Foley’s Bar & Grill

The food is average at best. The owner, who is usually half in the bag, is rude. I will not return and tell everyone I know about the rude treatment my family and I endured while there.

Ate at the bar and it was pretty awful. I had a cajun seasoned chicken breast sandwich and my gf had the burger. Mine tasted like a salt bomb, and the burger was microwaved and tasted worse than a micro magic burger. The servers were OK, but a bit grouchy. I just can’t ever see myself coming here again. It was awful both food and experience. The beer was cold, that was the only highlight.

Stopped in after playing golf at Geneva National, that was a mistake. We wanted to watch the Packers game. Four of us walked in and found three stools and a fourth next to a man sitting at the bar. When we tried to move the stool over, the guy said «my wife is sitting there» After that he walked behind the bar an we found out he was the owner. Wouldn’t a guest take priority over the owner. The bartender was making food and we had to flag her down just to order a drink. The owner sat at the bar barking out orders and micro managing the bartender. We felt bad for her. During our hour we spent there, his wife never came back to her seat. We then asked to do the «shake of the day» and when one of my friends dropped the dice behind the bar, he got up from his stool and said «the game is over» and kept our money. The bar was not very crowded and there is a reason. The customer comes first is not the motto at Foley’s.

This is an update to a review I wrote in 2009. I hadn’t been to the place in nearly six years and my wife and I felt like having something different to eat on a Friday night so we went here. The parking lot was jam-​packed about 8:30pm on a Friday so we were surprised to walk in and see only a few folks seated at the bar. We sat down and the gal bartender said «I’ll be right with you.» before she disappeared into the kitchen.
A few minutes later the owner came out and took our drink order — a tap light beer and a brandy old fashioned sweet for my wife. Trying to make small talk I said «We thought you were jammed by how crowded the parking lot was…» and rather than saying something simple like «Yes– we have a wedding rehearsal dinner in the back restaurant.» the owner mockingly looked around the empty bar and said «Where — I don’t see anybody… I’m trying to make a drink here.»
Hmm, not sure how far smart-​mouthing customers go but it doesn’t go a long way in building my loyalty. To make matters worse, he charged me $ 8 for the drink along with $ 3 for the tap beer. Nothing wrong with $ 3 but $ 8 is out of line for this joint. We drank it — went over to Anthony’s down the block, had a bottle of the same beer and the same drink and it was $ 8 for both — at a much better venue I might add.
My wife was a bit surprised I didn’t leave a tip as I typically leave a decent tip even when I receive questionable service. Not however, when the bad experience is caused by the owner himself. As a side note, we’re not exactly a couple of punks — it was our first stop of the night and we’re both in our late fifties and were dressed well.

I feel that Foley’s is two separate places and has two separate ratings. You have the restaurant which serves great food, great service and the environment is comfortable and welcoming. Then you have the bar. The bar’s rating is very opposite from the restaurant. The bar’s environment is dull and not welcoming. My crowd, consisting of 6 people, did not feel welcome and felt ignored. I would recommend the restaurant but not the bar. In fact, the bar was such a turn off I may never return to either.

Arrived at 5pm… schew, cause this place packs out. I got the pleasure of finding out why… Yummy!
Most tender lamb stew. Great fish fry. (my friend and I shared) Many items looked so good… one dish at a time, I’ll definitely work my way thru the menu list and bring my huge family.
I walked in through the front and found a dark pub and was then lead to the back where all the sunlight/​garden, a welcoming cozy dining area was hiding. Glad we stayed.

stopped in for lunch last week. the lunch menu is limited, burgers, pizza, wings etc. while the dinner menu has Irish fare like bangers and mash and Shepherds Pie. had the burger, good, not phenomenal with steak fries which are good. I would like to go back to try the dinner menu. Service seems spotty but the staff is friendly.

Their authentic Irish fare is amazing. Please please please try their lamb burger and you will not be disappointed. Make sure to go their for dinner, their grill has a much different atmosphere than their bar. You will not be disappointed!

Love the friendly family pub. excellent fish fry.

Had a very pleasant dinner her this week in the Irish Woods restaurant. You enter from the back and avoid the bar scene. Server was attentive yet not overbearing and food was excellent. The lamb stew was served in a bread bowl and was very tasty. Friends had shepherds pie and enjoyed them. Wife had mussels (in Wisconsin?) And they were excellent, and were served in rich cream sauce.

November 2014 — still super good and still a good $$ deal.
no longer taken.
The Corned Beef Special is as good as it gets. The carrots are tender and sweet, the Corned Beef is lean and tender, but not over-​cooked to mushy, and the potatoes are perfect. Service was accurate and quick, and we were taken care of with smiles and attention. They have Smithwicks on tap and it just doesn’t get any better!!!
I read all the negatives and have to say I don’t understand them. I went for the Corned Beef and Cabbage special tonight and as soon as we walked in we were asked if we wanted to eat in the bar or if we were there for the restaurant. My
certificate was used without any hesitation or delay. Just read and be aware of the conditions for certificates and you won’t have problems or disappointments. Present them immediately and if you’re in the bar, you’ll be told that you need to be in the restaurant!

The Three-​Hundy Review!
This place is a reverse mullet — it’s party up front & business in the back. ;-)
Up front is your typical bar with bar food. The place was hoppin’ when we arrived.
In back is a wonderful Irish restaurant. And yes, there is a back entrance to go directly in to the restaurant & avoid the bar area completely.
They have a nice little menu with some traditional Irish favorites along with some other daily specials. They give you a basket of the most delicious housemade Irish Soda Bread along with Rye Bread and butter. The bread is amazing but save room for your meal! I had the most amazing Shrimp & Corn Chowder, Colcannon Potatoes (outstanding), perfectly steamed asparagus w/​garlic butter & their BBQ ribs special (it was so hot outside I just couldn’t bring myself to order Shepherd’s Pie, but I was tempted). The ribs were so good! The Hubs had Irish Lamb Stew in a bread bowl & he devoured it. All the entrees come with a cup of soup or salad.
Our server, John, was perfectly attentive & friendly. He also double-​checked everyone coming in was there for the restaurant and if they were looking for the bar he directed them to the front. I also loved that they had Irish music playing… not bagpipes but the fun old Irish tunes like «Did Your Mother Come From Ireland?» and «My Girl’s An Irish Girl», etc. I love listening to those tunes.

Outstanding food. If you go to the bar, expect bar food. If you want a nice sit down meal, ask to be seated. Pretty simple prior complainers. Now that is off my chest, we have yet to find corned beef & cabbage worth talking about, and Foleys’ was top notch. Not only tender, MINIMAL fat, but they provided us with a huge portion as a take out. I cannot count the times others skimp because you are dining out. We had their Valentines Day special, the Filet Mignon was outstanding, their stews were excellent. They use real ingredients, no parts of parts, and you receive large portions. Good selection of beers as well. Check out their nightly specials.

Wow, where to start. My wife and I bought a
$ 25 certificate for $ 10 for «Foley’s Irish Woods». The catch was that you had to spend at least $ 30 and it wasn’t good certain days… I can’t remember which days. Not too bad of a deal, huh?
We went to this restaurant that had a big sign out front that says «Foley’s Irish Woods» on a day the certificate said was valid and have a few drinks and order some food. The $ 55 bill comes and we give the server the certificate and she says «Oh, I’m sorry, this is for «Foley’s Irish Woods», which is our dining room in back, you’re in Foley’s Irish Bar (note, we’re not sitting at the bar).
The dining room apparently is only open like 3 days a week, one of which falls under our certificate’s limitations and it’s considered a different restaurant. So we get stuck with a $ 50+ bill and a useless $ 25 certificate. Luckily, we complained to
and they let us exchange the certificate… but it’s pretty lame that they wouldn’t accept this certificate. The sign out front says «Foley’s Irish Woods». Not «Foley’s Irish Woods entrance rear»
Needless to say, while TECHNICALLY, Foley’s may be in the right, it’s deceptive and they’ve lost a potential customer for life. Had they let us use the certificate (for the crappy, marked up bar food) I would have considered coming back when their actual restaurant was open and spent another $ 50-​$ 75 with my family. Foley’s got an easy $ 50 from me, but will never get another dime.
ps. I later found out an acquaintence of mine had a nearly identical experience. And «Foley’s Irish Woods» is no longer listed on
:)

Really excellent food, service, and prices in the restaurant fancy back room. Loved it! Had the Lamb Stew… fantastic.

My friend hated her cheeseburger, I throughly enjoyed mine! They also had great cheddar cubes, and delicious bloody marys AND Spotted Cow on tap.
Super limited menu, but good for a bar.

Went there on a Wed. about 5:00 pm had a really good cheeseburger

i am a business owner in the restaurant industry and foley’s can please my 94 year and one half mother so well with their lamb shank dinner that i get a gold star and they get the check! thanks for the delicious dinners you prepare so well. the maxwell’s

We dropped by again recently… menu is exactly the same as two or three years ago… good and bad news here… what they have… shepard’s pie, lamb stew and fish fry… is all good, but it needs to change around once in a while… maybe have the corned beef every night or some specials… change the soups… maybe add some craft or other beers… just an idea…

I am mixed on this place. Great food in the back but we usually have poor service from our waitress. (I was told by the owner that she only works on Fridays. She can be rude, inattentive and just not very nice.) What made it worse was the fact that the guy serving the tables around us was one of the best servers I have ever seen! We will definitely continue to go back for the Friday fish fry and once they ban smoking in the bar this summer, I am sure we will go for a few drinks too. I wish you could also order off the bar menu in the back but for some reason they will not let you!?! Also, the soda bread is some of the best I have ever had.