400 Wyoming Ave
Price for a Guinness (Gilligan Stout) $7.00 | Overall Rating: 4.55
I would be lying to you if I said that I was not excited about visiting Gilligan's on the Green. The place recently opened up and they have a nice little back story. The owners come from Irish immigrants and one of the family's ancestors was the gardener for the owner of Cincinnati's oldest brewery; Christian Moerlein. They pumped a bunch of money into a big building and made it look beautiful, marketing the place toward fellow Irish descendants.
They claim that they've "always longed for the exceptional beers of Ireland" although you won't even find a single beer from Ireland in their establishment. Ok, so you brew your own beers, that's fine and dandy, but it's a bit strange to tell the world that you love Irish beers and the Irish culture, open up an Irish restaurant, invite Irish people to the place and don't even have Guinness on tap. A huge knock. Not only do they not have Guinness, they also don't have Smithwick's, Magners, Harp, or literally anything from across the pond.
Let's stay on the subject of their beers. I confidently ordered a Guinness and the bartender told me they have "our own version of Guinness that we brew ourselves". Hmm, well alright then, I'll have one of those. $7 later I received perhaps the most embarrassing pour of a stout that I've ever been given here in the Cincinnati area. For anyone who may not know of Cincinnati's history; Cincinnati is a HUGE beer town. People like this should not get away with serving a pour like this within the city limits.
The "Gilligan Sout" tasted nothing like Guinness (which is fine, however, they marketed the beer as "their own version of Guinness"). The stout was also given in a 16oz glass. It's not even worth trying to compare the two together as they are in two different zip codes in regards to not only the taste but the consistency as well.
I tried their "Red Ale" after that to see how it compares to either Smithwick's or Killian's and it did have a Killian's feel to it. Their whiskey and wine selections are average at best, and for a place like this who have very steep prices you'd think they'd have a few better selections.
The food looked pretty good, although I didn't eat any. Once the bartender placed that atrocious pour in front of me I wasn't feeling up to spending $20 bucks on a Reuben. They charge $6 for a side of carrots; I'll pass. Both the bartender and floor manager gave me a weird look when I mentioned that I was just going to have "a drink or two". As if it's abnormal for someone to sit at a bar and just grab a quick drink.
Speaking of the bar, one of the TVs had a Jackie Chan Sci-Fi movie on throughout the entire visit. No disrespect toward Jackie Chan... but nobody wants to watch that crap when they're at the bar. Nobody. Especially if they're about to drop $50 on a sandwich, a side of carrots, and a knock-off Guinness.
When you look around the place you see a lot of paint. Just bare walls. The wall decor is non-existent. No pictures, no art, no signs of anything; nothing. I'll give Gilligan's the compliment that the place was very clean, well crafted, and elegant. However, the warm and coziness of an Irish Pub was lacking by a mile.
Some good things that I can say about the place is that they have a beautiful patio, the bathrooms were clean, the building as a whole is well architected and kept up with, and they offer Paddy's Whiskey behind the bar.
I really did not expect to leave the place in such disappointment. This place shows the world that it doesn't matter how much money you pump into a building to make it look drop dead gorgeous; if you are incapable of providing even just a smidgen of craic then those of us who actively search for it will quickly realize that you are just a fraud and a gimmick.
I recommend you save your time and spend your hard-earned money elsewhere. If you're in the Cincinnati area and you're looking for that "proper" feel like Gilligan's promotes then perhaps go to The Dingle House which is about a 15 minute drive down the road. If you're looking for craic then go to Crowley's Highland House or The Crow's Nest. Whatever you do, don't come to Gilligan's if you care about the Irish culture.
Slainte!
Slainte, again!
WE FOUND A TEN! Check out Crowley's Highland House in Cincinnati, Ohio below!
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