Irish Eyes Pub & Restaurant
It doesn’t get much more (Americanized) Irish in Delaware than Lewes’s Irish Eyes Pub in terms of look, feel, food, and overall ambiance, right down to the Irish folk themed music played under the (American) sports-playing televisions throughout the bar - restaurant (hmm, what form of football is on the tele?). Situated on the Lewes Bay inlet and with plenty of parking, a rarity in Lewes, Irish Eyes offers everything you might order from a Dublin restaurant pretending it is in the States, but with a modern and playful seafood slant. Well, Lewes is a beach resort town, after all, so coastal-themed food even from an Irish style pub is a must, all of which join the homeland Irish mainstays. Gourmet dining Irish Eyes is not; instead, your eyes should be on the playful appetizers served during an always humming happy hour, where suds and pub food make their gastronomic entry, preparing many for their suds-induced stumbling walk back to the local hotels. The kitchen’s approach to traditional Irish cooking is respectful and pleasing, but everything else is merely passable for a pub restaurant, including the sometimes-uneven service. Indoor-outdoor seating provides a welcome respite from the usual restaurant fray in the area, and Irish Eyes can be (catering size hall) fun when the right crowd shuffles in to enjoy drinks and singing, as long as nobody is expecting anything better than traditional Shepherd’s pie or Irish stew, with the Notre Dame v. Pitt game on in the background. Some repeat locals seem to be Erin go bragh about Irish Eyes, but foodies are more ye half eejit ye if you visit for anything other than some outdoor fun and drinks. We always have eyes for the Irish, and Irish Eyes may have eyes for you, Americanized eyes that is . . .