Darby Road
“We also tried the Buffalo Chicken Poutine which was an interesting mix of diced chicken over fried potatoes, smothered in cheddar jack, buffalo sauce and ranch dressing.”
“This was my first experience with onion soup dumplings and they were very enjoyable.”
“For entrees, we got the Chicken & Waffles, Hanger Steak, Chicken Fingers & Fries (kid's meal) and we enjoyed every last bite.”
Darby Road
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Its a cute place. I had a great time but I feel like I'm biased because I came with great company. Overall, its a cool place but I wouldn't go out of the way to visit it.
Darbys has the atmosphere of an Irish pub but with very trendy/modern decor. Quite lively and popular with the locals. The service is a bit cold and not as attentive but the food makes up for it. They just seem really busy and unable to keep up with being friendly to everyone. Plus, they eventually stopped coming by my table so ordering dessert or getting a water refill was a pain.
They have a great shepherd's pie although its a bit skimpy on the meat filling. Their burgers are good and there's something for everyone on the menu. There is a parking lot nearby and the drink options are diverse. Theres a few good beers on tap too. The prices are a bit high for my liking but the atmosphere is fantastic so I can't complain too much. Its worth checking out though if you're looking for a fun time versus an intimate dinner.
Would be 2.5 stars…
My friend and I wanted to have a drink, and try a different bar. Okay, we decided to try this one for a change. At least this isn't one of those places where we would have to worry about paying to park somewhere. Hey, parking is free in this town. You can park in the lot by the municipal building before walking over.
As soon as we walked inside, we were blasted by the heat. That was perfect since outside was really frigid and blustery. We told the server that we wanted to go to the bar, and she said okay. But when we went over, we noticed that all of the seats were completely filled. Disappointed, we asked for a table for two. After a 15-minute wait (reasonable), we got seated. This was also the same case with two other people who wanted to chill at the bar.
After a LONG wait, our server came by and took our drink orders. We both ordered red sangria. It was presented well, and tasted really fruity. It WASN'T watered down. That was quite satisfying, and better than ordering beer that was priced the same as this.
After another LONG wait, our server came by to take our food orders. Since I already had dinner, I ordered the pretzel bites with cheese dip for myself and my friend to share. My friend ordered the Shepperd's Pie since he didn't eat dinner prior to venturing out. He enjoyed his pie. So what about those pretzel bites?
"Pretzel-Cheese Dipping Haven!" – The pretzel bites came out in a tiny "basket" with a handle. The amount that was inside was perfect for sharing. The pretzels weren't dry and the amount of salt applied on top was quite reasonable. The cheese dip was warm, and not overly salty. Dipping those pretzels into the cheese resulted in a really tasty experience. We both enjoyed this, and we agreed with the Yelpers who pointed out that this appetizer was worth consuming in the reviews.
My friend also ordered a chocolate chip cookie tray for us to split. The cookies weren't very big, and they tasted luke-warm. The chocolate chips weren't even gooey. Well, we tried them. But we weren't impressed.
The fact that the bar was completely full with no place to sit at all wasn't very amusing. Also, the service was VERY SLOW, which was a MAJOR turn-off. Finally, as what some other Yelpers pointed out, the prices were a little high.
Several TVs were scattered about throughout this place, which displayed various sporting events. Various soccer banners were scattered about too. All of that was cool. Also, be prepared to talk LOUDLY. This is because the place is noisy with patrons chatting and rhythmic contemporary music playing in the background. Whatever!
Even though we were pleased with the pretzel bites and red sangria, we're hesitant about whether or not we'll return again.
I work nearby and I like coming here for the occasional post-work beer and apps. The soft pretzel nuggets and dipping sauce make my mouth water just thinking about them! Decent beer selection and nice atmosphere. I've only eaten actual dinner here a couple times and the food has been good. My only complaint would be the lack of meatless options. I know it's an Irish pub, but it's also 2015 and a lot of people don't eat meat. I eat fish so I have a couple options, but a strict vegetarian would be very limited (last time I was there, gnocchi was the only meatless item).
Service can be hit or miss. I've had friendly servers and I've had the opposite. Parking is very easy; there is a large lot to the right of the building.
Darby Road is a modern Irish pub, if that makes sense.
The menu has a mixture of traditional Irish food, as well as the to-be-expected burgers and other fare.
They have a decent selection of draft beers.
There are 8 TVs in the main bar area, so its a good place to watch sports. Be aware they cater to soccer fans, so most of the time the TVs are tuned to soccer games.
There's outdoor seating as well, which is great in the nice weather.
The food was good, not outstanding, but good. Prices are slightly on the high side, but the food is definitely better than a chain like TGI Fridays.
Service was friendly and attentive, and the place was clean and kept up well.
There is limited parking on the street, but a municipal lot is not far away so don't let that be a deterrent.
We came here for dinner one night – me, The Man, and his dad. Not going to lie, street parking in Scotch Plains can be… unpleasant. I'm not a fan of parallel parking. It's not because I can't do it, it's because seemingly everyone else can't do it. Because of this, we usually go for one of the municipal lots. We weren't in the mood for a walk that night, so we hoped to find a parking space out front. We lucked out going on a Sunday night, though, because street parking was readily available.
The restaurant is cozy without being too cramped. It's certainly not big and sprawling but there is a good amount of seating available. We got seated immediately and began perusing the menu. Like a good pub, they don't try to distract you with too many options but still have a good selection to choose from. We opted to start with a couple of pints and an order of the soft pretzels with cheddar dip. Let me tell you, those suckers didn't disappoint. The pretzel pieces were soft on the inside with that little bit of crisp on the outside so you have something to sink your teeth into, and it was the perfect utensil to scoop up that creamy cheese dip.
The Man ordered himself the ginger beer braised short ribs, which were delicious. Very tender with a very unique flavor. My father-in-law, being a connoisseur of sorts, chose the shepherd's pie. It was clear he enjoyed it because he cleared his dish before anyone else had a chance to ask for a bite! Feeling a bit adventurous, I asked for the Irish burger. It certainly didn't disappoint. Perfectly cooked to my preferred medium-rare, the smoky-sweet barbecue sauce played very well against the salty bacon and cheese. Miraculously, the bun even managed to stay together the entire time, which was good because it was holding together a whole lot of tastiness.
We really dug this place and got a kick out of identifying all the scarves hung throughout the restaurant and bar. The food was good, our server was really great (the restaurant being mostly empty probably helped the promptness of our service), and we just had a good time. We're definitely going back!
Your typical Irish pub will run about a three star experience at best. Darby road is a little above its peers in the food department. I would not hesitate to just do dinner here when most I would just do drinks.
I am sure I will be 100 more times. Its less than a mile from me now.
We wanted to grab a quick bite on a weeknight, so we hit up Darby Road. We sat at the bar. Our bartender was a good balance between attentive and friendly. He was not overbearing either. We went with burgers, a staple to any establishment of this sort, and they were cooked well and flavorful. The presentation was great and the fries were yummy. They had good music that night and some program going on in the main part of the restaurant. Seems like a fun place. Although our experience was short, the food was good, the beer was cold and the staff were friendly. A good atmosphere and an inexpensive, good quality experience. Looking forward to going back-I'm sure this place is hoppin on a weekend night.
Amazing food! Had whole wheat pasta with sun fried tomatoes, mozzarella , artichoke WOW it was AMAZING!! Could not even tell it was whole wheat .. My bf even ate it! And he's a picky eater!! The only reason I didn't give this a 5 star is because we had horrible service. We sat at the bar and the young woman who was a bar tender did not pay attention. We asked the host for food menus and had to walk to the end of bar to take our order.