Tommy Doyles Irish Pub & Restaurant

Tommy Doyles closed abruptly last week. End of an era.

Boo for closing! It wasn’t the greatest but for the area, it was the only dive to have a beer.

Seeing as how this as been our trivia bar for going on two years, now, i owe them an updated review. For one, their trivia DJ, Tim, is top-​notch, and the competition is generally fun and spirited.
They’ve revamped their menu, for better and for worse, recently. Gone are our beloved Celtic Nachos, the appetizer plate made of potato chips, bacon, cheese, and sour cream, but then again, they were our favorite because they were the only reliable thing on a menu of mostly mediocre and and slightly-​overpriced pub fare. The prices are the same, now, but there is evident additional care in the preparation and most of the things on the menu are pretty good. On trivia night, i recommend the cajun cheese fries, because they are bad for you.
The beer list is generally all right, with a couple very solid rotating drafts most nights. Sometimes i’ve had those rotating beers turn out to be surprisingly expensive when the bill comes, though, so bear that in mind when you order your third round. What’s not expensive are the PBR pitchers, and i don’t mind slumming in that case.
The waitstaff is very friendly, and helpful, but also almost always overwhelmed. Order efficiently and plan ahead.
It’s not right, objectively, to give it more than three stars, but it’s the sort of three-​star place i’ve been to fifty times.

Some days it’s quiet, some days it’s packed — throws me off when I’m trying to just relax after work with a beer.
I’ve always sat at the bar and never down at a table — seem to always get the best service that way (enough that I’ll tip more than 20%). The bartenders are always attentive and ready to pour the next pint — if it isn’t already poured.
Sometimes the music is a little out of whack, but I blame the other people there since there’s a pay-​per-​play jukebox. They always seem to have a TV on something interesting — and they’ll change a TV to a different channel for you if you want.

[Edit]
I’m adding one star to the review and it’s for the manger Alex who has done a remarkable job running the place when it’s been understaffed. And if I could add a half a star for the clam strip sandwich, I would.
The food is terrible and overpriced. I have been coming here since 2007 and the food has gotten worse which I really thought was impossible. Want gooey veggie burger? Nachos that cost $ 12 with cheese barely melted (it arrived cold once?!)? Done and done! So, why do I keep coming back? Why do I give it 3 stars? Three simple reasons, one for each star:
1) Timmy, the trivia jockey is awesome.
2) Sarah, the waitress is equally awesome.
3) And most surely, Allie, the bartender. She makes a mean drink and pour a find pint.
Come here for Tuesday trivia night. Enjoy the warmth and the love of the staff. Otherwise, better food can be had within a stone throw (CBC? West Bridge? Even, Emma’s!).

St. Patrick’s Day menu was delicious. Our table tried Reubens, boiled corned beef dinner, irish stew and irish french fries, all were delicious. Paired with friendly, fast service and live Irish session music, this is a Kendall Sq. must try. Slainte!

Came here to watch a game with my fellow alumni. The place is really small and I know this sounds weird, but my drink tasted «old». They have a charging station for both apple and samsung phones — nice touch. They also had a large projection on the wall of the game. Overall, just okay.

Great place.
Good pour of Guinness.
Solid pub food.
Kinda dark.
Very warm.
Good music at nice volume.
Great escape from the cold, the rain, the sleet.
Staff very nice.
Had my 2^nd Guinness ready as 1^st was finished.
I will return.

I’m a bit surprised to see this place get such bad reviews on here as my numerous visits there have each been more than decent. Whether it be for lunch, a drink or dinner, Tommy D’s has been a reliably good spot offering some casual, affordable and classic Irish fare.
It is one of four locations and as far as I know the only one which features a spacious, outdoor patio where one can soak in some sunshine while downing a few pints. Their menu is diverse and their appetizers range from $ 8-​$ 10 and their entrees $ 9 to $ 17 which isn’t bad at all. I’m especially fond of sharing their curry fries ($ 10) to start my meal there with friends and which consists of perfectly fried steak fries with some delicious vegetarian-​based curry sauce. It’s spicy (not hot though) and works very well with the potatoes. Their burgers ($ 9) are solid and so is their corned beef & cabbage ($ 12) which is great.
Other options include various soups, sandwiches, salads and they even have quesadillas, wings and a brunch menu. They also have a pretty decent craft beer selection.
The décor is Irish-​themed and their staff is also from there and have the most awesome accents. My only complaint about the place was that it was a bit dusty but that aside, the service and the food were great. There’s limited street parking though but you can always pay and park in the Kendall Cinema lot behind Technology Square or you can take the red line to Kendall Square and walk over which shouldn’t take more than 6 – 7 minutes.
All in all this is a great spot to have in the area with some solid, affordable food and great service. When it’s nice out, they have the greatest patio in the area, hands down and while there’s a lot of competition nearby with various other establishments like Cambridge Brewing Company, Hungry Mother, Flattop Johnny’s, Emma’s Pizzeria, the Friendly Toast and West Bridge, none of them offer the same kind of Irish fare that Tommy Doyle’s does. They also have a ton of events going which is another plus.

Oh Tommy Doyles…
Once upon a time you were fun and whimsical and charming. You would host my Mondays and enchant me and fifteen to twenty of my hippie/​punk/​fire/​alt friends in a post-​spin jam food and beverage extravaganza that has historically taken over your patio and the surrounding promenade with light and laughter.
But.
Hey.
I guess it’s been hard recently, huh?
I’ve noticed the lack of a crowd. The slipping service. The late orders. The cold food. It all adds up; you’re having a hard time. And I get that. There are plenty of Irish pubs and your fare is basic but your prices are middling. Your beer selection is plebian at best and the totality of your amenities is zero.
You’re near nothing and have no draw, but you were convenient and friendly and homey…
The steak tips were great. The onion rings were hefty. The Irish nachos were grand. I even loved the fact that you laughed in the face of Irish cuisine by saying you had an Irish menu but nothing there actually qualified as ethnic. I accepted you. It’s okay; sometimes we all wear the fuzzy leggings and pretend to be animals, but we all know it’s just a phase.
But.
Well.
You didn’t get better.
The last time I was there, I sat waiting to place my order for a good half an hour.
One person in a group of twelve.
We waited.
Half.
An hour.
In an empty pub.
Really?
I’m sorry I didn’t order a beer that night. It might have made the server more attentive. Or expedited my plate, which came out way after everyone else.
But yes, this is going back a while. I hear we go to Asgard now and that other people have caught on to the fact that your service has slipped.
It happens. It’s okay. I just hope you find the right support group and find a way to recover from your issues so you can be my favorite Monday night dining spot again. ;)

Decent place to have a pint. The staff was friendly and the nachos were suitably large, although nothing about them stood out to me, just run-​of-​the-​mill (what mill? what does this even mean?) pub nachos. Seems like a popular after-​work bar for the labs and software companies in the area, and it can get pretty crowded, especially in the summer when they have lots of outdoor seating.

You get an extra star because you are where my alumni club does our watch parties. You really help us put together a good event. The bartenders and staff are always very nice, prompt, and helpful.
I also love the pub food. This is a bar made for drinking. It isn’t trying to be all fancy and kendall square-​ish. You don’t need a 1500 on your SATs (old scoring method) to get a drink here.
Want a beer and pub food after work? Want to be off the beaten path on the weekend? Want to play big buck hunter safari? This is your place.

So, take this review with a grain of salt because I came to Tommy Doyles on trivia night, which of course changes the atmosphere and attentiveness of the staff and quality of the food. You know you have a captive audience in a trivia crowd, and honestly, I think places cut corners and get lazy on guaranteed nights like this. Tommy Doyles suffered from this syndrome.
Our waitress was nice enough, got us water, menus, and drinks quickly, and even brought a new beer no charge for someone in our party who spilled his beer he had only taken a couple sips of. The prices are pretty average for around this area, although I could do with a few of their draft choices dipping below the $ 6 range.
I got the Pulled Pork Sandwich, which wasn’t bad, but when you say cole slaw is going to be on there, don’t just put a couple meager looking dots of it on top of the sandwich, especially when it is cafeteria-​vat brand cole slaw. The fries were cold and old and tasteless, which is just depressing… like it is not that hard to mess around with steak fries. Also, can you let me get my own ketchup rather than giving me a small single serve cup of ketchup that has a film on it that makes it look like its been sitting out all day.
Overall, not bad, not great, standard trivia fare. Meh.

Dive bar, annoying clientele, untrained servers aside, Tommy Doyles serves solid British-​y American fare with the most ridiculous portions!
The first time we stumbled upon it was after touring the city for 4 hours on foot. The portions at Tommy Doyles definitely satiated our hungry and thirst. Since then, I’ve come back for Thursday night karaōke and their central patio.
If you’re looking for a hearty and filling dish, the bangers and mash is incredible. Three massive sausages on top of a mash complete with skin and a tasty gravy that floods the dish, although occasionally with a bit too much NaCl. The Irish stew is also appetizing and massive. 22oz bombers tend to get a little out of hand, but given the portions, the alcohol won’t affect you as much.

Sheesh. You’d think with all the brainiacs and professionals in the area that they’d try to give a shit or something here at TDs Kendall Square Edition. But nope, they give zero shits. The floors are always dirty, I am always slightly concerned about any of the surfaces I sit on and hate the food. The space is awkwardly laid out and not properly utilized.
But they have Buck Hunter, which is a fun game and is what I spend most of my time doing when I am there.

So I came here with my family (they had a $ 50 for $ 100 coupon for some reason, don’t ask) on a Sunday morning for their brunch.
Let me preface this by saying that my family is very, very Asian. As in they rarely eat American food Asian.
Anyways, by the time we were done, most of our plates were completely cleaned off. This should say something about their food. While not the healthiest option, their menu is definitely filling and delicious. I had their salmon, which was sooo juicy.
They also have a decent beer selection. My granddad tried Guinness for the first time, and gave it his stamp of approval.
Our waitress was also extremely accommodating and patient, so extra props to her!
Overall, if you’re looking for a delicious Irish breakfast in the heart of Kendall Square, do come here.

I am at work. We are behind and have deadlines to meet. Yet here I am. On Unilocal writing a review for Tommy Doyles. If you tell me my priorities are not straight I will say some words to you. And those words will be along the lines of «you’re wrong.» That or «huh?» or «what?» My hearing sucks.
My friend told me Tommy Doyles is a chain and my jaw may or may not have dropped. (ok, it didn’t, but I had a thought I was surprised. Then I probably thought about pepperoni pizza or something) ((it’s delicious))
But whatever. I have a bad habit of saying too many words. All I want to say is this place rocks. I was surprised this place is a chain because it does not have the feeling of one. The staff rocks. The staff rocks. (echo…echo…echo…) Whoa what is going on? Whoa what is going on? (echo…echo…echo…) Haha wow this is weird. Haha wow this is weird. (echo…echo…echo…) Testing. Testing. (echo…echo…echo…) MASHED POTATOES! MASHED POTATOES! (echo…echo…echo…) Haha rad. Haha rad. (echo…echo…echo…)
But like I said, I have a bad habit of saying too many words. My initial plan was to write a review that says «the staff rocks» and hit submit. But that didn’t happen. Whatever. But it’s true. I’ve come here several times and was always treated great and always had a great time. I can’t say anything about the food because I’ve only had breakfast here 1 time, but I did see that they have an burger that is in the lead for a «best burger in Boston» contest. I’ll have to try it out sometime.
Also, I don’t like bloody marys, but a quote from someone who does like them: «Have you tried their bloody marys? They’re the best around.» He said this close to 10 times in the span of about 4 months.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to clear my history. Time range to clear: Last Hour. This is a shared computer.

It’s an ok place if you need massive amounts of food and an ok beer selection (although cambridge brewing co next door has much better beer).
Our ticket was:
–Bangers & Mash for $ 10.99
–Shepards Pie for $ 11.99
–2 pints @ $ 6/​each
Atmosphere was ok, plenty of seating, surrounded by collegiate drunkards, service quick and to the point, and loud.
Food was ok, but not the best Irish faire I’ve ever had. There was an almost disgusting amount of potatoes with the bangers and mash, and my wife and I would’ve split a plate if we had known the portions were that large. It also came out suspiciously fast, leaving «freshness» in question.

Came here for trivia one night last month and I can’t wait to return! Got lucky with parking too!
Good prices on pints and a yummy yummy reuben. What makes this place great though, is the atmosphere. Our waitress was wonderful and partly the reason we stayed so long after trivia. And speaking of which, the trivia MC was great.
I wouldn’t have come to this place on my own, so I’m glad I was invited there for a night out. Bonus points for free parking after 6pm. Would like to go back and check out what else Tommy Doyle’s has to offer.

I used to think of Tommy Doyle’s as popped collars and frat boys… well, that, my friends, is Harvard Square’s Tommy Doyle’s. This Tommy Doyle’s is VERY different indeed.
Never before has a room full of drunken corporate nerds been more appealing. Sure I paid like $ 30 for four drinks, but that’s part of the charm, no?
I like me some nerds. :) Extra points when they’re singing karaōke. Like, Disney style. Boo yah.