The Kinsale

08/05/09

Not Good Service, Food

by GABoston at Citysearch

I went to Kinsale two times for lunch and both times I had bad experiences. I sat at 1 PM for lunch and didn't get a salmon salad until 1:45 PM. Then another day I wanted to order from the bar to go - the woman was rude and dismissive. Also, the host was busy engaging in gossip to notice that I was sitting at the bar for 10 minutes before getting attended to - oh, did I mention this was not even peak time? I decided to never go to Kinsale again!

• Cons: Bad Service, Rude

11/29/08

Great service

by tylerrstevens at Citysearch

Really nice restaurant! The food was very good and the service was great. I recommend you give it a try.

• Pros: Ambience , food and service.

02/13/08

Classic example of a upscale bar!

by ADRcamr at Citysearch

I've gone to this place a roughly 6 times during the past 12 months and have found their food and service to be exceptional. The place offers a variety of beers that you can't get elsewhere and they constantly change their selection. If someone doesn't like the prices of their menu then they can go someplace else, but the food as always been good and clean. I recomend this place if you want to have a good beer that and a comfortable atmoshphere. The bartenders are very nice and are always approachable and fun to talk with. Def recommend this place if you like irish bars with a twist. Also the seating style in the bar is almost parallel to pubs in ireland that i have been to.

• Pros: beer selection and food quality
• Cons: there aren't any really...who doesn't like good beer?

08/17/07

Bad food, worse service

by wearinothegreen at Citysearch

Let's begin with the positive: the interior of the bar is quite evocative, with lots of stone, wood, and large murals. The beer list at the Kinsale is nice, not extravagantly pricey, and changes often.

Sadly, the same cannot be said of the menu at the Kinsale. The food is singularly terrible--from the salad to the sandwiches to the entrees--and priced with jaw-dropping impudence. The arbitrarily named "truffle" fries, for example--chewy, oily potato slivers dusted with garlic salt and oil, are $8, and embarrasingly served in a pretentious and unwieldy cone on a wire stand. The more reasonably priced onion soup ($6) nonetheless seems like a bit of a tap (Citysearch won't let me use a word that rhymes with tap but starts with an sl-) in the face as it actually has a melted square of pre-sliced American cheese on top of it rather than anything properly grated or fresh.

The Caesar salad failed to live up to its name; stale lettuce is unwisely drenched in Caesar dressing, rendering the leaves even deader and soggier than they plainly already are. The sandwiches are generally drenched in an annoyingly sweet vinaigrette, and contain the greens that didn't pass the test for inclusion in the salad. For luncheon meat, wet panini and Terra chips, one might as well go to the grocery store and pay $10 less.

I won't bore you by reviewing entrees as well; instead, I'll save time by merely saying that the cooking continues in this awful, lazy vein. I must move on to the service, the other major flaw at this restaurant. The service at the Kinsale is almost without exception the worst service in Boston. The bartenders are inattentive and rude, treating customers with all of the courtesy of DMV employees.

Altogether this is not a bar that is worth visiting. For equally good atmosphere and infinitely better service (and better food!) go to Ned Devine's upstairs in Faneuil Hall. For the best service around and a decent choice of drinks, go to McFaddens.

• Pros: Beer
• Cons: Service, food, value

09/29/06

Great place, but too loud

by hockiemack at Citysearch

I've been to the Kinsale a few times, and i've felt differently each time. The first time, the place was dead... and the music too loud. The second time, not too busy and sitting outdoors was lovely. The third time, busy on the bar side with trivia... with music that was too loud. And my most recent visit, super busy... but we were seated promptly. The service was excellent and I really enjoyed my burger. My friend's burger was a bit too rare for him, but overall we had a good time. The only thing that could have made our experience better? Turn down the volume. There is no need to blast all that noise in the bar.

08/04/06

Feels formulaic

by gotbidnezz at Citysearch

I've been here for happy hour and at night on the weekends. I consistently felt ignored by the waitstaff and the food I've had is not good. At all. The beer list isn't that great, it leans on the pretentious side and omits the standards. It feels like it was an Irish Pub concept that some restauranteur had. The outdoor patio furniture is amazing though, when it's actually nice enough to sit outside.

• Pros: Location
• Cons: Service, Food

10/23/05

Great laidback pub

by anon367212 at Citysearch

The bartenders here are really friendly, and they've got a great selection of beers. I really like the live music, and on Friday and Saturday nights it's usually not very crowded.

09/14/05

I love this place!

by pineapplegirl at Citysearch

I work near the Kinsale and love to meet friends there for dinner. The food is delicious and a fantastic value. My favorite meal is the Kinsale Burger with fries and a beer. They do burgers so well here. I've also had several of their entrees and they always exceed my expectations. You would think a pub style restaurant would not have the best food, but the Kinsale delivers excellence every time. Their desserts are delicious as well and definitely large enough for sharing. Awesome selection of beers on tap and great atmosphere with Celtic art and carved wood. For a beer, burger and fries you will rarely spend more than $20. Great deal!

• Pros: burgers, fries, atmosphere
• Cons: parking

07/07/05

Government Center's largest Irish bar keeps area workers happy with dependable food and drink and plenty of outdoor seating.

by Eric Grossman at Citysearch

The Scene
In a city full of Irish bars, this downtown option aims to have the authenticity angle down pat. Constructed in Ireland, the bar was transported here brick by brick, with all of its warm-toned, comfy pub atmosphere intact. Because of its location--smack dab in the middle of the unattractive concrete jungle that is Government Center--the bar does its best business on weekdays during lunch and after work. Service is affable and efficient.

The Draw
Despite the view of bleak City Hall Plaza, tables in the large outdoor patio are in demand whenever the weather is agreeable--this is one of the few places in the area where you can enjoy a pint alfresco. The full bar sports an above-average beer and wine list and has numerous TVs. A menu of pleasing pub fare--spanning the spectrum from nachos to shepherd's pie--is served in both the bar and dining areas.

04/16/04

Good for a quickie

by gormez71 at Citysearch

Not a bad place, although we didn't stay long because of the service. The hostess and busboys were OK, but thats about it. It was kindof crowded, but not overly. The drink prices were a bit outrageous...considering what they had to offer. The last place I had a $9 mixed drink it came in a big scorpian bowl, not a small glass. Sum up: not worth your money.l

• Pros: near T
• Cons: , prices ($$$)