I have been coming to Nyack for decades and just discovered this neighborhood tavern early one Sunday afternoon when the trendy cafe in town was packed with lycra bodied cyclists. O'Donoghue's was a welcome relief from that hipster scene, believe me! The scrambled eggs and homefries were as fresh as I have ever tasted and the bottomless cup of joe, in today's era of designer coffees, was a welcome addition. I heard from the locals that it's just a great hangout, for a quick meal or a couple of pops after work. Four stars.
Review Source:Od's is a famous local watering hole in Nyack that has been a favorite with the locals for decades. A few years ago it started on a decline (although the food was always good) and it was finally purchased by new owners about a year and half ago. Changes included adding a juke box and many TV sets which I think detracted from the original decor, but I understood the business reasons.
As of late, it is still the regulars there and while they have a well respected music program including a thursday night electric jam and a monday night acoustic jam, the place recently shut down during the day, canceling the lunch service monday through thursday and changing opening hours to 3pm on those days.
All the locals are rooting for it to come back, but right now it is a bar in transition. Still has the best burgers in town though
My friend and I decided to stop in O'Donoghue's Tavern during our St. Patrick's Day celebrations, as we had just moved to Nyack, and had been thoroughly enjoying some of the nightlife the town has to offer. We thought an Irish bar seemed like the perfect atmosphere in which to experience St. Patrick's Day. However, we quickly discovered that O'Donoghue's Tavern isn't your average Irish bar.
I soon found out that my choice of alcoholic beverage - the classic Irish Car Bomb, considered by many to be the quintessential St. Patrick's Day cocktail - just simply wasn't compatible with the elegantly high-class standards one must adhere to in this rundown plywood shack. An old man with long white hair who was standing behind the bar (I hesitate to refer to him as a "bartender," because that would imply that he did his job of properly tending the bar) boorishly informed me that I wouldn't be served any kind of "crazy alcoholic drink," because he'd have to "spend the whole day cleaning up my puke from the bathroom." I was a bit taken aback by this, especially since I monitor my consumption of alcohol responsibly, and was by no means close to being wasted; my friend who had accompanied me was also clearly close to being completely sober. I also didn't quite understand how it would take "all day" to flush a toilet that had vomit in it, or why this wasn't a task I would be capable of undertaking myself.
My friend promised the old man (who turned out to be the owner) that we weren't going to get sick all over his bar, or start randomly smashing his bottles to bits and pieces in a belligerent rampage somehow fueled by a single Irish Car Bomb. He responded by stating that she did not look like a trustworthy person, and that her promise meant absolutely nothing to him. It's a sheer delight to be in the presence of such a warm and welcoming host, who is refreshingly honest about his complete lack of faith in humanity.
If you're just looking for a place where you can drink and have a good time, I would suggest you instead visit one of Nyack's many other wonderful bars. However, if you're looking for a place where you can be insulted and deemed an "alcoholic" because you had the audacity to order a popular cocktail, or a place where every time you want to order another round, you'll have to successfully assure the comically emetophobic owner that you will remain sober enough to manage to avoid coating the entire surface area of his establishment in a thick sheen of vomit, or if you simply want to experience the almost paradoxical phenomenon of the only Irish bar in the world where it is considered inappropriate to be drunk on St. Patrick's Day, then look no further than O'Donoghue's Tavern.
I had to revise my review and give this place "5 stars" instead of my original "4 stars". I come here almost every Sunday with my friends...we eat, drink and chat for hours!! The staff is warm and welcoming!! The waitress (Liz) is soooo fabulous and, our bartender (Melissa) is sooooooo funny and great to chat with! The food is wonderful! The brunch specials never disappoint!! I can't say enough good things about this place!
Review Source:I used to be a regular at OD's but hadn't eaten there since the place was sold, - It is just not the same...but maybe it will get better.
Things have changed a lot,the night we were there the food was not as good. There are now a tons of T.V's and the place is too loud.... It is too small a space for so many T.V.'s. Â
In the past, I loved the simple Turkey club with Cabot cheddar. Now it is just aTurkey Club - but it uses slighty slimey turkey, regular cheddar and is just boring. The burger was ok but no more Rockland bakery rolls. The chicken tenders with honey mustard was overcooked and dry and the honey mustard has changed and was terrible.
Desserts are always worth returning for...they are still amazing.
I LOVED O'D's but sad to say it's gone...
I used to be a regular at OD's but hadn't been there to eat in several years. Â I decided tot try it for dinner the other night since they are under new ownership. Â Unfortunately, it was rather disappointing. Â I had the fish and chips, which was not very good....a bit greasy, and just didn't have that fresh-fish impression. Â And the portion was not very big. I've had better fish and chips at a couple of places in Nyack just up the street. Â The fries were decent, as was the starter salad...and they do have a nice beer selection. Â Still, I doubt I'll be back...except for maybe a brew. Â The waitress was nice and accommodating.
On another note, we chose to take a table by the window in the bar, Â This is a real locals place and on this night the locals were loud and and mildly entertaining...but it seemed that every other word was one of the 7 that are not allowed on TV. I didn't mind all that much, but I'm sure others would have been mildly offended.
I've lived in Nyack for a while, and there is no better place in the entire town than O'D's. Â First of all, Mary's desserts are to die for. Â Do not eat your entire dinner, because the dessert menu has no bad choices. Â Not one.
Second of all, the fish and chips was perfectly cooked, which is a rarity anywhere in the US. Â Amazed. Â And my girlfriend got the half-pizza, and it was glorious. Â All would be great, had it ended there. Â But: Â Defiant ale on tap? Â And a Defiant I had never tasted anywhere else? Â Seriously, how do they do it? Â How is the beer in Nyack better than, even, Ommegang Brewery, even? Â It just was. Â
Also, had brunch two days later (thinking maybe I've just been lucky with the dinners); Â HOLY $H|T. Â The crab cake thing? Â Unreal. Â UNREAL.
Also, none of the Nyack frat bros. scene. Â Just good people.
I feel bad writing this, actually, 'cause I kind of want to keep it for myself. Â I don't want a flock of people going there. Â But at the same time, Mary deserves a shout out, 'cause she puts everything into that place, as does her husband and (I think) her son, who has served us four times now with the same awesome sincere care that is a total rarity in (a) 2012 and (b) Nyack, where fancy restaurants hope you don't mind their idiot tattooed gum-chomping wait-staff.
Sorry.
Just go have lunch or dinner. Â Or a shot. Â Or brunch. Â Plus, the only scooter parking in Nyack. Â Just saying. Â How cool is that? Â There was a vintage Vespa parked there, and I looked up, and there was a sign specifying the spot. Â This kind of awesome never happens anymore. Â I don't know these people, have no stake in this, am just freaking jazzed that a place like O'D's exists and I can go there. Â I'd pay them twice what they ask just to make sure they never stop.
I went in to OD's for Sunday brunch with my friend a few weeks ago and we decided to sit at the bar...The bartender was super funny and talked to us but was not annoying! Â The food was amazing...Crabcake benedict...need I say more? Â Also the sweet potato fries were the bomb! My friend had a Thai wrap and was nice enough to give me a bite, which was also extremely delicious! Â The coffee was self serve which was very convenient, and we ended up having dessert which I was told was homemade...Mary's chocolate cake was super chocolatey and the perfect end to a perfect brunch!
Review Source:This is an alright little bar. Usually a good atmosphere and relatively good service. Gets a little crowded at the bar and there is a serious bottleneck at the front.
They have recently installed a number of flat screen TVs. Too many for such a small area, when you walk in and all the TVs are on it looks like walking into a sunbed.
The food is okay here, a wide selection and they serve quite late.
HOWEVER, O'Ds serves the WORST hot wings I have ever had in my life. They are beyond disgusting. The chicken is small and not particularly well cooked but the travesty here is that their hot sauce is actually marinara sauce with a dash of Frank's. The wings are inedible. Even though they offer 0.25c wings after 11pm I would never order them again.
Good pint of Guinness though. And the home made ginger vodka is great.
Bar in the front with a few bar tables and an extremely casual dining room in the back. Great American pub fare plus some daily trendier specials. Â Burgers, steaks, and chicken from the grill. A signature Washington Apple Salmon, salmon fillet cooked atop sliced Granny Smith apples and basted with apple cider is a heart healthy favorite-a bit bland for me as i prefer some sort of spice or other seasoning on fresh salmon. Â Great sweet potato fries. Â The bar mixes one of the best Margaritas around and good wines by the glass. Â In a town of many more upscale eateries, this place is known to the locals who fill the dining room early on weekends except in summer when they tend to leave the area for weekend homes and excursions and clearly Nyack day trippers don't venture the one block off the main business district to find this little gem. Â The service and friendly and I believe it is the owner, and friendly bearded man, who, when at the bar, thanks patrons for their visit as they leave.
Oh-the homemade desserts by server/pastry chef Mary are scrumptious. A recent creation she calls the Trinity Cake is a Guiness spiked chocolate cake layered with chocolate ganache and covered in a fluffy Bailey's Irish Cream enhanced butter cream frosting-the best cake I've had in ages! Can't wait to go back for another slice!
A near perfect pint of Guinness where the head is creamy and the stout fresh... This is a top 10 Â Guinness must.
I had irish lamb stew, parts of it were phenomenal, other parts of it were tough. Bartenders were friendly, and attentive.
The wife had shrimp cocktail and loved it.
Gets super crowded with locals like all of nyack on the weekends and not as fun.
I would give it another star, if it didn't turn into a local's mob scene. also shepherds pie is made with lamb, that is also a knock. Â We'll you know what, the Guinness is that good, 4 stars
this place and sour kraut are worth revisiting to me so far in nyack.
Nice folks. Very welcoming even when I drag in a stroller. I ended up here the first time because I was caught in a tremendous storm and decided to hide out and have a beer. The folks at the bar and woman behind the bar were funny and genial.
I have been back a couple times for food. I am a big fan of the meatloaf! I have tried a few of the other things on offer, but always return to the meatloaf.
Great pub - probably our favorite place to go in Nyack. Very low-key, aboslutely never a meat-market feel (phew!). Â The food is really great - a lot of it is home-made and you can tell this place has a lot of "regulars", and for good reason! Â We love the burgers, the rotating local taps, the homemade fries and the ridiculously good desserts!
Review Source:If I'm going to OD's to eat, there are only two things on their menu I want. Â 1) OD's Own Home Made Veggie Burger (it's vegan) and 2) Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake. Â These two things are delicious. Â The burger is large, the roll is perfect...ask for cheddar on the burger if you're not vegan. Â It really makes the sandwich. Â The cake is a little pricey but it's decadent so you wouldn't want a huge slice of it anyway. Â We usually get it to share with some coffee after dinner and I'm never disappointed.
The rest of their food is mediocre. Â If I must eat something else, I'll usually go for the herb roasted chicken or the grilled cheese. Â Stay away from the wings, they have their own special sauce and I really dislike it. Â It's closer to marinara than wing sauce... I've tried their Home Made Corned Beef as well but it's always too dry for my tastes and I've never enjoyed it. Â Regular fries are ok, sweet potato fries are bad (oddly, go to Black Bear for good sweet potato fries).
That being sad, I really enjoy hanging out at OD's. Â It's a comfortable place with plenty of charm and almost always helpful and friendly staff (hey, we all have bad days). Â If I'm going to have a couple pints, it's my first choice in Nyack.
There's not a lot of reasons I leave the fair borough of Brooklyn -- work, cheap-but-still-tasty churascurria restaurants and chicken wings.
Yes, chicken wings.
Tuesday nights are the .15 cent wing special at O'D's (as my family calls it) and since it gave me a good excuse to go see the family that lives up in this area, and eat some wings, I took the Port Authority plunge to make it up Route 9A, into Nyack and to O'D's.
In Manhattan, this bar probably wouldn't be anything special. In Brooklyn, you'd probably expect to see it in Bay Ridge. But in Nyack, this is Cheers. All the guys at the bar were regulars and didn't stop their conversation of casting all blame on the economic crisis on the nimrods in Washington (I think they're probably right -- but politics is bad conversation on dates and on Yelp) to notice the random guy who obviously didn't belong at this Irish Pub.
The wings were small, but they were cheap so it didn't bother me in the slightest. I asked for a side of ranch, and got a half-pint -- so bonus points for that.* The fries were especially tasty, but it's not an American-sized portion, just a normal portion for one human being.
I liked the vibe of the place  -- and it certainly looks like a cultural touchstone in Nyack. There's usually live music on the weekends and Monday night features bluegrass music with an open jam session later in the evening (which certainly got my banjo-god** Uncle's ears a-perkin'), so chances are I might be back out here again.
Good, solid place, and one I would go back to next time I'm back in Nyack.
* - Ranch is the perfect condiment and, to paraphrase Ben Franklin, proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
** - Seriously, the guy's freakin' amazing.
So many choices in this town. But this place has parking on the weekends, music on the weekends, cheap beer on weekends. Get the picture? It's loud, crowded, TV screens all over, crayons/books for kids and great desserts. But surprisingly in an Irish pub, the food menu is filled with some pretty good Italian items along with the normal bar fare, burgers and stew.
Can't vouch for the fries at all, but the salads were large and filled with fresh tomatoes, peppers, carrots, sprouts etc. Better than most and these were side salads. Chicken Scarpiello was to die for, tons of garlicly chicken, small sausage bits in a wine w/mushroom sauce. A little too much butter on the green beans but they were fresh and perfectly done. Salmon on granny smith apples was picture perfect, along with the same overly buttered beans. Both entrees would have been at home in a white table cloth place around the block in Nyack! Dessert was sin-full named after the bar's own Mary, chocolate cake. Tables are so close so I can comment on the meatloaf, salad with chicken, and wrap served at the next table. They looked and tasted great according to the overheard comments.
So, just off the downtown beaten path is quite a decent find. Maybe go for the music but you'll eat well, way better than expected for what it looks like!
I like this place. It's never going to win any fine dining awards, but the everyone is friendly and the burgers are juicy and delicious, and served on huge, fresh sourdough rolls. Fries leave something to be desired, so go for the sweet potato fries if you like 'em. The burgers don't come with either, so you could just skip fries all together, though that seems a bit sacreligious to me.
Very nice place for kids- they not only dole out paper and crayons but books as well.
The kitchen is closed Mondays, which is kinda annoying as that's the day we want to eat there half the time.