Tried this place several times over the last couple years and have yet to be impressed. The food is usually good but a bit pricey. Considering the place actually has an Irish owner, the bar tenders have yet to serve me a properly pulled pint of Guinness stout. This visit will probably be my last. There are other Irish pubs in the city that might have a better pint.
Review Source:Everytime I find myself back in Farragut and can't be bothered to drive downtown for a drink, I head to Irish Times. It's not a particularly great bar in any way, it's just convenient and gets the job done. There are the 6-7 British/US beer staples on tap including Bud, Newcastle, Smithwicks, Guinness, but recently they all taste really watered down. The bartenders are friendly, and there's almost always a seat at the bar where you won't be bothered if you want to mindlessly watch one of the 10 TVs positioned around the bar. I've even had the food here, and as far as I can remember, they had some hearty British fare that didn't disappoint.
Review Source:Used to be good, not spectacular. Last time we were there we were treated so poorly, that we can say...."that was the last time." Owner needs to pay attention to recruiting and daily operations or this place will continue to not perform and eventually customers get impatient. Waitress was in a hurry to go home that she forgot she was still working. Feel sorry for the owner.
Review Source:hit or miss on the food, i guess it depends on the cook. if you order the corned beef and swiss, you cant go wrong but if you get anything else, it's usually a miss. service has always been super nice and friendly but very slow, even when its not busy. i love irish food and unfortunately its one of the only irish pubs near me. as far as the nightlife here though, its usually very crowded. especially if they have a band. in fact, so crowded that it's uncomfortable. not enough sitting accomodations near the stage and you have to stand right in the path to the restroom. the atmosphere inside is great, its decorated nice. it has the potential to be great, but something is just off. not sure if it's management or what, but something...
Review Source:Nestling in a Turkey Creek shopping center, Irish Times seems like a great concept that sets it apart from all of the other chain restaurants that dominate the scene in the snuggly suburban area of Farragut. Â However, Irish Times is somewhat of a disappointment.
The owner is native Irish, so he definitely knows how the atmosphere should feel. Â This is the best aspect of the place. Â Probably the freshest tasting Guiness in the area - taken from someone who spent time in Ireland and had the real thing.
Now with the negatives:
1. Â The modern Irish/typical bar food menu is mediocre at best. Â Portions are small and pricey for what you get (esp. the Irish stew and shepherds pie). Â The burgers are, well, you can get a fresher tasting burger across the street at Reeeeed Robin (Yummmmm??????).
2. Â When you think Irish pub, you think trad Irish music. Â More often than not, the band playing is a few good ole boys playing Buffet covers and the like. Â They do have trad music from time to time. Â I would rather enjoy my company than listen to who they have on stage in there. Â If you're going to interupt my conversations with music, make it worth my attention.
3. Â The crowd. Â I would go during the early evening hours if during the weekend. Â Plus it's in Turkey Creek, so if you are in your twenties/early thirties, it really ain't your kind of crowd, if ya get me. Â Good place to hang out with your baby-boomer parents I guess.
Probably won't go back...
The food was overpriced and just so so. Â I had the corned beef on rye with the mushroom soup for lunch. Â Portion was ok, but just thrown together. Â The soup was tasty and would recommend if you're giving Times a go. Â My bride had the Irish version of Shepherd's Pie. Â Appeared to be relatively fresh, but had a frozen taste. Â Again, way overpriced: two for lunch with soda was $30.
Maybe for a beer, but not for eats!
During our weekend in Knoxvegas we decided to try this place out for dinner... Eh. I've had better.
We sat outside which was nice ish, but I always feel awkward when I'm sitting at one of three outside tables. It took a long time for our waitress to acknowledgments we were there, and even longer to get our drinks, then she left without getting our order.
When we finally got our food, we were unimpressed. I love corned beef and cabbage, but this was the blandest most awful dish I've ever had and husband wasn't too thrilled with his shepherds pie, either. There were veggies that came with my dish, and they were over steamed and over baked, not even salt and ketchup could save them! In the end, I definitely felt like we had paid way too much for the meal and neither of us were thrilled with the experience. Especially not after the bounced used our table to hold a beer while he passed his card to the guy who belonged to the beer.
I was excited to try this place out and sorely disappointed. Wish the hotel's wi-fi worked so I could have found it on Yelp since it seems I'm not the only one who feels this way...
Well, this is the 5th or 6th time I've been here so I wanted to put on another review. I would give this meal 2.5 stars but I'll round down.
Place seems to be not quite as good. My wife had the steak and mushroom pie. She said it wasn't bad but the beef wasn't as tender as it usually is. They also had a few new menu items we decided to try. I tried the Galaway Chicken. It's a chicken breast stuffed with spiniach, mushrooms, and a little garlic. It was served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Don't get it. The chicken was bland, the potatoes were ok, and the vegetables were water logged. I bit into the vegetables and water (no joke) came gushing out. I didn't need anything to drink because there was plenty of hydration coming from the veggies.
The highlight of the meal was the appetizer we ordered of tortilla chips and cheese. You're saying to yourself.....chips and cheese.....what's the big deal? Here's the big deal. The tortilla chips are not out of a bag....they are homemade and warm. Crispy on the outside and a little chewy on the inside. The cheese is thick and creamy with mexican chili type stuff mixed in. Pair that with a beer and you're good to go. We ordered two draft beers, smithwick and guiness, BOTH of which were flat.
They also had a new curry chicken, chicken wings, etc. It's always weird to me that they have a bunch of non-irish stuff on the menu but I digress.
All in all, dinner was meh, but the appetizer was awesome. We'd go back just for that and some not-flat beer.
While I can't comment on the authenticity of the atmosphere or menu (having never been to Ireland), I can say that Irish Times has the best corned beef and cabbage I have had outside Chicago. Â I am also a fan of the shepard's pie. I do agree with others' comments on the fish and chips - not a great rendition. Service is usually pretty good with courteous, friendly and prompt servers.
Review Source:Let me preface this review by saying that the Knoxville food scene (if you can call it that) is woefully chain-restaurant oriented and any chance I have to support a Mom-and-Pop, I jump at with the hopes that more of them will spring up. Â It seems that people in Knoxville don't care if their food is artfully prepared or at a minimum, carefully thought out. Â They want it predictable and loaded with national advertisements.
After spotting this place about a year ago, I finally decided to give it a go. Â The atmosphere is nice, even charming. Â I went for dinner, so I didn't hang out at the bar. Â The menu was a little...suspect.
The style of offerings was all over the map. Â There were some Irish 'sounding' items, but also some weird entrees involving chicken and tropical fruits.
I ordered the 10 oz. burger...standard pub or bar fare to be sure. Â I was impressed that the burger was formed by hand...and it was juicy and perfectly cooked to my 'medium' specification. Â Those were the only positive things I can say.
I was not offered any options regarding cheese. Â It came with a thin square of American (read as 'flavorless') cheese. Â It had some lettuce (strange bagged salad-type iceburg and romaine chunklets) and two thick slices of mealy tomato (it is currently tomato season here--why use imported crap?!?) Â No mayo or any kind of sauce. Â And here's the kicker...
...it was DEATHLY underseasoned. Â I sensed no salt or pepper whatsoever. Â And as a final insult, the french fries that accompanied were of the crinkle-cut, frozen variety, and also had no salt or seasoning (a la carte, these fries are priced at $4.50--wth?) Â
Why oh why would a restaurant touting itself as an Irish establishment mistreat a potato in such a foul way? Â PLEASE for the love of God, provide some hand-cut french fries on your menu. Â Do them right, and the keys to the kingdom are yours.
The service was fine, our waitress was friendly, attentive and unobtrusive.
I had mid-to-high hopes for this place. Â Sadly, I won't be going here for food again.
If I was to rate this place when it first opened I would have given it 5 stars for sure! However, I've come back a few times since moving to San Diego and it just seems to not have the same feel as it once did. The band that was there was pretty awful and the bartender was rude, Definitely not what I remembered! The owner is great, very friendly and you could see what he was trying to create in a town that is lacking in good bars in the first place. Before everyone jumps down my throat about the bars near UT I am talking about places I can go without watch frat guys throw up in the alley ways. Ha I know I used to be that frat guy! Â So like I said I can respect what the idea is of Irish Times I just think it is poor execution. Although it is one of the few places in Knoxville you can find Smithwick's!!!!
Review Source:Like others have said, not very authentic -- however, it IS a nice, relaxing (unless you go right after work) place to get a drink and some pretty okay food, which makes it one of my favorite bars in Knoxville. The crowd here is a lot more laid back and less exclusive than some of the bars downtown, for instance. I don't feel like some drunk college kid is going to come wandering up to me hittin' me up for my MySpace or Blackberry ID or whatever it is the kids do these days.
Review Source:I usually drop by Irish Times whenever I am in the Knoxville area (my home town), primarily because I enjoy the bar. Â Irish themed bars often attract interesting characters and this one is no different. Â I have met some cool people here.
The food is good but not great.
I hate to be critical but  Irish Times is in an unique place to make a contribution to the world of Irish music and it's place in Appalachian culture.  It is sad that they make so little effort in this regard.  The few times that I have been there for Irish music, it was really bad (think cold chills down by backbone jumping across my spleen and landing in my lower intestine).  And there are so many good musicians in the area.  Shame Shame!
If you want to be an Irish pub then be one for Christ sakes. Â It takes some poetry and some romance. Â Make us laugh and cry. Irish times comes across very much like the soulless Mc Irish themed chain restaurants that are popping up across the country! Â Uugh. Â
Or, someone should open a real Irish pub in Knoxville!
I am giving one extra star for a half-assed effort.
The bar, the bar, the bar! Â The bar is definitely the most appealing thing about this place. Â It is a large square type bar this is open so that you can see everyone sitting around it. Â They usually have live music here which is usually pretty good. Â The only thing I have ordered off the menu has been the corned beef on rye with fries. Â It is always pretty good, with that said, the earlier in the evening you order food, its usually a lot better.
Check this place out! Â PS The owner is obsessed with the band U2, so if you want a free drink, mention U2. Â Cheers!
I finally went here with my wife and son. Not much choice in Irish or English food in Knoxville. The food was not bad BUT as Rob said - it is not authentic. My bangers and mash came with broccoli instead of peas and the very dark gravy and dark sausages were not what I expected. It was not bad - just not great and not genuine Irish food. Worth a try though. BUT - broccoli with bangers and mash - COME ON NOW!!!
Review Source:Irish Times is located in a strip mall in the Turkey Creek area of West Knoxville. Â It it is a nice pub and restaurant though it isn't very authentic. Â The bar side is an open room with a rectangular bar in the center. Â There are no niches or areas where you can get away from the main room and noise. Â The bar gets a large after work crowd and the place gets packed and loud. Â It can be very hard to carry on a conversation which is one thing nice about a typical pub.
The restaurant has been closed off a little so it is not as loud. Â The restaurant is very Cozy and can be romantic. Â The food is good but a little expensive. Â The "fish and chips" was a large piece of fish that was very tasty, though not typical "fish and chips." Â The Shepard's pie was OK but a little dry for my liking. Â
Irish Times seems to be a trendy Irish Pub but not a bad place to get a pint. Â This is Knoxville, the choices are limited.
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