- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
33 reviews for McKibbin's Irish Pub
Review Highlights
-
"As generally stated, live music pretty much every night and..." In 6 reviews -
"...in the mood for the best Shepherd's Pie and the best-poured..." In 4 reviews -
"We both had the fish and chips and were thrilled with what..." In 4 reviews
Loading...
30 reviews in English
-
Review from Alex M.
Montréal, QC
5/4/2012
Ah McKibbin's.. Come for the wood panneling and ironic ye-ole-irish signeage, stay for the gazillion intimate little alcoves, 90s alterna-rock music and decently-priced booze.
As a vegan, my options are limited. They'd be even more limited if I had the vegan ethics to pass up on the fries or potato-leak soup or vegie burger, all of which probably wouldn't cut vegan standards if I asked about ingredient and cooking specifics. But ya know, it's McKibbin's. And I keep going back. The food isn't terrific by any means, but screw it there's ambiance at McKibbin's. And that counts for a lot.
Last time I went there was before a Hab's game. I was with my dad and little brother and I ordered a shot and a beer and my little brother did likewise and my dad disapproved and just ordered orange juice or some such. It was awesome. Or the times I've met Jason there after work and it's so close and convenient it takes you five minutes from job to drink. Oh - and pretty much at every point when I've felt depressy, I've gone there to drink booze with a friend in a back booth. And then we order fries. And the the Gin Blossoms come on the stereo system and we're all like "Hey, Jealousy... hey jealousy.." And then somehow, it's better. That's why McKibbin's gets 4 stars. -
Review from Rawan K.
4/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Located right next door to Concordia, you can expect a lot of university students and people working in the area to be here on break, winding down after a long day, or in celebration of some sort. It easily gets packed over the weekends and since it is a small pub, it will be difficult to find seating. However, during the week, it quiets down and on most nights they have a good band playing. They also have a few TV's situated throughout the pub, so for all the sports-junkies, this is the place to be.
They have a decent food menu which includes hamburgers, wings, poutine, nachos, and various meat pie's, among others. The "Rim Reaper Wings" are insane, just keep in mind that the way it comes in, is the way it goes out - BURNING.
In a nutshell, the atmosphere and service is great, it's chill during the week and rowdier on the weekends. Their beer hits the spot, though I would never think of ordering cocktails here, or at any pub for that matter. And a few items on the menu such as the Guinness or McKibbins burger are worth ordering, I haven't eaten here much. -
Review from GirlintheCity A.
Montréal, QC
4/8/2012
This review is for the all you can drink night.
Went with a group of friends and had a good time. The place was packed full of college aged people (lots of Concordia students).
The only downside is that the drinks are like sooo watered down that it's pretty much impossible to get a good buzz going from them. Either stick to beer which can't be watered down or drink before you go. -
Review from MandA R.
4/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
This was your typical Irish pub with typical food and drink. What was nice was the 1 man band playing his guitar and filling the bar with tunes.
Friendly bartenders and good service. -
Review from Farin I.
4/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love this spot! Went both at McKibbins and at Winnies upstairs. Crowd was a bit older at Winnies but anyway both the floors have terrases outlooking the crescent street and have different themes. I always end up having a good time with friends and family. The bartenders are extremely helpful so kudos!!! This place really is in a good location and out of the many times Ive been here I have yet to have a bad experience. Hopefully not.. :)
-
Review from Mike S.
I always have a great time when I go here. I go with the same group of friends, and we order the same thing. Hamburgers. And they do them well! Do not order the fire wings. Two of my friends did despite repeated warnings by the waitress, and snot started running out of four nostrils at the same time. It was disgusting. Yet quite hysterical.
I need to find new friends to take here... So they can try the wings;)) -
Review from Moe H.
Montréal, QC
2/18/2012 6 Check-ins Here
I found McKibbin's through Yelp when I was searching for good burgers places near me, first two visites were all for a late snack and they weren't serving food, but yet I couldn't leave! I had to have a drink and enjoy the live music!
I am lil bit biased because I adore rock music and specially live! I have seen couple of bands there and they all rocked \m/
Had my first burger yesterday, and yes it was amazing, the home French fries were lil bit oily but yet outstanding.
The service: my first two experiences weren't that cool, they were not even smiling! (maybe because it was already late and they might be exhausted), last visit the waitress was lovely and helpful. -
Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
1/12/2012
A friendly barkeep recommended this place to us as they were doing last call at 2AM. We went to the basement 'Speakeasy' portion of this bar. Exactly as advertised, dark, dank drinkhole - ignore the college kids around here and it's pretty damned good.
I was about half way through my Jameson's when I noticed they had Murphy's Stout on tap (yes, there are more Irish stouts than 'Guinness'). I'm from a two-horse town called Vancouver and I've been to many a Irish bar in my time and this is the first I've seen it on tap. My mentor once told me that Murphy's on tap is nectar of the gods. It doesn't sell well and the taps are usually aren't clean - so it's hard to find a good pint. Anyways - I can attest that taps are clean and you should have a pint if you have the chance. It has a roasted chocolate flavour so deserve more broad appeal than heavily marketed Guinness.
Anyways - cool bar and an honest bartender. Tell Jamie your trials and tribulations and he'll tell you he doesn't care. Nice. My friend picked up the hiccups and we tried the usual tricks (holding your breath, etc.) - Jamie taught us a near-foolproof way of curing the hiccups. I'm not going to spoil it - but ask about it and you really have to trust the barkeep. But seriously - near foolproof way of curing the hiccups! That's worth the trip alone.Listed in: Un garçon de Vancouver à…
-
Review from Kevin M.
A cozy Irish pub on Bishop street right next to Concordia University. McKibbins is a great bar to watch the Canadiens play - or just indulge in some pints and whiskey!
Known for having one of the best hamburgers in town - if you have an appetite just order the Deluxe Burger and be ready for feast.
Another wacky - but great menu item is the curry poutine. Get it with grilled chicken and it's a pseudo-curry chicken, served with fries and cheese curds. You'll love it.
Finally - if you have a stomach of steel, you can join me and many other patrons on the "Wall of Flame". It's a chicken wing challenge where you must eat 12 of the hottest wings in town. Made with ghost peppers - this dirty dozen of wings require you to sign a waiver before you can even start. In return, you'll get your name written on their wall - and a funky t-shirt to show off your win to all. My tip to you all: Don't drink your beer to dowse the heat - order a glass of milk, and ice-cream off the menu (why do you think it's there!) and take that instead. Expect the pain to continue hours later (thus the name - Rim Reaper...)
During the summer months the back is opened up and you can enjoy your meal on the back patio enjoying the Montreal heatListed in: Burger-Town MTL
-
Review from Tracey R.
Montréal, QC
2/29/2012
Just discovered McKibbins with a friend last week, we both had burgers (one was Guiness deluxe, the other was bison regular. We had good service, good food, didnt try the drinks though, perhaps on a night where we don't work the next morning!
I would love to try the ghost pepper wing challenge one day... -
Review from Rowan U.
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
A solid bar, with a good Irish experience.
I must admit I don't care much for most Irish pubs - they're similar to Australian pubs back home, but not quite the same. I do however, appreciate a good pub in North America (they're so much harder to come by here) and this is one of them. From my friends here in Montreal it sounds like McKibbin's is a local institution, with this one being the first (of three throughout the island).
The food isn't amazing, but if you want a feed to go with your drink you'll be very happy. All the dishes I saw go past looked good, and the dish I did try (chicken tenders) were solid, and a generous portion at that. Looking at some of the other reviews, I think I'll definitely go back for food there again to try some of their other dishes.Listed in: Beer Is Great
-
Review from Chris A.
Dorval, QC
4/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Just came here for a couple beers. Good atmosphere on a Thursday night. There was a band playing and hockey on TV so I was entertained.
-
Review from Noha G.
Montréal, QC
2/15/2012
I'm not a fan of extremely loud, trashy, and dirty places, and so this place isn't exactly exciting in my books. Drinks are ok, and food is fine (although a friend of mine just had a bad case of food poisoning from their dish of the day...). Not really my cup of tea, but if you're a fan of Irish pubs, I guess this is one of the more popular ones..
-
Review from Arwen L.
4/23/2011
Ah, McKibbins! What a great spot. Live music blasting inside, a tent outside on the patio to ease the chill of the spring weather and a mini bar downstairs??? Yup, that's right. But I will get into that later.
We had been tipped off to stop in McKibbins by a couple of local bartenders at another spot who told us this is where the staff at their bar come after work. Apparently, it is much more of a locals place because it is just off the Crescent.
We ordered our IPAs (which, btw, Canadian IPA's are surprisingly much less hoppy than those one might find in the U.S.), pulled up a couple of chairs and tried to listen to band jamming out.
That is of course, until the hammered Swedish guy came over and started talking to us. We have no idea what he said to us, other than him asking, "So you ladies are from South beach," after we told him we were from FLORIDA. I am 100% certain that after he said that and we said, "NO!" that he didn't really understand a single thing we spoke about in our conversation. He was polite though and excused himself realizing my friend and I were not interested in continuing the conversation any longer.
Now that I think about it, when he asked me if I was from South Beach because I was from Florida...maybe I should have asked him if he was from an IKEA store because he was Swedish. Ok, ok, I know put the claws away.
After a couple of pints, I don't know exactly how far down the rabbit hole I fell, but I stammered downstairs to use the washroom (for the Americans, washroom is the restroom) because it seems all washrooms are in basements in Montreal.
As I came out of the washroom with my girlfriend and we stumbled through the kitchen, yes kitchen, we noticed a tiny room, maybe 500 sq. ft. It was dimly lit, dark wood adornments and a kinda spooky small bar with about 6-7 men seated around the bar top, all over the age of 50- it was kind of like stepping into a secret society meeting (at 2am).
That didn't stop us! We thought this was an exciting adventure (have I mentioned that I was a few pints deep--or nine--at this point?). My girlfriend and I ordered two beers, threw them back and realized we were invading the party.
So, we politely excused ourselves. Stammered up the stairs and closed down the bar upstairs with a few locals and the bar staff.
It was a great night! McKibbins, if I come back to Montreal, I am coming back to give you a big hug! Even the spooky, through the kitchen and washroom, secret bar will get one!Listed in: My Quest in Quebec
-
Review from Martin K.
Montréal, QC
11/11/2011
Great Pub! A little bit crowdy sometimes. I am going there like once per month now because the place is nice and well designed for convenience. I hate bars that go so much with design but you are just not comfortable because you are always stuck somehow. The staff is friendly, nice and good with service.
-
Review from Suky H.
Montréal, QC
11/8/2011
I just remember I got there from Toronto in a really hungry afternoon,obviously, there are few ppl, and I order many foods. And beer. so satisfied. Nice place.
-
Review from Andy H.
12/2/2008
Good bar in Montreal. Very cool to be in a very Irish pub with French accents all around.
I agree with the last two posts, the pub grub is indeed delicious, I enjoyed their shepherd's pie, which is ground beef and corn in a braised stock and scented with rosemary topped with homemade mashed potatoes and served with a small green salad.
Wash down all of the goodness with one of their many tap beers.
They have live music pretty much daily and have a quiz night Mondays. -
Review from Bobby A.
5/15/2010
With our infernal winters, if you are ever in the mood for the best Shepherd's Pie and the best-poured Guinness in Montreal, then this is the spot for you!
Prices are very reasonable and the food, while limited in variety and completely centered on pub grub, is excellent. I've never had a bad burger, sandwich, steak or aforementioned Shepherd's Pie here, ever.
It's exactly the sort of place you either come with a friend and hang out and have these great conversations long into the evening or you come here alone for a late lunch if you have an hour to yourself and you're in the neighborhood, while studying or reading a book.
Service is friendly and quick, the staff here are pretty young and most of them are students at Concordia University, next door.
Hockey nights here are crazy and the Thursday and Friday 5 a 7 crowd can be quite loud. Friday and Saturday nights are ALWAYS busy, you'd be lucky to find a table or booth.
They now have franchises and there is a McKibbons out in the West Island as well as St. Laurent Street (taking over the old Shed Cafe). I still think the Bishop Street location is the best. In general, a great place to grab a bite and a drink with a friend.Listed in: Best Happy Hour
-
Review from Andrew A.
Montréal, QC
8/8/2008 1 Check-in Here
One of my favorite pubs in Montreal, close to the centre of downtown and right next to Concordia, there is always a good crowd. If you are looking for a good pint or a decent plate of pub grub this is my first choice. Most nights there is live music on the main floor, and a good cozy atmosphere, although it can get quite loud with a full bar and a band playing. Not my first choice if I need to have serious conversation.
A nice feature is that there are 3 floors, the main floor being the main pub, upstairs is more of a dance bar, and downstairs a quieter smaller pub.
Definitely check it out, well worth your time.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
-
Review from Darwin G.
4/1/2010
"Have another little piece of my heart now, baby."
Oh sorry, that's been stuck in my head for an entire week.
It's your first visit to Montreal ever and you're excited to party your pants off. In search for some clubbing action, you find yourself amongst hundreds of people crowding St. Laurient. Like a stripper swimming in a tip jar of singles, you can't wait to get your dance.
Naive American: "Is there a cover?"
Bouncer: "No, wait on line."
(wait)
Bouncer: "Your name? You on the guest list?"
Naive American: "Umm...."
This continues to occur for every single club on the St. Laurient strip. Freezing cold and losing your buzz, any glimmer of hope for fun is slowly drifting away. Finally, you give up on the club idea and step into the opposite of what you were looking for, an Irish pub.
However, it turns out all well. No line and the bouncer immediately lets you in. It's crowded and lively inside. There's an amazing live band playing classic rock. You immediately run to the bar. "BEER AND SHOT!" Take your shot, run to the front of the crowd with beer in hand, and sing at the top of your lungs some Janis Joplin, "Have another little piece of my heart now, baby!"
Let the Guinness and Jameson take care of the rest of the night. Rinse. Repeat. -
Review from Jena Marie D.
10/12/2008
Excellent pub grub, excellent selection of beers (and one cider - McAuslan's) on draft and friendly staff in an appropriately dark and welcoming pub that was once a mansion.
We went in not sure what to expect the night before Thanksgiving (U.S. Columbus Day) and found a few small groups enjoying their drinks and watching the various games on the TVs around the bar and dining area.
Our waitress was friendly and polite, the drinks arrived within seconds of our order and the food within minutes. We both had the fish and chips and were thrilled with what we got - crispy batter over delicious fresh cod, excellent chips, creamy tartar sauce and cole slaw.
One note: the menu says that they have "apple crisp" for dessert, but it's actually apple pie. They were out of ice cream, but they gave us a huge portion of whipped cream on top.
We'll definitely return the next time we're in Montréal. -
Review from Lauren V.
2/17/2009
As soon as I started writing this review all I could think was "Damnit, I am five hours away from that amazing Shepherd's Pie". Like has been mentioned in previous reviews, the pub grub at McKibbins is very tasty.
Add to that a good selection of beers, great live music and very friendly servers and you have an ideal hangout.
My boyfriend and I started (okay and ended) our night here. We sat at a table in the front and ordered dinner and a few pints. We were graciously kicked out of our table after dinner and a few drinks as we happened to be sitting on the stage and I guess the band didn't want to play around us. The waitress was apologetic and kinda tried to get us a table, which we eventually succeeded in doing ourselves.
The music was also pretty great for a pub: the Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Radiohead and more. So much better than the cheesy 80's rock or 70's elevator music you usually hear. The band initially continued on this vein of great music until their second set when it became more synonymous with a early 90's wedding band. Van Morrison, Billy Joel and soft rock were so sub-par in comparison to their first set. (Not entirely the bar's fault.)
Later on in the night, our server forgot about us and we had to track her down for rounds and the bill. This can be attributed to the hordes of people in the bar and the quickness with which the drinks went down though...
Extra: On nights the Canadiens play, they pass out (to the tables) cards with player's names. If your Canadien scores a goal, you get a free round of shots. Even though our dude didn't score, kudos for the idea. -
Review from Mathieu B.
Roxboro, QC
5/23/2009
I've been there last year there's some typical pub food. In General pretty decent food, the portions are gigantic! I'm a big guy and I need to share my Curry Fries plate. The selection of beer is pretty typical, no micro brewery. Okay selection of scotch and beers. Overall the place is fun, familly can bring their kids to eat, it is load, always sport on large screen and Bands on Fridays and Saturdays. See the one in the West Island, it's a good place for a boring spot with no nightlife. This one downtown is good looking however don't get drunk there, it's too expensive for that.
They accept Credit cards and Interact /Bank cards -
Review from Kristen F.
2/23/2009
3.5 stars.
I came here to meet some friends for a drink, sports, and the live band.
It seems to me Montreal could be called Little Boston, or vice versa. Irish pubs are all over the place!
This one was laid out like a real pub in Ireland, with nooks and separated area, and bench seats at long tables... but they did have TVs. Hockey was on and they had a great promo going for if certain player scores, a table would get a round of free shots. Our table didn't win, had it... maybe I'd give 4 stars.
Choice of beers on tap was good and the waitress had okay timing for refills.
The local band was good, although started out high and slowly made it's way down, but that's not the bars fault.
I'd come back here if I were in Montreal again. I heard the food is good so next time I'll give it a try. -
Review from Morris W.
5/29/2009
Irish Pub perfection.
If this place was in Boston, I would be there every night. It has everything for me.
GREAT Guinness
When you walk in it is dark, but you feel like you are back in Ireland.
It has coners, nooks, beams, and obstructed views. It is like an Original 6 arena in that it has that little something extra in a world full of bland and boring places.
They have hockey on all the TV's. I had the pleasure of watching Montreal lose to the Ducks on a snowy night last winter.
They have some great drunk sing along music. Anytime you combine Irish Folk with 80s music, there is destined to be a lot of singing.
Funny thing too, when ever I'm in there, I always see a spoaked B or two. I guess Bruins fans think alike.
I'll be back next winter. -
Review from Austin Z.
7/14/2011
McKibbins is a great Irish pub out here. As generally stated, live music pretty much every night and great Guinness. Lively friendly group of people in there, and very hot bartenders. Friendly bouncer, thought me and my friends ID's were fake, but i guess he wasn't used to seeing texas IDs in Montreal xD $8 pints, pretty reasonable. We had a great start to our night here!
-
Review from Amanda C.
QC
11/9/2008
McKibbins is the kind of place you go to when you want to sit and drink a pint or two and just relax. The space is dark yet welcoming, with lots of corners. The list of draft beers is extensive. The food menu has lots of choices and is consistently good. While the fish and chips is not the absolute most amazing fish and chips I've ever had, it's still excellent, and a far cry from the so-so fish and chips most places try to pass off.
McKibbons is my choice when I want comfort food and good beer. -
Review from Cheuk S.
9/21/2010
This is definitely one of the favourites for locals as it was pretty packed the whole night. This is the place where I discovered "Irish Car Bombs" and if you don't know what that is, then go google it. It's a pretty interesting and overall good chug. Anyways, the two bartenders that was working the Saturday night definitely made my eyes wide open and they have a live band music to boot which was pretty good. Although that night they had the front doors/sides close which made the air inside unbreathable, it's nothing major to complain about. Great place to come and hang out to enjoy the live music and have a few brews or Irish Car Bombs, whatever fancy your flavours.
-
Review from Casey D.
3/15/2010
Cool Irish place.
Good Guinness.
Good food.
Good service.
I Recommend: Shepherd's Pie, Fish & Chips, Mckibbon's Poutine -
Review from Jonathan K.
1/29/2009
Good pub grub, good comraderie, and lots of overall fun. It's a loud, noisy, hole-in-the-wall with good food and lots of shouting at Habs games.
Read more reviews for this business:
French (3)
