O'Brien's Irish Pub On Wilshire Santa Monica, CA

2226 Wilshire Blvd.,
Santa Monica, CA
310-829-5303

Owner "Willie" William O'Sullivan opened his pub in 1994, and it was immediately a favorite for other Irish expatriates and overseas workers. It's dimly lit, with a long bar that seats about 15, and two columns of booths. Large screen TVs are visible from about anywhere. They serve Guinness (which they pour properly, thank you), Harp, Bass, Magner Apple Cider, Harp Lager, Stella Artois, Wydmer Hefeweizen, Bud Light and a selection of bottled ales, as well as offer full bar service. The drinks are real drinks, and they're usually a good selection of Irish whiskey on hand. This is a good neighborhood bar, one where you'll still find Irish patrons in search of Guinness and a proper Irish breakfast. Which brings me to the food—quite frankly, the food is good enough that you don't have to like drink at all, and they make good coffee and fresh pots of Irish tea.

The Irish breakfast consists of eggs cooked to order, rashers of thick-cut Irish bacon, black and white pudding, bangers, grilled tomatos and mushrooms. I honestly can't remember if there was toast or not—I wouldn't have been able to eat it. It's a super location to pick for a weekend bruch, though call to check the hours first, since they are seasonal. I also recommend their Irish coffee.

The lunch menu is a a subset of the dinner menu. My salmon-loving friends go for the salmon appetizer; generous layers of thin smoked salmon slices on whole-wheat toast and mounds of capers and green onions on top, with horseradish on the side.The burgers are reliably good, and cooked to order; there's a bacon cheeseburger with a choice of cheese and Irish bacon with freshly cooked fries. But honestly, skip the burger; they have great bangers and mash, a fabulous Fisherman's Pie served in an individual casserole with salmon in a creamy wine sauce, vegetables, and homemade mashed potatoes. The fish and chips are fabulous, freshly cooked quality fish. The banger sandwich is an Irish sausage served in a fresh warm crusty baguette and topped with savory grilled onions. The salads are fresh, generous, and also reliably good, whether it's the basic side, or the caesar. There are sandwiches, too, including Irish corned beef, but honestly, I usually fail to get past the fish and chips, the Irish stew (made with real Irish) or my absolute favorite the Fisherman's Pie. There are also steaks, and a European cuisine-inspired Chicken and pasta dish, both of which look enticing, but well, there's the Fisherman's Pie . . .