I love this place. Â The atmosphere, the Smitty's, the Irish breakfast, and the fish and chips (which are fresh!) are all exactly as they should be -- tasty, pub fare. Â
Their salads are good too -- healthful and fresh.
The staff is excellent, btw. Â The bartenders do their job the way they should -- friendly but strictly professional, and the wait staff is attentive, helpful, and friendly w/o being obsequious. Â
This is a neighborhood icon and for good reason.
And hello -- Smitty's!!
I love this place. Â Its jukebox is fun too. Â
It's the kind of pub w/regulars too. Â Homey, warm, lovely, perfect, and their puddings rule the earth.
LOVE LOVE LOVE it!
Brunch, dinner, whatever -- it is one of the best places in FH.
The owner's a sweetheart too.
Slainte!
I left Forest Hills in 1977 to move to Colorado.
While visiting my mom in Sept. I decided to stop in this cute Irish Cottage.
My second visit was last week and I am so happy that I returned.
The bartender and one of the regulars remembered me from my Sept visit-nice feeling.
On this rainy day I enjoyed the cozy vibe of this bar along with some whiskey.
I was offered some yummy stuffed shells(free)
Great tunes were playing on the jukebox  and I met some really nice folks.
I will definitely return the next time  I am visiting.
It was my third visit last night (Sunday) here at this pub. There is two parts to this lovely place: A cozy dining room and an awesome full bar. Last night I went with two of my friends and was delighted by the friendliest, and quite possibly the coolest bartender in New York City at the moment - Nate/Nathan.
There were not a lot of customers - the bar was not overly packed and so we were given more attention than normal. :) I love the intimate atmosphere of this bar and we went there for some food and drinks and to watch the Spurs vs Miami (2nd playoffs game).
Food is inventive: Where else can you get a buffalo fried calamari? You have to try it when you visit! We also had the shrimp basket and the chicken basket. Food is comforting and as Nathan said "It is good honest food" and he is right. We stayed til about 1 AM - before my friend get too sleepy to drive home and have some uh fun with her boyfriend LoL! (Sorry TMI)
What I like about this bar compared to the other bar and restaurants in the area is that it is comfortable: You can walk in here with just jeans and shirt and you wont be out-of-placed. But I've walked in here in my full date attire (my first visit) and I didn't feel out-of-placed either. Few places have that kind of ambiance in New York City - this is one of them.
And YOU must visit this bar because in the next coming weeks Nate told us there will be a karaoke setup here! I'm such a big karaoke nerd so I will go back definitely and tear the place down with my shameless yet wide-ranged vocal chords ..... LMAO
This review could have been a 5 star but since there is no karaoke setup yet..I will save that one star when it happens - I will write a follow up,
PS~ I could have written this review last night while drunk and tore up on 4 bottles of Magner's Irish Cider - Im such a damned lightweight - but I didn't want to sound stupid on yelp. ;p
I freaking love this place. The food is solid every single time I go. Fish and chips are the best I've ever had, and the warm, fresh soda bread is ridiculous. Boyfriend is pretty fixated on the bangers and mash
If that isn't enough to get you, go for Caroline. She's the kindest, most upbeat server I've ever met. Girl rocks, and will make sure you're having a good time.
My first Yelp review,and it might as well be this one.. This is the second time I've been here and that's saying something for a joint in Forest Hills. There's not too many places I would return to, and by the looks of it.. I'll continue to come back.
Don't get me wrong, this is your typical Irish pub, plenty of Guinness and Jameson flowing, the patrons get rowdy, and there's plenty of noise. But the service has been stellar, with your bartenders, Caroline and Adrian taking great care of you and joining in on the rambunctious atmosphere. There's an electronic jukebox which never seems to stop playing from B52's to Pink to Calvin Harris, and eventually turns into a big karaoke night. And that would be my cue to leave.. only because there would be trouble if started to sing...
The food is surprisingly good for bar fare, I've had the beer battered Fish and Chips and also the Flank steak.. and tried the Shepard's Pie and Corn Beef and would totally recommend them. Â I'm glad to have this place in the neighborhood.. as I would be going back, especially now that they have their 4-7pm happy hour!
Caroline. 'nough said. She alone is reason enough to go.
She's fun, sweet, kind... yet she knows how to get down n dirty for a good time.
The crowd is usually a bunch of regulars but they are a friendly bunch! You'll be caught up in conversation in no time. We stepped in at 1pm on a Sat afternoon, tried about all the beers, had DELICIOUS Sherpards Pie and Fish and Chips, bet on our first horse and wandered out around 7pm... to head over to the Flying Pig.
Would most definitely come back. Its a great spot to just chill and hang out... but only is Caroline's there!
Day-After St. Paddy's is the way to go! Just like the day after Mardi Gras or Cinco De Mayo! Seriously, if you are into romance and intimacy instead of the mob scene while retaining the aura of the particular drinking holiday, F off with the usual party and go the next day. The atmosphere is chill, the staff is chill and the food still rocks. In this case, corned beef and cabbage at half-the-price is twice as nice.
Seriously, though - great people, tasty fare like the Shepherd's Pie, too and a refreshing pint of Sam Adams Spring made this mid-day, mid-week lunchtime date all the more special! Venture a Highway and get to Irish Cottage.
Slainté
McDude!
I have a personal family connection here, so I may not be a good judge, but the Cottage has been a mainstay in my hood for over 30 years. Â It was the Airline Pub before that. Â Very clean and a family run business, and always has been. Â Good pints, good people. Â I've been hitting this place for many years as it is directly ac cross the street from me, but even if it was not, I'd hang out here. Â Had many a good night/morning in the place. Â Expect very expensive prices for Queens. Â The owner wants it that way as she would rather have once in a while customers who drop a 100 bucks, rather than the old days when it was filled with regulars. Â If you're in Forest Hills to do some shopping or see a movie, stop in for a few. Â Also, the food is good as well. Â Had the Irish breakfast before and was very authentic. Â Not really a bar eater, but from what I can see, they do serve a full menu.
Review Source:Simply put: hugely disappointing even for a bar.x
beer frosty and delightful- bartenders attentive and friendly.
Food - they should be ashamed to charge double their normal prices on St.party's day,limit the entire menu to 7 options and have a crabby staff with the quality of food they put out.
Fish and chips...grease bomb and fish undercooked. Sirloin and mash...tasteless. Irish soda bread...keep adding butter.
I gave one extra star because I enjoyed my beer and my potato leek soup.
MAYBE the holiday weekend threw them off? Won't be returning.
I'm glad that the food here is apparently terrible and overpriced. That will keep away the people who think a bar's primary functions are as a place to eat dinner and a place for an impromptu karaoke session.
I'm also glad there's a rule against talking on your cell phone. People who feel aggrieved that they have to walk 40 feet to use their telephones don't make good company, generally.
On a weekday afternoon, an amiable bartender poured me an excellent Guinness, handed me a Daily News open to the sports page, and carried on a spirited conversation with his salty mom, who'd just returned from the grocery store.
There were two other men at the bar. One was laboring over Word Jumble, and so deep in thought that he spilled Guinness on his tie and didn't notice. The other looked like he'd been drinking Guinness since dawn.
Pretty good neighborhood bar. No frills - but sometimes you don't want any frills or a good "scene". You just want a well poured pint and some food to go along with it. Had the fish and chips - fish was nice and crispy and flaky on the inside. Chips were standard. Overall I would say the food is worth it. As far as their "rules" - I would say they are not out of line - It's simple - don't talk on your cell phone and if you sit at a table, order food to meet the minimum. Reasonable requests? I think so! Worth going to if you are in the area.
Review Source:I was in town visiting some friends who lived nearby to this bar. It felt very homey in there and it was nice to sit a booth and laugh with my friends. Our waitress also had a delightful British accent which took me by surprise. A nice touch of authenticity. She was friendly and very accommodating with our drinks. Nice little place to grab a drink!
Review Source:Three years ago you would've found me and my friends at the Irish Cottage regularly, because it was so awesome. They have a great selection on the jukebox, the bartenders are awesome, and they don't mind if you start to randomly dance inside after having one too many Smithwicks. I haven't been here in awhile, but only because I don't have a lot of free time anymore. It was always a good place to go when 5 Burros was too packed, or when looking for a place to fit a large group of people- they have a large back section. The Irish Cottage always felt like a personal neighborhood bar in which the bartenders knew your name. Definitely miss it.
Review Source:Felt like an authentic Irish pub. The staff was attentive and preemptively filled my glass with another Guinness. The Guiness was a great pour. Â The staff was a hodgepodge of old Irish grandmas and young lads learning the trade. Â The other patrons were of the ilk that would know your name.
Review Source:We recently celebrated St. Patrick's Day as an event at The Pinnacle for the building's residents and we chose Irish Cottage to cater it. Â Kathleen McNulty took wonderful care of our order, which included their aforementioned Shepherd's Pie (I insisted on it) and our event was a hit. Â Dealing with Irish Cottage was a pleasure and we'll continue to ask them to cater our St. Patrick's Day events in the future.
Review Source:Can't believe I haven't rated this bar yet. Number 1 fan of the Irish Cottage and Sharon the owner and bartender. This bar is better on a Friday or Saturday night, it always gets jam packed around the bar and at around 9pm, with great music, both live and from a jukebox depending on the night. Probably the only place to hang out for a drink in Forest Hills. Irish Cottage has a good selection of beers as well as hard liquors. Haven't tried the food here but heard its lives up to the expectations.
Review Source:Last night marked my first trip to Irish Cottage. Â After hearing so much about the place from Mike B., I knew I was in for a treat. Â I felt like I was transported into an episode of "Ballykissangel," this Irish soap opera I used to watch on some random TV channel that showed international TV shows back in high school. Â What was especially cool was that the owner of the place was not only Irish but very familiar with "BallyK!" Â The jukebox played a lot of great tunes and while the whole crowd went wild for Drop Kick Murphy's, I knew I was at a four-star establishment when ABBA came on.
Review Source:(I'll write my April Challenge review for today later)
it's been a while since my first review and I feel it necessary to bump up the Cottage to four stars. not gonna lie, initially I felt "it's alright" but I've come to really like it as I spend more time (and money) here.
the owner and the bartenders are so friendly and inviting. they recognize regulars and newcomers alike. unlike some bars where the bartenders and management put themselves on a pedestal, it's not like that here! Sharon and the boys behind the bar will talk to anyone about anything. it's a real working/middle class bar with no pretentiousness. all types of people are welcome, though yes, it does tend towards us locals...not that there's anything wrong with that!
the jukebox is banging here. it tends towards various types of rock, which is awesome. good stuff too, none of that whiny emo crap. Dropkick Murphys, Black Sabbath, Journey, Thin Lizzy, Billy Joel, Iron Maiden, Dead Kennedys, and more.
it's a small place, but it's my small place. I've brought a few newcomers here and they've all had a blast.
while bars in other parts of the city get systemically wiped out in favor of places that serve overpriced martinis with dumbass "inspired" ingredients served by mustachioed dopes...the Irish Cottage is a place for those of us grounded in reality.
to quote the late, great Charlton Heston...you can take this bar from me when you pry it from my cold, dead hands!
If I could add a half star to this review I would.
The food in this quaint, homey Irish pub is pretty delicious. My girlfriend and I got the Cajun Cheese Fries & Baked Clams as an appetizer. Both were very good- the fries were spiced well with lots of cheese and the clams were surprisingly very good.
For our entree's I got the Sheperd's Pie and my girlfriend got the Corned Beef sandwich. My Pie was really good and traditional, but my girlfriend's Corned Beef was spectacular. Fresh, moist and melt-in-your mouth succulency, this is the best Corned Beef I may have ever tasted.
The drinks were a tad overpriced, but overall this a great place to grab some grub and adult refreshments before a movie viewing around the corner!
I come here for pub grub and beer only; therefore, I cannot vouch for the authenticity of their Irish..ness. Originally, I would have given Irish Cottage 4 stars, but the way we were treated during our last visit was completely unacceptable. I should never have to wait an hour for my food. We ordered simple dishes, so it should not have taken that long. Yes, the place was filled....but an hour? Seriously? After finishing our meal, the waiter actually had the nerve to "politely" tell us to leave so that he could seat others. That's fine sir, but don't expect a decent tip out of us.
And these Yelpers who swoon over the Shepard's Pie? You guys are whack. I've had better. Much. Better.
It's a cottage and it's Irish!
And it's been around since the early 1960's in Forest Hills. A walk through the bar reveals some patrons who may be regulars since that time.
I haven't actually sat at the bar but if I did I'd hear conversations about football, politics and an occasional whoop of drunken fun. The small size of the dining area means that you will hear the louder guests at the bar.
So a quick walk past the U shaped bar takes you to the dining area where you'll find booths and one larger table in the middle. There's a sign that requests no cell phone use along with various decorations depending on the season. During the holidays, there were plenty of snowmen and santa ornaments. As we approach Valentine's Day, you'll see hearts and so on. The eating area interior reminds me of a store you'd find in Peddler's Village, PA.
Dinner options are fairly straight forward and traditional which can be most welcome. Think shepherd's pie, fish and chips and other pub staples. Â One evening I decided to be daring and order a shrimp salad. I was pleasantly surprised by the size and quality of the shrimp. Most entrees come with carrots, potatoes and a side salad. Price range is $15-20.
There's also a brunch menu on weekends where you can indulge in an artery clogging full Irish breakfast. The healthiest brunch item is probably the quiche.
Beyond the Large, U shaped bar is the restaurant, which is a cozy, cottage-style booth filled interior. Its quieter and more comfortable than the bar area, but you can still hear the occasional drunken scream from the bar area.
Its a wierd, out of place little place but I love it. They have a jukebox and somebody who frequents there has my exact taste in music. Never have I heard Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys and Joe Strummer played in any other eating establishment in Forest Hills. Immediate like.
They have daily food specials which come with soup or salad and an entree, and Irish soda bread. The food is unusually good for FH, with a menu full of traditional pub fare and some experiments (like linguine bolognese) thrown in.
Brunch here is a pretty good deal, comes with soda bread, beverage and they offer Full Irish Breakfast. Too lazy to remember prices, but its comporable to the usual FH brunch prices (around $13 for a brunch entree).
DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY AT THIS IRISH DUMP!!!!!
We went here for St. Patrick's Day and had one of the worst dining experiences of my life.  The food is disgusting and they'll charge you an arm and a leg for it.  Unfortunately, I didn't see the tiny sign on the table that said you had to spend at least $20 to sit in a chair in the dining room area.  They didn't even put prices  on the menu.
Who do these people think they are charging $24 for some tasteless pig slop that they call shepard's pie? The fish was obviously frozen and was completely over fried and bland. Â Besides the awful food, the waitresses were extremely rude, unfriendly, and neglectful. Â
I really hope that this place shuts down soon.
Don't ever go into this place. Tonight I was celebrating the birth of my new nephew, minding my own business. Â The owner of the bar, I think her name is Kathleen, was so drunk and rude, went up to me and asked that I put my phone away. I said no and proceeded to berate me for no reason at all. Â I said no and didn't want want to deal and left, even though I had just paid for a Jameson on the rocks.
I should've just went to Tap House. Â Lesson learned. Â I will NEVER set foot at this bar again.
So I gave this place another shot and I officially dislike it. They had a few creeps, one of whom tried to kiss my hand.
An older Irish man and the bartender himself gave me and my friend $30 to play stuff on the jukebox. So we stood there for awhile picking stuff out. The jukebox has an option to pay extra in order to skip over other peoples selections, and we decided not to do this because we're not dicks. So we sat through like 7 songs other people played before hearing a few of our own, and then went out for a cigarette when someone skipped one of our songs.
By the time we came back in we were told than the owner decided to skip over ALL of our songs so she could hear what she wanted. Oh, okay, really glad I didn't spend my own fucking money on the damn music then. Its not like we were playing crap either, we chose classic rock songs, she just wanted different ones or something, who knows.
Went in for lunch and the place was DEAD. The bartender was a very nice guy, very noticeably bored with himself that afternoon. The food is typical bar food, but the prices are a touch too much for what you get.
Definitely looks like the kind of place that gets all the olddd regulars around here in Forest Hills at night, but during the day its pretty desolate.
I'm actually quite easy to please....I know its hard to tell if you read my reviews, but I am
Give me strong drinks (check), uppity Yankees fans (CHECK) and decent people (check check check) and we're solid my man!!!
I don't know, the Yanks won the Series the night I was here....so maybe it was me that made the night, not Irish Cottage...but I'm going to give it to them anyways
I'm that kinda girl ;)
I came on here to review this place, but would've stayed far away had I read all these reviews beforehand! I ended up going here for a group outing on a random Tuesday night. I'd never heard of the place, but everyone else seemed to like it enough to go back. So there we went!
The place does have signs outside, but I wonder if it's for a laugh? Do men really need to remove their hats? I'm not sure, but anyway..
The place is small, and the restaurant portion of the place is slightly underground and in the back. We sat at the large table in the middle and I proceeded to order a Harpoon IPA. The Guinness that others ordered looked right on target!
The place was quiet, and the restaurant area was fairly empty. The bar had more of a crowd. I ordered the curry chicken, with potato leek soup as my starter. Delicious soup, and the entree was good as well, but I wish they would've given a bigger serving of rice! The curry was also a little salty, but not terrible.
Overall, I had no complaints at this place. I didn't have to yell to be heard over the table, no one really bothered us, and service is what you would expect at a pub/restaurant.
I wouldn't go out of my way to return here, but I wouldn't insist on not going here if someone suggested it.
Came here with my friend to watch Yankees play and it was alright. Â Not too packed so was able to get a seat and eat. Â Their burger was okay and so was the crowd except they tend to be older. Â So if you are looking for a hook up, this probably isn't a place you want to come to. Â Lots of TV's so it was cool. Â And bartenders were okay. Â
Would I come here again? Â Probably not.
PS. Â Lots of unattractive and desperate girls here. Â Thought I would share that. Â JK
I don't like queens.. i had a wierd living experience there - one that made me move right back out to boroughs i recognize (wierd with a capital W!) i go to school in queens and thats about the only interaction i choose to have here except for this stretch of forest hills.. i like austin street - very cute and irish cottage is adorable. i went to school in ireland and i love that the old men here still wear hats... walk with a cane and smile pretty and flirt with the girls... aww
we went for lunch there with my bff and her mom yesterday after a hiatus from eateries / pubs in queens and my two favs still hold
1. vegetable panini
2. irish coffee (excellent)
i recommend these two dishes and i will come back for it always!
It's just another typical Irish pub here. Â The wait staff is rather quite inattentive. Â Space is like squeezing an adult size elephant into a compact car with elbow-to-elbow room. Â I do not recommend this pub for large group gatherings. Â The stairs are almost like a death trap when utilzing the restrooms especially when you're under the influence of alcohol.
There is no bar/pub scene in Forest Hills especially on Austin Street.
A run of the mill "Irish" bar that didn't strike me as very Irish. Â Overpriced, and half dead the Saturday night our group walked in, we boosted the bar's population by 100%.
Still, the draught beers were well pulled, they served a decent pint. Â However overall, I'm feeling kinda let down by the lack of a bar/pub scene in Forest Hills...
One of my best lady friends lives in Forest Hills, so we took a night out on the town -- in the summer time. (I know, I'm a little late on this one.)
Nice bar, typical pub-style furnishings dashed with loud music and a dining area. The bar gets crowded very easily because the area is a bit small and right near the bathroom. Like the other reviews said, don't expect a buy-back. Though, the bartender was rather chatty. Ah, well.
There's food and it's the usual type of grub (you know, fried and doughy), but I did not sample the cuisine. My drinks were pretty strong, though! No credit cards. Cash only establishment, darlings.
Everything Steve C. said about the bartenders is true, all night I'm slugging down Jameson and not a single buy-back. Â The bar is tight, avoid the area in between the bar and the restaurant because it's a high-traffic area for both staff and for patrons on their way downstairs to the bathroom.
The food here is typical pub food, good luck finding something healthy, if you're a vegetarian eat before you get here.
All-in-all a good time by local standards. The music is too loud at times, luckily I am louder.
Good jukebox, the digital kind that allows you to download tracks. Â
Credit cards are verbotten at the bar.
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