Guide to Irish Restaurants

This is an irreverent guide to Irish restaurants.  When we travel, we focus on the experiences in different countries -- the combination of architecture, history, geography, and people that together make a visit a unique experience.  We don't normally include food in our guides, because generally you can duplicate foreign cooking while still in the U.S.  So while you may not be able to eat Irish stew in a genuine Irish pub while in Philadelphia or Los Angeles or Dallas, you can still eat Irish stew.  Our travel tips, therefore, are focused on the easiest (and sometimes cheapest) way to satisfy your hunger while traveling overseas.  We don't travel to eat -- we eat to have the energy to travel.  That said, we do like cafeterias, because they are quick, they feature a variety of dishes, and often are less expensive than their restaurant counterparts.  But we also enjoy buying cheese and crackers (or local bread) and soft drinks, and having a picnic. 

Travel tips for Irish restaurants

1. Restaurant food in Ireland is expensive.  For example, we regularly paid $40 - 45 for lunch for two people to have sandwiches and soft drinks in small, local restaurants.  These were nice, but not fancy, and we dined with the locals who stopped in for their lunch. 

2. Cafeterias were great.  We had the opportunity of a variety of good, hot foods for a price that was not much more than we would have spent on sandwiches.  We'll tell you the location of the cafeterias we found, on each of our regional pages for our Ireland travel tips.

3. Yes, America, there are McDonalds in Ireland.  And Burger Kings.  And in Killarney, a uniquely Irish fast food restaurant named Den Joe's.

4. Feel free to ask questions about menu items in Irish restaurants.  This is an English-speaking country with easy going, friendly people, and your server will be happy to help you choose a meal that you will enjoy.

5. Most Irish hotels will have a "full Irish breakfast" buffet.  Here's what to expect -- scrambled eggs, grilled (not fried) bacon, mushrooms, sausage, black pudding, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, cold cereals, breads (usually croissants), and orange juice.  Where are the scones, you ask?  They are usually eaten mid-morning, with tea.

	Ireland Travel Guides & Travel Tips
	Irish Restaurants
	Ireland Hotels
	Shannon, Limerick & Bunratty
	Western Ireland   - Galway, Connemara, Kylemore Abbey, Westport, Knock
	Northwestern Ireland   - Bundoran & Donegal
	Northern Ireland   - Belfast, Derry, Giant's Causeway
	Eastern Ireland   - Dublin, Knowth, Ballyknocken House
	Southeasten Ireland   - Kilkenny, Waterford
	Southern Ireland   - Kerry & Cork Counties