Irish cars bombs!!! Are you guys fucking kidding? Would all pseudo irish bars please stop using this ridiculous term and maybe look up the people who died at the hands of irish car bombs which the IRA used in Northern Ireland and the UK mainland.
Food was good. The wait staff, Curtis actually, was seriously awful! He asked us 18 minutes before the dinner menu ended if we wanted food, we did, but he walked away. Then 5 minutes before the end of the dinner menu, the 2nd waitress I hailed down was kind enough to take our orders. Wish I took her name.
When it was time to settle up the bill he couldn't figure out who had what on their bill and automatically charged 18% percent gratuity on a 2 person bill. This place should be avoided if you like your money and don't want to pay for stuff that is not deserved.
Awful practices and the management needs to be looked at if this is the way the establishment instructs their subordinates.
There are dozens of places to eat in The Woodlands, but we always return to the Goose because of the food, the staff, and the atmosphere.
During the week you can't beat the daily specials. Â How about this - on Wednesday's they have "Half Price Burger" day (so their $10 is $5), and "Bring your Own Mug" which they will fill for $4 (domestic) or $5 (Imported/Craft Beers). Â The burger includes a big pile of wedge fries (or apple slaw). Â So we bring a couple of big mugs (which they always fill up with ice cold beer), and for the two of us, the bill comes out to under $20! The other daily specials are equally great deals. Â
When we eat at the Goose and order from the menu, my wife really likes the Grilled Ahi Tuna Steak and I go for the Grilled St. Louis BBQ Ribs (full rack). Â The dinner salads are large, so we usually don't order an appetizer. Â When we do, it is the Calamari, which they know how to deep fry without making it feel/taste like rubber bands. Â
We also like that the bathrooms are clean, we usually have an option to eat outdoors, and they validate parking at the Marriott (up to 2 hours). Â Our perfect night out is to eat dinner at the Goose then stroll along the waterway and watch the kids play in the sprinklers.
I stopped by for the first time after work for a few happy hour drinks. I was really disappointed - the place seems really run down. We sat outside on the patio and ordered a beer. The waitress couldn't tell us what was on draft. When she brought the menu, most of the items were "whited out" which was sad and somewhat funny at the same time. The selection was very limited. Of the 5 TVs outside, only one was working and on. Three were off (likely broken) and one was on, but just showing a blank screen with a line down it. Very strange.
Also, it's highly likely it just happened to be the day we stopped by, but it seemed like every person sitting outside was a smoker. In most cases that wouldn't bother me, but we ended up moving inside the smoke was so thick. Inside we ordered the chips and dip, which were comprised of stale tortilla chips, cheese dip that was separating and mediocre salsa and guacamole. To no surprise, we left after the first beer and went somewhere else. The service was OK. On our way out, we heard two of the waitresses joking about ignoring their tables.
Overall, this place looks really neglected. I wouldn't go back.
I had a pizza and a house salad, both of which were tasty, but the service was weirdly terrible. Â When we first walked in, the hostess stared at us confused for a minute before another hostess arrived and asked us where we wanted to sit. Â We sat right next to the entrance, so we watched the first hostess make normal conversation with almost everyone else that came in. Â In a similar fashion, our waitress was completely unpersonable and didn't say anything to us except to get our order, and she didn't check on us at all. Â At the table next door, she was passing out gummy bears to children, smiling and laughing. Â
I know we don't talk like you, but c'mon Texas, why you gotta hate?
Quite often a group of friends and myself find ourselves needing some grub at 9:30 at night. Right around the time everything in the 2920 area is shutting down.
Will we ever learn?
Beer selection won over food this go-round, and Baker Street was suggested.
Good beer, nice booths to sit at and enjoy the decent bar food, and GIFT CERTIFICATES won in a game our last visit. Too bad there was no where to sit.
Onward to Goose's!
Second time coming here, and the first ended up being a one-drink-wonder.
Now I know, to sit down and order food is to experience terrible service.
No drink menus were passed around, and so we attempted to gather the selection choices from our server. She was no help, only able to confirm if a certain beer was served after it was questioned, but the menus were "so out of date they would not be any help."
We were then told not to order our beers from downstairs because the downstairs bartender was taking a long time to dish out drinks this particular night. The upstairs bar doesn't offer as many beers on tap, though, so once again I ordered bloody mary.
Another tomato juice nightmare.
Water glasses went empty several times and the waitress would only fill one at a time instead of picking up both of my friends' glasses together.
My favorite part of the night was when asked advice about the second round of drinks the waitress said, "why don't I get you a drink menu to look at?"
Make up your mind, gurl, and bring us any sort of menu: updated or not.
My husband and I love coming here! The Sunday champagne brunch is oh-so-yummy and the price is great too for all that food. It's the perfect atmosphere when the weather is nice and you can sit on the patio. We've always had good service and the food is always wonderful. They have a great selection of drinks too! I'd recommend this place to anybody.
Review Source:My favorite part about Goose's Acre Bistro and Pub is the decor. It's a cleaner version of a real Irish Pub in Ireland. Â The ceilings have great decor and there's fun pieces on the walls with plenty of Celtic decor. So, why am I writing about the decor so much? Because the food left something to be desired. . . interest.
We were there for the Sunday Brunch Buffet and most people really enjoyed the 50cent mimosas...I can't do mimosas before/during breakfast. I need coffee. Lots of it. So, the buffet, was quite cheesy and porky (and I have a terrible pork allergy and am lactose intolerant). So, I really felt as if I couldn't take advantage of the buffet and most of it just looked like something I could pick up at a corner convenient store.
So why two stars?
1 for decor  & live music and 1 for split checks on large parties.
Great service. Love the atmosphere. Reminds me of a pub in the UK. Â Love that they have a dj and dancing later in the evening on weekends. Â $3 irish car bombs if you're into that. Â I got the whiskey flights four .5 oz shots of various whiskeys and scotches for $15 and $30 total depending on which flight you choose. Â Nice place to visit on the Waterway.
Review Source:i came here for lunch and it was just meh. Â i guess the best thing about this place was that it was located like 27 large steps from my office building.
there's two stories. Â i first walked in and thought that this place was really small... but then i realized that there's a staircase that leads to the bottom part. Â they also have a patio outside, but i have no idea why anyone in their right minds would eat outside in the Texas heat. Â (they do have misters, but come on... they are not doing that much to help with the humidity and heat.)
i got the Pesto Chicken Alfredo, and it was decent. Â it was a bit too oily. Â the garlic bread did add a nice touch to the dish though...
our server was nice and friendly.
Nice "Irish" joint. Â I don't think the Irish is more than a cosmetic and a touchpoint for the menu selection. Â But with a patio (and soon an upper deck) on the waterway, and a huge downstairs bar/restaurant with a smaller street level version as well, you can be intimate, boisterous, contemplative, social, alone, whatever. Â Kind of nice to have the variety of atmosphere in regards to your surroundings.
If you're a booze over beer person, the prices are solid in the "friendly" side of things. Â They don't over pour the drinks, but they won't leave you going "where is it" either. Â If you want over poured, go to Papa's Ice House or Baker Street. Â For the beer lover, a decent selection with a few beer snob flavors thrown in. Â Served cool, not frozen, and poured right. Â I didn't watch the Guinness being made, so I can't speak to their authenticity in that department.
The times I've been there, it's been a "happy hour on the patio" thing (smokers) (side note, you can smoke in the upstairs bar inside after 10 pm). Â Only one time did we order food. Â I ordered Shepherd's Pie and my friends got the Irish Nachos (???). Â
The Shep Pie was tasty.  Good potato flavor, cubes of meat in the pie (not ground beef), and a nice balanced, rich flavor.  A TAD salty, but that is a definite call on my tastes, I prefer less salt than most folks do (there are other seasonings).  The "Irish Nachos" are everything you would have on a regular nacho but on a REALLY THICK cut of potato instead.  I'm talking 1/2" plus in thickness.  I'm sorry, but you don't order nachos for the chip or pizza for the bread, it's about the toppings.  And when  your support system overwhelms your message...it was too filling to be an appetizer and just SO MUCH POTATO!!!
The staff is nice. Â Friendly when you engage them, otherwise they are kind of "at work" meaning they talk a lot to their co-workers, congregate, and "look busy". Â That said, I have enjoyed the various folks who have served me and a couple of them weren't feigning enthusiasm (I'm older than most of them, so one of them was floored that I was talking about a current rock band...which was funny and kind of an "are you kidding me? Â am I that guy finally?" moment).
Price wise, I'm a fan for the drinks (cheaper than Bar Louie, not as cheap as Papa's Ice House).
For meeting friends, perfect. Â Date night, no. Â Family...well, it's really loud and...no...keep your kids out of my bar.
A nice pseudo Irish pub. Â There is a story about how this place has made and shipped over from Ireland in pieces. Â Then assembled here. Â I know of several places in Houston and elsewhere that have the same story. Â Which is cute if nothing more than a novelty. Â Two bar areas, one upstairs and one downstairs. Â The patio area on the waterway is great.
The food is decent pub grub. Â Some fish and chips, and the obligatory bangers and mash for the "Irish" staples. Â Other typical pub grub offerings as well. Â Nothing great, but nothing bad either.
Overall, just a decent place for a beer and a meal if in the Woodlands. Â Nothing more.
We went to try this place while in the Woodlands. Â After sitting down and not being noticed for quite some time we started checking out the menu. Â Nothing really seemed appealing, and it appeared to barely be proper pub food. Â We ended up leaving and going somewhere else, and had a better meal.
My 2 pennies
The Goose is good!! Â We love the patio, but sitting on the patio has one constant, you will wait for service. Â The service is always bad on the patio, we know it going in. Â I order the fish and chips every time as they range from really good to great; they sometimes undercook them a bit. Â It is a good location to hang out with friends or family.
Review Source:After catching a late morning movie my boyfriend wanted a beer so we strolled down the street to this spot. Â When we arrived around 1 pm, we were able to sit at the downstairs bar by ourselves. Â The majority of the patrons were occupying the upstairs bar (which is the shorter bar) and the outside patio. Â Note: Â The outside patio seating has large umbrellas for shade but at that time of the day, the sunlight is very direct. Â If you would like a complimentary tan with your food/drink order then dining on the patio at this time of the day would be perfect for you.
Our bartender was very friendly and informative. Â She even let me sample several light colored beers for free. Â There is a nice assortment of beers with their description on the menu which comes in handy because I am not very knowledgeable about beer at all. Â My boyfriend is the beer enthusiast. We had 2 beers they were $5 each. Â We shared the Goose's Acre sampler for $15.95 as we were still full from stuffing ourselves silly with popcorn from the movie theater just a few hours earlier.
We had good drinks, good appetizers and good service. Â I will return again and try my luck with the happy hour.
I have had lunch and dinner here with my family a few times. The food has always been good (for pub food) and the service has been great. They have a really nice patio on the waterway which makes for a great spot to have a few beers and hang out.
I have never been here for "the night life" but it seems pretty popular.
I love the patio sitting outside right next to the waterway; it is really relaxing. The happy hour is great. For 2 vodka drinks and an ice tea was only $5. WOW. come on now... That is how much one drink is in the city. The place gets packed pretty quick during a game and the happy hour specials.
The company is the same as Brian O Neils which is in Rice Village (so I was told by the waiter). I believed it because the food looked the same. The people that come here are more family oriented where as the one in the city is more of a younger crowed.
When I have friends come to the north side of town I like to come here for a casual night out for a few drinks.
Words cannot even begin to encompass the awful experience I had at Goose's Acre today. I ate here in May 2010 and had such a pleasant experience, that my best friend and I made a special trip here while on vacation. Boy, was that a big mistake. We should have spent more time enjoying the food in Houston proper than attempting to see and be seen in The Woodlands for lunch on a Monday.
Where to begin. The service was painfully slow. Our side salads came out 30 minutes after we ordered, and after we were told that they were out of the wedge salad. They must have found more wedges though because we watched them go to other tables the rest of our meal.
Twice during our meal, we had to catch the falling umbrella at our patio table to keep it from obliterating every dish on the table (as the umbrella two tables down did). Might I recommend investing in some sandbags? I hear they are cheap.
Finally, after the meal was over, we waited another 30 minutes for the tab. We honestly thought something had happened to our server. When she finally came out of the woodwork, I handed her my credit card. She returned with no card, and no receipt- just the tab. Since we were about to begin the trip home from vacation and didn't want to sit around for another 30 minutes waiting for the card to surface, we went inside and asked for a manager. He came back with the card and receipts and said nothing.
Attention The Woodlands: I'm not impressed by your Porsches or fancy restaurants and the attitude needs to go. I'm from Plano, snobby can be done much better than this.
The food was mediocre. Definitely overpriced and not worth the hassle.
First off, the NY steak was cooked exactly as ordered, med-rare. Â The local pale ale was excellent. Â The onion rings were the best I've had in a long time. The staff was very nice.
The bad: Â There is apparently NO salt in the kitchen. In addition to salt, The steak was missing the espresso and spice rub it had last year (and is promised in the menu). Â They are also reducing food cost at the expense of quality by buying cheap beef. It had silverskin and veins running through it, so there was a lot of waste. Basically not butchered properly. Â Also, the tables weren't clean.
(This was upstairs)
I didn't eat here. I just came for drinks and sat outside along the water. Service was great, and they had a nice selection of beers for decent prices.
I saw some of the food, and it all smelled really good. I think this place scores for me mostly for ambiance. It feels like a great Irish-American pub, and a cool place to hang out along the canal.
The setting couldn't be better: on the "river", a rebuilt Irish pub, unique murals, even an elevator.
Food is great, having lived in UK i can say it tastes the same!
Have to try the coleslaw w/ apples, fish and chips, and crabcakes. Great selection of draft beer.
Finish with an Irish coffee.
But don't try to catch the band. I've been there several times, arrived at 9:00 (band already setting up), ate late, had dessert, coffee, and by 11:00 pm the music had not started yet. I left disappointed because that was the main feature i was looking forward to... if music would start promptly at, say 9:00, like Sambuca in Houston, it would be 6 stars
They're pizzas here are great! Â And rather nice sized too for something more personal'ish.
I had dinner here with a couple friends though, and they thought they'd try to share since they're cheap bastards. Â (plus they eat lot) Â They quickly devoured their pizza and looked at me with jealousy.
I've also had good nights of drinking here too, prices aren't too bad, unless you're my dumbass friend that thinks it's a great idea to buy rounds of Irish Car Bombs for the table.
A good place, highly recommended!
EDIT UPDATE:
This place just doesn't sway me too much I guess. Â Yes the stuff is tasty and all, but the accessibility and price isn't great. Â I'd come again without hesitation, but I'm not going to seek it out on my own.
The Goose's Acre was the first step towards any kind of nightlife in The Woodlands. As many who live here already know, the town is geared towards young families and empty-nesters. So anything that caters to those young folk is always welcome.
Now, getting there can be tricky. Parking is like an Easter Egg hunt in the rain; you want to get the eggs, but would rather not have to muck around to get them. Or, you could stay indoors and eat your hollow (less chocolate) chocolate bunny, but I digress.
If you do manage to get that coveted spot and make it inside, be sure to check out the cool decorations and architecture. They literally took apart a pub in Ireland and reassembled it here. Read about it on the menu.
Seating is something to consider, too. Upstairs is smaller, but will offer you a quieter place to dine and converse with chums. Downstairs is larger, but is usually deafening and more boisterous. A good compromise is the downstairs patio if you can survive the mosquitoes and buzzing waitstaff.
Their selection of beer is pretty fair considering the town it is in, and I do like some of their mixed beer drinks. However, they are a little pricey for my taste (college guy), but what isn't in this town! I haven't had any of their mixed drinks (college guy) so I can't speak for those.
I would say that my experience with their food has been pretty good, and I have no real complaints to report. I do feel bad for their waitstaff since they always seem out of breath and in desperate need of a break. Hire some more people, already!
This is a neat place to go with a group of friends to have a bite and a pint with. Pretty casual unless you come after dark; then it is dine at your own risk.
The Woodlands seems so...Stepford-ish. Music chiming out as the water fountains spray, buildings cleanly constructed, nary a piece of trash in sight. The area along the canal/river is nice. After wandering about for a bit, some friends and I decided to drop in at Goose's Acre for a snack.
We sat on the patio, a nice space over looking the water. We ordered some beers and an appetizer: chips with three dips -- queso, salsa and guac. They've got a few good beers on tap. We didn't try anything from the main menu, though. Maybe one of these days if I ever venture back, I'll give them a shot for dinner.
Parking for this place - or anywhere on The Woodlands Waterway, for that matter - is such a nightmare at night it'd be enough to make Aleister Crowley himself vacate his bowels. If you're willing to suffer the ordeal of trying to find a parking space, though, Goose's Acre is mostly worth it.
As the other reviewers have stated, the patio and upstairs are the best places to find a seat. Downstairs, especially in the evenings or when live music is featured, it's near impossible to hear anyone next to you. This is really only a concern around dinnertime, however. I've been here at all times of the day and generally noticed that if the sun's out, you're good to sit anywhere and be able to carry on a conversation. I've never had any real issue with the waitstaff's level of politeness - everyone I've encountered has always been friendly - but there are times when they can be a bit slow, even when business isn't exactly bustling.
The budget-conscious would likely not do well to come here for a meal. While the food is excellent, most especially the potato leek soup, prices for entrees can be on the steep side for those watching their wallets. It's a better place to go for a couple of pints rather than a meal, and Guinness on tap will set you back roughly $5.50. This may seem steep, but most bars I've been to charge that for a bottle of the stuff - and there is a huge difference between that and the wonderful frothy nectar fresh from the keg. Even if you don't like Guinness, they still feature an extensive beer, liquor, and mixed drink menu with something to please almost any palate.
I went to school in Ireland for a summer, and this is the closest I've come to replicating the pub experience back home in America. There are some cultural differences that prevent it from being exact, obviously, but from an atmospheric perspective it still projects the same comfortable, boisterous, and extremely laid-back aura as its Celtic cousins.
Some advice: DO NOT sit downstairs, no matter how tempting it is.
The pub and patio downstairs seems to operate as a completely separate place. They don't honor the same deals, the service is slow, I have been double charged, completely ignored, and more.
This is very unfortunate since the patio is a nice location on the waterway and the pub is a great open space for relaxing or throwing parties.
Again, don't let this scare you from going here. As long as we stay upstairs have always had a great experience.
Keep this in mind and read my first review if you are going to visit for the first time.
Excellent food and atmosphere. Â The food is centered around some excellent rotisserie chicken (chicken pie, snadwiches, salads). Â Guiness on tap. Â The interior is an actual Irish pub disassembled in Ireland and brought to The Woodlands.
On not-really-like-Houston days, you can sit on the riverwalk.
Goosies as I call it is my favorite place in TW to hang out with friends. Â They have pretty good, reasonably priced food and an awesome atmosphere. Â
The salads are excellent and their pizza is hands down the best in The Woodlands area. Â
We always are waited on by Terry, who starts us off immediately with some Franciskanner beers and then knows exactly what to ask us if we want. Â He is the best, always ask for him.
Goosies has a wonderful patio for sitting on the waterway, it is the best spot to hang out with some friends. Â
If you haven't been, you should definitely give it a try. Â Its a lot of fun.
Terrific spot right on the Woodlands Waterway. Â The Goose's Acre is an Irish pub, with better-than-average food in a fun setting.
When the weather is accommodating, the back patio is a great place to relax; it's right on the waterway. Â Inside downstairs is the pub proper, a more boisterous setting to hang out with the lads. Â Upstairs is a quieter restaurant setting, great when you bring the family in for a snack.
Best bets are the excellent salads, the pub favorites (fish and chips, sirloin shepherd's pie, mac and cheese) and the cracker crust pizzas.
No lunch menu (one of my pet peeves) and the food prices are slightly high, but that's to be expected for spots in the Woodlands proper, especially those with such a lovely location.
First Pub I went to in Texas (friends took me here). Â I loved it! Â Food is great and atmosphere is chill. Â Place kind of cleared out early, midnight or so, but it's great if you are in the mood to drink and chat with friends. Â Pretty upscale for a pub but prices are reasonable. Â My boyfriend LOVED the ribs.
No bueno that Goose's is in The Woodlands (and I live in Kingwood) but I would seriously drive the 30 min to go.... just make sure to have a DD!
Hooray!
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