The Blarney South

I hopped into this joint on a whim because I noticed on the menu that it said they had free wifi, and I wanted somewhere to escape from the cold, eat a burger and do some junk on my iPhone.
I’m going to keep this brief because there is no need to flourish.
My waitress Alissa was perfect. She was friendly, helpful, but not overly attentive.
My appetizer of Nachos ($ 7.95) with ground beef ($ 2.00) was MASSIVE. Had I known I would have had it as a meal, but it’s not their fault. It was perfect, and it could serve four people as an app easily.
My burger ($ 6.95) was also perfect, made exactly as ordered in every way. It was juicy, really big and one of the best pub burgers I’ve had in ages. Best of all, EVERYTHING you add to it is free (including bacon and cheese.)
I added fries ($ 2.95), but I didn’t have room for them so I took them to go. My roommate heated them up and said, direct quote, «Where did these come from, because these are the best fries I have ever had. You can tell they are freshly made and not out of a bag.»
Everything came out quickly. The décor and seating are fine; what you would expect from an Irish pub. The internet was speedy and reliable.
I can honestly say that from this day forward I will be popping into Blarney South at least once a month. It was everything I wanted to be.

Place is ok for a cheap drink of PBR for a dollar during their happy hour. They also have a decent amount of beer on tap and bottle. It is not the cleanest looking place though. I did see a dead roach in the display case on the wall.

Look, I realize «Grille» is in their name, but come on… when have the Irish ever been known for their stellar food and culinary expertise?! I think it’s pretty ludicrous to give this place a bad rating because the food isn’t good. That’s like saying «Stevie Wonder is a reaaaaallllyyy bad driver.» DUH!!! If you come to an Irish pub for any reason other than a well-​poured Guinness and a fun atmosphere, you’re a fool.
If you want to eat, go to an Italian restaurant. Go to a French restaurant. THEY do food. The Irish do beer… that’s just common knowledge. And common sense.
Now that that’s out of my system, I quite enjoyed my time at The Blarney! The group in here when we stopped in was very laid back, friendly, and easy going. I like when you can make acquiantances with your bar neighbors, but not feel obligated to keep a conversation going.
There was plenty to look at in here. I loved the orange, green, and white balloons all over. Someone tied a PBR can to two balloons and boyfriend got a huge kick out of floating it around the bar.
The bartender was a doll! Super cute and friendly, and also attentive considering she was the only one behind the bar. I wanted to call her out for shorting me on the vodka end of my vodka cranberry… but then I stood up.
It is a bit cramped by the bar, so I’m not sure I could do a whole night here. Maybe I’m being too generous, but I really don’t think so. $ 5 for a beer and a shot? I’m used to doing my bar-​hopping in Atlantic City, and that combo is going to cost you close to $ 20 down by me. Enjoy the Blarney for what it is!!!

my beloved maco’s closed, so i am trying to fill the whole in my drinker’s heart with blarney south. I was told that the blarney is essentially the «new» maco’s. it’s a work in progress. they still have some of the same beer deals, like $ 5 for a PBR and shot and $ 1 beers, which helps.
we stopped by for a few hours on a saturday night. it was suprisingly not busy. we easily snagged a table in the bar area. it was nice that we got waitress service, but it was slow. we ended up going to the bar for our drinks most of the time anyway. not a problem, but if you expect to be waited on then expect to, well, wait.
luckily, they have a pretty big beer list. lots of beer on tap and in bottles/​cans. and it’s not just miller and bud. they carry hop devil and golden monkey for when you really want to have a good time.
only one person in our party got food-​chicken cheesesteak with fries. she said it was ok, but to me it but to me it looked like a small cheesesteak for the price. but since i was there for $ 1, i guess you could call me cheap.
the crowd did start to pick up some as the night went on, but it still never really got that busy. one of the things i loved about going to bars like maco’s is that you always meet some really interesting people. i did get talking to a couple people (mainly at the bathroom), but nothing that i’d label «interesting».
bathrooms are ok… better than maco’s. but then again, anything is better than the bathrooms at maco’s. the ladies room did run out of TP, but the waitress took care of that situation soon enough.
the best part is that i only paid $ 10 for an evening of drinks. that’s awesome. blarney south definitely deserves another visit from me. overall, i dig this place. but it’s just not maco’s…it shared some of the same «charm» but it’s just not quite the same.

Expensive, slow service and filthy… should be an option for no stars, skip this place

Regarding the $ 25 charge to credit/​debit cards: The charge is a hold they put on the card. It will be removed once the exact payment is authorized. This is how Mako’s (previously on the corner of 3^rd and South) handled business. I am assuming this is how the «new» Blarney Stone will handle business. The entire staff at Mako’s just moved over to the Blarney Stone in mid-​October, so I’d imagine in a few weeks the bar will look and feel a lot like Mako’s.
Giving 3 stars under the assumption the place will be similar to Mako’s. Would have given 4, but the loss of the extended outdoor patio losses a point.

I was drawn in after a show at the TLA by their $ 5.00 shot and a beer special (known everywhere else in philly as a city wide). It’s annoying that they hold $ 25 on your credit card, even if your total is only $ 12. The extra $ 15 was eventually dropped, but it was not worth the hassle. I called for days trying to get a hold of someone there because I didn’t know why my card was being charged for an additional amount. I never got a hold of anyone, but I’m assuming that this is just what they do (have your card pending for more than it’s supposed to be and then eventually authorize the card for the correct amount.)
Not worth the trouble.

I remember liking this place a lot more a few years ago. Just got back from dinner. The place was dingy, menus hadn’t been updated replaced in years so they were gross to touch, the bathrooms were appalling (and thats understating it), and the food sucked. I order bangers and mash featuring «imported Irish sausages» — incorrect. Those were some Jimmy deans. I reordered a burger instead. Yea, that was a frozen patty. I thought they would at least make their own? Anyway the hubs got a cheesesteak which he said was dry and unspectacular.
I will say that it was a quiet weeknight and we were the only people eatin at 6 pm on a Tuesday. (Learn from Gordon Ramsey and simplify the menu rather than serving garbage!)
On a positive, the waitress was nice and the potato soup was tasty.

Definitely our pre-​game before concerts after we’ve been at Downey’s. Best bartender. The bathrooms are grosssssss so just be aware of that. One time we were in there and two guys were just jamming at a table playing traditional Irish tunes…

Turn the music up and the lights down!

My pregaming spot of choice if I’m around for a concert.
Like this venue, the staff are quite approachable. We asked about good bombs, and friendly bartender Krista suggested cherry bombs. We had cherry bombs, then talked some more. (Not expensive; credit cards accepted.)
This Irish bar seems to be more genuine than others (read: Kildare’s), but after a few drinks, it won’t matter either way.
Never had their food, but I’m always back for the service.

So I went here to drink a few pints before heading to the Manchester United vs Philly Union match. The brews were mediocre until I had some Murphy’s. I ordered a Guiness first, which was kicked. Then I ordered a Stella which was completely skunked. The Murphy’s saved the night to be quite frank.
Decent place.

This is a decent, solid Irish pub. It can get a bit crowded after work as it’s a tiny place. I like it because the bartenders all seem to know how to make any obscure, Irish, and Irish American drink.
And for God’s sake… order a boilermaker when you get an Irish tender if you want a ‘car bomb.’ I’ve seen this good etiquette practiced here. Not as many from Ireland here as there are at other pubs, but every now and then you’ll get a genuine conversation or find someone in the know.
Great place to unwind after work – if you head straight there and miss the crowds.

This was probably our 2^nd or 3^rd stop on a night of barhopping. This place is exactly average, nothing stood out as either good or bad (though the bathrooms were a little icky). Had a couple of drinks (Yeungling for me, rum & coke for my friends), average prices and average service. Most likely won’t go back as there are a ton of other bars in this area and I’d rather hit one I haven’t been to yet.

Was on my way to Jim’s when I saw a sign that said «Voted #1 Cheesesteak.» I’m typically a sucker for such high-​class marketing tactics but I vowed not to be this time around. However, it was Saturday, I was thirsty, I just had a slice of Lorenzo’s, and a beer sounded nice. I walked in.
Sat at the bar and took in a Guinness ($ 4.55) and a Harp ($ 5) to accompany my Ben Franklin Deluxe Bacon Cheesesteak, which was the regular Philly concoction with an addition of friend onions, Jameson BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato, creamy coleslaw, a Dill pickle spear, with a side of Idaho fries. It was good except the bacon was non-​existent, no creamy coleslaw, the onions not fried, the pickles possibly Dill but definitely not spear, and I realized that cheesesteaks with anything but cheese and steak is not good. Who puts freaking tomato and lettuce on their steak? I just did but I mean, I’m a New Yorker, I can commit a Homer in a city not my own.
The bartender was pleasant however. I peppered her with a few questions about beers such as, «What’s the difference between a 60-​minute IPA and a 90-​minute IPA in the Dogfish line?» One is brewed longer. I was also informed that a 120-​minute and a 150-​minute exist with each half-​hour bringing stronger flavor and potency. I also asked about the peculiar way she was serving my Guinness as she was using the backside of a peculiar looking spoon to allow the dark frothy liquid hit my pint the right way. She informed that any bartender who does not serve a Guinness in this manner is [silently shakes her head].
All in all, the place was comfortable and it wasn’t too crazy on this lazy, Saturday afternoon. I think all the Phillies fans were getting drunk elsewhere on South St. trying to forget the Yanks* kicking their candy asses.
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*I’m a Mets fan but I will happily root against the Phils anytime.

Down to earth Irish bar.
The food is not great, but it’s inexpensive.
Bartenders are always great and all traditional Irish beer and whiskey is always available. Drinks (especially for South Street) are moderately priced.
Best place to get ready for a concert at TLA or just have a beer while cruisin’ down South St.

I’ve walked past the Blarney South a million times and finally went in. It is located on trendy South Street where there are tons of eateries to choose from. Blarney South claims to be an Irish themed pub, but as I suspected, it’s just another bar that has tossed a couple «Irish» dishes on the menu to claim the status as an Irish pub. I would rate the food and prices as good and the ambiance as ok, but I was very aware on South Street and not in Ireland. The Irish offerings include «Steamed Irish Pork Dumplings with Blarney dipping sauce» which were good, but tasted suspiciously like chinese steamed duplings and at a hefty $ 5.95, I wouldn’t buy them again; Bangers & Mash, which I was tempted by, but it was 90 degrees the day I was there, so went for something lighter; Shepherd’s Pie (is that really Irish?); Guinness Irish Stew (beef stew with G tossed in so now it’s magically «Irish»; and Ham and Cabbage. Other items such as the California Burger and Deluxe Taco Salad convinced me I was definitely NOT in Ireland.
So, since I was let down that none of the «Irish» recipes looked too inviting, I scanned the menu in search of something that looked good, and even though it wasn’t Irish, I was not disappointed. I got a wonderful chicken and pear salad with raisins on a bed of greens drizzled with a raspberry vinagrette that was excellent! I actually liked the recipe enough that I have replicated it at home and enjoy it quite a lot. I also shared a California burger with my mom that day, and I have to say, it was the spiciest damn veggie burger I’ve ever eaten. Ugh.

I’ve walked by here on a bajillion occasions but never once thought about setting foot in here. But Jillian and I wanted to kill some time over a good beer before seeing The Dandy Warhols and didn’t feel like paying $ 5.50 for a beer pong sized cup of Yuengling just yet. So that was enough motivation.
Despite the rabid Steelers fan Blarney South proved to be a solid offering. We were met with good service, and even met a bartender who was cool enough to prove that he did in fact know how to salsa dance. they had a crap load of beers on hand but I decided to go for a Newcastle since it was one of my faves that I haven’t had in awhile.
Judging from some of these reviews I’m probably going to have to stop in and give the food a try sometime (during the Next TLA show which could be MSTRKRFT.). It also looked like they might have a hookah joint upstairs so I’m easily intrigued.

I spent several hours here on a Friday afternoon last April, waiting for a group of friends to trickle into town from various other cities and modes of transport. We had a few beers here before dinner. I was thrilled to find Murphy’s Stout on tap.
Much later in the evening we came back here and were pleased to find that it wasn’t at all crowded. So this was a good afternoon AND a good nighttime bar, which is a rare find. Plus that Murphys. Mmm.

Very Irish, but with more soul and less décor than Kildare’s.
Their fries are to die for (and come in a huge bowl!) and it’s one of the few places that serve Old Bay fries. Their other killer appetizer is the Blarney Stones, which are basically little meatballs that you dip in sour cream whiskey sauce.
For dinner you have comfort food like pot pie and meatloaf, which are both good. But for lunch you will get the most bang for your buck with their huge sandwiches. Personally I like Kildare’s food better, but Blarney has a better selection.