Passage Irish Bar and Kitchen
“Recently opened Astoria Bar/Restaurant owned by the same people who own Cuckoo's Nest in Woodside and Banter in Forest Hills.”
“We had the pudding fritters from the small plates and the chicken burger from the handfuls, both were incredible and a nice portions.”
“Ursula has always been our server and she never fails us, she's super quick, friendly and already knows our order!”
Passage Irish Bar and Kitchen
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
4 reviews
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This has quickly become our regular brunch spot! Delicious Irish food (I live for the Irish breakfast), the mimosas are on point and they serve Barry's tea…what more could we want? Ursula has always been our server and she never fails us, she's super quick, friendly and already knows our order! Love Passage.
Recently opened Astoria Bar/Restaurant owned by the same people who own Cuckoo's Nest in Woodside and Banter in Forest Hills. Menu is Modern Irish/American (which means they love the Curry). Very good beer selection with a nice group of local microbrews. Menu is similar to the one at Banter. I had the black pudding and apple fritters. Very good, with an almost dessert like crust (that works). For dinner I had the Black pudding burger. This is not a beef burger with some black pudding on top, but a big mass of crumbly black pudding that was excellent. I plan on heading back there a few more times to try the rest of the menu.
The place is also very open, with a good layout. I have a feeling they will be hosting live music soon, as there is the space for it.
Passage taking over this spot just made 30th Ave. even better. The menu has a lot of different items to choose from – I had the banter burger and it was delicious. They explain that because it's cooked with Worcestershire sauce, it only looks well-done but they cook it to your preference. I ordered medium and it was brown (no pink) but full of flavor and juice. (warning- Lots of onion mixed in with the meat if that's not your thing) The bun was fresh and soft and did not overwhelm the burger – cheese and chipotle mayo complemented it very well. It came with a basket of fries and it was a lot. I left the place pleasantly stuffed.
The best part of Passage was the service. Even though no one was there to greet us when we walked in – the space is huge, we weren't sure if we could sit ourselves or not, so we kind of wandered around for a minute before the bartender came out – everyone was so friendly. There were a lot of people working when we went on an early Friday night (3 bartenders, 3 waiters, 2 busboys at least). It seemed like a different person came to take drinks order, food order, delivered the food, delivered the table settings etc. When we dropped a fork, before we could even bend down to pick it up, someone was already there picking it up for us. And then they got us a new clean one right away.
The space is huge and would be a great place for a large group – very good beer and whiskey selection, great staff and menu – I look forward to going back soon.
As a fan of Banter (same owners) in Forest Hills I was looking forward to trying their newest offering in Astoria. As soon as I entered I could tell this place was considerably larger with the typical dark decor you expect from an Irish pub. I like the exposed brick, dark wood and mix of high and low tables. Nice bar to the left as your enter the space. It certainly a place more suited toward cooler weather, but thankfully the front is nearly fully open to the street for some natural light.
I was impressed by so many draft beers on offer – around 30 and they have an extensive list of whiskies, mostly Irish. Speaking of drinking, they have 2 "bookend" happy hours early in the evening and also late a night during the week – it is fairly extensive with many drink and food specials including $1 oysters.
The food seems fairly typical for an Irish pub – my friend and I tried the Baked Guinness Mac and Cheese that came out all gooey, with a dramatic strawberry wine sauce on top – great version and filling, but could have used a bit more bacon. The Jameson Spring Rolls reminded me of empanadas, the waitress brought this with some Colman's mustard – good for sharing, but seemed a little pricey for what they are.
The Banter Burger is less a straightforward burger, but a mixture of red onion, spices, and Worcester sauce that even though we ordered it Med Rare it looks well done – the waitress informed us of this before hand – the mixture darkens the burger. Juicy and good flavor – if you like meatloaf or Salisbury steak you will enjoy this. The classic fish and chips had a nice thick breading, perhaps fried a bit too long but a good version. Love that spray bottle malt vinegar – its the way it should be done. Fries and crispy and tender inside – great version.
Great big space, friendly service, live music most nights, pub food done well and extensive bar that particularly impressed me. Its a great place to grab a drink and perhaps a bite, especially with a group of friends!