Kate Dietz
Sunday is Happy Hour all day! $1 off Drinks, $2 off food. We grabbed a few drinks and ordered a bunch of starters. (Pizza rolls & Fish & Chips (with truffle fries) pictured. Forgot to take pictures of the deviled eggs & bone-in dry rub wings, but everything we ate was delicious. We’ll definitely come back and order the club sandwich and a few more of the apps. The wait staff was so friendly and patient. The atmosphere was super chill and everything was clean, including the bathrooms.
… moreDavid Berkompas
I used to love coming to this bar and playing golden tee and hitting the jukebox. It is now a shell of its former self. A soulless money grab with no personality. The workers are still great and provide excellent service, but it’s clear the ownership is only interested in short term profits as opposed to long term community investment. I hope the owners realize their errors and decide to become a staple of the neighborhood as they used to be.
… moreL. Scott
I typically never leave reviews for places, but O’Toole’s deserves a 1-star review. This place has been the place to hang out for many of years, myself included. Always had great service, reasonably priced drinks and good food. But this place has gone down hill. I ordered their nightly special on Wednesday which is the smash burger, and it was horrible, so over cooked and no flavor. The staff and the management that used to operate the bar were always awesome and that’s what made it so fun to visit. The jukebox at O’Toole’s was always cool and had a great selection of music that people would always sign along to! They have since removed it, and switched to playing classic jazz music which you can’t even hear because it’s played so quietly. Never heard classic jazz music being played at an Irish pub… The lighting in the bar is so bright you can hardly stand to be in the place. When you visit now you can clearly tell people do not flock to this place like they used too, as the bar is not nearly as busy. Sad to see a local staple bar completely change the place from what appeared to be a huge hit, and change to a very unimpressive “new bar” after there so called remodel. Not sure the owners of this bar knew there target crowd, or have lost touch, but they are clearly losing the crowd that kept that place busy most every night they were open. Definitely won’t be recommending it to anyone after visiting recently.
… moreJosie Rice
normally this bar is a 5/5, but I’m sad they started closing early!! my friends and I are regulars here and love the dive bar atmosphere. a big reason we would come was because they were open later than most bars in GR.. but not anymore. also the jukebox was a staple here but that is no longer either
… morejohn toth
Had the fish and chips. Was excellent. Short on variety of irish whiskeys. The Guiness was poured correctly.
… moreJessyca A
We went here on Sunday during Labor Day weekend when most other things were closed, so we weren’t sure how it’d be. It was so cute. There was a lot of outside seating but we said we’d take either so we were sat inside next to a really nice huge open window where we could watch people walk by. We shared the wonton nachos and they were super good, then we each got a buffalo chicken wrap with tater tots. The ranch is super good and seems homemade. I ended up really loving the place.
… moreJon Harrison
We grabbed lunch at O’Toole’s Public on Sunday. Although we went for their Bloody Mary bar (which was discontinued for the season) we enjoyed splitting a burger and appetizers. The appetizers were decent but the burger was very good. We will go back, would like them to bring back the Bloody Mary bar and dirty tots.
… moreElenore Stevens
Thank you so much for adding the sticky chicken wings!! Rockwells was my favorite restaurant, this is the closest I’ve found to their sticky chicken bowl.
… moreErica H
Went during happy hour on a Friday. Some of the best friend pickles I’ve had. And the drinks were good too.
… moreAudrie Ashford
As someone who’s originally from the Grand Rapids area but has since moved away, I was really excited to visit one of my old favorite spots. But after this recent visit, I have to say, I left feeling very disappointed. It’s clear things have changed, and not for the better. First off, the lighting was ridiculously bright. What kind of restaurant, especially a bar, keeps their lights on that high? It completely ruined the vibe. I understand wanting good visibility, but the overly harsh lighting made it feel more like a cafeteria than a fun bar. Then, the music was either non-existent or just painfully low. When you could hear it, you probably wished you couldn’t. A bar is supposed to have an atmosphere that’s elevated by music, but here, it just felt off and honestly sounded like something you’d hear in an elderly home, not a place meant for a lively night out. I’m not sure what happened to the great playlists from the past.. Across the street, the Anchor Bar had a way longer line than O’Toole’s – a bad sign. I can’t help but wonder if the owners or management have lost touch with what their customers expect when they come to a place like O’Toole’s. People are looking for a certain vibe, and unfortunately, it seems like that vibe is slipping away. That said, the drinks are still affordable, so at least they’ve got that going for them—unless they decide to mess that up too, which wouldn’t be surprising at this point. The only thing that kept the experience from being a complete disappointment was our server, Olivia. She was amazing. Her service was impeccable, and she made us feel like good friends rather than just another table. It’s rare to come across such great service these days, and it really made a difference in our experience. Honestly, I hope she’s recognized for how well she handled herself in what seemed like a difficult environment. All in all, great service but a seriously disappointing atmosphere. I really hope someone takes a hard look at what’s happening here because this place used to be great. Right now, it feels like the business is on the brink of losing what made it a local favorite. Here’s hoping they can get it back on track before it’s too late.
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