Claddagh Irish Pub is at Polaris in Southern Delaware County.
Despite my name and heritage... I am not a big "Irish" food fan. What can I say? I like Mexican and Indian food... Don't get me wrong. I love corned beef and cabbage. I love salmon. I love potatoes. I love Irish whiskey... I have never really enjoyed any of the Columbus "Irish" restaurants. I have NOT been to Ireland though either.
I love the look of Claddagh Irish Pub. If I was a big drinker it looks like a lively bar. Claddagh Irish Pub says of itself "We present an authentic “pub house” experience to our guests based on the “craic” of Ireland – a fun, friendly and exuberant atmosphere."
Claddagh Irish Pub is a chain like many of the restaurants in the Polaris area. There is also a Claddagh Irish Pub downtown on Front St. The Polaris, Claddagh Irish Pub is at 8745 Sancus Blvd, Columbus, Ohio 43240.
We ate at Claddagh Irish Pub for the second time Saturday. I believe the first time we ate at Claddagh was during the summer of 2009... actually no it was late summer or early fall because we were there on an OSU game day but we got there after the game but before the dinner crowd arrived in their OSU clothing. We walked in and were seated instantly. There was a lively group at the bar as I recall.
Late January 2010 we were not as lucky. We had to wait for a table. That's a good sign on a Saturday night though isn't it? A few years ago it was that way everywhere in the Polaris area. You had to wait for a table. Hopefully it will be that way again in the future. Soon?
Claddagh was our second choice. Our first choice another "chain" in the Polaris area the parking lot was so crowded we did not even go in to see how long the wait was.
Claddagh Irish Pub was mobbed too. The parking lot was full. The hostess said it would be a twenty minute wait. She was right on the money. However we almost left because a couple of tables that were seated with menus, got up and walked out because no one ever came back to take their orders. What's the point of waiting for a table if no one waits on you? We talked about leaving. Next up? Waffle House would have been our next try (ooooh not my choice... not that I don't love Waffle House...) but we stuck it out at Claddagh Irish Pub on Saturday evening.
Jessie who waited on us did a great job, so we were glad we were seated in her section. We were right next to a fireplace. It was the same table we were seated at on our first visit. Not right next to the bar but within earshot. Probably the whole restaurant is.
Traditional or authentic Irish fare
The Claddagh Irish Pub website says: "We take great pride in providing our guests with excellent quality products and service. Our recipes are prepared on the premises, using only the finest ingredients."
I ordered the corned beef and cabbage. Traditional huh? Or maybe authentic. The carrots and potatoes were wonderful. The cabbage was cold and tasteless and they served me a big hunk of the cabbage core. I did not eat the cabbage core. I love cabbage. I don't eat the core. Does anyone eat the core of a cabbage? Maybe that is authentic.
The corned beef was OK. It was sliced thin, more something for sandwiches than traditional corned beef and cabbage.
The first time we ate at Claddagh Irish Pub at Polaris I had the Brian Boru Salad, a better choice.
Authentic “pub house” experience
Claddagh Irish Pub is loud. Or maybe it was just exuberance. The guy at the bar who kept yelling "Mother _ _ _ _ _" was annoying. The two families with small children in our section had left by the time he felt the need to tell his loud group of friends over and over about some "Mother _ _ _ _ _"
Perhaps that was part of the authenticity.
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Photo credit our dinners were not pretty enough to photograph and we drank soft drinks so this photo is from Flickr: Photo by Jeff Kubina. The photo "Beer" was taken in Cincinnati Ohio.
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