137 W 33rd Street
Price for a Guinness: $9.00 | Overall Rating: 6.15
The Celtic Rail is a rather splendid pub and it has an impressive patio for being on 33rd street. Overall, the biggest thing that any Irish Pub must provide is Craic. Yes, that may be an arguable statement for some, but for me the Craic is everything. The Celtic Rail just doesn't really have it unfortunately. I say unfortunately because I did have a lovely time here.
The bartender had a few good jokes up his sleeve in between rounds and he poured a swirly pint of Guinness with a shamrock in the head. No Bishop's Collar here. He wasn't the most engaging tender I've had but he certainly did the trick. The whiskey selection will tickle most people's fancies unless you are trying to show off.
The demographics here are lower working class for the most part and the music is typically a soft rock. They do offer a jukebox as well as a handful of TVs. Although, the last time I was there they had ESPN on every single TV. Every. Single. One. I always find it annoying and lazy when a pub has multiple TVs but choose to have the same channel on every one of them. I just don't understand the logic behind it (simple, there is no logic).
The Rail offers food for the hungries but I have never eaten here. The bathrooms are kept up rather neatly and there's ample space for standing and semi larger groups. There are booths alongside the backwall that provides a rather intimate atmosphere for a date.
If you're nearby I'd recommend stopping in for a quick pint, however, I do not recommend going out of your way to get here. It's a good pub but it's got it's flaws, most specifically the fact that it's lacking the Craic and warmth that you'd normally crave out of Irish Hospitality. A 6.15 from me.
A dart board would help with the Craic issue!