So, from my experiences in Toledo, especially when Danae and I first met, There were alot of times when this kind of night was on our agenda. I can honestly say that some of my best nights out in Toledo would fit into this category.
I'm going to set this out in order of my favourite places to go in Toledo and give a rating of :
1) How good a time you can have there
2) Price and quality of drinks
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Claddagh's Irish Pub and Bar
5001 Monroe Street, Suite R4 Night out Rating : 97 %
Toledo, OH 43623 Quality of Product : 97 %
5001 Monroe Street, Suite R4 Night out Rating : 97 %
Toledo, OH 43623 Quality of Product : 97 %
Phone: (419) 472-1414
As a person who comes from a city that is 95% Irish, either first or second generation, I know Irish tradition pretty well. My grandparents are Irish (on my mums side), their respective families came from County Clare, Ireland. One day they picked up, travelled the short distance across the Irish sea and settled in Liverpool where they remain today.
For that reason I'm always wary of going to any English or Irish themed bars or pubs in America due to the fact that alot of the time the heritage is completely lost, and all that remains is a loose association and stereotypes of a place they have no knowledge of.
Not at Claddagh's!!!!
They've epitomised Irish tradition very well. This is mainly based on the food. There are many items on the menu that are traditional, but they always manage to incorporate Irish-American heritage into it. What I mean by that is that they are not pretentious. They don't pretend to be an all out Irish bar, where the staff put on ridiculous versions of impersonated Irish accents (believe me, I've come across it before and its insulting). Claddagh's don't pretend to be from Ireland and they put forward what being an Irish person is all about........... The Craic.
The Craic, for those of you who are a bit confused is defined as a term for fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland. The word has an unusual history; the form craic was borrowed into Irish from the English crack in the mid-20th century, and the Irish spelling was then reborrowed into English. Under either spelling, the crack/craic has great cultural currency and significance in Ireland.
from Wikipedia
I've known and met alot of born and bred Irish people in my life and if there is one thing they are good at it is partying. I don't mean that in the stereotypical sense of they love a drink and just get wasted all the time. I mean that in the sense that they cherish the time they have off work and they know how to enjoy themselves.
This is evident at Claddagh's. Everyone who goes there has a good time, and it is perfect for a quiet night or a Leo Messi night. The choice is yours. They always have great specials on and they have the best pint of Guinness in Toledo that I have come across so far.
The perfect pint of Guinness takes 119.5 seconds to pour. 3/4 of the pint is pulled with gas from the tap and left to sit until fully settled. The final 1/4 of the pint is pulled without gas. One things Americans like is their cold beer and it will pain you to hear that the recommended way to serve Guinness is at room temperature.
Which reminds me, while we are on the subject, I just want to dispel some rumours. People in England do not drink warm beer. If you are drinking a bitter beer then some of the time it is served at room temperature. When drinking a lager such as Bud, Stella, Becks etc they are all served cold. I've been asked so many times if all our beer is warm I'd just like to blanket an answer and tell you all that it's not true.
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