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Molly Malone's Irish Pub
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Molly Malone's Irish Pub
23 reviews in English
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Review from Wendy P.
Updated - 4/24/2011 3 Check-ins Here
The more time I spend at Molly's, the more I like it... the best time to experience Molly's is during non-peak hours (in other words, not on a Friday or Saturday night). That's when I really like the vibe.
There are a couple of rooms near the back that make for a nice space for bigger groups, one in particular if you're hosting a larger group with some appys, there's a counter along the wall that makes for a nice "serve yourself" station. Otherwise, there's a nice big table that accommodates a group of 8-12 people quite nicely.
My favourite little nook has got to be the two big chairs by the fireplace behind the door. Head in later at night on a weekday and sip some tea or coffee to catch up with an old friend. It's like your own little world.Listed in: Good for Groups, Places to go in Kensington
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/19/2010
"This meal is so big, it would feed a condor," one of my pub mates noted as his plate of fish and… Read more »
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Review from Sarah Louise F.
Calgary, AB
2/2/2012
"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk, to spend time with his fools."
-nest Hemingway
I should have sensed things were amiss, Molly Malone, when I noticed the first two letters of Mr. Hemingway's first name had fallen off your little sign, and you had not the respect to replace them. However, I shrugged this off as a little quirk, and tried to move on.
I just don't know about you. Initially, I was charmed. Your wallpaper and decor reminded me of a stuffy little old hotel I once stayed in, in San Francisco. Your fireplace emitted warmth, though I chose not to sit by it because warmth makes me grumpy. It'd be nice in -30 weather though. Your armchairs were cute, although Angelo is a jerk and tried to steal it from me. With photos of Samuel Beckett and James Joyce on your walls, we were off to a good start, for awhile.
But then, comes the awkward server with the personality of cardboard wearing... a kilt? Ew. And then, we were introduced to WEDNESDAY NIGHT KARAOKE. I have a bone to pick with whoever was singing last night, February 1st, at Molly Malone's, between the hours of 9:30 and 11:30 pm. YOU ARE AWFUL. LIKE, THE WORST. As in, had I not still half a beer (Molly Malone, your beer selection isn't amazing, ps) to drink, I would have up and left, abandoning my steak-sandwich-eating company. Britney Spears parodies and Karaoke hosts who make jokes about salty nuts? Not my thing. Completely destroys any vibes of class you may have previously emitted.
Plus you don't accept debit, with a $2.00 ATM charge. Really? The only reason I even came here was because Kensington Pub was too busy. WHY AREN'T THERE ANY PUBS WITH DECENT CRAFT BEERS ON TAP IN THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD? -
Review from Genre S.
Calgary, AB
12/2/2011
A great place to drink. If you are in the regularly going out to drink sort of mood. No social commitments, you can be left alone, the bartenders can pull a pint. Attention males: avoid talking to the female staff -- they have it so bad already (IE forced to wear those skirts, getting mauled, hit on, fondled) that they seem to appreciate it if males avoid chatting them up. This means that, if you drink there regularly and leave the waitresses alone, the bartenders reward you with random yet frequent free alcohol.
If you like NHL, go here. I don't not like NHL, so I avoid that bit. Honestly have not been in a while though at one point people mistook me for a secret shopper I was so frequent. If you really want to drink in public, this will do.
P.S. -- beware the large groups of loud, hammered, dumb MBA students. They will REALLY ruin your lunch. You have been warned. -
Review from Andrew D.
Calgary, AB
4/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
After two visits I have grown mildly fond of this place. It is a deceptively large pub with lots of tables to slither around during a busy night.
From the one dish to judge from (chicken strips: All Time Favourite pub food), the portions were adequate and I must add that the fries we're better than most places. I don't know what it was about them that had me gobbling them up like pac-man.
The service was also great. I'm alittle biased here since I fell in love with our waitress. (and if you are that waitress and you just so happen to be reading this I would just like to say..............hi )
yeah so Molly Malone's is pretty decent...if the food is any indicator then their wing night might be worth a try. -
Review from Daman M.
Calgary, AB
8/31/2011
ITS A PUB...as long as it has booze and food i'm good...
well it has the booze....the food is best NOT to consume!
I have been Molly's a few times since moving over from London UK and to be honest my expectations was high as it's ment to be an Irish PUB.
It has booze: good
it has food: not good
it has live bands: some nights depending..
it has staff: friendly and quick to serve
Parking does suck due to location: not the pubs fault -
Review from Kenny M.
4/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This pub was bumpin, just packed and when we sat down and ordered some brew the lady said she needed my credit card for holding... "WHAT??? UH ok I guess" I was just thinking to myself ""please dont go on an internet shopping spree!..""
I thought it was kind of weird? has this ever happened to anyone else? Perhaps they labeled me a dine and dash kind of guy... I am no theif!! hahaha
Anyhow Its a cool spot to come for a couple of beers or whiskeys if you happen to be in the kensington area. Certainly a young and dare I say slightly hipsterish mixed with some brovine post college days crowd. This was the inscape here, I liked it!
When I came here the second time after being put on an eternal waiting list for another popular kensington hot spot. I had no intention of eating as I felt like it might be trouble.. The prices were certainly inflated a bit and the food seemed rather unappealing (from what I saw) but I eventually came to terms that this is where I was going to have to eat dinner...
Deep fried pickles here, labeled "P and P" (tempura battered pickles and fried pepperoni and a pile of dying mixed greens with some mustard dip) It was no good!. Not only was the portion way to small for sharing, it just did not taste good. The pickles were ok enough, but the dish as a whole was rather clunky and didnt make sense to me(should have thought about it before ordering). All for 9 dollars which for what we got was rather steep...
I also ordered the jalepeno pineapple burger and it was decent enough but I cant say I would try it again. The fries here arent bad either but nothing special.
It was a fun night either way! The atmosphere was cool, and lots of people obviously love mollys for what it is! The menu is rather tight which I appreciate but I wish their prices were just a little cheaper, I may have to come here for wing night!. Check it out if your in the area! -
Review from Gabe A.
4/17/2011
The joys of trying to navigate Kensington on a Saturday night! After being shut out of a fancy upstairs restaurant ("a table for six...with no reservations?...uh, let me get your number, it might be, well I'm not sure how long" - review forthcoming if we ever make it back there!), Kat, Kyla and I made the short trek to the inviting warmth of Molly Malones. Yes, it was the middle of April, and yes, it was snowing and below zero. Basically, it seemed like the only place close by that had any room for starving stragglers.
The pub is long: we had to trek quite a ways to reach the back where there was an empty table. It is narrow: said trek was fraught with peril, table and chairs and squishy nooks. The decor was nice: upon arrival, Andy hypothesized that it was the Malone family tree, though some of the folk looked strongly Russian. We ordered our various drinks (pint of Guinness, what else?), and settled in for various pub grub: Kyla had a BBLT (the extra B is brie), Kat had the Double the Cheese Burger, and I got a Steak and Guinness stew. The guys soon arrived and ordered after we broke the news that the first business shut us out and we weren't going to wait to eat.
Good times abound! We ate, we drank, we were fulfilled. The stew was flavorful, but felt very slight: a hard-working Irishman would raise up quite a storm if that was his meal after a long day! I very nearly asked for a refill of my plate. Thankfully, my wife is the sharing kind: her burger was decent. As luck would have it, the first business called me to inform me there was an open table, at the exact moment the waitress began clearing the mess we left. Sorry! I wouldn't go out of my way to revisit Molly's, but if you're in the area with nowhere else to go, its a decent way to fill the gullet. -
Review from Sabahat N.
Calgary, AB
2/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Am I the only one around who doesnt break my bank account going to Molly Malone's?
Could it be because I know that Mondays are 10c wing nights? So really, I can go buy a drink, then get like 20 wings (thus 2 bucks in total), stuff my face, and walk out paying about 10 bucks for the wings and a drink! Does this not sound like a smashing good deal to you?
Or perhaps also because I discovered the Sunday lunch. If you buy a Guinness (I twisted the waitress's arm and bought a Stella) for full-price, you get any sandwich off the menu for just.. $5. So naturally, I pick the priciest one (the steak sandwich, for your information) of the bunch, and walk out paying less than 18 bucks for a beer and a huge steak sandwich meal. Am I happy? You bet I am!
Not to mention that the atmosphere is rockin' on Fridays! -
Review from Mike M.
Calgary, AB
Being a maritimer who lives in Alberta, I often struggle to find a pub that helps me feel better when I'm feeling homesick. Molly Mallones is the place!
On top of the amazing patio that is so popular it is hard to get a seat, the staff, the beer selection and its location have made this my go to spot when I want to meet people for a quick drink or five. Drinks can be a little pricey, but for their happy hour and it all balances out!
The wing night is also one of my favourites. 10/cents a wing! you honestly and really couldn't beat that in Calgary. Make sure you try the salt & pepper wings, they are to do for.
I think I might head there right now.... -
Review from Angelo T.
Interesting Irish pub. Interesting crowd to boot
I like the space provided for patrons to close enough to chat with each other .I only had a beer here so I wouldn't mind coming back for some eats.
Wow. Shortest review I ever wrote. I should write one as haiku next time -
Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
4/2/2010
I've been on a karaoke kick as of late. Lucky for me, Sundays are 'Kiss Karaoke' night at Molly Malone's.
Lately I've been feeling nostalgic. I've been channelling 19 year old Sapna G - circa 2001 (Do me a favour, DON"T do the math).
Right about then I was listening to my main man Van Morrison (some things never change), belting out tunes like 'Brown Eyed Girl' and 'Moon Dance.' That said, it's not all that surprising that I sang 'Moon Dance' a couple Sundays ago.
Two words: Fun. Stuff.
Molly Malone's was a fun time (I had never been before). The one thing I'm sure you've gathered from my fellow Yelpers' reviews however, is that yes, it is PRI-CEY. Like stupid pricey. It's different if I'm going 'out out' and I know I'm gonna be droppin' a lot of dough. But when I go to a pub, I don't expect to have to make a run to the nearest ATM cause I didn't bring enough bills. It's a strange feeling to encounter at a PUB.
Regardless of the stupid pricing, it's still fun. I'm glad I went, just not sure if I'll be back. Outlook not so good. -
Review from Jordan L.
Calgary, AB
11/16/2009
Another overrated Irish pub in Calgary... yippee...
I have completely given up on expecting any kind of standards for pub fare in this godforsaken city.
Went here a few months back, ordered the Sheperd's Pie.
Specifically asked if it was made to order... apparently, that was my first mistake. The pie came back frozen fresh as expected.
Our waitress asked if I cared to order anything else.. I respectfully declined her temptuous offer. Obviously, my standards are too high, and I always end up looking like the a-hole.
Ya, ok.. if you're into belting out Journey tunes for the umpteenth time on karaoke night with 50 other sloshed patrons, dig in.
Otherwise, revert to your local watering hole people.
Molly Malone's, I am not impressed.
Overpriced? No sh*t.. So is every other pub.
Are we allowed to swear on here? -
Review from Christopher W.
Calgary, AB
10/14/2008 1 photo
There's a good local pub feel to Molly Malone's. Any night of the week is a great time to stop in for a drink. Even if the Flames game is on, everybody there seems more interested in their own conversations. Maybe that was because the Flames were losing badly the last time I was in. But I think it says more about the place and the people who go there. It's set up to allow people to talk and that's what makes it a great pub.
Plus, their burgers are hand-made with Doritos inside the patties. It gives them an original and spicy kick.
Great pub to stop in any time you're around Kensington. -
Review from Moez T.
Calgary, AB
10/31/2009 1 photo
Words that come to mind when I think of Molly Malone's:
Expensive.
Small.
Fun.
Loud.
Rooftop Patio.
Good Service.
Entertaining.
I want to focus on the last word. Entertaining. Molly Malone's is never short on entertainment. Whether you walk in during a hockey game, during karaoke, or just during a busy night, you are guaranteed to leave entertained. Entertained and broke, but entertained. I would likely be banned from Yelp if I were to go into the details of how I've been entertained at Molly's, so that should give you a rough idea.
Yes, Molly's is expensive, and yes it is small. On a busy night in the summer, it feels like being in a small sauna with a hundred close strangers. But that's part of its appeal, and the reason why they are regularly packed during the summer months.
The rooftop patio is amazing. Aside from having a full bar and serving staff dedicated to it (it's like a separate establishment up there), they've also done a great job of giving it character. With the hanging lights and wooden seats, it really feels cozy, especially when they have the heaters on.
Just a small caution though, there are some serious bruisers that frequent Molly's. So if you're looking to start something, pick another bar. I've seen quite a few fights at Molly's, and they rarely end well. With such a small space, it's easy for misunderstandings to escalate quickly, so please make sure you arrive with some common sense. If not, stay home. -
Review from Erin D.
7/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mediocre food, bad service. We waited 20 minutes for our waitress to take our food order. She was inattentive and seemed weirdly paranoid. The nachos were a big flavourless greasy mess. The only saving grace was the patio, which was quite cool for such a hot day. If you were drunk already and it's summer out and there isn't anywhere better to go, try it out! Otherwise take the train downtown and walk to the Ship & Anchor.
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Review from Devon B.
4/19/2010
I had very high hopes for this place. Being located in a pretty trendy area of the city. I assumed the high standards that follow around the people of Kensington would keep this place in check, but I left a little disappointed.
On the upside, it is a big place. There is an upstairs along with a wide-reaching main level. The decor is pretty standard for a local pub, and despite having a blue and white exterior, it claims to be an Irish pub.
The servers are fine, I have no real complaints there. The tables in the middle of the main floor are pretty close together, and at the right angle you can see into the washrooms, but it's forgivable.
The drinks are nothing too surprising, but do you want gimmicky drinks in a pub? I didn't think so. As long as you're ordering beer, or anything off the rail you're pretty safe.
The food is what turned me off. The fajitas are sub-par to say the least. The tortillas were just something bought at a grocery store and throw in a heating container. There was little meat and really it consisted mostly of veggies. For the money spent on the food, you could get better.
All in all it is an OK establishment, but with the Kensington Pub so close, walk the extra few steps and enjoy the entire experience. -
Review from Arc P.
7/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Molly's is a Calgary pub staple in Kensington. The food won't blow you away and variety of draft could be better, but I come here because its a nice place to hang out in Kensington. Internally dark and rustic with little hide away rooms makes for some good, sometimes rowdy, times.
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Review from Lindsay K.
Halifax, NS
9/30/2009 2 photos
I'll be completely frank here; I'm terrified of going to Molly Malone's and leaving with a 0 balance in my bank account.
While the ambience is definitely pleasurable and intimate, the prices seem outrageous to me. I remember the first time I went to Molly's I thought the prices were extreme and yet I went back a second, third, fourth and even fifth time until I finally slapped myself across the face and told myself I couldn't afford it!
I kept going back because I really enjoy the place, atmospherically. I like the layout and seating areas, the couches and booths that they have. I also really enjoy the clientele. It seems to be a classier group of patrons, with little to no drama, but I guess it would have to be classy with those prices.
The food at Molly's is tasty enough but, again, too expensive for me. They offer your pretty basic pub food, though they may dispute this. They say their menu varies from the regular 'pub grub', but I beg to differ. Nachos, wings, potato skins, mini Yorkshire's, quesadillas; it all seems pretty standard to me!
If you'd like to party with the rich people, Molly Malone's is probably a good place to go. Okay, maybe I'm going overboard and being a little callous about the prices. But, I mean, come on, us poor folk need to drink and eat too! -
Review from Kate B.
5/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Stopped in here for an afternoon pint while wandering around the neighbourhood. We were in there on a Monday afternoon and the special starting at 5 was an $8 schooner pint of sleemans. The crowd was mixed and over all easy going. They also had a wing special on, I can't remember the price but the table next to us ordered about 5 different flavours. I will go back to try some wings with my schooner next time I'm in the neighbourhood on a Monday! I haven't been in the evenings or on the weekend, so I can't comment on the ambience when this place is in full swing.
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Review from Yo U.
9/26/2009
I used to go here a fair bit. The service can be spotty and the managers can be bizarrely tyrannical, but it's alright for a neighbourhood pub.
Watch out for the drunken young fellas in the bar. You can find yourself in a fight pretty quickly if you say something innocent that gives rise to offense. -
Review from Charles T.
Calgary, AB
12/17/2009
I need to start off by saying my experience with Molly's is rather limited. But they gave me free ribs for a year (well, a pound of free ribs if I show up on Tuesday). So, all I've ever eaten at Molly's is the ribs - but they are delicious; I'm a big fan.
Also, Molly's is just a pub. It's not an Irish pub except by virtue of its name. But it's a comfortable place with a few TVs for watching the game and a couple booths for sitting with friends.
The wait staff is friendly and efficient.
It's a fine place to go for beer and ribs and then totter over to the Plaza Theater to catch a movie. -
Review from Dave S.
Calgary, AB
9/25/2010 2 Check-ins Here
BAD service sat for 10 minutes without service while bar staff did shots within view of us and all after the bartender said he send someone over. Needless to say we left.
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Review from Andre C.
Calgary, AB
1/9/2011
I have to say that I have been here but it stinks. I live in the area and remember when they had Friday oyster night. Last time I went I found a cig butt on the ledge when I was going to the washroom. yuck.Smoking has not been allowed for 2 years. This was 6 months ago.....YUCK..
