O’Reilly’s Holy Grail

NOOOOOOOOOO!
Oh man, this recession has driven daggers in the hearts of many a good restaurant but this just kills me for so many reasons.
First and foremost it served excellent food and perfect drinks.
Second I love O’Reilly’s in North Beach.
Third, where the hell are you going to get Irish cuisine now?
And fourth, Miles was wrongfully pilloried by the critics for the simple act of opening a fine-​dining restaurant in the Gulch. He spent embarrassing amounts of money renovating a landmark establishment, importing stained glass and other accouterments from the motherland and peeling off fine chefs from kitchens around the city… and was lynched for it in the papers.
My mouth still waters thinking about the diver-​caught scallops, flawlessly seared and just barely cooked through I had over a year ago.

When I first heard about this place, it was touted as the BEST pour of Guinness around. I thought yea frickin’ right… just like every other bar that has a theme around here, there was no way they could pour a Guinness as good as in Ireland.
Well, they do.
The food was a little bit on the expensive side but very very tasty — the Guinness beef stew was excellent as was the fish and chips. The owner sat at our table with us and thanked us for coming in and being a part of the O’Reilly’s «family». He explained the origin of the bar and what it originally started out as many decades ago. He also explained where each one of the stained glass windows came from and about the artist that painted the Sinners. He also informed us if we came back the following evening we’d most likely meet a celebrity that was in town (don’t remember who now) because that particular celeb loves his establishment.
I am heartbroken to hear they closed and wondering if the rumors behind the closing are valid… Now I have nowhere to get the best pour of Guinness I have ever had. *cries*

Interesting space, probably hard to fill. Nice barkeeps made stiff drinks while I watch Red Astaire cut it up. Great evening… lovely place. A little overwhelming due to all the booths, but they serve food as well (maybe not anymore?). The dancefloor was tight, but sufficient. The big screen LCD projector was a little ghetto, but well suited.
I would go back in a heartbeat… if there was a reason to go back.

my first experience last year when i turned the big 32…
since then was curious how things were holding up and swung by for a drink during happy hour.
*crickets*
yes only 3 other patrons at the bar with us and was a bit sad as i still remember all the fun i had here tho it is always difficult to compare with a 5 star elite event.
as of today through the next month, the barkeep informed us that the kitchen is closed =(boo!
still a beautiful place, but being that the space was empty i believe they had the back area closed off so we really couldn’t admire the beautiful restoration of this historic building.
there was one standout i came across tho!!!
was nice to have some quiet time here as i was able to enjoy a blue moon with a pal and played catch up on summer fun we have been missing out w/​each other.
if you come here with a bigger group, i am sure you will have fun.

Get the Hunter’s pie.
The hunter’s pie is this 20 dollar version of a baked Shepard’s pie made with Venison. It is amazing and hot and with a bubbling cheese top, spiced perfectly, the meat is so succulent and not gamy, try it along with the ever so popular Cali beet salad.
Very limited menu but everything is good. Fish and chips with salted salmon (i ask for extra salt) or choice of local fishes, nice caper cooked fish, lamb shank, an excellent Guinness based soup, Irish stew, and some nice salads.
It’s in the old Mayes oyster bed building and they’ve keep the awesome vintage-​style décor with huge ceilings, arches, and beautiful stained glass. There is a huge old-​style paintings of people on the wall, and one of em is Hunter S Thompson. (author: fear and loathing in las vegas)
The bar is elegantly designed and offer nice wines and liquor. Excellent scotch. the great waiting staff can pair your meal up with a nice selection. They have but a few beers on tap, the usual Guinness, some sort of IPA, and a local brew or Stella, though it changes. They make a good coffee martini.
This place has awkward nightly and music entertainment. It used to have a beautiful grand piano in the dining area with an amazing happy old dude playing wonderful classical/​jazz and other great stuff that goes well with the tripped out décor.

But ever since the place got taken over by the owner of Future Primitive (an urban clothing store), they fired the piano player, took out the piano, and started doing awkward corporate hip hop nights called saints and sinners.
On these nights they play conservative hip hop/​mushroom jazz type music and a semi-​snooty corporate crowd comes in to rub elbows while listening to college hip hop. It’s really awkward.

Don’t get me wrong, have a huge record collection, am a DJ and producer of hip hop, and also a huge fan from since I was a kid, but ever since they took that piano player out, the place just isn’t the same, and the silly ipod mixes being played while you eat just doesn’t feel as wonderful as that live grand piano.
Taking out a skilled pianist out of a cathedral like place like this and replacing it with Asian break dancing and corporate hip hop parties was a let down for me.
Please bring back that old timeless feeling into this wonderful restaurant again. don’t kill the classics. Peace

I’ve only been here a smattering of times since 2003. There’s been enough time elapsed since the last venture that I feel I can review this place with a clean slate.
First and formost, I dig the interior. Stain glass windows, dark heavy wood and large tablets of portraits of «saints and sinners» past make up a healthy amount of the décor. Paintings include larger than life figures such as Janis Joplin, Richard Pryor and Hunter S. Thompson (side note: I want to know who will be doing the portrait of George Carlin and when we should expect it. R.I.P. George). The heavy presence of the bar itself seems almost overwhelming to the environment (as if it suppresses you to chill). The food and brew offered for the most part, also adds to the heavy feeling.
But I mean that in the best way possible! Heavy denotes other good words like rich, thick, full of flavor, etc. I’ll be the first to admit the majority of the menu is not part of my usual palette (venison, rabbit, shepard’s pie) but what I have tried has been delicious. The menu is very well thoughtout and happy hour’s deal of a half dozen oysters for $ 6 is one of the best in the immeadiate area.
The bar here definitely has an «Irish» lean to it (Guiness, etc.). I can happily recommend the Irish coffee. It’s made with brown sugar here and runs for around $ 6. The bartenders I’ve met have been cordial to friendly and there’s a new movie night on Wednesdays starting at ten/​ten thirty-​ish (standard fun movies like Princess Bride and The Big Lebowski have been shown). Yes the crowd runs an odd gammet. But as nearby Lush Lounge and all you fine Unilocalers have proven you can’t have just one type to make up a good crowd. Cheers!

Theme parties have left me so jaded. They are rarely fun (or themed, for that matter). Can’t say that I was too excited about the James Brown party at Holy Grail last Saturday. Expecting disappointment, I didn’t even bother wearing the cutest thing I could find.
The Holy Grail (HG), with its stained glass windows, wooden arches, paintings of saints, was one pew less of being a cathedral. Well, that and the busy, busy bar. Enough of a crowd to make the party fun, but not too crowded (given the spacious set up and the high ceilings). James Brown pictures were nowhere to be found on the walls, but I did see a projected video of him at one point. The music, also fitting for the theme, with lots of old school classics and even a few from the man himself.
With its nooks, crannies, and random décor that make for perfect hanging tools, HG provides plenty of places to leave your jackets and scarves – freeing you up for a night of uninhibited dancing. And so people danced, each channeling their own James Brown. Lots of moves, lots of energy, and even a BBoy circle.
Only con was the heat. Seeing that it was freezing outdoors, they probably decided to warm all of us up. Kind gesture, but too hot. At one point, I felt like I was about to faint from the heat. Nothing a cool drink couldn’t fix though.
Overall, a fun party with enough reference to rightly say it was themed. Just be sure to say a prayer before going in.
You may be a saint, but the HG will have you partying like a sinner.

A friend wanted me to experience a Sins and Sinners themed evening and it was just not my scene at all. I guess Polk Street in the evening just brings out more of the geezers and funka-​fried people of the bizarre bazaar type that I am NOT attracted to and they thought they had their moves on me and I skeedadled out as quickly as I could, even if it meant running away screaming «STOP stalking me you WEIRDO hound dog!!!»
ICK.

Definitely not pub food as some previous reviewers have speculated. This is a fully developed well executed beautiful restaurant. The waiter I’ve had on many occasions has served in some of the finest places in the city and the bartenders are equally experienced in fine service. NOT a tourist trap, just the kind of place the usual polk street wilding kids probably wouldn’t like.
Special to Genevieve: how can antique church windows created by irish artsans, lovingly restored and beautifully lit be «cheesy?» I’m sorry but your pithy review either is written with a complete ulterior motive or you spent so little time there that it is baseless.
Anyway I’ve had a couple of lunches and dinners both with family and friends here, and everyone has liked it. I wouldn’t describe it as stuffy but it’s not really a jeans place either.
Menu is excellent — my favorites are the cedar plank salmon, shepherd’s pie, oysters on the half shell, and if you’re willing to take a little risk the pig’s feet are heavenly (and not a foot in sight). Excellent wine list and dessert is great too. They’ve done good to leave the Maye’s sign outside; thanks for preserving a beautiful old classic.

This is what happens when an English Pub collides with a decent upscale restaurant.
The décor felt like you are in some medieval castle complete with long tables in which you can put your battle axe on.
There were some nice touches to the place such as the «real» piano player. That says a lot about this joint.
The food was above average. I ordered the halibut fish & chips which was very good but lacked something from the kind you get in England. I can’t quite put my finger on it… perhaps because I wasn’t drunk enough. The «doughnut» dessert item was yummy.
The service was extraordinarily friendly. Our server was very accommodating to our Mo (umlat)tley Cru (umlat)e of a bunch.
I’d love to come back and sample the other items.

Unfortunately, I cannot attest to the quality of Holy Grail’s food… as I only visited the bar. I’ve heard great things about their food, though. Maybe someday I will return for a dinner.
That being said… Some pals and I went for a few pints of Guinness & I was astonished at the quality of service. We ordered the beers at the bar, and then sat down at a nearby table. The bartender brought us our drinks! And he did it with a smile! I was amazed. They have a great selection of whiskey as well…
There was also a pianist playing all sorts of tunes – GnFnR’s «November Rain» & even the Super Mario Bros. theme. He even did the going down the tube part, and I quickly acted like Mario for a few moments. Y’all should have seen it, it was radical badical.
I enjoyed the atmosphere, high ceilings and imported stained glass really give this place a classy feel. White table cloths & lots of space don’t hurt either.
I’m a bit perplexed as to the lack of business this place gets. There are lots of other bars on Polk St., but this one is more charming than most of them. A friend even mentioned that if business doesn’t pick up, it’s rumored that this location will close down. That would suck!
Not my favorite Irish pub in San Francisco, but definitely worth visiting again!

This review is useful, so if you want funny just wait for my next review that I’m sure will be speckled with embarrassing stories of my debauchery and bad behavior.
This establishment is not Irish. The owner is Irish, they pour a tasty Guinness, their stained glass windows are from Ireland and they do serve oysters (yes, these are quite popular and plentiful in Ireland… go to the Galway oyster festival sometime) but this place is so much more than Irish.
The chef is from Germany, has trained in well known French restaurants and does amazing and creative things with the seafood and steak that they serve here, which was what the original restaurant that was housed in this spot, Mayes, served up long ago.
They serve small plates, which I love because it means I can try more things and not feel like a total cow in the ordering process, They often have live music along with dinner so that my dinner date is distracted while I manage to look like a cow in the eating process. Yes, the food is very good!
So is the atmosphere. It is historic and elegant while still maintaining a feeling of coziness and warmth. The materials used and attention to detail are truly amazing.
This is a good place for a group and a good place for a date. It is even a good place for an Elite event. Review forthcoming…

Had a super funtastic blast here last night at the Unilocal Elite event!
This bar/​restaurant was a lot smaller than it looked in the pictures, but the décor was nice and kind of reminded me of Beckett’s in Berkeley (wait, that’s an English pub… eh, English, Irish, what’s the difference… both boast cute white boys with accents… LOL).
We got FREE Guinness and nummy, yummy appetizers. I have no idea what the crowd is normally like here, but last night I saw a lot of smokin’ HOT Unilocalers! And I even got to meet another Jill S. You Rock (Jills rock!)
Thanks for making my Wednesday night a lot more special (and thanks for getting my friend drunk! She’s so much fun to tease when she’s had a few).
–J

For a ‘pub’, this is a bright, airy place. I’m used to dark, dank, dismal places that are tailored to the brooding spirit of the Irish, be they true or faux. This Unilocal event was a rollicking good time. The giant Guinness was cute, and the staff was efficient and friendly.
The variety of snacks were lovely. My favorites were the chilled shrimp, oysters on the ½ shell, and the lamb patties. However, passed apps are a new phenomenon to this place, and they kept omitting things like toothpicks and places for the guests to put the used napkins and spears/​toothpicks. Also, while I’m a huge fan of oysters, I would have placed the shucker against the wall, and let those who want them eat them nearby (as well as a place to drop off the shells), freeing the other servers for other options.
Zoo Station was a lot of fun, and if I’m near a place where they’re playing again, I’d surely drop in for a set or two. Perhaps at this place…

When you look at me, most of you don’t realize I’m Irish. Well, Portugese-​Irish. Ok, maybe just the drinking part of me is. You know that thing called the «crisper» in your fridge where the veggies are kept? Well, mine is full of Guinness and the veggies sit outside with everything else. That’s how I roll. Before the Naglee Elite event I had not had a beer that was non-​Guinness for probably 3 years. So this was the perfect Elite event for me. Except for the fact that I didn’t RSVP in time.
In some sort of weird 11^th hour reprieve, I get an email saying spots have opened up. This in combination with my friend having an extra ticket for the Smashing Pumpkins show set the wheels in motion for me to go to O’Reilly’s. I have to admit I don’t know much about the neighborhood and I would have walked past it even while looking for it. My friend and I then spot good olé’ Guinness D. Thoughts suddenly churned through my head about how drunken and stupid things were going to get and envisioned Guinness D being rolled down the hill by a bunch of inebriated Unilocalers.
As my friend and I enter we realize, this is a really nice big space for an Irish Pub. Great space, large layout, on any other given day this place is probably a good place to chill with a few pints and some food. However it would be packed to the gills today and nearly standing room only save for some booths and stools. The first round of Guinness was relatively easy but as time went on, the music got pumping and people were in full swing. The second round was much harder fighting through the colonies of Unilocalers oozing about. This actually provided some ample time to mingle with complete strangers; someone from my hometown, Sydney Australia, Washington DC. and Italy. By the time we reached the bar again it was agreed by the whole lot of us that it was time to double fist for we may never get back.
The staff were very friendly, bartenders not rushing the pours and waitresses bringing around tasty snacks. Even with the crush of people you figure there’s one other day a year they have to deal with this madness in March.
So aside from the sheer number of people and limited time I had before leaving for the show, I had a pretty good time mingling, meeting old and new people and swilling my all time favorite beer. If I’m ever back in the area, I’ll definitely give the full experience a go.

Had an awesome time here – bartenders were jolly and the crowd? well it was an Unilocal event so needless to say cool.
In any case. the highlight of the evening were the meat balls.

Let’s get one thing straight: I LOVE Unilocal. And I love Unilocalers. And I love Unilocal events. I mean, really, I can’t even drink these days due to health problems and you people (Yes, YOU! I love you!) get me giddy to the point of intoxication.
That said, O’Reilly’s did a hell of a job hosting the freak fool festival that Elite Events tend to turn into. I mean, almost NO place is big enough to comfortably accomadate our whole crew and NO ONE can pour Guiness quickly. So space and time are not going to lose these guys any points from this patron.
The bar itself is attractive, with stained glass windows, big heavy bars, what I imagine is ample seating on a typical night, and a performance area for bands (Zoo Station, by the way, ROCKED). The bartenders managed to remain calm, cool, collected, and remarkably un-​sweaty while they clamored to crank out drinks as swiftly as you alcoholics were downing them. The food I saw looked delicious and as fast as it was disappearing, I’m betting it tasted good too. The doorman was the best: kind, cool, and utterly authoritative, he was never an asshole. Even when we were being rowdy derelicts.
I can’t wait to come back when I am allowed to get DRUNK again. Then I will re-​review through the eyes of the usual AK and not this sober shell of what I once was.
Cheers, O’Reilly’s! Hosting us is never easy but you did a great job! Well done!
**Jill S and I agree! This bathroom is AK/​JS approved! Large, clean, and well-​lit!

An act of love, obviously. Why else would anyone build a multi-​million dollar, lavish Irish bar with a full restaurant kitchen, live music, plush seats and get this… tasteful décor. What a country!
One afternoon there was a smell, silky smoky, woody smell like a Texas barbecue with Chris Isaak singing. I went back to investigate and the little black haired bartender followed me to the kitchen. «Can i help you?» she asked in a barely intelligible accent. The way she said it, more like «^$IMM MEKKKK BBBBB?»
She pantomimed that they were curing ham for the day. Wow. Anyplace that smokes their own pig is money in my book. The smell alone is worth a million bucks. Made the Smithwick’s taste better, it did.

I’m hoping that my first experience at O’Reilly’s Holy Grail won’t be my last. We stopped in on a whim after a drink at Brick, more or less because they had been on my radar since opening.
Upon entering, we were immediately greeted by a curiously charming huckster of a man who we later found out was Miles O’Reilly himself. Very good guy, filled with stories and tall tales, so just talking with him was a treat, and I’m guessing on busier nights not always a possibility. My friend Jenny thought his name was Maserati at first, because of his Irish brogue, and strangely that name would have suited him just fine!
We sat at the bar, although there’s a fairly large dining area, and ordered a few small plates. Having heard that Michael Bauer recently gave the place an unfavorable review, I’m feeling he must have gone on an off night (and from what I gather he did, right before St. Patrick’s Day). We tried the Oysters Rockefeller, some fries, the curried lamb riblets, the potato croquettes, and the brussel sprouts, and all very tasty, easily moving beyond standard pub fare. Next time I’m definitely trying the Rabbit Pie, which looked and smelled great.
Rounding out the night was the music. I suppose it’s not a surprise to hear the music of U2 playing at an Irish pub, but on this night we were treated to an acoustic set from the local tribute band Zoo Station. I’ve been a fan of them for a few years, but seeing them in an intimate setting like this was something else. Ok, so it’s not the real Bono but not being a fan of stadium shows, and getting to hear a truly inspired set list, well it was almost even better than the real thing.
So like I said above, I’ll be back, perhaps for the good company, sometimes for the food and music, but most likely because of that combination of all three. Thanks O’Reilly!

This place is totally solid. Great beers, friendly atmosphere, good service, really good food, a great bargain, and a great group of people.
And man, what a value.
The colcannon is to die for (enough butter will do that for you).
This is where you want to go when you’ve been backpacking Lassen for 5 days and your hunger has returned, begging you to get some protein and comfort food and butter and potatoes and a beer in you to help you pick up those pounds you left on the mountainside.
It’s good for a date; if it’s not good for yours, you’re on the wrong date.
Now, if they could only move closer to me…