The Kilkenny Irish Pub

I had high hopes for the Kilkenny since it was recommended by some friends as a good place to go with a group. There were 6 of us, and 4 people arrived and secured a table and ordered drinks while my boyfriend and I parked the car. We ordered drinks for ourselves when the server brought the drinks for the other 4. Drinks took quite a while, but where this place fell apart was the food service. For some reason the first 4’s food arrived 15 – 20 minutes before the food for my boyfriend and I despite us all ordering food at the same time. I ordered the shrimp avocado wrap and it was about 60% mayo. And not good mayo. The drippy, bland, disgusting mayo. I didn’t finish it, and our server never came by to ask how it was. One of the couples in our group wanted to pay and head out, and the server brought the check and asked if they would need a machine and they said yes. They even confirmed they would pay her and not pay at the bar, and she said she’d be right back with the machine.
She never came back. Eventually, about 20 minutes later, she reappeared by the front door and they went up and paid her at the hostess table. They asked her for the rest of our bills, and she brought the other bills back to us but didn’t comment on my almost full plate of full, or asked anyone else how their meals were. Our receipt says our servers name was Billie, and she definitely left a lot to be desired. I’d give 0 stars if that was possible.

I am one of its regulars and have been for some time. There is just something that keeps me coming back to this place. I think it has something to do with the atmosphere that they have set up. It really feels like a community hub just like the old public houses back in Ireland. It is authentic & genuine; it feels warm and inviting just like your own living room.
There are couple of corners that have fireplaces and other spaces that can be booked for just about any size of group. There is a TV everywhere you look and a massive TV in the back, which is likely the biggest in the NW. At the front bar there is a gallery of TVs usually always playing a different game so you never miss a game; this is how I would set up a man-​cave.
I have nothing but praise for the place. I don’t even live in the area anymore but I still go out of my way to to get there as do many of the regulars that frequent the venue. Some come as far as Tuscany and Point McKay just to meet up with friends and share a pint. I think that says something about the atmosphere that this bar creates.
The food menu keeps getting better and better. They have some Irish staples, which most Irish pubs don’t, which are great but they are moving away from that. They now have an All-​Day Breakfast — who does not like that? Add that to the Steak Sandwich special over the lunch hour every week day — how can you go wrong with that?
Mondays are good for wings, Tuesday is tacos, Wednesday is burgers and Thursday is steak and wine. Sunday has a good buffet, maybe one of the only buffets in the NW, with a few theme items that change from week to week as well as a roast beef and omelette station. Happy Hour from 2−6PM (4−6PM on weekends) is great too.

Food is all right, but service’s beyond disappointing. Didn’t get to enjoy my dinner while our server was giving us attitude.

The wings are so tasty. (Try their wings on Monday) Their Sunday brunch buffet is absolutely beyond the expectation. You will enjoy great food without limitation. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about their apple pie. They start to bake it when you order it. I can’t put it in a word… Amazing!

The food is excellent, especially the breakfast menu. The food and décor really make it feel like your in Ireland, which I think is a fun idea. It’s something new and fun. The service however is terrible. The last time I was there, it was lunch and there were only maybe 6 tables busy, and 2 servers going. Seems rather under staffed to me. It still took forever for service. I also think it would be worth it to get some bigger stools and booths.

I’d give this place a zero but one is the lowest option. Service was terrible, it took our server ages to take our order and forgot our drinks. She clearly had ‘favourite’ tables, sitting with them and giving them obviously better service. When we attempted to leave we asked for a box to pack the little food we wanted to save and our bill then watched her leave, sit with the ‘favourites’ and put her number into a different customers phone. After watching her forget we are trying to leave legally (so much temptation just to get up and walk out) we asked a different waitress for a box. She didn’t look surprised our original waitress was being neglectful. Our original waitress came shortly after with two boxes and said ‘sorry about that, I had to go all the way to the back’. Right… We will go with that. Oh, and she forgot our bill. I don’t care if she was ‘new’ like she claimed. Do rounds, check and see if everyone is okay. And for the love of god, don’t lie to a customer when they can see you plain as day socializing. I would only come back if I sat at the bar and only ordered drinks.

Service was good, and we didn’t have to fight for a table even after a stampeders game. Had the pork belly Mac and cheese, which was really great. I would definitely recommend it if you come here.

Busy place service was below par and we had some food issues but they were dealt with to satisfaction. Great value on 5 buck wings on wed good sized wings.

Just tried the Quebec poutine, soggy fries, soaked in gravy covered in chewy cheese
Not a good example

Table of friends going out for a nice dinner. The waitress was running around like crazy, the food was ok. We ordered Irish Coffees and they were a joke. Cold coffee, made colder with a shot of scotch (NOT Irish whiskey) and served with a handful of creamers. For an Irish bar, someone needs to go back to bartending school, or find a new profession. Really really an embarrassment.

A good, reliable place for pub grub. I had two interesting experiences here with my two visits.
The first time we went New Years Day and they were running this great special of a pub burger (bacon, lettuce, etc) for 2.50! (Usually 13.95) And craft beers for $ 5.00 (usually 6.50)
We all ordered burgers and I ordered poutine for the table. The poutine was delicious! And the burgers were great for the price. For 13.95 I would say the burgers should definitely be fresher… You could tell the were frozen patties. But for such a great deal, we were all happy! Great beer selection and good environment!
The second time we went a few of us actually had to leave because they didn’t have Canadian issued IDs, they all had US IDs and all looked definitely over 18. The only one that looked close to 18 had a Canadian ID. While the boys left to get their passports we ordered beer.
It put a damper on the visit, especially because we had bought alcohol several other places with our US IDs. But it’s understandable and we stayed.
The great part is that at the end of the night, when the server brought us the bill, she put our whole first round (for everyone, not just the guys that had to leave) on the house. It was a great gesture that we weren’t expecting. It shows that they value their customers.
As for food, I split the steak sandwich. It was cooked medium rare and actually was medium rare, the steak was pretty tough though but taste wise it wasn’t bad.
All in all it seems like this place values it’s customers, has a great atmosphere, and decent pub grub. I would definitely return. Oh also great beer selection!

Okay so I had one of those «Waaaaaaaaahhh I’m so fat» days so I decided not to eat any junk food for a whole week (if you know me, this is extremely tough for me). I went Monday and Tuesday clean… feelin’ so fresh. Wednesday came along and I was doing pretty well… that is… until my sister asked me if I wanted to joined her and her fiancé for dinner somewhere *SABOTAGE!!* –_​– Of course it isn’t hard to twist my arm so I was totally down for it. We all wanted something inexpensive, ‘healthy’ and tasty BUT that didn’t go through as I wanted some pub food :) hehehehe. Kilkenny is nearby so we decided to make the stop.
Kilkenny is located on Brentwood Road NW. It’s actually kind of hidden (depending on which way you come) but for me, its behind First Calgary Financial/​Liquor Depot and beside Karma hair salon. There is also a ton of parking! I’ve visited Kilkenny before when I was a young lass but I’m just reviewing this place now. We entered and walked around to look for open tables. It was pretty busy for a Wednesday night because of their 5 cent ribs and 5 cent meatballs deal. We found a high top table and our waitress came by. Kenny ordered a grasshopper while Dani and I just stuck with water. I decided to go with the clubhouse with onion rings, Dani went with the Shrimp avocado wrap with season veggies and Kenny went with the special, honey garlic ribs and satay peanut meatballs. FYI: You have to order a beverage in order to get the special. Also, the ribs only come in 10s and the meatballs come in 20s.
While we waited for food, we chatted and noticed there are a bunch of TVs. There was different stuff playing on each TV. Womens MMA, Hockey, Baseball… a good variety if you wanted to watch a sporting event with some buddies. Anyway, we continued to wait and wait and wait. Kenny was pretty much done his beer when the food finally came out. My clubhouse was cut into quarters with a skewer going through all of the pieces… I thought it was very unnecessary and annoying as I was really hungry and I didn’t want to be messing with the skewer but just dive right in. I found the sandwich unsatisfying… I had wished the turkey wasn’t processed but I guess that’s what I get for assuming it wasn’t going to be. The onion rings were delightful, a good onion to batter ratio. Dani enjoyed her wrap but the seasoned veggies were just frozen vegetables just heated up. Kenny enjoyed the ribs but the meatballs seemed bland. I don’t think the peanut satay was a good choice. We all wondered if it was actually real meat as the 20 meatballs were only 1 $…probably not. haha
All in all, service was lacking, food was meh and unfortunately, our experience wasn’t the best. I do understand they were busy but it just seemed like a very long wait and if the wait is long, I expect the food to be fantastic but this wasn’t the case. I must say that Kilkenny is popular on weekdays because of their inexpensive specials. I do enjoy wing night.

When my boyfriend used to work close to this pub, I would sometimes join him and his coworkers for an after work drink (or two!) They have pretty good daily specials with both drinks and food — wings, steak sandwiches, fish & chips, etc. and their regular bar menu (nachos and burgers) isn’t too shabby.
Since the Jameson’s nearby renovated I’ve noticed that this place isn’t as busy as it used to be — could be because people are easily swayed by shiny new things. The décor in this place is typical of any Irish pub — dark with random knick knacks and heavy wooden tables and bar stools.
I don’t love this place but I don’t hate it either, it’s a somewhere to check out for happy hour and some pub food.

Had the fish and chips. Large portions. TVs are way too loud in here. I mean, come on, you don’t need the volume on, or at least not that high. One of the great things about being in Canada during this time is the hockey playoffs. I love it. There’s hockey everywhere. I’ll get home and maybe get to watch the Blackhawks at best.
We had a nice waitress here — from Sweden, in country only 2 months. These guys also have a «Crafty» beer selection. They list Alexander Keith’s as a PALE ALE, though. Ha! Change your name! Keith’s is not an IPA!
Had the Maple Cream Ale from «Gas Lamp». This is not a real brewery. It’s something else. I’m thinking Granville Island Kitsilano Maple Cream. It was decent. Lots of maple. Had the Rustic Red as well. Meh.
An okay place. Too loud, though.

This is the go-​to pub for after work drinks with colleagues. The place is larger than you initially think with plenty of room in the back. Parking can be a little bit of a challenge though.
Plenty of beer choices, decent food assortment and they run regular specials on things like meatballs!
Good place to unwind, service has been good, you can seat yourself.

I have come here on occasion, this visit was, it’s the sponsored pub for our soccer league. Which is awesome they do it, and our team gets good deals.
The reason I’m giving a meh review is the service. SO BAD! I know it’s a huge place, but there was maybe a dozen tables full.
I asked what they had for gluten free beers and she listed off the four and then said Budweiser. I just said ok ok, I’ll go Bards. Now being a celiac I have heard the Bud debate, but after a lot of research I have never seen a definite answer either way, so it’s pretty bad to be telling celiacs that they can drink this beer, when it hasn’t been answered.
My team got the wings, which I can’t have, so I got potatoe skins to go with my beer. Which were ok, I’ve had better.
I’m sure I will be back, but it’s not in my fave pub list.

We tried out the Sunday brunch this past weekend.
I was hoping to improve upon my last 2 star rating of this place, but alas, no such luck. In fact, I am torn between one and two stars this time.
The experience:
We took our seats, and did not see a sign of a server at all (the seats were more in the corner, so not as visible as the main floor area).
After a significant amount of wait time, we proceeded to hit the buffet in advance of ordering drinks (this was one at a time, just in case the server ever decided to show).
With two separate trips to the buffet, and plates of food now on the table — still no sign of our dear waitress. Which was an issue, as there was no sign of cutlery either.
We weren’t the only ones. One table of three next to us had plates of food, and were sans cutlery as well.
Both tables could only stare longingly at the food, picking at what we could with our fingers.
After a couple of minutes, my brunch companion went on recon for cutlery, came back with a couple of sets, and then went on recon for the omelet ordering forms.
Meanwhile, with two sets of cutlery on my table, and myself sitting alone, the other table began eyeing them suspiciously:
«Are you going to use both of those???»
«Uh, yeah… there’s two plates of food on the table.»
But in a leg cast, and slow on crutches, I was afraid.
Finally, after one of us (the customer) doing all the serving for our table, someone on staff clued in, and our waitress appeared. She was fully attentive for the rest of the brunch.
It turns out, we learned, the Kilkenny actually ran out of cutlery, so perhaps the waitress was just in the fetal position hiding somewhere?
Anyhow, the buffet and the custom ordered omelet were actually pretty good, once we could eat it. So that’s the only reason I went with 2 stars versus 1.
The rest wasn’t forgivable, so no improvement this time around.

If you’ve ever lived in the NW, surely you’ve been to The Kilkenny. The standard North American Irish pub in the neighbourhood, the place is always busy.
The pub is big, with a front and a back section and ample seating. The food’s as good as any pub in Calgary, although they do a mean mushroom soup.
Good food, good service, if you’ve been to a typical Irish pub before, you’ll know what to expect here.

Love this NW pub! Sunday Brunch always includes lots of frush fruit, opportunity to build an omlette, and of course lots of Bacon!
Daily specials are great — personally enjoy the 2-​bite Yorshires. Recently tried the Yorkshire Tidbit — the beef & gravy are divine. Almost impossible to finish if you start off with a bowl of the Potatoe Soup.
Parking lot may look full, but don’t leave without checking — this place can handle alot of people!
You won’t be sorry, and I expect you will return!

The Kilkenny is a great Irish pub, with good food and even better people. It’s a great place to spend some time any time of the day; lunch, dinner, drinks. It’s a nice place loosen up and chill out.
I love heading to Kilkenny around the lunch hour because they make the best veggie wrap! It’s a very simple dish, but not many restaurants make them right. Kilkenny, on the other hand, is not one of those places. They know what should go in a veggie wrap and that makes me happy. Along with your main dish you get to choose a side. I’ve never been disappointed by any of their sides. They have a delicious assortment of salads and soups; my favourite is the wild mushroom.
Food aside, they have so many beers to choose from that I have a hard time making up my mind. Each day of the week has something different to offer as a special, both food and drink. Monday’s are wing nights with Schooner’s for cheap, Wednesday is rib night with Sleeman’s on special and Friday is Yorkshire tid-​bits and Molson until 8.
Kilkenny is a fantastic place for large groups of people to go since they have a ton of seating, both booth and tables. This place can get pretty busy when the Flames are playing, or during a UFC fight, but it’s always good times with good people.
Sláinte!