We headed to Donnelly’s Pub in Thorold for a double header to kick off the summer season.
We doubled down at Donnelly’s Pub because it has served as a local favourite in downtown Thorold for decades. You can find it in a prime location at 54 Front St S., but we actually enter from the Clairmont Street side. In the Downtown Thorold Business Improvement Area, the popular eatery is not too far for most Thorold residents to walk or even bike to.
Donnelly’s would be a great spot to check out after shopping or an appointment on Front Street. As food for thought, on July 20th 2019 the City of Thorold will be blocking off Front Street to feature the annual Downtown Thorold Car Show. Donnelly’s would be an awesome time for anyone looking to grab a drink or a bite to eat after checking out the car show. Donnelly’s Pub has indoor and outdoor seating available, offering patrons an option to suit their style.
They have traditional dishes that you would expect at a Thorold bar and grill such as pizza, wings, chicken fingers, burgers, wraps, and other foods. If you want to kick it up a notch, Donnelly’s also offers some choices from the “homeland.” As an Irish style pub, Donnelly’s takes pride in offering favourites such as Guinness Lamb Stew, Cottage Pie, Bangers and Mash as well as their famous Fish & Chips.
Great service and friendly staff may be a trademark for Donnelly’s. However it is their cozy patio that makes it a joy to dine out.
Donnelly’s patio is my favourite place to grab a couple drinks after a hard week of work for the City of Thorold (Public Works). It is a great environment to soak in the sun and have some drinks too.
For round one, the Canada Day long weekend proved to be the right time for me and a buddy to let the good times roll on Donnelly’s patio. I was so excited to go on Friday, June 28th to kick off the long weekend. I went directly from work to get some pitchers with my good buddy Jordan Gallaway. We ordered some of Donnelly’s hot wings along with a couple pitchers of Rolling Rock on special. The prices were reasonable for such an awesome experience; $13.50 for 10 wings is a standard rate for wings in Thorold before 9 o’clock. $20 for a pitcher of Rolling Rock is very reasonable and I find this to be a great attraction to the bar
The heat from the sun was intensified by the heat from the hot wings, which definitely called for a couple of pitchers to cool down. If you like hot wings but can’t handle intense heat, I would recommend asking for medium wings or a glass of ice water on the side to cool off your palate. The title of “hot” wings does not serve justice to the scorching flavour of their wings. As someone who passionately loves hot wings, I found the flavour very satisfying and complimented the beer very well.
For round two, I returned to Donnelly’s for dinner with my parents on a Wednesday. It was a fun family night out for a dinner on the patio. We easily found a table when we arrived before 6 pm, but it was packed with customers by the time we left. I was surprised to see all the people that just continued to roll in to fill every table. It was Open Jam / Open Mic on the Patio from 7pm-10pm.
Honey Garlic Wings
For dinner, we started with Honey Garlic Wings. The wings are big and meaty, layered in a sweet and spicy sauce. Michelob Ultra draft beer quenched our thirst with a refreshing Wednesday deal that poured a cold 20-ouncer on special for $5.25.
BBQ Bacon Burger
For the main course, mom and dad showed they have so much in common as they both had a hunger for the BBQ Bacon Burger ($13.99), which comes with fries, salad or soup (upgraded to sweet potato fries). This beautiful burger is a biggie with peppered bacon, melted cheese, house-made whisky BBQ sauce smothered with crispy fried onion straws. They enjoyed every bite.
Our servers Sara and Cathy were very friendly and handled our needs in a timely manner on a busy night.
Guinness Lamb Stew
I suppose we can return to grab another shot soon!
If you’re in an Irish pub, I figure you eat what the Celtics say is good food. So I tried the Guinness Lamb Stew ($14.49). I was impressed with the substantial portion of lamb mixed with carrots and other vegetables, smothered with Guinness broth, on mashed potatoes and slices of fresh bread to dip. Every bite offered a tiny sense of caramel and chocolate-like flavours with a roasted taste. It was flawless from start to finish.
- Check out Donnelly’s Pub and please tell them Jon-Paul sent you.
- Website
- 905-227-1947
- 54 Front St. South,Thorold