Stopped in for lunch for the first time this past week. Â Located in Downtown Willoughby right next to Arabica Coffee House and owned by the same family that owns the popular Irish bar, Croagh Patricks. Â The Wild Goose is pretty good sized but not a lot of tables. Â There is a good size bar with a nice looking beer selection.
The Wild Goose is known for the stone oven pizzas but there are  many other selections on the menu.  Since this was the first time there, I had to try the pizza.  I went with the "Loosey Goosey" which had red sauce, cheese, pepperoni, sausage, onions, green peppers mushrooms, and black olives.  All of the pizzas are large, 8 cut.  The crust was good - had the crispiness that you expect from a stone oven style pizza.  I've seen some reviews indicating it was too crispy - this isn't your chain style pizza.  The crust was perfect, not burnt and not overly crispy.  The toppings were all very good and fresh.  The sauce tasted great and there was a perfect amount - not too much, not too little.  And finally, the cheese was balanced just right.  For $12.00 this was a great choice for lunch..
There are starts including things such as hummus, goat cheese dip, seafood pub dip and Irish potato soup as well as a good selection of salads and sandwiches. Â A nearby table ordered a sandwich which looked great and was huge!
The staff was friendly and attentive - to be expected by the Coyne family and the service was quick. Â Definitely will be checking this place out again.
The pizza crust is really good at this place. They have a nice selection of pizza toppings, including marinated artichokes and roasted eggplant. They have good specials ($2 Coronas on Mondays for happy hour). The bar isn't overall very large, but that's what's nice about it.
Just a warning for vegetarians that go here, their stuffed mushrooms are NOT vegetarian. They have sausage in them, but it's not listed on their menu. I would not typically expect them to have any meat on them, especially if all their menu says is, "Topped with provolone." So just take note of that if you go here and are vegetarian.
These lads have got what  it takes!  Of course I am a fan, the Coyne boys are such sweet, hospitable guys, that everyone feels right at home in their establishments.
But, I must review the food ...that's why I'm here.
Pizza......yum! Â I recommend the pesto sauce, with sausage and onions. Â Or whatever toppings tickle your fancy. Â Thinner crust pizza than I normally enjoy, but perfectly cooked, crisp, and DE-LISH! Â
My friend and I both ordered salads with the pizza. Â Here's a tip: Â Order just one salad...they are huge. Â A great split with the pizza, and a few pints of Smithwicks.
I'm looking forward to trying some of their specialty pizzas and menu items. Â Follow them on Facebook too, they always have live updates of menu items, events, and just fun anecdotes. Â The service is great...believe all the good reviews you've read.
For a newer place, they have it figured out. Â Kickass service, coupled with great food at a value. Â I could stay there all night. Â Brick oven pizza. Â McPat (owner) is out and about, either bussing tables, waiting, or schmoozing. Â Which he does best. Â And that, I believe, is also important, Â The customers have to know that someone has an interest in you coming back. Â
Good on you, Wild Goose.
We stopped in here to watch the Browns game and grab some grub. Â I was very pleasantly surprised by the ambiance and the quality of the pizzas. Â We have been out in the DTW a few times and I haven't been super impressed by the locations or some of the clientele but this place drew a very mature crowd. Â Our group tried a couple different pizzas and they were all very good. Â Definitely enough to take home as leftovers!!
Review Source:Such a yummy surprise. Even though i tend to have a distaste for DTW due to its d-bag environment, I hope this place isn't a short lived establishment. Attending Happy Hour with my BFF made it a good choice. 5 dollar one-topping pizza, yes please. Our bartender, Tony was awesome. He put up with my inability to make up my mind and always picked something yummy.
Review Source:What a great place to eat and just hang out.  I went there on a tuesday night with friends who have been there before and recommended the place.  I was immediately  impressed with Wild Goose because of the wide variety of imported beer selection. We were greeted by the owner who was both pleasant and cordial.  He told us the special for Tuesday is buy a pint of beer and a pizza for $7.  We jumped at the chance.  The pizza is cooked in a stone oven and was delicious.  The peperoni was crisp the sausage was very tasty.  The pizza's oozed over with plenty of cheeze and the crust was cooked to the perfect crispness.  The night continued and the staff continued to chat and mingle with us.  We became very relaxed and had some more beers.  Later as we sat the owner was experimenting with a new dish (stuffed pepper) because he got some fresh peppers earlier in the day.  He offered us to try and we eagerly did and it was fabulous.  We recommended he put it on the menue.  In the future Wild Goose will be a place I visit, the daily specials all are very affordable and the food is excellent.  I can't wait
Review Source:So here was the situation. It was 1pm on a Sunday afternoon, my friend and I were westsiders headed out to Eastlake, and I was as hungover as a college football mascot the day after homecoming. Desperate for any place that wasn't going to make me eat eggs, and would also provide some hair of the dog, we pulled off in Willoughby and searched the GPS for anything that sounded promising. Even though I thought Oliver Twist was the kind of cutesy name that might end up with us sitting in a dining room next to a collection of Charles Dickens theme dolls, we went with it, and parked in downtown Willoughby, which immediately gave me Berea flashbacks. Oliver Twist was closed. But there seemed to be a lot of other eateries on the strip, so we walked down looking for someplace. Closed Closed Closed. Apparently if you can't get your butt out of bed before 11 in Willoughby, you are screwed for brunch. Dejected, we walked back the car, me vocally denouncing the whole lousy place, when we saw people walking in the Wild Goose, and decided to see if they had food.
Man, did Chance help us out there. The bartender was immediately helpful and super friendly. My hangover was a little dismayed at the prospect of pizza, but the fire pizza oven convinced me and I ordered a simple garlic oil one with some bacon and olives. My friend is one of those guys who can eat a horse, so he ordered the seafood dip, the Irish potato soup, and a Wild Goose pizza. Given how cheap the pizzas were, we were expecting them to be small. But no, they were quite regular pizza sized, and we ended up with a ton to take home. They had just changed the menu the day before, and so they made him the old version of the Wild Goose, which had duck and apples on it, instead of the corned beef one on the new menu. I know, that old one sounds fantastic right? It was, but he isn't into sweet things, so they immediately made him the right one, with no fuss and super quickly, which he also liked a lot. The Irish potato soup was amazing. I don't eat seafood, but he couldn't stop raving about the dip. My own pizza was also great - the crust was thin and crispy the way I love it, and they don't skimp on the toppings at all. If I lived in Willoughby (never going to happen but) I would order pizza from here all the time.
The entire staff was wonderful, and if you live on that side of town or like us find yourself there accidentally, you should totally stop in.
Decided to give this a try when I was visiting my boyfriend right after he got out of class at nearby Lakeland Community College. Â We both wanted to try out a new place and this sure fit the bill--sounds like it opened earlier this year.
We both enjoyed the good selection of about 10 draft beers, including some of the upscale bar standards (Guinness, Harp, etc.) as well as a few more unusual microbrew choices. Â It looked like they had a large liquor selection but we did not partake of mixed drinks this time. Â As it was a bit later than the usual dinnertime (after 8 PM), it was largely a drinking and not eating crowd and they had a decent sized, attractive, younger group there. Â For those of you wondering.
We ordered the hummus, the Hot Potato pizza, and a veggie sandwich. Â
The hummus, as others have noted, is clearly the homemade variety and a red pepper flavor, and served with what appeared to be seasoned slices of pizza crust. Â I thought it pretty delicious, though traditionalists might balk at their substitute for pita.
The Hot Potato pizza was glorious, basically homemade mashed potatoes (the real kind) on top of a thin crust of pizza, where you can't tell where one carb ends and the other begins. Â All of this topped with cheddar and bacon. Â Very good, and I have a ton of leftover slices for the money ($12), so even though it's one of the pricier choices it did not seem unreasonable.
My BF is vegan, so he ordered the veggie sandwich sans cheese. Â It still comes with a smear of their hummus and also olive tapenade, and many veggies, so I think he liked it as more than just an ordinary veggie sandwich. Â However, one noted downside--which I think they could easily fix--as someone looking to go out dining with a vegan in tow, I do appreciate online menus as they confirm whether there are options for him. Â The Wild Goose is so new they don't have this yet, but it's something I'd recommend to entice picky, veggie, or vegan folks to your place.
Great atmosphere & wonderful pizza! My 3 girlfriends & I shared the warm sundried tomato spinach dip (which was amazing), along with the margherita & bianco pizzas; Delicious from the stone/wood burning oven! Great wine too! Music wasn't too loud so we were able to chat & enjoy ourselves. They took great care of us & we will definitely be back!
Review Source:I think The Wild Goose is just what DTW needed - a nice bar with good food at decent prices. Â They have plenty of weekly specials - everything from pizza to soup to martinis - and they have great happy hour pricing. Â Even on a Saturday. Â
I stopped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Â The place was pretty full with everything from frat boys to families. Â I went against my better judgment and ordered a vegetarian mushroom sandwich instead of pizza. Â I felt like I was ordering steak in a Chinese restaurant since The Wild Goose has a pizza oven right smack dab at the end of the bar. Â My sandwich was good, but my boyfriend said the pizza he ordered was awesome. Â He had a "create your own" pizza with white sauce, chicken, and banana peppers. Â
I would definitely go back to eat and especially drink at The Wild Goose. Â This is a welcome addition to Willoughby and I wish the Coyne family nothing but luck!
What a great addition to the DTW scene, congrats Coyne family for providing us socialites with a wonderful bar/restaurant to get happy in. Â I love the openness, long bar, comfortable seating, and better yet, the food and drink. Â What's great about WG is that the concept was to have everyone (owners / managers) bring something to the restaurant whether it be wine recommendations, recipes, decorative talent, imaginations, and best yet 'a family working environment'. Â It really makes you feel like you stepped into a bar that is owned by a bunch of best friends albeit they are mostly family. Â Now to the review of the food.
Starter:
Potato Soup - WOW! Â Thickness of a chowder or creamed down mashed potatoes, but the flavor is terrific. Â Topped with sour cream, REAL bacon, and cheese, what a fricken delight. $5.
Appetizer (pic uploaded):
Hummus Dip - Very obvious this is homemade. Â Not extremely smooth, slightly textured, but well seasoned / put together. Â I've never been a big fan, but I'd get this again. Â I thought it was a little pricey at $8 but 1/2 off everyday from 3-7, not that's a good deal.
Pizza (pic uploaded):
The Goose!! Â OK, so what do think when the toppings are Duck Confit, Pears, and Blue Cheese?? Â Yeah....that pretty much sold us ($14). Â As it IS the most expensive item on the menu, it's probably one of the more flavorful pizza's I've ever eaten. Â The cheese has a very strong flavor so WG does go a little light, but it sure packs a punch. Â I thought the crust might have been a little thick, which will always take away from the flavor of the pizza but it still needs to be thick enough to hold up against the ingredients (this is supposed to be finger food - right?). Â I also talked with one of the owners and they're still trying to tackle the imported oven since it does smoking hot. Â
Overall, I think with time, this will be a great place to go get some unique eats, especially the pizza. Â They are planning on running pizza of the day specials along with beer and wine of the day deals. Â To comment on 1 and done Charles' review, the beer was very cold and the music was perfect (we had a 10 month old with us) and she slept most of dinner. Â I honestly think that the only downside to this location is parking. Â So get in early and get your grub on.
Note: Â My phone wasn't feeling that good when I took the pics. Â I'll try better next time.
The atmosphere is something that the DTW area has been lacking. Has a nice appeal and classy interior but very logical location and menu for a sporting even or hanging out with friends. The Coyne family pulls this one off well just as they have their other businesses. Great drink specials and happy hour from 3-7 daily and quite a few taps and bottles for the beer lover. The brick oven makes quite a few nicely topped specialty pizzas but their menu is lacking alittle. No typical pub grub here, if you want a burger, go somewhere else but if you want a specialty pizza, this is your spot. Not a bad seat in the house either for whatever game you may wish to see. This place has only been open a few days so the staff is very prevalent but I think in the next few months they will get it flowing. Can't wait to go back and try some brick oven goodness!
Review Source:
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 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
