Vaughan’s Public House

A fantastic Irish Pub! The staff is friendly and Johnny is normally on the scene as well greeting guests and providing a welcoming feeling. The potato bread makes even a normal BLT even better and the honey mustard is outstanding. Don’t forget to get some Irish Cream which is made right at the pub! A first rate experience start to finish!

Lunch on a nice sunny Tuesday afternoon. Very busy at 12:30pm but we were seated promptly. Our waiter takes our drink order (diet coke for wife, $ 3 Yuengling draft for me).
We order a cup of minestrone soup to share. Wife orders Shepards Pie and I order a reuben sandwich which comes with fries.
First, the soup was delish. To me, the portion was almost a bowl size so it was perfect for sharing. The white beans and veggies are cooked al dente. Just right. We are happy.
Our main plates are brought out and a few tastes from my wife’s Shepard’s Pie reveals a delicious mixture of ground beef, carrot, corn, onion, celery, and brown gravy under the mashed potatoes. Very good. My wife really liked it but she could not finish the portion so she brought about ½ of it home for dinner.
My reuben on rye was good. No complaints for sure but there is not much you can do to make a reuben stand out. Corned beef covered with sauerkraut on nicely toasted (not soggy on one side) rye bread hit the spot.
Now, an hour has gone by and the place has emptied. Seriously, we are the only customers in the place. I guess that’s the way business is in downtown Hartford. Full blast for the lunch crowd followed by a few hours of empty. Too bad really as this place is a hidden jem. Hopefully the dinner crowd is at least as busy.
Bottom line, this is a great little Irish Pub/​Tavern place that we will visit again. Hope you can too. Oh yeah, cost for street parking was $ 2 for (2) hours. Enjoy.

Service was okay the waiter seemed stressed but it was packed… but food was delicious! I got the pub salad with blackened chicken and was very pleasantly surprised. I also tried the cordon blue and Reuben sandwich from friends and thought they were good as well.

Type of order: Breakfast /​Lunch /​Dinner /​Late night
Food Quality: Excellent. Solid Irish food offerings, with some serious care taken to detail.
Beer Selection: Nice selection. Not crazy, but this is a whiskey place, not a beer place. Get a Guinness, or shut your mouth and leave.
Service: See above. Awesome though.
Atmosphere: Irish pub. Every one is irish when you walk in the door.
Prices: Very reasonable. Neighborhood style prices.
Entertainment: You’re probably entertainment for everyone if it’s you’re first time here. If it’s not, then the new guy is probably yours.
Overall Experience: Best ethnic bar and experience in Hartford. Don’t miss special events here.
Recommend Rating: Where else would you plan on going for the morning of the parade?

Good find in downtown Hartford.
I came here with three friends on a Wednesday evening post 8pm. We were able to get a seat in the back.
Our waiter did a great job being attentive without being too pushy. He was able to steer us toward some good dishes. Their burger is better than average, and the corned beef sliders were tasty without being too greasy or messy. Even their wings were bountiful and delicious.
I like the wood paneling, and their beer selection is also solid. There’s something for everyone here.

The luck of the Irish was present at Vaughan’s Public House. Nestled in a cute little brick paved street, I could almost swear I reached the end of a rainbow!
I enjoyed a few pints of beer and the Cowboy Burger. This place really reminded me of Ireland. Erin Go Brah!

Stopped here this past weekend during Open Studio Hartford to «re-​fuel» and unfortunately we had the same idea as what seemed like most of the women attending a «Women in Faith» conference at the XL Center had the same idea.
The restaurant staff seemed a bit frazzled so I will give them a pass on this because we only had to wait about 20 minutes for a table. Once I was seated — our waiter quickly attended to us, got us our drinks, and as I had already perused the menu while waiting, was happy to take my order.
Despite the amount of patrons they served prior to our arrival our waiter was pleasant and accommodating to my order modifications and making sure my beverage was always topped off.
DId not have to wait long for my meal and again despite having served the masses before my arrival — my blackened chicken was moist and flavorful and the side of thickly sliced soda bread was just delicious. I do with the bread had caraway seeds BUT I know that is an acquired taste.
Vaughan’s has a lot of other traditional Irish fare and I look forward to my next trip to try their corned beef and cabbage or shepherd’s pie.

Excellent drinks

The staff is really friendly. Great consistent pub food. Like most people I usually know what I want before I even walk in. They serve a perfect pint of Guinness! I always have a car bomb with the house made Irish cream.

I am a fan. Went here for lunch. Good lunch menu with good prices. Everything tastes good.
Drink choices are excellent. Service is outstanding.
Great pub food.

Solid 4 star here.
Had the Mixed Grill which is basically a full Irish breakfast without the eggs.
I added the eggs which was an extra $ 2.
This took the total to $ 16 which I feel is about $ 2 — $ 3 too much for this meal, which is why I deducted a star.
The portion sizes were MASSIVE. 2 people could easily share 1 meal.
Quality of the food was good and the service staff were very attentive.
If you are feeling hungry in Hartford CT, this is a MUST try.

Great Irish pub atmosphere. The prices were a bit high but the portions were very large. The food was good, but not amazing. The service was good too. Overall, we would come back.
I will say that the pub chips are probably the best fries I’ve ever had – very crispy.

It wasn’t busy when I was here, but the staff were friendly and quick. They know how to properly pour a Guinness, which is no small thing, and the hamburger was very good

Pretty reliable pub food. Good for a beer. Nothing to write home about imho.

Great Food, I have had the Pub Burger and the Reuben and both were excellent, but the potato soup is a staple for me.
I enjoy the atmosphere and the friendly staff as well as the selection of booze. My only reason to have any complaints is that I think the whiskey prices are a little high…

This Irish European pub is a staple in downtown Hartford. Every time I go here there is a great beer selection on tap, top shelf liquor, and pub food that you can’t get enough of.
When you walk through the doors there is a curtain which you push open and ahhhhh. The Vaughns public house a European pub experience that is sure to leave you in a good mood. The ambience here is just what you’d want to see from a true pub. It is though a very narrow restaurant and it is very tight seating.
Last time I was there I got the Reuben sandwich which they make so good but they do cheap out on the portion of meat. Also the melindas meatloaf sandwich is what they are known for.
The only thing that annoys me with this place is the wait staff always forget something it’s honestly amazing to me because it happens every time I am there but since the food is so good myself and others usually don’t mind.
*I’ve also been here during the World Cup and it is an absolute made house and I loved it
Pros:
Great pub food
Great drinks selection
Cons:
Tight Seating
Forgetful wait staff

We got there early at 11:50 to beat the lunch crowd and scored the quietest table in the back corner. At 1:00 when we left the place was packed and there was a line out the door. Regular pub food and a list of Irish specialties. My friend had a burger which she said was delicious (9 bucks). Came with a pile of handcut fries. Other friend had a bowl of baked potato soup (4.50). The soup of the day was chicken noodle. Not a lot of healthy options, but on a cold winter day it did just the trick.

Loved this spot! Tucked away in an old alley brick street in downtown Hartford. this is such a cool spot. The atmosphere is allllll BAR. So basically, it is what it is. $ 3 draft specials and warm bartenders give this place just the right feel. The pub burger was awesome, too and perfectly cooked to order. Oh yeah, one huge projection TV in the far end was perfect for sports.
Enjoy!
–Ian M.

Stopped in on a Monday night. The place was empty. Parking is either on the street (free after 6PM or meter before) or at a parking lot ($ 10). I got lucky and found a spot almost in front (the spots directly in front of Vaughan’s are handicap).
Bartender/​Waiter was very friendly and helpful. Atmosphere is nice. The burger and brew special for $ 9.49 was a great deal — even had Hoegaarden on tap. We started with the baked brie appetizer — excellent (the black bread is tasty, but a little strong for the brie). I had the shepherd’s pie, which was good.
Smithwick’s on tap is a must when at an Irish Pub.
Great food, outstanding price, nice place

Great Irish bar. Dark wood and murals on the wall. Nice music. Friendly and very attentive staff. And tonight… free T-​shirts from the pretty lasses of Guinness!
A very nice place. Ambience and noise level are perfect. I had a calamari at the bar and enjoyed every bite.