Rí Rá Portland
Rí Rá, part of a chain of Irish pubs around the country, is one of several Irish pubs in Portland, Maine. Located in Portland's historic waterfront district, Rí Rá boasts interiors that were once parts of several pubs and other businesses from around Ireland, including Langston's Pub in Kilkenny and the Allied Irish Bank in Dublin. The interiors of this award-winning pub were salvaged, restored in Ireland and shipped to Portland, Maine. However, the interior is not the only part of Rí Rá that is authentically Irish. Alongside the usual pub fare of burgers, sandwiches, salads and chicken fingers, you will find such Irish staples as bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, fish and chips and even boxty, which is a traditional Irish potato pancake. While they do have wine on the menu, Rí Rá is best known for its large beer selection, serving Guinness alongside many other European and American beers, including Maine brews. Open for lunch and dinner, Rí Rá also hosts in-house events such as live music and quiz nights. Although they stop regular food service at 10 p.m., they do have a late-night menu until 11 p.m. The pub also stays open for drinks until 1 a.m. most nights.
Rí Rá Portland
72 Commercial Street
Portland, ME 04101
Phone: (207) 761-4446
rira.com
Business hours:
11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday
11:30 a.m. to around midnight Sundays and Mondays, depending on customer volume
Bull Feeney's
Also located in the historic Portland waterfront, Bull Feeney's takes its name from the son of John Feeney. Feeney, a native Irishman who emigrated to Portland in the 1870s, operated several saloons in Portland. His son and the pub's namesake, "Bull" Feeney, is better known as John Ford, the iconic Hollywood movie director whose many films include the beloved Irish boxing movie, "The Quiet Man." Bull Feeney's is a kid-friendly pub which serves local beer and proclaims itself the purveyor of "Maine's most extensive selection of single-malt scotch, Irish and bourbon whiskey." The menu includes burgers, salads, sandwiches, lobster and steaks, but there is also such unusual fare as lobster quesadillas, a lamb stew made with lager and Guinness stout, and even a "plowman's plate" of apples, cheeses, salmon and Irish soda bread. The pub hosts an open-mike night on Tuesdays and live music every Thursday through Saturday.
Bull Feeney's
375 Fore Street
Portland, Maine 04101
(207) 773-7210
http://www.bullfeeneys.com
Business hours: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily
Brian Ború
Named for the first king to unite Ireland under a common ruler, Brian Ború is housed in a large red building located on Center Street in downtown Portland. The main menu, which is in effect from Monday through Saturday, showcases some unique choices. There is a parsnip and apple soup with mushroom duxelle, a mushroom risotto and even a Duck BLT, which is a standard BLT made with duck breast and cranberry spread. If those choices don't fit your tastes, there are also burgers, sandwiches, stews and even "old-school baked beans." A children's menu is also available. On Sundays there is a special Sunday brunch menu composed of starters such as a breakfast soup made with rice and tomatoes and baked apples stuffed with homemade sausage. The brunch entrees include somewhat more usual breakfast fare, such as Eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy and frittatas. Brian Ború showcases live music most nights and hosts a trivia night some weeks. On Sundays you can hear live Irish music sessions from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The public are invited to come listen---or play along.
Brian Ború
57 Center Street
Portland, ME 04101
Phone: (207) 780-1506
brianboruportland.com
Business hours: 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily
