It's hard to beat the location of this restaurant. Sitting right on the water, it is accessible by foot, by bike, by car, or by boat. It could be many things; it has chosen to be a bar with food that allows its customers to relax and enjoy sitting outside at the beach.
While it is not necessarily the choice I would make, it is hard to argue with the success this restaurant has enjoyed for over thirty years. It is down to earth and it is a fun place to hang out.
First things first. This place is huge. The outside dining area is larger than some restaurants I have been in. The inside area is even bigger, decorated with beach and Irish kitsch that is so dated it is fun again. A lobster tank as you walk in. Seriously.
Upstairs, there is a huge banquet room. I have been to several events up there and they are always very well organized. I have seen Irish Eyes do both a seating meal for a large number and a buffet for an even larger number. Both worked extraordinarily well.
The food menu is vast. Ranging from seafood (of course) to tacos to pasta to Irish Favorites, you are sure to find something here that you can eat. As if the main menu is not enough, there is always a list of specials that are often very good. At lunch the other day, my dining companion ordered a caprese salad from the specials list that looked amazing. She assured me it tasted as good as it looked. I ordered the cobb salad. Unlike some others, it is not just lettuce with a few goodies tossed on top. It is full of goodies and is so big that I ate the rest of it for dinner.
The real bargain here is Happy Hour. A special menu contains a nice range of food from small nibbles to dishes substantial enough to feed you for dinner. I have been several times and always find that I leave full without having spent a small fortune.
There is also a late night menu which contains a fair number of interesting choices considering that the kitchen is closing down for the night. I have never tried the late night menu as I am no longer really a late night girl.
As Irish Eyes is primarily a pub and bar, you would expect their drinks menu to be extensive and it is. I was surprised at the beers they have on tap as many of them are pretty standard fare with fewer local choices than I would have guessed. They have a nice selection of canned local beers, but I am not really a huge fan of serving beer in that way.
The wine list is good with some nice bottles reasonably priced. The cocktail list contains what you would expect at a beach bar, but with some nice twists on some old favorites as well.
I have never had anything but superior service, whether it is a busy July night with people impatiently waiting to eat, a quiet April lunch with the patio half full, or a full banquet upstairs. The staff are personable and well trained.
What really makes this place fun is the live music. Before everything shut down last year, there was a group or a solo artist playing here almost every night. I have heard some good music and one night the band was so good my friends and I stayed way beyond what we had intended. Check out the website for the schedule.
I like Irish Eyes. It doesn't pretend to be something it's not, so you can rely it for a good night out with decent food and a good drink. And, if you're lucky, some really good music.
Irish Eyes Pub and Restaurant
213 Anglers Road, Lewes, Delaware
105 Union Street, Milton, Delaware
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