The Idle Rich Pub :: Irish Pub in Dallas, Texas

click on the links below to read the full review:

Dallas Observer - July 2004
Naming Rites (by Eric Celeste)

D Magazine - September 2004
BEST BET {NIGHTLIFE}: The Idle Rich Pub (by Todd Johnson)

Texas Monthly - October 2004
The Idle Rich Pub

Quick Magazine - January 2005
Weekend: The Scene: Drink of the Week

Dallas Morning News (Living section) - January 2005
Soothe that howling headache: The Idle Rich's 'Vietnamese Coffee' (by Louise Owens)

Turtle Creek News - May 2005
In Going Out, When as Important as Where: Good times roll in Uptown as weekend kicks off each Friday (by Briana Barentine)

D Magazine - July 2005
The Best Sports Bars & Pubs

Envy | Dallas Life - November 2006
Pubs: The Idle Rich Pub

Texas Monthly - February 2007
The Idle Rich Pub

Envy | Dallas Life - December 2007
Idle Rich Pub

D Magazine - D Best
online profile: The Idle Rich Pub

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Dallas Observer - July 2004
Naming Rites (by Eric Celeste)

Feargal McKinney, owner of the best pub in Dallas, the Old Monk, needed a beer – so he left his bar and went to EastSide, across the street. McKinney’s swillery was too crowded, even for its owner. It’s not unusual for the Old Monk to be so jam-packed since the serious drinkers in town flock there. Its success has given McKinney, an effusive Irishman, the money, time and experience he needs to do something foolish: open another bar. So he has leased the former O’Dowd’s space on McKinney Avenue, across from Hard Rock Café.

“ We’ve got some names for it,” he says conspiratorially, leaning into the table so that, presumably, the waitstaff or the couple four tables over can’t steal his ideas. “Here’s the first name. Tell me what you think,” he says, pausing for effect, smirking, eyes wide. “The Idle Rich.” We need hear no others. “The Idle Rich” rolls off the tongue; that is to say it is lyrical. It is multilayered, in that it not only suggests the leisure class but also, to the Irish, can mean a beggar (all classes welcome, in other words). It can be easily shortened: We decide regulars will dub it “the Idle.”

Most important, though, is the name’s history and connection with Dallas. The original Idle Rich Bar operated out of a gorgeous, Moorish building near Farmers Market downtown. It was a longtime hangout for cops, cop reporters and other working-class men and women. It closed in 1996, when, says the building’s owner, the clientele was nothing but a few drunken cops who, once overserved, would empty their revolvers into the moosehead above the bar. What remains are an architectural firm and an oil-on-wood painting called “The Detectives,” which shows six men and one woman posing at the Idle bar.

McKinney takes another drink. “Besides that,” he says in his Irish lilt, “it’s a pretty damn good name.”

Now, several months later, The Idle Rich has opened on McKinney Avenue. On the side of the building, it says simply, “The Idle.”

D Magazine - September 2004
BEST BET {NIGHTLIFE}: The Idle Rich Pub (by Todd Johnson)

Irish eyes are smiling yet again in Uptown. Owner Feargal McKinney has taken over the long-vacant O’Dowd’s space across from Hard Rock Café and infused it with the ale-swilling, tankard-clanking charm of his other two pubs, Old Monk and the Dubliner. If you’re familiar with either bar and grill, then you know what you’re in for: great food and lots of alcohol. Chug your way across McKinney’s exhaustive list of drafts, whiskeys, and ciders, and soak up all of that good cheer with food from Idle Rich’s British Isles-inspired menu: cider-steamed mussels, Guinness beef and mushroom pie, and the best fish and chips in town. Mon-Thu 3pm-2am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am. 2614 McKinney Ave. 214-965-9926.

Texas Monthly - October 2004
The Dining Guide: The Idle Rich Pub

The folks who gave us the wildly popular Old Monk have launched a like-minded watering hole in Uptown. You’ll find familiar dishes like the hearty, filo-covered Guinness beef stew, but the Prince Edward Island mussels have a new formula: They are steamed in cider brimming with diced tomatoes, green onions, and herbs.

Quick Magazine - January 2005
Weekend: The Scene: Drink of the Week: Vietnamese Coffee

Vietnamese Coffee

Ingredients: espresso, Stoli Vanil vodka, Kahlua, condensed milk

Notable: Idle Rich Pub owner Feargal McKinney says the idea for the drink came from the “lovely, rich coffee” at Mai’s Vietnamese restaurant (4812 Bryan St. Suite 100).

Get it at: The Idle Rich Pub, 2614 McKinney Ave. (at Boll Street, across from the Hard Rock Cafe). 214-965-9926. www.idlerichpub.com.

Cost: $7

Dallas Morning News (Living section) - January 2005
Soothe that howling headache: The Idle Rich's 'Vietnamese Coffee' (by Louise Owens)

…. Feargal McKinney, Irish by birth, Dallasite for over a decade and co-owner of The Old Monk, The Dubliner and The Idle Rich, has remedies from the Old Country that still work wonders.

“ Older people in Ireland drink a mix of half brandy and half port. It really settles your stomach. But mostly it’s a traditional Irish breakfast, really a big fry-up with sausages, meat and eggs. Black pudding is really good too.”

For those who want to know, “black pudding” is the Irish term for what we call blood sausage, which, like menudo, is an acquired taste.

“ My favorite is kippers [smoked herring], very oily and salty. Nothing better for a hangover. And of course a little hair of the dog,” Mr. McKinney says.

Turtle Creek News - May 2005
In Going Out, When as Important as Where: Good times roll in Uptown as weekend kicks off each Friday (by Briana Barentine)

How to explain the phenomenon that is Dallas nightlife? Like a secret club that everyone is constantly trying to break into, where the “right” people go and when they go there, it is a nightly search in Uptown to find “the spot.”

The real trick in this treasure hunt isn’t finding the most popular place, it’s all about the timing.

Drive down McKinney Avenue one night, and you’re likely to find a noisy patio spilling over with partiers. The next night the same patio is a barren wasteland.

Not only are you saddled with the responsibility of figuring out which watering holes are of the moment and which are past their prime, you have to know the exact day and time when a bar or club is at maximum capacity.

Turtle Creek People will take you through the ins and outs of each night in Dallas’ most popular neighborhood – where to go, who’ll you see, what to wear, and what time to arrive – and leave. And what better way to kick off the series than with an in-depth look at the most cherished night of the week – Friday? TGIF.

9 p.m., The Idle Rich Pub
Laidback cool ... almost. That’s the Friday night feel at this packed pub, still in its first year. Jeans are the uniform for most patrons, but by no means does that mean that this scene isn’t all about the look.

It’s a great place to start the night before heading off to something a little swankier. The crowd usually reaches its peak shortly after 10 p.m., but to get a coveted bench on the patio, arrive early, because it’s standing room only when the evening really gets going.

If you’re at the bar, you’ll be cramped like sardines, but it’ll give you a chance to eye the good-looking bartenders.

What to wear: Girls, jeans and heels. Guys, nothing sloppy. Who you’ll see: An old college buddy you haven’t seen since graduation. Who to know: Jake, the manager, but don’t mistake him for his look-alike bartender. And, no, they’re not related.

D Magazine - July 2005
The Best Sports Bars & Pubs

What makes a good Irish pub? Glad you asked. First and foremost: authenticity. Owner Feargal McKinney, from across the Pond, gives Idle Rich street cred to spare. Choose from an extensive selection of bottled beer, mostly from Europe, but elsewhere, too. The dark-wood booths allow for private conversations, even when the place is packed on weekends. And if you think the food is good at Old Monk, which it is, the British Isles-inspired menu here has even more to offer, all of it good. 2614 McKinney Ave. 214-965-9926.

Envy | Dallas Life - November 2006
Pubs: The Idle Rich Pub

'In heaven there is no beer, which is why we drink it here'... especially after work during happy hour. Dress Code: Casual

Texas Monthly - February 2007
The Idle Rich Pub

This pub in Uptown has it all -- good food, service, parking, and room to stretch your legs. Shredded-beef stew, a hearty concoction with a hint of Guinness, wore a golden pastry dome. Prince Edward Island mussels were steamed Belgian-style in white ale with celery, garlic, and shallots. Frites came with a terrific spicy mayo dip that has forever replaced catsup with fries in our book. The lone dessert is a wonderful brownie a la mode topped with dark Belgian chocolate. 2614 McKinney Ave. 214-965-9926.

Envy | Dallas Life - December 2007
Idle Rich Pub

"In heaven there is no beer, which is why we drink it here". For grub, choose from menu items like the killer mushrooms and Guinness beef pie. There's nothing like and evening at a good local pub with some close friends–that's how stories are made! Dress Code: Casual

D Magazine - D Best
online profile: The Idle Rich Pub

Every time we walk into Idle Rich, we get the warm and fuzzies. The atmosphere is so friendly and inviting, we could stay all night—and we usually do. Belly up to the bar, or get cozy in a dark, high-backed booth, and choose from the extensive selection of drafts, bottles, whiskies, or wines. If you get there early enough—or happen to stop by on a slow night, which is, like, never—take over the dart board or challenge your buds to a game of Bar Billiard. Dress is casual, which means hats and tennis shoes are allowed. Best nights to go: Thursday through Saturday.