Campions, now The Balgriffin Inn: The continuing saga thereof...

neris

Homer wrote: »

Not THAT far down the road but Gibneys (place is a dirty kip) but was meeting friends earlier in the week. €6.10 for a pint of Heineken :mad:

What time of day was that at or is that their general price?

Off topic but are they doing anything with the Gannon site at Belcamp? They looked like they were doing stuff last year but the site seems closed up last few months. I know theyre doing a bit down in Clongriffen

Homer

That’s their general price! I wouldn’t mind paying that if I could see where they spent the money but as I already mentioned the place is a dump. It’s just pure greed.

Colonel Claptrap

Homer wrote: »

I wouldn’t mind paying that if I could see where they spent the money but as I already mentioned the place is a dump. It’s just pure greed.

In the last 2 years they've added a giant TV screen to the courtyard as well as a rooftop bar and beer garden.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/irish-news/publican-buys-arsenal-of-highbury-history-26355854.html

Homer

That giant TV screen is long gone. You couldn’t watch it that close. Was ridiculous. Yes they have put in an extra bar on the roof but overall the toilets are horrendous and the beer is not great. Don’t know any other boozer close to it charging those kind of prices.

odyssey06

Homer wrote: »

That giant TV screen is long gone. You couldn’t watch it that close. Was ridiculous. Yes they have put in an extra bar on the roof but overall the toilets are horrendous and the beer is not great. Don’t know any other boozer close to it charging those kind of prices.

I liked that they were at least trying with the screens in the courtyard, problem is, on a sunny day they'd no shades over the screen... trying to watch some of the World Cup games during last year's heatwave and had to go inside cos of the glare on the screens.

Am surprised a pub serving food and looking for tourist trade hasn't put some money into the toilets... Pub Spy needs to hit Malahide! And would be great to hear his thoughts on Campions too

Duke O Smiley

Quiet enough here tonight for a Friday / match night. Much busier a few weeks ago at this time

s3rtvdbwfj81ch

I was back down on Friday evening too, they've expanded the craft range to now include Wicklow Wolf pale ale.

A decent IPA would be welcome.

humberklog

I was in there last night watching the match. The barman brought out rounds of delicious sambos, loads of'm. They were left overs from a funeral reception.

Deadly.

Strumms

humberklog wrote: »

They were left overs from a funeral reception.

Deadly.

Garnished with the tears of despair, loss and longing....my favourite flavor.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Making my third visit tomorrow night with a group of runners I train with, whats the bar food ie chicken wings & fries like (portion size, taste & price?).

Duke O Smiley

Ariana Salmon Grindstone wrote: »

Making my third visit tomorrow night with a group of runners I train with, whats the bar food ie chicken wings & fries like (portion size, taste & price?).

IMO the wings are the biggest letdown of the menu...tiny little things with a bottle of frank's hot sauce dumped over top

For the same price both the beef and chicken burgers are very good

Dante7

Ariana Salmon Grindstone wrote: »

Making my third visit tomorrow night with a group of runners I train with, whats the bar food ie chicken wings & fries like (portion size, taste & price?).

Skip the wings and chowder. Overpriced, small portions and the chowder is like bits of fish in a thick sauce.

humberklog

As above, the wings are a let down. Haven't tried the chowder.

The burger is lovely but it ain't cheap. But it is worth it.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Thanks, as I thought. I haven't heard anything positive about the food there (well one guy I know has been raving about the wings, maybe he's easily pleased).

I love a good bowl of wings and HOT HOT HOT sauce with a feed of pints, I think I'll be skipping the wings tomorrow so, thanks.

Dante7

Ariana Salmon Grindstone wrote: »

Thanks, as I thought. I haven't heard anything positive about the food there (well one guy I know has been raving about the wings, maybe he's easily pleased).

I love a good bowl of wings and HOT HOT HOT sauce with a feed of pints, I think I'll be skipping the wings tomorrow so, thanks.

Just another point about the wings. I got the large bowl for €15. Two eleven year old girls finished them in ten minutes.

Dante7

Although to be honest, my main problem was that there was no phone signal in the pub. Install free WiFi and I'd definitely visit more regularly.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Dante7 wrote: »

Just another point about the wings. I got the large bowl for €15. Two eleven year old girls finished them in ten minutes.

I'll probably shoot off early and head over to The White House, which is my local since Campions closed, for a feed and a clatter of pints there rather than waste my time and money in that Thatch place.

By all accounts its failing to meet peoples expectations.

Homer

Dante7 wrote: »

Although to be honest, my main problem was that there was no phone signal in the pub. Install free WiFi and I'd definitely visit more regularly.

It’s pretty shocking really that a new pub doeant have free WiFi available! I know a lot require you to input an email or Facebook so they can capture your info for marketing (I just use a made up email) but to not offer anything is mind boggling!

Greentree_uk

Ariana Salmon Grindstone wrote: »

Thanks, as I thought. I haven't heard anything positive about the food there (well one guy I know has been raving about the wings, maybe he's easily pleased).

I love a good bowl of wings and HOT HOT HOT sauce with a feed of pints, I think I'll be skipping the wings tomorrow so, thanks.

I am on their facebook and see the food pics and tbh I haven’t seen one pic I’d say I’d actually want to eat. Most thing I see is pricey food

Pawwed Rig

No phone signal would be a positive for me. You're out socialising. Put the phones away.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

No phone signal would be a positive for me. You're out socialising. Put the phones away.

That's all well and good until someone rings the pub phone and asks the barmaid to call out for Mike Hunt.

"Mike Hunt, has anyone seen Mike Hunt"

humberklog

I havn't had an issue with phone signal there.


Typed from my phone in Campions.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Well I went up Saturday night and stayed longer than I wanted to, but I was in good company.

Drank Brewmaster, which was really nice. There was food served, looked at it and decided I wouldn't chance it. It didn't look anyway appealing, so opted for peanuts and Tayto instead

Someone mentioned the toilets were manky here?.. They were spotless on Saturday night and the times before that, absolutely spotless and fresh smelling (nothing like the old Campions loos).

Defo not my local anymore, absolutely not. The place is souless.

highdef

Homer wrote: »

It’s pretty shocking really that a new pub doeant have free WiFi available! I know a lot require you to input an email or Facebook so they can capture your info for marketing (I just use a made up email) but to not offer anything is mind boggling!

Sounds like a great bonus to me. You go to a pub to physically socialise with friends and/or family, not to virtually socialise over the world wide Web.

In any case, there are few parts of Dublin that don't have excellent cellular broadband coverage and I don't see complaints about it on this thread so if you insist on being anti social, I'm quite sure your mobile signal provider will suffice.

I find it mind boggling that the first thing people think of when going to a pub is if there is WiFi provided. The last thing I want in a pub is individuals sitting there and drinking their pints whilst perusing the www on their phones, usually in silence. That's not what a public house is about. It's about exchanging news, stories, etc by word of mouth, not by sending a WhatsApp to those around you.... Which you can do anywhere.

Wheeliebin30

highdef wrote: »

Sounds like a great bonus to me. You go to a pub to physically socialise with friends and/or family, not to virtually socialise over the world wide Web.

In any case, there are few parts of Dublin that don't have excellent cellular broadband coverage and I don't see complaints about it on this thread so if you insist on being anti social, I'm quite sure your mobile signal provider will suffice.

I find it mind boggling that the first thing people think of when going to a pub is if there is WiFi provided. The last thing I want in a pub is individuals sitting there and drinking their pints whilst perusing the www on their phones, usually in silence. That's not what a public house is about. It's about exchanging news, stories, etc by word of mouth, not by sending a WhatsApp to those around you.... Which you can do anywhere.

Who says that’s what a pub is about?

You?

highdef

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Who says that’s what a pub is about?

You?

Each to their own, of course, but if I entered a quiet pub with people sitting around tables playing with their phones or working on their laptops and basically not socialising, I'd consider it a pretty souless place and I'd be pretty quickly double backing on myself and heading out the door I came in.

Maybe society has changed to the point that people consider it normal to go to a public house to browse the web or chat via social media with the people sitting beside them..... If that is indeed the case, things are not looking good.

Wheeliebin30

highdef wrote: »

Each to their own, of course, but if I entered a quiet pub with people sitting around tables playing with their phones or working on their laptops and basically not socialising, I'd consider it a pretty souless place and I'd be pretty quickly double backing on myself and heading out the door I came in.

Maybe society has changed to the point that people consider it normal to go to a public house to browse the web or chat via social media with the people sitting beside them..... If that is indeed the case, things are not looking good.

Fair enough.

Each to their own indeed.

People used to read newspapers and books in the pub. Same thing basically.

highdef

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

People used to read newspapers and books in the pub. Same thing basically.

Excellent point and something I foolishly didn't think of. I bow to you, Sir.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

People used to read newspapers and books in the pub. Same thing basically.

I still do.. Nothing better than sitting at the bar in my own little world with a bowl of wings, a few pints and my book

Most Saturday nights I can be found in my local at the bar with my wings and book (now a Kindle) and I'm happy as a pig in poo poo

Wheeliebin30

Ariana Salmon Grindstone wrote: »

I still do.. Nothing better than sitting at the bar in my own little world with a bowl of wings, a few pints and my book

Most Saturday nights I can be found in my local at the bar with my wings and book (now a Kindle) and I'm happy as a pig in poo poo

Looks excellent in fairness:)