Our family had reservations for 5:00 pm on 3/17 St. Patricks Day.  We were looking forward to good food, and happy Irish atmosphere.  When we arrived on time, we had  to wait 30 minutes for our table -- that was dirty and not set. Â
The good part of the evening was that there was live Irish music and a joyful crowd. Loud, yes -- but that's expected on this day.
The bad far out weighed the good. Â We were surprised to find that dinner was $30 a person -- but that was okay because we believed we'd be getting good food. Â Wrong. Â The food was awful. Â Corned beef was undercooked and tough, the mashed potatoes were dry and stiff, green beans flavorless, shepherds pie only mediocre, and the chicken puff pastry dish -- the pastry must have been baked days in advance.
We got mass produced cafeteria type food for $30.00 per person not including coffee. Â Oh yes -- we had a sliver of cheese cake (included) was dry and crumbling.
All I can say is BUYER BEWARE!
I'm not really a fan of this place. My mom and I went here for dinner a couple weeks ago when we were in the area. The outside of the building is really cute, but the inside isn't so much. The dining area next to the bar has a lot of open, unused space, which is a little awkward. But that would have all been ok if the rest of it hadn't been so awkward, as well. I think they're used to getting mostly locals in there, who know the menu already, because we hadn't been seated more than 30 seconds before the waitress came and asked what we wanted. I hadn't even opened my menu yet. We had a Specialicious coupon for $20 worth of "Irish Fare." So I got the steak and cheese sandwich and my mom got the burger (cooked medium). They brought us some Irish brown bread to snack on before the food came, which was good. The food came fairly quickly, but when my mom bit into her burger, it was nearly raw inside. She cut it in half to see if it was like that all the way through, and it was. She felt bad saying anything to the waitress about it, and it would have been ok if it had been medium-rare, but this thing was definitely very rare. So she sent it back. It took forever for the new burger to come back, and then it wasn't even a new burger. The cooks somehow put it back together after it had been cut in half, but we knew it was the same burger because it still had the bite taken out of one side! Then, I'd barely finished eating before the waitress swooped in and took my plate away. My mom was still eating and had to guard her plate from being taken, too. The food was fine, but nothing special.
Then came time to pay the bill. We gave the waitress the coupon and she didn't know what to do with it, so she went and asked the manager. We had paid $10 for what was essentially a $20 gift certificate to the restaurant - the same way all Groupons, Living Social deals, etc. work. The manager instructed the waitress to take $10 off our approx. $20 check. No. That's not how it works. We had to sit there and argue with the manager to make him understand how the deal worked! He kept asking us how he was supposed to make any money if that's how it worked. Um, sorry, but isn't that your problem, not ours? Finally, he adjusted the check to reflect the deal, but acted like he was doing us a favor. I almost felt bad for him - he really was a nice guy, but just didn't understand what he'd signed up for with Specialicious.
So, I'm not in the Warrenton area often, but even if I'm there again, I won't be back to this place.
I met a group of friends there last year to watch the Preakness. I started with a bowl of potato leek soup that had no flavor at all. It may as well have been a bowl of porridge. For an entree I ordered corned beef and cabbage. It's an Irish pub, so their CB&C should be great, right? It had no taste either, just like the mashed potatoes that came  with it. So I asked the waitress to take it back to the kitchen and ask them to use the corned beef to make me a Reuben. I was still hungry and hate to waste food so I tried to recycle it because I knew if I sent it back outright that it would end up in the trash.
She did and brought it back and even it was tasteless. I will give the place high marks for atmosphere but I'd rather have good food. The waitress got pissy when I asked her to adjust the check so I asked to speak to the manager. The manager was very gracious, however, and adjusted the check when I told him how disappointed I was with the meal.
We wanted to go here for some time, having driven past a few times and always seeing a good crowd. We made reservations for the Saturday evening before St. Patrick's Day, knowing it would be crowded. When we arrived, it turned out that our reservations weren't very useful, as there was an Irish Dance school performing and no one was leaving their tables, so we didn't get a table until more than 45 minutes after our reservation. The staff was very nice about it, but we had to rush dinner to get to another event due to the delay.
We had the Gaelic Boxty and Irish Stuffed Chicken and the Guinness Brie Wheel as an appetizer. The brie was excellent, served with raspberry jam and Irish brown bread. The boxty was good; the potato pancake was excellent and the steak topping was OK. The chicken was tasty, but undercooked.
Being a busy night, the service was pretty good, but the staff was definitely busy. I'd like to try it again on a less busy night and try one of the items from their "Irish Favorites" menu.
We went for the St. Pat's Day buffet. My partner enjoyed it but all I saw that looked remotely edible was the salmon. It wasn't. I took one bite of the boiled, flavorless wedge of beige fish (I'm being generous here) and put my fork down. It was clearly the only thing on my plate. The only other thing I ordered was a glass of ice water. After being informed that I'd not actually eaten, the waitress told us that she'd spoken with her manager and they agreed to "only" $12--the price of a child's buffet (!). $12 for a bite of an unconscionable insult to salmon and a few sips of tap water? Really??
Review Source:We stopped at McMahons on a Sunday after a day of wine tasting at the local wineries. Â It is billed as part Irish pub and part restaurant. Â The food choices are more in line with "pub" food, certainly not sophisticated restaurant fare.
Beginning at 5:00 PM on Sundays, they have Irish music. Â The musicians appeared to multiply in the time we were there. Â It appears that it is like an open mike event, where musicians simply join in. Â Pretty cool.
Our group ordered the shepards pie, irish stew, and mushroom ravioli. Â The food was ok, not spectacular but then again not bad. Â I thought the ravioli portion was quite small.
Overall, our experience was OK - nothing extraordinary, but the atmosphere with the Irish musicians playing will likely bring us back again for an Irish beer when in the area.
I haven't been here in a while due to having a couple of crazy kids, but I wanted to make sure that I wrote this review. Â
The owners are so so nice and made us feel welcomed every single time we were there.  They had a special at one time, potato crusted white fish (I cannot remember what kind of fish) but it was AMAZING!  That  and the great hospitality made me fall in love with the place.
I love Irish pubs and this one made me feel like I was a regular, even when it was my first time there. Â Great people and great food...what more do you want?
I had a delicious Sunday Roast at McMahons after a long day of driving, distillery and winery visiting. Â It was nice to sit down and enjoy a cider and a good meal before the rest of the drive back to NOVA. Â McMahons is a pretty big restaurant and it was busy on Sunday night. Â The service was a little slow but our waiter was nice and there was live music. Â
I don't live in the area, but if I did I would visit again.
After making our annual trek up to watch the annual Warrenton Xmas parade this past Friday night (horrendous crowds - had to park about a mile away), Â it wasn't surprising that every restaurant in town was full to the brim - some with lines out the doors. Â So we decided to revisit McMahon's, which we hadn't been to in several years after a somewhat disappointing initial visit several years ago. Â This time around was a slight improvement - but not enough of an improvement to warrant visiting again. Â We should have realized that when at 7:30 on a Friday night - and a Friday night when every other restaurant in the immediate area was PACKED due to the Xmas festivities - that McMahon's could not only seat us immediately, but that aside from a wedding party in a private room, many tables were available. Â We were seated in the bar area, which was nicely decorated & cozy (but still almost too dark to read the menu).
We shared an order of "Fried Calamari" ($11) to go along with my Guinness draft ($6) & husband's "Fat Tire" draft ($6). Â Breaded Calamari rings were tender, & separated from the marinara sauce on the plate by a strip of Fried Onions (you know - like the canned French's ones that decorate Green Bean Casseroles). Â The marinara sauce was thick & sort of strange as it tasted VERY strongly of Rosemary. Â Just a word to the wise in case you don't like Rosemary. Â We were also brought a small plate of 4 little pieces of sweet rye bread that had obviously - along with the foil-wrapped butter accompaniment - been stuck in the microwave for a couple of seconds to make one think it had been oven-warmed. Â Top of each THIN slice was ice-cold, bottom was mad hot, foil-wrapped butter was melted. Â
For entrees, we both ordered the same entrees we'd ordered when we'd visited years ago - hubby the "Fish and Chips" ($15); me the "Guinness Stew" ($15).
What can I say? Â While hubby's fish portion was nice-sized & cooked okay, half of the "chips" were burnt. Â As in BLACK burnt. Â How can people NOT notice this before it leaves the kitchen? Â Perhaps they're hoping the dining room is too dark for anyone to notice. Â (He found himself longing for the "Fish & Chips" at either "Glory Days" in Culpeper or "Molly's Irish Pub" in Warrenton.)
As for the repeat of my "Guinness Stew"?  The meat was tender & in a rich gravy this time around, & I'm assuming for some sort of "elite" appeal, was served in a "bowl" made out of what seemed like some sort of pate choux pastry.  Served with thin haricot verts green beans & what was touted as Irish "champ".  Where to start. . . .  The pastry bowl was cold & tough; green beans were WAY undercooked (some were downright cold in the center, like they hadn't been defrosted long enough); "champ" had been plopped on the plate via an ICE CREAM SCOOP (a la old Howard Johnson-style days), & wasn't even "champ".  True Irish "champ" is mashed potatoes with chopped green onions, & sometimes sautéed greens mixed in.  This was just plain old mashed potatoes - no seasoning whatsoever.  Blandorama.
Service was fast & friendly - no issues there. Â Bill before tax & tip was $65.00.
Bottom line: Â Over $80 after tax & tip - which was generous for the good service - for 2 draft beers apiece, a shared appetizer, & 2 substandard entrees at a "pub" is too rich for my blood. Â No return visit will be forthcoming from us, & its obvious why they weren't full up on a Friday night..
It reminds me of a real Irish pub, however the food is rather expensive. They over cooked all of our fish 'n chips (3 orders), everything was burnt and tasted rather bad. Spent $40 on two drinks and burnt fish 'n chips... What Irish pub can't cook them right? Other than that it's a nice place.
The manager had contacted and I thought that was very professional and so I change my rating to something a little better. =)
My wife and I visited for lunch and to watch a little six nations. Â The staff was extremely friendly and attentive. Â The publ is beautiful and after being in Ireland a few times, this is one of the most authentic I've found in the US. Â The boxty's were amazing as was the owner who came out to greet us. Â A definite must try.
Review Source:A few friends of mine talked me into going on a leisurely hike outside the city on a mountain known to everyone as Old Rag. Leisurely? Not exactly. It was cold, windy, rainy and all I could think about the entire time (aside from when am I going to slip off this mountain?) was getting something warm to eat afterwards and perhaps stepping into a fire head first.
Luckily for me, one of my fellow hikers suggested we hit up McMahon's on the ride back. Fire - check. Warm, delicious food - check. What I didn't expect was the super friendly service, the great live music, and some of the best fish and chips I've had in a while. I don't know when I'll be back in Warrenton, but if I ever am, I will be sure to stop back in at McMahon's. The friendly owner is from Ireland too - which definitely adds a bit of charm considering most Irish places are operated by some guy who took an old TGIF's or Applebees and "greened" it up by placing some old photos of people from who knows where.
Great place - check it out!
We stopped for gas on our way to Old Rag next door to McMahons and as we were driving out of the station, the rows of windows caught my eye and I saw it was an Irish pub. For the entirety of the rest of the drive and the hike I was thinking of a beef stew. I talked about it a lot and my starving hiking companions held out for me so we could go to the pub post arduous hike.
We were SO glad we did!
It was a cold beginning of October hike. Our cheeks were rosy and our bellies empty. We walked into the back part to find a wood fire burning (heaven!!), a group of musicians setting up (live Irish music every Sunday at 5!) and we got a free dessert for checking in on FourSquare.
My stew, served in a phyllo dough bowl (mmmm), was delicious, my friend (birthday boy, Bill) had some steak that he loved and Jessica loved her fish and chips.
We closed it out with tea for the road and a Bailey's cheesecake with a ridiculously delicious crust and, my personal favorite dessert of all time, bread pudding which did not disappoint.
Go here for the food, go here for the fire, go here for the music and go here after the hike. You won't be sorry you did!
I'm not one who usually enjoys Irish pub's but I was pleasantly surprised by McMahon's when I had dinner and drinks there last week with 7 other people.
As others have mentioned, it is divided pretty clearly into a restaurant area and a pub area. Each area has an entrance and I like the separation. We had a quiet meal and could barely hear the other area. I don't know how business usually is for them but on that Saturday evening there was only one other occupied table in the restaurant.
The beer selection wasn't anything special but I wasn't really expecting much either. Including me everyone seemed to enjoy their food. As a vegetarian I was quite limited on the menu but the veggie spring rolls were good and the mushroom ravioli tasty.
If I ever find myself in Warrenton, VA again I wouldn't mind having another meal at McMahon's. Since I really dislike Irish pubs this is saying a lot.
My wife and I decided to visit McMahons for the first time about a month ago. I was not impressed, especially for the price we paid.
We ordered the Potato Skins as an appetizer and then I had the Fish & Chips. My wife had the mussels and said that they were "very good." My fish and chips, however, were not very good.
The service was decent (at best) and something my wife and I found funny was that it sounded like our waiter was speaking with a fake Irish accent. Whether it was fake or not, who knows.
I would visit McMahon's again but I think I might try and go with a more traditional dish.
I've never eaten in the restaurant area, but have been to the bar a few times for Trivia Night & to meet friends for a drink. It's been pretty crowded every time I've been there & sometimes it's hard to move - especially when they have live bands. The bartenders are pretty quick to get your drinks out & the one time that I ate there, it was really good. I had a burger with fries & was happy with it.
Review Source:This is great place to stop after a trip to Skyline Drive or visiting vineyards. Â Food is very good and the atmosphere is relaxing. Â We started off splitting the appetizers. Â The Boxty (a potato pancake topped with chicken in leek and bacon sauce) was very tasty. Â The Ballycar "Spuds" were just another name for potato skins with sour cream, cheese and green onions. Â Still good though. Â But the main course(s) were excellent. Â She Who Must Be Obeyed had the Irish Stuffed Chicken (chicken breast stuffed with Cheddar Cheese and Irish bacon), while I had the Roasted Pork Tenderloin with apples. Â Both dishes were flat-out fantastic. Â You could cut the pork with your fork it was so moist and tender. Â For desert we splurged and split the Irish Bread Pudding with Irish whiskey sauce. It was beyond belief! Â Coupled with an Irish Coffee it was a perfect ending to a wonderful meal. Â And if you would like something a little different to drink, have the "publican" draw you a Black Velvet (1/2 Guinness, 1/2 hard cider) to go along with your meal.
Review Source:It's hard to rate McMahon's, because it's part Irish pub, and then part Irish pub...
By which I mean, it's part bar, part bar food. Â Don't come here if you're expecting great eats. Â The food isn't terrible, it's just not great. Â Altho there are some really good happy hour food deals. Â Just be prepared for nothing but fried options and bring your AED.
Do come here if you want a beer in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Â Or with a big group for happy hour. Â McMahon's is actually a fairly authentic replication of a real Irish pub: dimly lit, dark woods, hard wooden benches and stools. Â Even tho an authentic Irish pub would be a lot smaller and cozier. Â And the servers are really friendly and the price is right.
Plus, since Virginia's smoking ban went into effect on December 1 of last year, McMahon's is a MUCH more pleasant place to hang out. Â This is Marlboro country, so before the ban you were hostage in a huge cloud of second hand smoke.
When my wife (fiancé at the time) and I decided to get married down in Warrenton, we hunted for a place to hold our rehearsal dinner.  We checked with a few people in the area who recommended Claire's on the Depot, but they couldn't accommodate us on a Saturday night.  After some hunting, Tina found McMahon's.  Right after we got engaged, we took a trip to Ireland and loved it, and the thought of having our dinner at an Irish pub was appealing, so we gave it a shot.
What a great decision. Â First, we loved the feel of the place. Â The dark wood interior really gave the place an authentic feel. Â I can't comment on the smokiness, as we weren't in the main dining area, but in the area off to the left with the large bank of windows.
The staff was attentive, accommodating and friendly. Â We visited for dinner first so that we could judge the food. Â The pork and apples was fantastic; well seasoned and cooked just right. Â The scones with raspberry jam were so good I asked for some to take home! Â My only issue with the dinner was my own fault - the bread pudding was great but really heavy (it's bread pudding!).
When we decided to go with McMahons, the owner Emett was very accommodating, providing us a fixed price menu with plenty of flexibility. Â All of our guests loved the food which let them choose their entree between the pork and apples, Irish chicken curry (my wife's selection, highly recommended) and thatched cottage pie. Â They could also choose between the house salad and leek and potato soup, which was also delicious, but did need to be warmed a bit. Â Dessert was the mango crumble, which was the perfect finisher, since it wasn't too heavy and overly sweet.
We had such a great experience here. Â We'll be back for our first anniversary!
This place is the most awful.The waitress was so rude and the food tasted like it was yesterdays . I ordered  the cod fish (this was not cod) it was terrible the veggies that came with it tasted like they were boiled in old water. We used a visa gift card to pay for part of the bill. The waitress could not figure out how to use it, so the manager came just about as rude as the waitress's. Smell of the place was like being in a hole in the wall bar and we were sitting in the Restaurant part.
Will never go back
Had dinner here last evening - was craving "meat and potatoes," so my initial thought was something like a Shepherd's pie - so off to McMahon's I go! This was my first time at this venue - the place looks huge from the outside when you pull up. Apparently at some point in the distant past - it was a motel. You can see the upstairs windows. Sadly all the upstairs is being used for now is storage. Could be made into a cool Irish Inn!
Anyhow, I entered and was greeted by the hostess. McMahon's is physically divided into two areas - the one to the right and down the hall is the larger area - two rooms actually - with a bar area and TVs - this is the smoking area and it stinks to high heaven of cigarette smoke. There were only three guys sitting at the bar when I walked and I did not see any lit cigarettes - that is how bad the smell is.
So I went back to check out the other side - which is thankfully non-smoking. A much smaller area and much more intimate. There were four other tables of folks dining when I was seated.
I looked over the menu and ordered the "Irish Meatloaf" which I've never had before. It comes with Asparagus spears and "Gaelic Champ." I had to ask what that was - it is an Irish version of mashed potatoes - very basic. I also ordered a pint of Woodpecker Cider - I was excited! It's hard to find Woodpecker Cider these days - I'm always on the lookout for it in stores and can never find it.
While I was waiting my eyes wandered around the place. The ceiling has large round rough exposed timbers that look like they felled a tree and slapped it into the building, then painted it black - very cool. The dining area I was in definitely has an old feel to it.
When the food came out - I had two large slabs of meat loaf, a pile of Champ, Asparagus, and I ordered a second pint of Woodpecker. Now traditional Irish fare is not in my mind something that has complex or delicate flavors - it's the basics - not a lot of seasonings.
The meatloaf was meaty and ample, the Champ was also aplenty, but a bit on the dry side - maybe that is how it is supposed to be served? The American side of me wanted some gravy on those taters. The Asparagus was just right - not overcooked.
My server was Aubrey - service was good and attentive. Dinner with two pints was $27 and change.
I would come  back here again - next time I will try something else - perhaps the Shepherd's Pie?
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