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What a way to waste the evening away! This pub definitely has the feeling of being around for awhile and filled with regulars. And it makes it a very nice place to gather with friends.
I love the big open windows with fresh air. Well fresh unless people are smoking. But in between those periods, it's great. And it's great for people watching.
The beer was cold and kept coming. Though it makes you hungry. And as others have stated, thank god Taco Gringos is across the street. And yes, you can eat it in the pub. Apparently they let you order pizza too!
One of the best things here is that they let you bring well mannered dogs. Which is just lovely.
The bathrooms are downright scary though.
Poop, pee, and puke. That's what this place smells like. Oddly enough, the bathrooms are the least stinky place in the whole bar, but they have their own set of issues (women's stalls don't close, toilet almost doesn't flush, trash on the floor, etc).
This bar needs a bath.
I came.
I drank.
I left.
Decent tap selection, big windows open to the evening air, plain-jane wooden tables and a friendly bartender. It doesn't get more simple than that.
Before Adam C's bday at the kurrent, Jake and I stopped by to catch the UFC fights and do some pre-funking.
The layout of this place feels a little odd at first, but after careful consideration, I like it. The pool, darts and full size shuffleboard are all separated from the 'throngs' of the TV and bar area and each other. On a crowded night, that could mean the difference between the 8 ball in the corner pocket and a dart in the eye.
Overall though, it's just your typical Irish pub anywhere in the city. Dark wood, standard beer selections, standard decor, not a whole lot of effort. Just what you need to get by and 'barely pass'.
The bartendress had a bit of an attitude.
In the "I wore lingerie as a shirt, as the only female in a bar full of young guys watching fighting causing a rampant increase in the testosterone levels in the area, so I will cop an attitude to show I am tough and don't want the attention i am going to get from wearing this top, even though I really do want the attention" kind of way.
It was a good time, though, and I'm sure for any other reason I may have to saunter in to this bar with all the choices in the area, I'd have fun then too.
The ladies room was oddly one of the worst I've been to in the city...that is saying something. Ok, maybe Joe's was worse, but not by much.
For food, I'm assuming it's "carry in is ok" like many other bars in the city. I saw take out boxes being brought in by patrons and no indication that they serve it here.
Buddy, if you aren't a sucker for bar trivia, then I feel sorry for you. Had an open Tuesday night, so I went to clever dunne's for trivia, drinks, and a snack. Problem was, despite the word FOOD posted right outside the door, this bar doesn't serve anything but booze. The drink prices are fair though, and the trivia is not only fun, it's free. Seating is sparse, so if you get there late for trivia, hope it's a slow night. The hosts aren't always funny, but the five rounds of questions are well-written, entertaining, and challenging.
I don't imagine myself hanging at the bar if it isn't for trivia. Unless you're in the trivia (i've just become sadly aware that there isn't a good synonym for the word "trivia") or shuffleboard circuit, there isn't much draw to this foodless and creaky bar.
Still, again -- free trivia!
...trivia
I'm struggling on how to rate this place.
If I were a local, I think I'd fricken love it. Pool, darts, tvs around, and a couple friendly locals willing to clink my glass after I told a particularly juicy joke. (It was about juice).
However, I walk in here occasionally to cap off the night before filling myself full of tacos across the street at Tacos Gringos, which is also known as "The Greatest Place Ever-os" and I've run into that 'you're not one of us' weirdness a couple times. And it's not like I'm not a social guy. But I usually don't have to work so hard.
I went to Clever Dunnes last night to play trivia and "down" a few pints. I accomplished only one of those goals and it was not answering questions for prizes.
The bar has a really strange design and it definitely pays for it. There is definitely not enough seating. Even for trivia night there were less than a dozen tables and only about 10 seats at the bar. Since I find it hard enough to stand and answer questions, I was not up for standing, drinking and answering questions. So, I settled for standing and drinking.
On the plus side, the bartenders were really quick and attentive. I never had to ask for another drink and they were always checking-in. And that was quite often after the crazy that was my last weekend. I can't attest to the stiffness of the mixed drinks- since I drank Guinness- but the prices were pretty reasonable.
I am not sure I would go back for trivia, but I might drop in for a pint if I am in Capitol HIll.
I'm downtown, it's late and I just missed the bus and have a half-hour wait. I usually decide to walk up the hill and by the time I get to Clever Dunnes a beer sounds really good.
I've been to Clever Dunnes three or four times and that's pretty much how every scenario has played out. It's a fine spot for a drink with a good location.
What a strange and interesting mix of people! I would come here strictly to people watch on a busy night.
I came here with some fellow yelpers (shout out to Krystin T.) for a little St. Patty's Day celebration and as expected, it was PACKED. The atmosphere was fun, the drinks were cheap, ($5 for beer, $2 jello shots) and while I got beer dropped on me a few times and checked by an unusually large girl, I still managed to have a good time.
By the time I left, I really had to pee but decided against it after having read some of the reviews about the bathroom.
The bar itself was a little dirty, but it's a good dive bar if you're just looking for some cheap drinks and a fun vibe. I have a weakness for Irish Pubs...so I liked it. Minus one star because it was a little dirty, minus one star because it was so damn packed. I like a good crowd on celebration nights...but there was literally no room.
Let's look at my Clever Dunne's timeline...
1st visit: St. Patrick's Day 2008, absolutely PACKED.
2nd visit: Weekend night, as busy as anywhere else.
3rd visit: A failed attempt at beer & food with my dad. Clever Dunne's has beer but I've seen no indication that there is food, although I haven't asked. We saw no menu or kitchen or anything resembling food, so we went elsewhere.
4th visit: Saturday night, a girlfriend and I wanted a quick beer. CD's was mostly empty, save for a few other nice people at the bar.
5th visit: Around 5 or 6 in the evening, I had a beer with a friend. Inexpensive, not very busy, quiet enough to have a conversation.
It's inexpensive enough and the employees seem nice. The bathroom is not so amazing, but if you can avoid it, you're good. It's a typical Irish pub, and it's right around the corner from my apartment, which is rather awesome, but in terms of the crowd, it's obviously pretty hit-or-miss.
Seattle has tons of Irish Pubs. Tons. I mean the U-District alone has more Irish Pubs than a Frat House has douchebags. So, with Capitol Hill having the fewest amount of any neighborhood... I think they just said fuck it and didn't try hard at all. Sure there's a flag here, and a couple of paddles hanging overhead, but there's no Irish flavour to be found. Also, there's not a good time to be found either. I ordered a drink and it was supposededly $3.75, yet when I paid with a twenty, I got $11.25 back. Ummm, what? I tried bringing it up with the bartender but he didn't believe me. Fucker face must have dropped out of basic math and majored in skimming. There was trivia going on but what they wanted people to do is take a sheet of paper, and write down the movie that won the Oscar for best picture next to the year. That is not trivia, that is lazy. The best part though? The patrons, I heard several of them describe things they didn't like as gay. Ummm. I would use that adjective to describe The Cuff, a man sticking his wang in another guy's mouth, half the contestants of Project Runway, or Stan Marsh's dog. Not high prices, the laziness of the trivia, etc etc. And let me run a list down for you...
INXS, Tacos, X-Box 360, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer... All more Irish than this place.
Very friendly staff. Stiff shots good selection of beer. The atmosphere is very quiet in the daytime but gets louder as the nights progress often getting very busy and very loud. they have pool darts shuffleboard and plenty of seating + they do trivia on Tuesdays which is very fun for groups.
stiff drinks + inexpensive = 5 stars
Pretty average Irish pub. Nothing too special. Everyone was nice, the have pool, darts and shuffleboard which is great. Bathrooms are pretty gross but that's to be expected. Overall a good place to stop in for a quick pint but I don't see it as a place to meet up with a bunch of friends.
Oh and they do have some TV's if you are into sports.
This bar has all the things I like - beer and liquor. Oh, and pool, darts, decent music, sports of some sort on the television, and a laid back pub-like atmosphere. But those things are tangential; they have beer and liquor.
This place generally has a pretty diverse crowd, and I've always found them friendly and outgoing. The bartenders are friendly as well, and they will pour a stiff drink for you (hell, they'll give you a free shot every now and then if you hang out there).
As others have mentioned, they've remodeled the bathrooms nicely, and dogs are welcome. I'd probably hang out here a lot more often if it weren't for the 14 other bars I walk past on the way here...
Strong drinks, good people, shuffle board and Darts = 4 stars
Nasty ass gross bathroom = -1 star
Aye, he be a clever one, that Dunne...or Dunnes.
Whichev.
Hey- I like this place. The bathrooms have been remodeled- apparently they were horrific. I'd never been in before, but one girl told me her heels used to go through the floorboards whenever she went to the "Jane".
It's not too crowded, they've got pool, and they make some stiff drinks.
See! Those Irish do know something about getting drunk. And also about bathroom remodels, apparently.
Two newly renovated Johns way up!
Clever Dunnes is kind of dark and dirty. I'm glad I missed out on using the bathrooms pre-renovation.
These people are really into customer service. Whilst chatting at the bar, I was fiddling with my ring and it fell off. Under any other circumstances, I would have given the area a once-over and given up. But literally 10 seconds after I started looking, 3 people, including the bartender, whipped out flashlights and scoured the entire place. He found it, and then proceeded to give me and my friends 2 shots. What?
I give Clever Dunnes a 3/5 stars. I've been a couple of times, and every time I've gone, even when it's not very crowded, the music is so damn loud, I have to yell to hear my friends.
I mean, it's not a bad bar, I guess I just prefer the Redwood up the street... maybe it's just the general layout and the sound level of the music in the bar that I don't like.
It just doesn't grab me and make me want to come back... but that seems to be the feeling of other reviewers (from what it seems) as well....
Typical Irish Pub. I was NOT surprised when I heard Flogging Molly as I walked in. They have darts and a pool table (which I both suck at, so I tend not to embarass myself anymore than I usually do by playing either). But, I'm sure that's a bonus for some people that are into that sort of thing.
Honestly, I probably wouldn't go here, if it wasn't for this one thing. This one glorious, glorious thing....
THEY HAVE STRONGBOW ON TAP!!!!
It probably isn't a big deal to most people. But, it sure is to me. Also, I probably shouldn't share this information, but I will anyway....I once ordered 2 Strongbows and 3 shots and was charged well under $10 for it. Not sure if they made a mistake or the bartender thought I was cute or something. But, hey, cheap/free drinks = loyal customer!
I was a little apprehensive about the bathrooms because of the below reviews but really they weren't that bad. My friend said they fixed them up.
So I really liked the feel of this place. It felt like a true pub: the crowd was slightly rowdy, the beer was good but cheap, and there was an Irish band playing in the corner. This place also has pool tables and a dart board for more drunken fun.
Complaints- the bar is kinda far from many of the tables, the place is a little loud, and it did get a bit crowded. But all in all, if I'm in the mood for a beer or two and am in the midst of good company I'd hang out here again!
I was initially averse to this place, given the patently stupid name. In fact, it might be the name that keeps me from giving it the full 5 stars.
The truth is, this place is great for meeting a medium-large group of friends. Unlike previous reviewers, I didn't find the music too loud, so it was decent for a little conversation.
More importantly, though, the drinks were strong and relatively inexpensive. I don't recall exactly what I ordered, but two up-level drinks (i.e. bacardi & coke) worked out to $10 after tax, and seemed like double pours to me. In the scheme of capitol hill bars, that's pretty darn good.
I'm not usually into the Irish bar thing, but this place has a better drink selection and the music was not the same old modern hip hop one hears everywhere else.
Check it out!
I've been actively boycotting this place for a while now because of its bathrooms. My friends say am being a whimp, but then I point out to them that I've used public bathrooms in countries ranging from Jamaica to Bangkok. That I've used porta-potties at Burningman for a week straight, three years in a row. That I have no problem with outhouses, or peeing in an alley even.
But, literally, their bathrooms are the worst ever. And, in the three years I've lived in the neighborhood, they've only gotten progressively worse.
Which is sad, because otherwise its not a bad bar.
Better place once the smoking ban came about (and I even used to be a smoker). It used to be stifling to go in there, but now it's pretty chill and relaxed. Bartenders are generally friendly, drinks are fairly priced, good amount of taps (not a lot, but good selection).
Had the food there once, don't bother. It's pretty basic and not worth it.
The worst part of the place is the bathrooms. I know I shouldn't be judging a pub on the quality of the bathrooms, but it's pretty disgusting in the men's room. Door doesn't close, things dont work, place is covered in graffiti. If they're trying to emulate the "worst restroom" from Trainspotting, they're doing a decent job.
I am puzzled by the layout of this bar and I wouldn't go without friends, but it's centrally-located and easy to find, so it makes a good prefunk location. One night when lacking in large bills I asked for a Mike's, but they were out, so the bartender made me a sort of vodka lemonade in a pint glass and only charged beer price. Which makes me lean towards friendly.
Trivia night is excessively long - four rounds and two "matching" bonuses - but the cash prizes make it seem more worthwhile.
Tuesday night trivia here is really fun. With each team trying to best each other with really inappropriate but hilarious names. The two revs serve up a mean trivia game. You think you know...but you don't even know.
I like the bartenders who get to know you if you frequent enough. Lots of people make this their regular hang out. And it makes sense. Really comfortable, non-pretentious, normal and not so normal people here. Even dogs are welcome. Which is pretty cool.
Great atmosphere for drinking with a group. The bartenders are charming and heavy-handed. Tuesday night is pub quiz with a couple of mouthy hosts and truly challenging questions.
The bathrooms are sort of foul and the jukebox sucks but the bathrooms at least usually have toilet paper and the bartenders override the juke with iPods anyhow.
tuesday night trivia: awesome
the winchester molesters: best team evar
symbol for tungsten: W
I said I was never going to go here again because the restroom was so sad and disgusting. I swear the closet goes to a place unknown. I was pretty wasted that night and ended up ordering a pitcher of PBR but didn't even drink it. Now that I hear the bathrooms have been remodeled I might have to go back and finish that pitcher (and maybe I will change my rating).
I've walked by Clever Dunnes on a number of occasions and have seen people reading by the window, so I was fairly surprised by the scene when I walked in at about 9:00 Saturday night. While there were a couple of people reading at the bar, the rest of the pub was rather loud. There was old school hip hop playing. Surprising, no? Overall, the pub seemed popular with a pretty diverse crowd (from hipsters to people dressed as pirates). Whether it was the pool table, darts, or strong drinks that drew them in, I'm not sure.
The bathrooms have been remodeled. And this time it looks like they did a good job and the change will last.
An authentic Irish emmigrant pub. Clever's is where I went for St. Patrick's day last year and I loved it! They have a great party atmosphere, nice stiff drinks, and very low prices. Drink specials on Fri. and Sat. nights tend to lure in a crowd of people and special events here are a blast!
You want an Irish pub...you got it!
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Category: Gay Bars
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