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McNamara's Pub & Eatery
Categories: Restaurants Irish Nightlife Bars Pubs Restaurants American (Traditional) Irish, Pubs, American (Traditional) [Edit]
1595 Wilmington DrDuPont, WA 98327
(253) 964-9200
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 10:30 am - 11 pm
Thu 10:30 am - 12 am
Fri 10:30 am - 2 am
Sat 8 am - 2 am
Sun 8 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for McNamara's Pub & Eatery
Review Highlights
"The soda bread is so good you good make a meal out of it."
(in 5 reviews)
"Sweet potato fries amazing."
(in 4 reviews)
"...get it with the roasted carrots & parsnips and colcannon."
(in 6 reviews)
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26 reviews in English
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Review from Hillary S.
Lake Havasu City, AZ
1/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Absolutely everything we ate was delicious...cowboy burger, BBQ wings, buffalo wings, Ruben, ceasar salad. Even the ranch and blue cheese dressing were one of the best I've tasted! I was also impressed to see shepard's pie and Guinness stew on the menu...takes you back to Ireland!
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Review from Ghost W.
Lacey, WA
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hmmm where do I begin. First off this place isn't bad it's just forgetful on so many levels. The restaurant wasn't off putting nor was it inviting, the waiter wasn't attentive nor was he absent. The food was hot and somewhat tasty but not worth recommending.
The only thing that made an already mediocre situation spiral down even further was the excessive waiting. It seems "the wait staff" was confused as to who was assigned to our table. The guy who seated us informed that our waitress would be (forgot name) so we sat and waited....and waited......and waited.....then he came back and took our drink orders and we waited some more...and waited some more. Finally, and to our delight, he informed that since we had yet to receive a waitress, he would assume the duty. -
Review from Jeannette I.
Seattle, WA
2/8/2012
If I could give a -1 review I would. Worst food ever! My Bangers & Mash were absolutely horrid. The bangers were the only thing that I might eat but could not. The "Guinness Gravy" was so salty I could not taste the flavors of the gravy. The colcannon was even worse. You might think you could taste the onions but, again, there was so much salt that is all that you tasted. In summary, the "chef" really enjoys dumping salt by the bucket load in everything. My friend order the Ruben and it was burnt beyond recognition. The waitress informed him that is how they serve here.
What a mess! -
Review from Brian E.
Tacoma, WA
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Besides the booze, about the only thing Irish about this place is the name. They've got a few selections of the mandatory pub fare, which are average to good, but McNamara's could blend in with any of the standard bar chains like TGIF, Ruby Tuesdays, Applebee's, etc.
Overpriced for decent sized portions. The reuben was unimpressive and the steaks are just stupid-expensive. Kid-friendly with unremarkable kids menu. I do love the Iron Horse Irish Death draught, which I haven't seen anywhere else and does not taste as good in bottles if you can find them.
Service has been everything from absentminded and slow to johnny-on-the-spot depending on the day/night I've been there. I've gotten orders that were correct and orders overcooked and incorrect. (Seriously, am I the only one other than school trained chef who knows what medium rare is?! Why is that so hard?)
Wait times have ranged from 10min at the most to "walk right in...as soon as someone looks up and sees you at the unmanned hostess station."
Biggest draw for this place is that it's at the entrance to DuPont off exit 118, which means that it's convenient and also the closest such place by at least 5-10 miles. It also means you don't have to brave I-5, whose traffic ranges from horrific to retarded at random intervals in that area. Well-played on the location guys.
I'll go back multiple times, not because it's all that good, but because it's convenient, it's not all that bad, and I can get hammered and unsuccessfully beg the wife come get me from a couple miles back in the neighborhood, then stumble home. -
Review from Corinne P.
Tacoma, WA
8/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Well, this place was an 2.5 stars in my personal opinion. The best part about this place are two things: the cleanliness and the beer/alcohol selection. I was glad that this Irish pub had some micro-brews. So I was happy about that.
Now for the down side of it all. The food was just awful. I got the roast beef dip. The bread was stale, the beef was dry and flavorless. And I asked for ranch dressing and instead I got some nasty Italian dressing that's been left out in the sun for too long. My friend got the pulled pork sandwich and it looked like a hamburger patty. He was not too thrilled about it.
I might go back to this place for the alcohol... but it won't be for the food, I know that for sure. -
Review from Lauren S.
Federal Way, WA
6/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is amazing! From the clean and spacious interior to the great variety of menu items, this place has it going on.
The first time I had eaten here, it was an accident. My husband had wanted to take me to another restaurant across the street he'd been talking up, but when we went inside that establishment, he noticed that the owners must have changed since his last visit and didn't have the same desire to eat there at that moment. So, with our appetites increasing, we decided to find another place to try nearby. McNamara's stood out and we decided to give it a try.
From that first time to the most recent visit weeks ago, we've been continuously impressed by the food! We've tried the majority of menu offerings and haven't been disappointed yet. There really is something for everyone here; you don't have to particularly love Irish(-inspired) food to enjoy a meal here. From seafood, chicken, beef and even lighter fare like salads, McNamara's has it covered.
The service can occasionally use a bit of improvement (such as waitstaff needing to be a bit more attentive on drink refills), but not to the point that I'd deduct a star from the rating.
Also, if you enjoy the first visit well enough, do sign up for their e-mail club to get a free meal on your birthday and some other perks. In fact, my husband recently celebrated his birthday here and the restaurant was cool with him showing his birthday meal e-mail/voucher on his smart-phone (and then they politely asked him to delete it from his inbox).
So glad we stumbled upon this place! Please try the Irish Soda Bread and colcannon with Guinness gravy if not the Reuben! -
Review from Cristina L.
Sierra Vista, AZ
9/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dropped in late, had a decent happy hour menu with several items from $5-$6 bucks-from a burger with fries, shepherd's pie, to a variety of chicken wings, not bad at all. Service was good and it's a decent local hangout.
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Review from Tae L.
3/5/2011
I would have given this place three stars a month ago, but I had an unfortunate experience here that warrants the above rating.
I came in on a weekday to grab a quick lunch since I had to be back at the office in 45 minutes. It wasn't busy at all and I placed an order for a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings on the side. After about 20 minutes of waiting for my food, I started to wonder if they had forgot my order. Just as I was thinking this, the waitress stopped by my table and explained that the chef accidently placed the onion rings ON my burger and they were remaking it. I would have appreciated the waitress asking me if the chef's mistake would even be an issue (to be honest, I would have taken the burger with the onion rings on it).
About 15 minutes later, my burger with a side of onion rings was served to me. Unfortunately, by this time, I had to head back to the office so I had my meal boxed up to go. When I returned to the office, I was about to eat my burger when I noticed RAW MEAT sticking underneath the bottom bun. I threw out my entire meal and I don't plan on going back to McNamara's for food ever again.Comment from Farrelli's Management S. of McNamara's Pub & Eatery 3/24/2011
Tae. we were very sorry to learn of your less than adequate… More » -
Review from Megan A.
DuPont, WA
1/14/2011
Living in Dupont, we eat at all the local places in town. What I like about McNamara's is their beer selection, their Shephard's Pie and we always get great service.
The only negatives is it can be expensive sometimes but they have great happy hour prices all day on Sunday. Their food is average with the exception of what I mentioned above. It's not a bad place to eat but it's not my favorite place either but I'll still continue going to support the local businesses. You should at least go visit and give them a try! -
Review from Sam H.
Tacoma, WA
6/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
So Came here for happy hours with some friends who are about to leave town in a week. Sad to see them go but... reason to celebrate none the less.
So... happy hour menu
Pork sliders
Tacochos
Wings
Chicken Fingers
Chips and salsa and etc
Drinks to include house wine, well drinks and some of the beers they have on tap.
The atmosphere, people just finishing work, who want to sit out in the sun, or inside and watch the highlights of the morning or previous nights game as they unwind from the day's work. S
The server??? :Friendly as soon as you walk in and promp. Knows when to fill your drinks or your plates. Apologetic if they feel as though they missed something.
Over all??? Solid HH located in dupont and happily come here again. :) -
Review from Melly W.
Tacoma, WA
11/20/2010
Pros: Friendly staff and kid-friendly.
Cons: Expensive and not vegetarian-friendly (only 1 veg dish on the menu - a gardenburger).
Overall, the food was decent and our experience was good. But for the price? Too much for this family of 5! I'm glad we tried it, but we probably won't go back. -
Review from Victor T.
Auburn, WA
7/12/2010
We happened to be in the area on business and needed some food before heading North. We searched Yelp and decided to try McNamara's because of the Irish.
The wife and I both love Irish food so we started with soda bread. This was not a good sign as the bread was void of taste and moisture. Neither one of us was willing to order authentic Irish food based on this beginning.
I had a horseradish encrusted salmon that you could not taste any horseradish. The salmon was over cooked and dry. I wish I could be like chef Ramsey and rant and rave at what a pathetic meal it was.
My wife had a flank steak sandwich with little meat, lots of onion and what tasted like bottled barbecue sauce.
If you really are a fan of Irish food take the drive to Ocean Shores and go to Galloway's. Awesome food with live entertainment most weekend nights. The soda bread is so good you good make a meal out of it. Guess I better go write a review for them.
Darby O'Gill would turn over in his grave for McNamara's calling themselves an Irish Pub. The only bright spot was the beer cause it was made elsewhere. -
Review from Jason C.
Lacey, WA
8/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
A good but pricey option for some Irish pub type food. Highlights for me are the Guiness Stew with the soda bread. Very tasty stew and portions were decent. Also notable was the Shepherd's Pie which was very tasty too.
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Review from Ken D.
Dayton, OH
7/23/2009
I've been watching this restaurant get ready to open for a while, and was very excited to have a chance to pop in for a bite today.
My wife and I each had a specialty drink. Mine was a Peach Screwdriver and was delicious. We split our meals to better appreciate the food there. I ordered The Bricklayer burger, which was explained as being a whole meal in one burger, and it certainly was. It had colcannon (mashed potatoes with kale) with gravy on it, and tasted INCREDIBLE.
My wife's sandwich (the name escapes me) featured large chunks of steak and sauteed onions on a delicious hoagie-type of roll.
The staff was enthusiastic, and gave great recommendations. I can't wait to go back. Loved it! -
Review from Farmgirl O.
DuPont, WA
10/4/2011
I've been here three or four times. Drinks are strong, food is so-so but the service is very poor. A few weeks ago my husband and I called ahead to find out when they had Happy Hour. They told me it was from 6-9 and to come on in...I called right at 6pm. My husband and I arrived five minutes later to discover Happy Hour was actually from 3-6pm and then from 9pm to close. So basically the person who answered the phone gave us the completely wrong answer...The bar was practically empty and almost every table was dirty. We waited for about 15 minutes to be served...there were at least three staff hanging out at the bar and we made eye contact with one of them twice...but nobody came to clear our table or take our order. In fact, the guy we made eye contact with was serving the table right next to us, but he would run off without saying anything to us every time. It was pretty obvious the staff didn't want to work and were hoping that we would leave. The only thing that's keeping this place running is the fact that they show UFC. Don't bother going there. Try Farrelli's across the street. At least they acknowledge you.
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Review from Allison D.
Dayton, OH
7/23/2009
This place is brand spanking new, though I had heard about it opening for a few weeks. When I heard it was going to be an Irish Pub, I was happy but I wasn't exactly doing cartwheels. The greater Olympia/Lacey area has a few Irish-style pubs already, namely Pints and Quarts and O'Blarney's. I wasn't sure what this place was going to do differently, but lemme say, I am very glad we went.
First off, the inside of the building, which used to house the Harbor Rock Grill, had been remodeled with lots of dark, rich tones, and the wait staff dresses much more conservatively in starched white shirts, ties, aprons, and black pants. So overall, the place has a much higher brow appeal than a simple pub.
The menu is generous, but not overwhelmingly huge. It contains old Irish-American favorites like Bangers and Mash and Corned Beef and Cabbage. Another house specialty appears to be the Horseradish Crusted Salmon. There is also Irish Soda Bread and various interpretations on potatoes. If salad is your thing, they have a lot to choose from. There is also a kid's menu, so the restaurant is family friendly.
I started with a house specialty cocktail, a Strawberry Basil Lemondrop. It was absolutely fantastic, with the right amount of sweetness to balance the citrus. The basil is very faint, but just noticeable enough to enhance the real strawberry flavor.
As it was rather early for a full entree, we stuck to the sandwich and burger menu. My husband ordered the "Bricklayer" Burger, which has a nicely grilled burger patty with bacon and cheese, but it's topped off with colcannon (real mashed potatoes mixed with kale) and a dark Guinness gravy. You would think it was a mess, but it wasn't. It was constructed so well, and the proportions modest enough, that you could actually pick it up and eat it with your hands. The flavors were absolutely perfect. Not too salty, as I feared it may be with restaurant gravy involved. It had the flavor profile of a homemade gravy. It's definitely a new favorite.
I ordered the Flank Steak Sandwich, which was stuffed full of perfectly cooked, tender flank steak pieces and caramelized onions on a soft ciabatta-style roll. Served on the side were potato chips they make fresh to order. Most house chips are a little on the tough side, but these were really light and airy, and seasoned with salt and pepper. They provide a chili lime dipping sauce on the side, which was also well flavored.
We will be returning very soon to try some of the entree items and more of the cocktails. With the incredibly friendly staff, warm atmosphere, fantastic cocktails, and delicious food, McNamara's promises to be a great addition to the local Irish Pub scene. -
Review from Erica S.
Steilacoom, WA
10/13/2009 1 photo
McNamara's is the quintessential comfort food destination. If someone would have told me a couple of months ago that "Irish-Inspired American Food" would become the first thing that comes to my mind whenever I feel stressed or in need of some gastric-loving, I would have spit Jameson in their face and cackled like a leprechaun. But here I am, cramming for exams, dreaming of Guinness stew, mashed-potatoes with cream and braised kale, corned beef...
The menu is totally delicious, it was designed by a Culinary Institute of America trained chef and its obvious. The ingredients are fresh, the dishes are unique and yet still common enough to be comforting, and the portions are really generous. I haven't gotten to try their breakfast yet, but I'll for sure try some when I come back from California to visit home. The breakfast menu looks off the charts delicious.
The waitstaff is attentive and warm. The service is excellent. The ambiance is wonderful, the inside is brand new, cozy and well appointed. There was obviously a lot of careful thought and consideration put into the layout and design of the restaurant and it makes for great dining and drinking experiences. Speaking of drinking, the bar is awesome. The drinks are FABULOUS and the bartenders are fun and great at what they do. The dining room is perfect for family dining (and they offer a nice children's menu) and the bar is perfect for hanging out with friends and watching the game.
So next time you're unbelievably stressed out, or sad, or feeling really any feeling whatsoever... do yourself a favor and go to McNamara's for a comfort food smorgasbord. Order the sweet potato fries, ANY drink off the menu (preferably one showcasing one of the whiskeys from McNamara's HUGE and amazing whiskey collection), the Guinness stew, and a cheesecake for dessert. Or basically anything off the menu-- its all pretty fantastic. And I'll guarantee your day gets a whole lot better. -
Review from DN S.
DuPont, WA
Updated - 9/12/2010
I have grown to love this place. My BF loves the selection of beers and the ribeye. I love the herb chicken with balsamic glaze. I always get it with the roasted carrots & parsnips and colcannon. YUM. Worth the try.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/5/2009
Well living in the heart of DuPont, I have seen & heard all the buzz about this place. Nothing… Read more »
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Review from Brenda A.
Lakewood, WA
3/18/2010
Two stars for the food + 1 for the staff.
Went last night for the first time for St. Patty's day. Holy crap, it was packed. We got there about 7:00 p.m., at that point it was just starting to get busy. We were told that it would be about an hour wait. By the time the one hour passes by, it was insanely packed. The music was great, the bar was at capacity and had to turn people away. When I got up to ask the hostess if my name had been called yet, she seemed to be very frazzled and stressed out, but she was extremely friendly and honest, saying she wasn't sure when we would be able to get seated because people were taking longer than normal at their tables, no one had left in the last hour that we had been there. She offered us complimentary beers for me and my husband, so we appreciated that and continued to wait, enjoyed the beers and the music.
We finally got seated at about 8:45. The owners were very nice to us and seated us themselves. By then, most of the restaurant had cleared out too...it was as if everyone decided to leave at the same time. Anyways, usually my husband is not a patient person, but last night he seemed all right with the wait.
On to the food:
Appetizer: Shark Bites - deliciously moist cod chunks with a golden beer batter, with fries (we substituted the pub fries with sweet potato fries) and yummy, creamy tartar sauce. Yum.
Dinner:
I ordered the beef stew (I forgot now what the actual name of it is), and my husband had the shepard's pie. Beef stew was ok ... the gravy was good in it. The beef chunks were medium to large size and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Disappointed that I only got a tiny dollop of colcannon on top, was hoping for more. Soda bread, yum. However, mine came out to the table lukewarm, whereas my husband's shepard pie was straight-out-of-the-oven lava hot. Mine was more soupy with not a lot of chunky veggies and meat in it to satisfy. I liked my husband's pie better, however we've had better at other restaurants.
Sidenote: We found this place through Yelp, and my husband - being a burger fanatic - wanted to try what other previous reviewers said was really good - the Bricklayer. Sadly, it was not on the menu, so I don't think they have it any more.
Dessert:
We wanted to order the Irish Cream Cheesecake, but they had run out. So we tried the Molten Lava Fudge Cake, which was ok but not the best I've had.
Drinks:
Strawberry Lemonade - Ok, but again, I've had better.
Iron Horse Irish Death - A dark beer similar to Guinness that my husband tried - he said he likes it better than Guinness.
All in all the bill (plus tip) came to $60. Was it worth the wait? Not really. Was it worth the 60 bucks? Not really. Will we be back again? Yes, we're willing to give it another try. We want to come back for their All You Can Eat Cod and Chips for $12.49 on Tuesdays. The Shark Bites was the stand out of the entire meal. -
Review from Michael M.
Tacoma, WA
7/17/2010 7 Check-ins Here
Finally was back in town and the stars aligned for us to go try McNamara's...and we were glad we did. There was a moderate sized crowd and the hostess got us seated and the waitress (Jen) was very efficient in getting our orders out to us, despite the crowd...kids were happy with the choices on their menu...and they are really, really picky. My wife had the chicken pot pie and really enjoyed it, I had the rib-eye with root veggies (carrots and parsnips) and colcannon...great food for us both...dessert was limited choices. I got to sample the mac and cheese (with ham) that my son got, and it was outstanding as well. I got a local stout (Irish Death) which was tasty. Live music in the bar was kicking in as we finished our dinner...but was never overwhelming in the dining area so that we couldn't talk and interact as a family. Great experience. We'll be back! Great comfort food.
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Review from Ryan F.
Pittsburgh, PA
1/29/2011
McNamara's is very good for Dupont and if it was dependable I would give it four stars but the food has been somewhat unpredictable. It is nice to have a place close-by in Dupont that is more than Farelli's. This is a good place to go with family if you are looking for somewhere close.
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Review from Judy M.
DuPont, WA
10/20/2010
Love the food, great variety, reasonable prices. I have had pretty good service in the restaurant, but the bar... another story. I could understand if the bar was busy but I was in there the other night and there were only 2 other tables occupied and it took a long time to have a waitress come to our table, then a long time to get our drinks. We were there during happy hour and my friend wanted to order another glass of wine during happy hour but the waitress took so long to get back to our table that happy hour had passed. It was frustrating to have such poor service, and seems to be the case each time I am there.
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Review from Ryan M.
DuPont, WA
12/15/2010
We went here for breakfast yesterday since they started on December 3rd. The menu was robust and included many of your favorites items plus some Irish favorites. Overall the food was good and plenty of it ... It was very expensive though. There were few items less than $9 and the kids menu was pricey too.
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Review from Eileen P.
Tacoma, WA
5/7/2011
I took my son to this "Irish Pub". He ordered Guinness and she brought him Heineken. I ordered a soft drink and received nothing but a bill for the soft drink. I ended up drinking three glasses of water at a table set for a group event. There was never any future service of water for the group. The food was passable for Irish but with such poor service at a slow time of day I would prefer pizza.
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Review from Kellie G.
Dupont, WA
Updated - 10/18/2009
Well we orderd take out tonight. The food was really good. a little $$ for fish and chips but really deliscious. Wish they would have sent Thousand w/ my ruben I thought that was a staple. The Ruben could have used a lil more seasoning it was bland but moist so I guess that evens it out. Sweet potato fries amazing. So, they are moving on up in my book. French onion soup.....ehh-ok The bar still......granny hang out pit!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/18/2009
Bar is LAME will update once we decide if we want to stay and eat sometime. I do hear the food is… Read more »
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Review from T S.
Tacoma, WA
1/8/2010
this restaurant did not have the look or feel of an irish pub at all (a few guiness posters on the wall does not an irish pub make). not only that, but the menu featured items more typical of an american sports bar with just a few irish favorites thrown in for good measure.
the highlight of the meal was the onion rings, although even they were very greasy. the rest of the meal was just average, but for what i paid for the meal, i expected better.
for my dollar, better pub grub, better atmosphere and better service can be found elsewhere. i won't be returning.
