I thought the price was too high.
The food was pretty good. But that's probably the best compliment I can give them.
Great food and atmosphere! Good for families. Slow food service though. Got drinks ordered right away but took about 1/2 hr to get food to table and the place was nearly empty on a drizzly Saturday afternoon. Moderately priced food, over-priiced gift shop.
Drove by the place the next day and the parking lot was flooded from overnight rain.
I'm giving it 2 Stars because I know they can do a lot better, but tonight I was so ticked-off at the service, or lack there of, at Galway Bay, that my family and I actually got up and left. Then again, we had been there for 45 minutes and hadn't even gotten a drink!
My wife & I had gone there a few days earlier and had a light dinner (she had the Beef & Guiness stew, I had a chicken Caesar salad). My wife ordered a 'Shandy' (a British pub drink made from Guiness & hard apple cider but can also be made with cider & 7-Up), and the waitress actually asked which version she wanted (big bonus for knowing both varieties).
Tonight (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) we decided to return to Galway Bay as my wife wanted to try the Bangers and Mash, and I wanted to try the Shepherds Pie (as did my daughter), so we went, arriving about 6:30p. We entered and the place was about 2/3rds full, but we were greeted and seated by the host and as he left our menus he let us know that 'the kitchen is a little slow tonight', so we knew it would be a bit of a wait but since the food we'd had before was so good and the atmosphere of the place is so comfortable we were ok with waiting.
While we were waiting two other parties came in, were seated by the host and in a timely manner (within a few minutes of being seated) were greeted by the waitress (seemingly the only one about) and had their drink orders taken but we sat there talking and looking for another server since we had seen them about  but the one who had stopped at the other tables seemed to be the only one working in that area and she didn't even smile at us when we attempted to make eye contact and get her attention.
25 minutes after arriving a different server finally came over and gave his name saying he'd be our server. We ordered drinks (my wife & daughter had Shandys while I ordered a Harps) and the gentleman walked off. A few minutes later another table was seated while the first table to be seated after us had their entrees served.
I had checked in on Yelp with my phone minutes after we arrived, so I was very aware of the time.. At this point (35 minutes in), I was tweeting about our dinner conversation and the delay, and the second group to arrive after us got their entrees delivered. The third table to be seated after our arrival had their salads delivered about five minutes after that and this is when my wife started to get mad.
Finally, about 20 minutes after initially coming to take our drink orders (which was after we'd been just sitting there for 25 minutes) and a full 45 minutes after we arrived our server came back to our table to ask if my daughter if she wanted a Guiness or 7-Up version of the Shandy (which she had stated with her initial order).
At this point, with car keys in hand, my wife calmly (which surprised me since I could tell she was frustrated) stated to cancel the order as we wouldn't be staying and we left.
25 minutes of waiting with out being acknowledged by wait staff just to have our drink orders taken, then after having the drink order taken and waiting an additional 20 minutes only to have our server return to ask for clarification of one of the drinks is not exactly what we were expecting when we were cautioned that the kitchen was a bit backed up. Â
Waiting for food from a busy kitchen, especially food as good as what they have at Galway Bay, when you've been told in advance things are busy is perfectly acceptable, but waiting 25 minutes just be acknowledged by a server, especially when three other parties were dealt with in a timely manner and then having an additional 20 minute wait just to have our server ask for clarification of our order in NOT acceptable.
While I definitely recommend Galway Bay for their food and atmosphere I will caution against going on a busy night as the service may leave you as disappointed as I and my family were on this particular evening.
So I went on a Friday afternoon. There was two other tables there that had already received food. We ordered and the waited. And waited. Then waited some more. I saw not one but both Chefs take a smoke break/ chit chat with other staff. Seriously waited for 30 min for two SALADS. Also our waiter must have died during this time because we didnt see him while waiting.. Finally it comes and I ask if he had to in fact pick the lettuce. Turns out he didnt. It took so long to cook the chicken.
Really? Right. I gave him yet another stink face.
I cook it has never taken me forever and a day to cook a piece of chicken. There was also a hair in said chicken salad. Miraculously the new one came quickly! Atmosphere can only compensate for so much. The food turned out to be ok. A great place to look at stuff, and to drink perhaps. Nt a great experience for me but probably the best place to eat there.
Last but not least there prices are ridiculously expensive for what it is.
Also in my opinion all of the business suffers from 'quod me nutrit me destruit' that which nurishes me destroys me. They seem to resent the people who come and visit Ocean Shores but that is why Ocean Shores is there...
So, so, so good.
The beer, the pasties, the pot pies, the salads, the soups and the soda bread all rock my world. Thank goodness there is finally a reasonably priced place to eat in Ocean Shores that serves good, healthy food.
It's a relaxed environment and perfect for families with kids, though the live music nights might be a wee loud for small folk.
A couple of weekends ago my friend Jenn and I decided to drive to Ocean  Shores  because we were adventurous kids cleverly disguised as adults.  We spent the day getting sand, seaweed, flotsam and jetsam between our toes.
After several hours on the beach, we were ravenous and were fairly confident Dairy Queen wasn't going to cut it. Â Jenn recommended Galway Bay Irish Pub and Restaurant, which should be named Irish Heaven With Potato Soup.
I assumed the food would be sports bar-like with a lot of green and other schlock used to amuse tourists who wouldn't recognize an Irish Pub from an Applebees, but I couldn't have been more wrong!
The handsome waiter walked toward us with a great smile and personality and he brought Soda Bread. Â It was still hot and OMG when I took a bite, I forgot where I was; only the bread mattered. Â Looking at the menu I saw they had Potato Soup which is my favorite in the world and I thought the Irish would definitely know how to make potato soup and I wasn't disappointed. Â Soda Bread and Potato Soup? Â I believe they serve it in heaven, ha ha
For an entree I had a Limmerick Sausage Roll and that was equally good...that was a 10-pound dinner. Â I wished we had rented a hotel room because the 3-hour drive back to Seattle was long, but our bellies were full
If you want real, great food with prices that are pretty darned good too considering this little pub is in a resort area, go for it. Â Wow!!!!
I mark "loud" for the ambience because they did have live music and the fellow was very engaging and chatty, but it wasn't overbearing...to be honest, I just had potato soup and soda bread an, um, don't remember anything else, lol lol
I love Galway bay! I love the food, the people, the bands, the gift  and souvenir shop, everything about it!
I especially love the soda bread they bring you out when your deciding what to order, its like a cornbread, sourdough mix. (odd to put the two together, I know, but it's so delicious!) Obviously, I'd never had this bread before (:
It's awesome, because the decor around the room keeps you so busy, you hardly notice your even waiting for your food! The gift/souvenir shop is the same way... You can even buy the mix for that yummy bread in there!!
Well represented Irish fare in Washington.
went in here on thursday with my wife and it was completely empty because it was 2 in the afternoon. it was really great because the waitress who was also the manager and barkeep (her and the cook on staff that time of day to save money) took very good care of us!
service is 5.0 stars, friendly, fast, courteous and helpful about local questions because we were from out of town.
We had the corn beef burger and the special Irish white stew.
both tasted great!
The burger was thick slabs of corn beef on a toasted bun and the stew was a white cream whiskey base with chuncks of carrot, potato and beef and other veggies in it.
plus we had soda bread and
irish whiskey bread pudding. both amazing
oh and they have guiness on tap :)
food 5.0 stars.
cost is average
4.0 stars
overall 5.0 stars one of the best irish places in washington and also the only one for many miles.
we will be back next time we can :D
p.s. this was our second time here, the service was even better this time but was still good last time, and the food was still great the first time.
Alright, to be fair it was a Sunday night and the place wasn't exactly rockin'. The poor "band" that was on was a lone soul and he was missing his two other counterparts. He did sing his heart out and appeared to mean it. The band is local and I'm sure they sound really awesome when they're all together!
I've never had sweet bread before and I really enjoyed it, I would eat it again for sure. The Gaelic Steak was really well done and beer was good. Overall it was okay, I think I would have enjoyed myself more if the seats were a little fuller and the music was a little livelier.
+2 for the "amazing service" reviews. Owner greeted us at the door and was incredibly personable.
Went here on a Saturday night with my pre-wife. I got the Gaelic (read: garlic) streak which was literally innundated with fried garlic. Steak was "meh" as far as flavor goes.
Pre-wife got the filet, which was delish.
Soda bread was to die for! They gave us a whole loaf, which we took half of home for snacking.
The real winner here was the beer. The barkeep knew how to pour a mean pint of Guinness. Also got a pint of their Irish ale, which was amazing. Slightly sweet with a bite.
Defintely coming back here.
The Local Irish pub in Ocean Shores.
We finally made our way here, Â And it was a pretty good stay.
We were met by the Owner of the establishment, and got a nice table. Â We ordered the crab dip for starters and I ordered a pint of Southwicks. Â The crab dip with the soda bread was really good as was the southwicks.
Now, the menu warns you that service might be slow, and they were right, it was slow lol. Â The salad was just lettuce and cheese, and way too much water on the lettuce.
I ordered the forfar bridie with a pint of Harps. Â Amy got the Limerick sausage roll with a pint of mangers. Â It was pretty good, not sure it was worth the price. Â Service was a little slow, I had to go hunt down our waiter to get a refill. Â
I think what gave this place 4 stars instead of 3 stars was the really interesting gift shop, and the live music. Â They have live music on the weekends.
Parking can be a challenge, so get here early, Â and be prepared for a long wait.
I really, really, really, (REALLY), hate to downgrade a restaurant in a small town. Â Small towns are tough on any business - and running a restaurant in a small town has to be a particular kind of hell - but I was completely unenthused by my experience with Galway Irish Pub.
We came for breakfast on a recommendation. Â Things started well enough and we were seated promptly in the bar area, which looks to be a fun evening spot. Â The first sign of the coming apocalypse was the iced tea.
Now let me explain, Ocean Shores has very hard water. So we ordered iced tea since you simply cannot drink the water straight. Â Unfortunately, whoever had brewed the iced tea felt the best way to hide the taste of the water was to drown 40 tea bags for a week or so in the pitcher. Â That tea was strong enough to bench press a Volkswagen and twice as bitter. Â It was also a sign.
I ordered corned beef hash, to which I am always drawn if it's on the menu. Â Done right, hash is the perfect breakfast food - meaty, a little fatty, with potatoes and onions in a lovely mash up. Â Even done half-assed, hash can be pretty good, especially if you're nursing a slight headache (ahem). Â When my plate hit the table, the hash was lukewarm and bore a disturbing resemblance to dog food. Â The scrambled egg was ice cold. Â I actually poked my food with a knife to see if it was fake. Â
Anyway, the upshot of the whole mess was that we left half our food on the plates and paid way too much for the privilege. Â I don't know if I would come back - the service was okay but, if I have to poke my food it's just not a good experience.
First off, I always make it a point to stop in for a bite to eat and a good beer.
Secondly, they are very expensive! Â But I still go...
The food has been fairly consistent, but gets out to you slowly. Â I have had the seafood pastry, which for canned seafood is not worth the high price. They have very good clam chowder...and I can't say enough about their Irish soda bread..YUM! My hubby has had the Gaelic steak, which he enjoyed, but not myself later as he wreaked of garlic! Â I would say it is traditional Irish pub food. Â It is not for everyone, but try it out. Â
P.S. If they still have it available try the Leinendugel's Sunset Wheat beer.
Ocean Shores - a city by the ocean with no sea food - boasts a fine Irish Pub for no reason other than that is where it is. Â Excellent breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Â A complete menu, with a nice selection of beers on tap and Irish whiskeys.
Certainly the best restaurant in Ocean Shores. Â Don't go down to surf or fly your kite without stopping by.
Fabulous food, live entertainment and a celtic store right off the dining room to satisfy any retail cravings for Ireland.
The traditional Irish menu has bangers and mash, Shepard's pie and pasties but I tried the Gaelic Steak with loads of garlic and flamed Irish whiskey and was happy with it. Â
Any trip to Ocean Shores deserves a stop by Galway Bay for a pint of Guinness and some Irish ballads.
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