Gallagher's, Montevideo

On our fourth visit to a pub with an Irish name and a green lettered sign with shamrocks we found an establishment that tried to be an Irish pub.  Gallagher’s, located in the lovely Pocitios barrio of Montevideo has an impressively Irish looking façade and outdoor seating on a wood deck facing a quiet little street.

Upon entering we were impressed with the wood paneling, the lighting and large bar.  There are comfortable booths along one wall and a semi-private dining room on the second floor.  Music was playing at a comfortable level that didn’t interfere with conversation.  The menus were large but difficult to read in the subdued lighting due to the small, fancy print and because the drinks menu was black.  Because the bar was properly lit and comfortably furnished we give Gallagher’s two points for ambience.

The beer taps had no names on them but there appeared to be a large selection.  The friendly bartender only spoke Spanish, which, while disappointing, gave us a chance to practice.  It turned out that the bar had only been open for four months and was just now gaining a reputation and a following.  He explained that it was difficult, if not impossible to obtain Irish beer and ale in Uruguay and the need for a new bar to work closely with their distributor which means basically, that you serve what they offer.  For Gallagher’s that meant a selection of brews that were little different than that served all over Montevideo.  This pub receives one point for the bartender even though he was not Irish because of his friendliness.

What was a little different were two things: they had a selection of beers on tap “tapidas” known only by their color (rubia, roja, negro, etc.) and a selection of expensive English bottled beer called “Fullers”.  Some of these were priced at $50 for half a liter!  No Irish beer, ale or cider was to be found and worse, no Guinness.  No points can be given for the taps and the food menu was also typically Uruguayan but did feature a roast beef sandwich and fish and chips.

We ordered red ale and decided to split an order of fish and chips.  Both were disappointing as the ale was rather weak and the fish was tasteless at best.  We couldn’t fault the cheerful and responsive service however and give the pub one point for this service and for the attempt at fish and chips.  The bar is popular among the locals however, and by the time we left was quickly filling up.  Because we really like the music selection and because the volume was always at a comfortable level, we choose to award one point for entertainment.

Overall, though we were disappointed at Gallagher’s lack of “Irishness” we were happy with our comfortable experience and would certainly not hesitate to return with our Uruguayans friends although we might not chance the kitchen again. 

We award five total points to Gallagher’s.

Ambience                                            2

Bartender                                            1

Taps                                                    0

Food/Kitchen                                      1

Entertainment                                       1

This puts Gallagher’s into a tie for fourth place for the moment.

Hannigan’s                                          Granada, Spain                       13

O’Reilley’s                                          Lanzarote, Canary Islands       9

Devil’s Forest Pub                              Venice, Italy                            7

International Brewery Bringas            Madrid, Spain                           5

Gallagher’s                                          Montevideo, Uruguay             5

The Tower                                           Moraira, Spain                       5