Worst Management Decision Ever! We spent over $170 on taco Tuesday with a party of 10. My Aunt and I had the SPICY TACO. Don't get it, it's DISGUSTING. Way too much spice. A bottle of tobasco would have been more appetizing. But what was more revolting than the taco, was when the manager refused to have the tacos taken off the bill. YOU'RE KIDDING!! $3 BUCKS?!? You'd rather have $3 on a bill than 10 happy customers who'd love to rave about your service. Now you get 10 people who will be sure to spread the word about this awful establishment and the people they put in charge. Way to go Linda.
Review Source:I went today for lunch and was fortunate enough to find a single spot at the bar. I ordered my favorite Guiness onion soup and a salad and was sadly disappointed in the soup that I had raved about in my  previous review. It was watery and the serving was tiny. The broth was far from rich. The serving was probably small due to the fact that I ordered the soup and half salad as a combo. The cheese on the soup was perfectly crispy and brown, but the crouton/bread was soggy and just couldn't hold it's own in the broth. My house salad was average, but crispy and cold.The service by the bartender was great and the ambiance with all the vintage/antique decor was pretty cool. Maybe I should come later in the day so the soup has time to gain some flavor. I'll try again in the evening.
Review Source:the staff is what brings me in here. my girlfriend & I always stop in when she is in town to visit with some of her old friends. They are all great people & awesome servers. Tonight we went in for late night happy hour & it was excellent. Great drinks, food, & atmosphere. I will continue coming back to visit!
Review Source:Yet another entry for the title of most disappointing $40 lunch in San Diego.
I used to come to Hooley's for working lunches with the San Diego NWR Complex Manager back in 2001-02. Â It was good back then -- at least for the Jamul/RSD area.
Of course, we screwed up again and took friends for lunch after a morning of hiking and birding the refuge. Â And again, we looked like dopes for recommending a lackluster, overpriced lunch spot.
Why is it so hard to get reasonable value-for-money when dining out in the greater San Diego Metro area? Â Do all the self-selected a-holes who move to San Diego just have bad taste? Â Or no interest in food? Â Or is it the preponderance of tourists who do most of the dining out here? Â Or what?
If you eat at this dive, you are hard up for a cheap taco. Â This is a dirty restaurant with Slower than slow service. Â The smallest drinks I have ever seen in my life. Â I really think East County needs quality restaurants. Â Sorry, I am not this desperate for a "deal". Â I will drive OUT OF THE NEIGBORHOOD and so should you.
Review Source:Irish places in general are obnoxious to me but Hooley's always does a hell of a job hosting Mods Vs. Rockers and for that I respect it for. The staff was really friendly to the large group of us that came and went throughout the afternoon, plenty of room for us all, and if we did not wish to partake in their hosted food for the event we had full access to their regular menu is so desired. With that said, I was really impressed with the brunch I had.
Review Source:My husband and I went for a quick dinner last night since we had a hankering for a good beer and real Irish fish and chips. The bartender recommended the Smithwick's for me (good tasting red ale) and a local IPA for the husband (he liked it very well). Â As I said, the flavor of my beer was good; however, halfway through, it just dawned on me that it seemed flat. Â I had my husband try it and he agreed. Â We mentioned it to the bartender; he said he would check the tap. Â Lo and behold, it was on its reserves. Â He applauded me for calling it out, but then did nothing to compensate me for a flat beer. Â Was it because the beer I had was almost gone? Â That shouldn't have mattered at all. Â
The next beer I ordered was a Guinesss - this I was psyched about. Â We watched the pouring method - yep, it was a properly poured Guiness and my anticipation grew. Â Only when I went to drink it, I was again disappointed. Â It wa a little weaker than I remember Guiness to be. Â It's a stout, right? Â It should have some depth, right? Â This one tasted like it was watered down and FLAT! Â We tried to let the bartender know but, by this point, we'd already paid our bill so he was no longer paying us any attention. Â Again, the service was a bit of a disappointment.
The food - the other object of our attention. Â As an appetizer, we ordered the Guiness BBQ wings - WHAT THE NOISE?! Â These things were incredible! Â Sweet, spicy, crunchy, so fresh out of the fryer that we almost couldn't pick them up to eat them. Â Awesome! Â We also ordered the fish and chips dinner, which came to us almost two minutes after getting our appetizers (they need to work on timing that a little better!) - Â huge pieces of cod with a beer batter and huge potato fries. Â Initially, I thought any Irishman would be proud. Â However, the outside batter fell off my fish and I had to put them back together in order to eat it. Â Great flavor, just a bit of a hassle because it wasn't battered/fried properly.
Overall, I think we'll try it again - maybe try a different day, different items. Â I'm usually a little more vocal about bad service but this time I had just been through too much in the past 24 hours to say anything. Â I really just wanted a good meal, good beer, and relaxation. Â Maybe on the next go round.
Been to hooley's quite a few times now, always been pretty good, the irish chips are awesome, tacos have been good, all the different kinds that I've tried, the Dublin cheesesteak was ok, thought it lacked originality as it is a Philly. The beer and alcohol selection is really pretty impressive, over a dozen scotch and irish whiskeys, a dozen beers on tap and another 15-20 bottled.
Review Source:No better place to go to on Tuesday nights. Their taco Tuesday serves high quality tacos and not the pieces of tortilla and lettuce that a lot of places do on Taco Tuesday. They have plenty of options, but by far their corn beef tacos are the best with the fish being second.
As for the rest of the menu, also very good. Their fish and chips were not as good as i expected, but aside from that I have not had a meal i wouldn't want to repeat.
Finally, saving the best for last, is their beer. Maybe this is what makes the service seem so good and pleasant every time, but Hooleys has a ton of beers to pick from, all sorts of qualities and all very tasty. Good luck stopping at one.
One of the better pubs I've been to lately.
We went on a whim and boy, was it delicious. Being a fan of a traditional margarita, I wasn't really a fan of theirs (it tasted good, but I would have preferred the classic). I got the BLTA and it was - by far - the best BLT..A.. that I've had. Great service, great food, good drinks. I'm hoping we can visit next time I'm in the area.
Decided to stop in before seeing a movie next door. I'm a fan of all things whiskey and all things spicy, and for a "family" pub Hooleys delivered. If you like spicy, give the suicide habanero wings a shot. They start off with a sweet brown sugar glaze, and they've added something to keep the habanero kick around long after you put your wing down. Not incredible, but much better than I had expected.
I wish I could say the service was incredible, but I did have a couple issues. We sat at the bar initially and it took long enough for the bartender to take our order that we actually got up and walked over to the dining room before he ever spoke to us. Our server was good, but she checked on us more when we didn't need her than when we did. I'm chalking that up to it being late in her shift, but it did effect my opinion.
I'd come back again, but I'm only expecting so much from the experience.
Wow! Hooleys honestly I miss this place. It has some good memories. This review is based on the first time I went there it was about a year ago. But I still remember it was pretty Good and yummy guys.
Their bar Rocks. Its a real cool place to hang out and get a drink in Ranch San Diego. Not as busy like other places i.e. TGIF ect. Their food is amazing I had few of their traditional Irish style dishes and it was all amazing.
I'm only rating the original Rancho SD pub; the La Mesa one just doesn't feel as welcoming or homey to me. Â Hooley's was the first place I found out about a few years back that had a late night happy hour, in additon to the normal happy hour! Â
Eddie, who works most non-wknd nights, is the best. Makes a great Shandy and is always personable. When I discovered this place I kept going to Hooley's because of Eddie. He truly seems to know everyone AND what they normally want to drink.
Its a gorgeous pub and grill with the most AMAZING corned beef tacos! Â The other food rocks (granted, there have been things I've liked and disliked but overall I'm happy!) and it's the perfect place to hang out and have a drink in a nice but not over-crowded place during a weeknight. Nice tap selection and outdoor area. I've learned to never depend on getting a hostess/waitress since there have been times I've couldn't get one, but I have no problem going straight to the bar.
Its a great family place too. My kids love going there after we see a movie next door - my son loves the mac and cheese. Â Its a wonderful and unique atmosphere bringing genuine Irish fun to RSD. Â
Food A+. Atmosphere A+. Eddie A+++++
Hooleys is my spot. Whether it is a celebration, or utter desperation, a quick cocktail, or one that is going to break my heart, Im always up for hooleys. Late weeknights, its dark, quiet and empty, and i LOVE it. I love downtown dive bars, and i love swanky la jolla. but im RSD deep down, and hooleys is my mascot. Like Cheers, I have always imagined that hooleys would be the one bar where Id want them to know my name.
LOVE. LOVE.
I like this place. However our waitress felt as if we no longer required service sometime in the middle of dinner. She was literally on the other side of our booth discussing some private business right in the front of the restaurant. Another waiter saw us sitting there waiting for service and finished helping us. *i'd like to add that we are always pleasant and well mannered and not difficult with our orders. It was also just my husband and I so no screaming kids. No reason to not want to help us.*
I like this place so her lame service wont deter me from going back.
I say 1 1/2 *"s. One star for the service and 1/2 a star for the mash potatoes.
Went for a late lunch around 2:00pm. Service was great. Orginally wanted the corn beef tacos whch I have had at the Grossmont location but then I thought, I really want MORE cornbeef so I asked the waitress which menu item has the most corn beef? She told me corn beef and cabbage so I ordered that.
The portion size for a lunch menu was good. The mash potatoes were VERY good but the corn beef looked processed. It was kind of rubbery and had NO FLAVOR! The cabbage was over cooked and bland as well. I really should have sent it back and gotten something else, but I had excercised hard that day and delayed lunch so I just wanted to eat  and not wait. I used mustard to put some flavor on the meat and cabbage.
The waitress also brought a side of "white wine sauce" that is "suppose" to go on top of the meal but she puts it on the side because some patrons do not care for it. I tasted it and thought "no way"..it would have made the lunch even WORSE than what it was. Smart thinking and for that she gets a STAR! I have never heard of corn beef and cabbage with a white sauce ever!
Have to say this is the worse meal I have had in a LONG time. Mc Donalds would have been better!
This place used to be really good, but has gone downhill. They used to offer a "Cheddar Beer Burger" that was marinated in Guinness. It was the most AMAZING burger I have ever had in my life. But when they changed the menu a couple years ago, it was discontinued (- 2stars).
Also, the service at this location is sub-par, it takes forever for the servers to come to your table and they rarely check on you (- 1 star). The service at the La Mesa location is much better.
Bring back the Cheddar Beer Burger!
5 Dollar Burger Monday!
The burger was very good as well. I ordered it medium because I like my burgers to stay juicy and not dry like a hockey puck. The only down fall with the $5 burger Monday is that it does not come with a side of fries, but I went during happy hour so I ordered the Irish Potato Skins that where two bucks off. They were very good as well and had little crisp bits of bacon them! Good deal and good eats at Hooley's, "burp," excuse me. The place is kinda dark but I could still see my food. The service was very good at first but when it got close to Monday Night Football it started to get busy so the waitress Sarah got busy, and I lost her in the dark a few times, but I told her not to worry about because I was  not in a hurry to pay my bill nor go home. Another satisfying meal. I included some pics.
There are two reasons for me to write this review:
1. Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day
2. It's my Elite Yelp obligation since I haven't written since January.
I like Hooley's, however with that said, every time I have ordered food it has taken much too long. The last time I went I made sure to tell the waitress that I would be down at Target shopping and would be back in 20. Swear!
Hooley's puts on a great St. Patricks Day event with a live band, food, drinks and more. Last year they had a bus driving from both Rancho San Diego and Grossmont Hooley's with the ride in the bus being a fun time.
Hooley's menu has a variety of food. I tend to always go for the corned beef or the fish & chip, both being a good choice. Prices are reasonable, as are the drinks. Also, Hooley's is located in a shopping center so you can't go wrong with parking
Anyway, check it out! I don't know what you all are doing tomorrow night but if you have no plans you should visit with all your green attire. Just be careful! Some of those Irish are hot tempered and after a few drinks they tend to get a little handsy. just saying!
We went by here a few weeks ago to have lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Â I have seen Hooleys for years, but never actually stopped in. Â I was very pleasantly surprised with the food an service.
I had the BBQ Beef sandwich and it was flippin' delicious. Â My friends ordered the fish and chips and I couldn't help but notice that the food was sizzling hot when it came to the table. They have a wide variety of beers on taps and the waitresses were all very friendly. Â We don't live very close to this location, but next time we are in the neighborhood this is definitely a meal option.
I've come here a couple dozen times since they first opened and every time I have experience good, friendly service & good food. My favorites are the shepards pie, corned beef on rye & the fish (the chips not so much).
Nice rustic pub feel & decor, the food has been consistenly good everytime I have visited.
Great ambience. Awesome service. This place is as down to earth as it gets.
I always come with a party of 20 or so and they're pretty cool about letting us dine in (and take over) the patio. They never try to divide us into separate tables and always have 5 or 6 tables connected by the time we arrive. We've never had a problem with the servers even when they're dealing with such a large crowd.
The beer-battered zucchini and jalapenos (filled with bacon, onion, and cheddar) are fantastic. It's basically cardiovascular disease on a platter but it's totally worth it. They also offer reasonably priced steaks, salads, sandwiches, tacos, boxtys, and various authentic Irish dishes.
This by far my favorite pub in San Diego County. It feels more like an authentic place than many of the American pubs that just carry an Irish name. The bangers and shepard's pie taste like the real deal and they've got good fish tacos too.
I've used this as a location for birthday parties and most recently a film audition. Staff was very helpful and nice.
Great bar, great place.
You know my rules- do it at least twice before telling your freinds (unless it was too good or bad to wait!).
I've been to the Rancho Hooley's many times and need to put my stamp of approval on this location.
As my boy Sean O pointed out, the fish tacos rock! The burgers are big and delicious. Drinks are poured with a heavy hand and they have a decent beer selection.
Service is 4 star- quick and attentive, but I don't remeber my server's name from the last trip so my doors were'nt blown.
To me, the two best things goin' on with Hooley's (besides food and drinks) is the location; right next to Edward's Theater- great for quick dinner and movie- and REAL darts!! Not the soft tip type, but real steel with a bristle board. Very hip Irish vibe as well.
Take Baby out for a weeknight bite  at Hooley's and a movie- you'll get lucky... I've never known it to fail!!
I like the food here and when Hooley's is on top of their game the food is great. Â I think their performance suffers when the place is busy though. Â The food takes time even when the place is slow, when busy entrees will come out kind of cold. I am not sure if it is a kitchen timing issue or if they need a food runner. Â I prefer to come here during off hours like 2pm to 4pm. Â
One of their best items are the fish tacos.  Either grilled or fried they are delicious.  The buffalo wings are pretty good.  They are fried crispy, the inside is cooked and moist but never raw or veiny, and the cayenne sauce is spicy and flavorful.  The ranch dressing does not taste like a plastic bottle or the fridge.  Just little things that countless other places can't get right.  I had a blackened mahi mahi or halibut dinner here a while back and everything was perfect.  The corned beef tacos are pretty good too.  In short it is a great pub to hang with friends for some non critical drinking and eating when you are not in a  hurry. Or a great place to eat a late lunch or early dinner.
Dear Hooley's.... if you're going to allow people to seat themselves in your bar, be prepared to have a server or bartender acknowledge those people's presence.
And Hooley's, when those people go ask the hostess if they need to ask for a server, and the hostess says no, she'll be over in a bit, make sure that your hostess isn't misleading your patrons.
After your guests wait for another 5 minutes as to the promise of service, and you see nice cold, delicious beers flowing freely into the gullets of other happy, smiling, patrons, it's certain they're bound to get jealous. So please don't be upset when they go ask the hostess for the second time if they're doing the right thing by waiting.
Well at least you've got a fine girl with nice spirit there who took the initiative to help us out, leaping out from behind the hostess podium and taking our orders, and bringing our delicious pints immediately, unlike the ethereal server that we never saw.
Your corned beef tacos were a bit alarming to hear about, but upon tasting them were simply scrumptious! And your fish tacos, although you're an irish pub, were crazy good as well. I had faith in you, fish n chips, fish tacos, I knew where you going with that.
So thank you for the lovely happy hour taco eats, and the ice cold frothy pints of delicious Irish ales and stouts. Â Maybe one of your employee's was just having an off day. Perhaps she just got back the results from her LSAT's and she was popping bottles of champagne in the back, and was too busy celebrating to concern herself with a trio of happy hour beer and taco seekers.
We first were seated in the corner...it literally smelled like pee.
we moved a moment later.
Got a table far a way from that.
Our waitress was nice, her name escapes me atm. Our drinks were filled and she was always near but not bugging us.
Place was kinda busy, but not crowded.
if only their food was better I would love this bar.
This Hooley's takes the cake!
Maybe I have lots of fond memories attached, like taking my hubby here the first night we met and downing shots while playing darts... ahhhhh... yes, the memories!
Also the memories of the food every time I have eaten here. DAYUM. Burgers, fries, fish n chips, clam chowder, tater skins, all delicious and served piping hot by enthusiastic and friendly wait staff. Thats my kinda meal.
One of the few places you can get a Boddington, play REAL darts (no plastic pansy darts here!) and cozy up to your besties. I love how it is always dim and warm too... though that could definitely be attributed to the boozin and groovy patio tunes! This place is always a favorite!
I love this place.
Good food, good drinks, warm atmosphere.
Kera is the best bartender, but they all do a great job.
Awesome place to people watch on the weekend. On Friday night the cover band did a great job, the two silicone/plastic surgery queens were funny to watch and even Captain Jack Sparrow was roaming around posing for pictures.
In the area, there is not as comfortable and entertaining spot to get good food and beverage.
I was starving and was ready to get my grub on for lunch with my man friend. Â Before we left the house, we were trying to figure out where to eat. Â After bouncing around a few ideas, he suggested Hooleys in Rancho San Diego since he said they have really good corned beef tacos. Â That didn't sound right to me, corned beef tacos?? Â Jigga wha?? Â I told him that I was open to the idea of trying it so I can Yelp it...lol!
We get there and sit at the bar (dining area was a ghost town since everyone that was there intended to watch a football game on the bar side). Â We were greeted quickly by the bartender and introduced himself to us. Â Paul was super nice and fresh from Ireland. Â We only know this because when my man friend asked him which sandwich on the menu he would recommend, he told him he hasn't tried any of them yet since he just moved here from Ireland a few weeks ago...lol!
I already knew what I wanted, the two corned beef taco combo that came with either Irish chips (a.k.a. steak fries) or black beans.   He got three of  the $2 taco special.  Our food came out fairly quick, but still had time to enjoy our beer.  After the first bite into my corned beef taco, I immediately became a fan, it was so freaking good!  I was savoring every bite, it was that yummy!  If you're in Rancho San Diego and want to give it a try, go for it...it's the boooommmmmb! =)
Ok so Hooley's is not typically my first choice, I usually hit up friday's or Tabu for drinks if i'm going to be staying in el cajon. Â But last night after a day filled with drinking, I came with the too drunk to function crowd because they were raving about the taco's. Â I had been eating all day too, and drank a lot of beer, so I wasn't sure If there would be room in my already overstuffed belly.
I wanted to order just a chicken taco, (all the taco's are 2$ each so great deal) but the bartender insisted that I order a corned beef taco as well.
Man alive it was fantastic! The corned beef was nice and salty and very hearty strips with cabbage and ranch dressing and cojita cheese.
I was lovin every minute of it. Â Â Hooley's is a great atmosphere as well. Â I think its really cozy. Â The bartender hooks it up. Â My one complaint would be that I hate running into people I know-especially adults. There are lots of adults there which kinda bugs but i guess is cute when they start to dance...
It's in Rancho San Diego and when you stack up your options of a good night out there you're looking into a lot of drinking at restaurants. I don't think there's a bar for miles.. Either in El Cajon or Casa De Oro at the earliest. Hooley's is your typical Irish Pub Restaurant. Nothing super special and nothing you haven't seen before. That said, it's not too bad  when it comes to the food or drinks. Of course they have Guinness, of course they have a St. Patrick's Day digital countdown clock, of course they have shamrocks all over the place. It's IRISH.
This place serves as a decent place to have a few drinks while killing time before a movie at Edward's Cinemas next door. I imagine it's a pretty fun time during Hooley Fest as well though alas, I have never attended.
Good food, but not british.
The banger was NOT british, maybe italian? It was overloaded with garlic and pepper, and DRY. Â There was no branson pickle, nor had they heard of branson pickle and there were no peas.
When the guinness came cold, it was literally COLD. Â Bah. Cold guinness is bitter.
The atmosphere is amusing, the decor is great. Â The presentation on the food is spectacular, but ... it's not a pub. Especially with all the advertisements they had up for tacos and blue agave (wth? blue agave at a pub styled place???)
This is a fun place to grab a beer and get rowdy in a part of town that is kind of slim on those types of places. I imagine Irish Pubs can't Not be a good time sort of like how Irish people, with their drinking songs and funny accents, can't Not be the life of every party they're at.
Saturdays are a good night to come here if you enjoy either performing or pointing-and-laughing at people performing karaoke.
AV
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,971 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,316 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,913 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,986 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
