Drogheda Restaurant Reviews

Lord TSC

Back to the Ming Garden for the first time since Feb 2019, and was so, so happy. Everything exactly as I remembered it. Mind, they really should re-write their set menus to just be "3 main courses of your choosing", cause not only did we do it, but every single group that came in went, "Can I have Set menu A please, but can I sub in X for Y...."

One family swapped all three dishes out on it. 😂

In more depressing news, I've heard a few people say the Black Bull is about to go whollop. I'd guess Covid, its impact on Xmas and the traditionally poor sales in January and February are going to see a wave of places struggling beyond survivability over the next few weeks.

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118411144#Comment_118411144

I heard the bull had been sold?

Lord TSC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118414292#Comment_118414292

Really? I hadn't heard that one yet.

Wonder if it will have any impact on the Village Hotel in Bettystown.

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118415078#Comment_118415078

Same owner?

Was by McPhails on Laurence earlier. Most of the work going on seems to be on the "Hotpot" / former takeaway end up the street a little. Initially I read it was going to be a gastro-venue but the signage on the glass of the doors read Guru Indian cuisine.

Lord TSC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118415261#Comment_118415261

Yeah. Egan brothers. Guys have insane hustle and work hard. Will be sad if Black bull has gone under cause they’ve poured their hearts into the place.

whelan2

Donegans closed from this evening due to covid

CheerLouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118424086#Comment_118424086

Saw that...wonder have they too many staff out with it...plenty of people pulling in to it yesterday and leaving disappointed

whelan2

Valley in closed now too

gipi

And it appears that the pheasant didn't reopen after Christmas. It was tough looking for a takeaway dinner today, all our regular places were closed, lol!

The carvery in the Glenside has stopped temporarily too.

I was by the Pheasant a few times last week and it seemed open to me, maybe they got hit with a few covid cases. The takeaway dinners in Johns up the road are decent enough in a pinch.

whelan2

Is the black bull still open and what's it like?

LOU76

I was in the The Black Bull last week for lunch. Limited menu on offer. Very low quality meat in my turkey & ham and the stuffing was that awful Paxo boxed kind that you mix with hot water. It’s really gone to the dogs. I’ll never go there again.

Lord TSC

The Aviary in Bryanstown is all closed up. Post on their Facebook page saying they've sold the place.

Lemonade up at Tesco seem to have deleted their Facebook page too. Their last post had been back in July, saying they didn't want to reopen with the vaccine passports in place. They hadn't reopened since that wave of restrictions were lifted in the summer.

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118488711#Comment_118488711

Was just at the aviary on Saturday 😳

gipi

Valley Inn reopened today.

Donegan's was still shut yesterday (I drove past). It's been closed since 5th Jan.

whelan2

Donegans reopening Friday

I was by Bryanstown this morning and the The Aviary there seemed closed and the windows whitewashed. There was a notice on the door but hadn't time to stop and read it. Quick check on facebook and it seems they sold up. I don't know what kind of a trade they were doing but there always seemed to be folk sat outside and a few coming and going on the few occasions I was there for a coffee and bun after a spin.

CheerLouth

Donegans back open today...seemed to be a good crowd in it at lunchtime if the front carpark was anything to go by. Was in The Valley Inn yesterday evening, it was busy enough, nice to see it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118501184#Comment_118501184

I don’t do Facebook but the notice in the windows says they’re closed for renovations. Hope they reopen, it was a step up from most coffee cafes imo

positron

Aisha's. We still love Aisha's food, tastes amazing and quality is consistently high.

BUT... they seems to be just unable to get the food out in time. You order to collect at certain time, and it's very often 15-20 minutes waiting around just to get the food out of their kitchen. I wish they could be a bit more organised in this department!!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118515984#Comment_118515984

I was by a few times this week and it's back open and seem to be doing a decent trade. Plenty in it the few times I've passed.

Scotty #

Tried Goodwins on Valentine's night. First time.

TL;DR, won't be going back.

We were a few mins early so popped into Hops for a drink while we were waiting. Not very busy in there but we were immediately approached by some junkie cretin and his girlfriend. I was surprised to see people that well on and obviously annoying people be allowed remain on the premises.

We soon left to get our table in Goodwins and were left standing at the door for about 5 mins. Several staff said they'd be with us in a minute but the same staff passed by us several times before someone asked us if we had a booking. We did but it was by no means full.

We were seated next to another couple but we were that close we may as well have been sitting at the same table. Literally rubbing elbows. The other lady actually put her hand in the air when she saw the waiter wandering around with our drinks and said "they're for here" and laughed about how close the tables were.

I'd the 'fresh' seafood chowder for starters. 'Fresh' but contained smoked fish, go figure. It was nice though and a big portion but a little on the cold side. The wife had the Brie which she also said was too cold.

The wife had Chicken for main and requested if it could be off the bone and was told it could, and as she walked past the chef (it's an open kitchen) he also said it was no problem. Alas it arrived on the bone. She did say it was nice though.

I had the rib eye steak. The steak was perfect. The accompanying mushrooms however were way overdone and the chips were pretty much inedible. They were short shoestring chips that were like trying to eat toothpicks. The pepper and brandy sauce was watery which I didn't like.

It was a €45 per person washed down menu for Valentines (with €10 steak supplement) that was supposed to be 4 course with a glass of prosecco. I was not informed of this when I booked the day before. There was no 4th course though, unless they were counting the two little chocolates you received when leaving?

All in all, for Drogheda's No. #1 Trip Advisor Restaurant the experience was pretty dire. Maybe if I hadn't known that going and hadn't such high expectations I wouldn't have found it so bad. The staff were very nice though, that's something.

I did notice a couple of times when people were leaving that if they were raving about how nice it was they were given a little business card and asked to leave a trip adviser review and to mention your woman's name in the review. If you go and look at their reviews on TA I'd say 9 out of 10 mention your woman so it's obviously a very successful tactic.

Anyway, some very nice food, some terrible. Certainly not anywhere near No. #1 in Drogheda.

PGE1970

I haven't been to Goodwins but a lot of the Tripadvisor reviews are first reviews and most mention a certain member of staff. Hmmmm .......

I'd been to the previous re-incarnations of that restaurant and was previously spun the TA script also.

positron

45 per person AND a tenner on top of that for steak?! Oh Drogheda is so posh. Take that Dundalk!!

/s

whelan2

You can get 2 steaks for under 6 euro in lidl

furiousox

Never been to Goodwins but submitted a review for Hops a few pages back.

Have no interest in eating there again, nor in Goodwins going by Scottys review above.

Had a late lunch in D'Vine last weekend.

It was nice but too expensive @ 85 quid for two.

Ok for a special occasion but not for a casual lunch.

andrew1977

Yeah a thumbs down from me too on goodwins and the hops bar .

I have eaten in both , bang average food for the prices charged , service poor , and I find the hops bar a bit grubby , if out and about in Drogheda and fancied a bite to eat , wouldn’t be on my list to go there .

I too have experienced the pushy member of staff saying “ will you do me favour and go onto trip advisor and give us a good review “

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118642866#Comment_118642866

€5 in Tesco I get them every week.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118643904#Comment_118643904

What?????? €85 for lunch??? Dinner ok with booze but lunch?