Thatcher McGhee’s Irish Pub & Eatery

Preface: This is a reluctant four stars. Seriously. I had ‘em at 3, but when I looked back over my review, there were a number of things I did like, so i bumped them up from 3 to 4 stars. I’m left with this feeling — why? Why do I feel the need to give three stars to Thatcher’s? It’s not really that complicated. I want Thatcher’s to be something that it is not meant to be — a truly authentic local Irish Pub. In reality, Thatcher McGhee’s is an Irish Themed Restaurant & Bar — made to suit the needs of the demographic it serves. Us. Americans. When I look at Thatcher’s that way, they are actually doing a pretty good job. They got most of the details, only missed a few.
In any event, I had first stopped by when the restaurant was new. I’ve been back several times now. It’s really tough to get a seat in the bar area, pretty much any night of the week. Can’t fault a place for being popular! But the food is so unremarkably average. It’s just… sooo… «okay I guess». On my most recent visit, I tried the the Guinness beef stew. It was… okay, I guess. I didn’t finish it. I asked the server what cut of meat they used in the stew, I think the answer was «cubed beef». They did offer a lamb stew which may have been more interesting, but the server steered me towards the Guinness beef stew. They offer a Shepard’s pie, but it’s made with beef, which I think makes it a cottage pie (shepard’s pie really should be lamb). On a previous occasion, I asked for Chef sauce, they didn’t have it. But, they did have my Coleman’s mustard. Trifle? What’s trifle? It’s the little things… Long story short, I have dined at TM maybe 4 or 5 times, and haven’t had anything that I would really recommend. Nothing was really bad. But there was nothing to write home about, either.
Pluses: They pour a nice pint of Guinness. They have a professional bar staff. Nothing worse than poser bartenders trying to make a quick buck. These guys are the real deal. And, they made me the best hot tottie I’ve every had. Even better than I make for myself… and I’ve made ‘em a bunch.
What to order: A Pint of Guinness and a Corned Beef Sandwich. Those were excellent.
Note: If TM is still standing after March 17^th I’ll stop in at that point and give you another update. If anyone is able to stop in on Paddy’s Day, please post pictures of the carnage, I’ll enjoy them online from my dimly lighted study.

Great food. Love the pub atmosphere. I’m glad they the beer samplers. This is my third visit

Amazing food… corned beef and cabbage egg rolls were incredible. Sandwiches were huge and tasty… excited to have left overs to take home. One complaint and that was the bar service. Definitely an unseasoned bartender who needs to step up his game if he thinks he’s going to survive St. Patty’s Day!

Dinner here was fabulous. The portions are big, ambiance is loud and vivacious. The drinks are also delicious. I got the Tuesday special cocktail, midnight kiss and loved it. Good place for happy hour, groups, and kids. Will definitely be back.

Burgers are great, curry fries are delish. Service was on point and décor is cozy. Will definitely be back!

We always have our kids so I can’t comment on the pub portion of this place but my husband & I absolutely love the food here. We are never disappointed. They have your typical items on the kids menu, our kids have never complained. My husband loves their marinated skirt steak, I love the shepherds pie. They make perfect bloody Mary’s. The breads are awesome too. If this location stays consistent, we’ll be back many times.

What a great experience! Such a cozy restaurant and the Irish food was cooked to perfection. I had the buffalo chicken dip which was amazing and the Reuben was superb. The meat was so tender! They had great music on and drink prices were so reasonable. I also saw they have a new brunch on the weekends which included mimosas for $ 3.50 and French toast under $ 6. I need to try it! Can’t wait to go back again!

Really nice atmosphere — warm and cozy with a fireplace and waiters with an Irish accent. The food is good! Great fries and cheesesteak. They have trivia on Thursday nights from 9 – 11. I will definitely be back!

I can’t comment on the food as I came here for some drinks on the bar side although I would love to try the food someday soon!
Bar is pretty big and spacious. Bartenders were nice and on top of their game. Beer was cold, had a mini band there playing 90s hits and it was a good time!
Will definitely be back again!

Tried it for a second time. The corned beef and cabbage egg rolls were good. Very oily. My cheese steak was tasty but could have used more filling. The star was the Guiness cheddar burger with sautéed onions. Very good but overall still a solid three stars in my opinion. :)

We have been here a few times.
The good: Great beer selection and good bartenders. The Irish staples are good (Corned Beef, Burgers, Fish & Chips).
All the rest: Waitstaff are hit or miss. Sometimes they are amazing, others so-​so. Hostesses seem terribly unconcerned about you.
Overall, worth a visit for a casual and relaxing night out.

Great pub food with a great staff! I was here with a group last Friday night and the place was hopping. We sat in the bar area and our waiter (Niall) was awesome. Everyone enjoyed their meals (the chips & curry sauce was excellent). If I lived in the area this would definitely become my regular go to spot!

I love this place so much. Britt was my bartender, she is fast, pleasant and on point. The service and food are impeccable. I always look at the cleanliness of restaurants and this place is very clean. I had the buffalo dip and the roast beef special, they were delicious! Everyone who works there says hello when they walk by you. Very friendly atmosphere, I love that! I don’t normally go out and sit down to eat for lunch but I will to see Britt and enjoy the delicious food!

Food was good. Had a pint of Guinness at the bar which was a very nice looking setup as for the Guinness no good flat.

Visiting from out of town. Wanted to grab some lunch and maybe watch some college football. Delicious food, very nice atmosphere and staff! Great place to grab a bite and drink if your in the area!

Finally tried this place after driving by so many times, after seeing how full the parking lot was (and not wanting to wait to eat) and it was an enjoyable experience. Mid day on a blustery Saturday was the perfect time because we almost had the place to ourselves, it was great. Prompt, friendly service, and our food came within a very reasonable timeframe. I ordered the chicken pot pie and was not disappointed. I love that dish and ever since cloverleaf tavern took it off their menu, it’s been hard to find around here. I’m so glad it was good because I’ll be back in the future when the CPP craving strikes. Fiancé had a burger, cooked medium rare, with pepper jack cheese, onion, tomato and lettuce. And fries. He was very happy with his meal as well. He got a coffee to go, and we were pleasantly surprised that the to go cup was of ample size. Usually we get dinky little to go cups so this is an added bonus. I think the $ 30 bill was very fair. Definitely will be back and hope to try the bar scene here too. Not a fan of the outside décor, it’s a little too haphazard for my taste, but inside is done very tastefully and it was an overall cozy nice experience. Their late night menu looks good too, for those who like to drink and snack.

This place is within a half-​mile of our house so I wanted to love it. I like it, but it won’t become a favourite. The décor is gorgeous and the service is good but the food just didn’t wow me.
When you’re seated there’s a bread plate and knife by each place setting… but no bread provided, even with supper entrées. Seems somewhat odd. My wife had the P.E.I. Mussels appetizer, which were obviously frozen, not fresh. Our entrées were both cooked well; salmon and prime rib, but I was surprised that there was no au jus served with the prime rib. First time I ever ran across that, in fact. Still tasty, though. I ordered mid-​rare and got mostly rare but that I can forgive.
I’m not a fan of their burger since I don’t like spices or filler in hamburger meat – I prefer to add my own after cooking, and their french fries are breaded, another huge turn-​off for me. The mash, on the other hand, was perfect and obviously scratch made.
The bar is huge and extremely loud and boisterous. If that’s your thing, great, but it’s most definitely not my scene. I will be back to try their more traditional Irish fare, but for now I think a 3 or ideally a 3.5 is a fitting score.

First time visit was a big plus. Big Irish pub atmosphere. If you like red ales they have their own called Thatcher Red, enjoyed it thoroughly.
I ordered the Lamb Stew, it was very good. My wife had the pastrami and it was also very good.
Service was good, everyone very friendly.

I’m leaving towards 3.5−4 stars for this review, but I’ll give it 4 since it was their first week. I came here on a Tuesday evening. Initially, I called earlier around lunch time and asked if I could make a reservation. The girl on the phone chuckled at me and told me no; I then explained that’s fine and that I was curious since their Facebook page was lacking information and their website still says «coming soon.» I didn’t think asking about a reservation would be «stupid» and deserving of a laugh. Lol. Oh well, no biggie… fast forward to 6:30PM. The parking lot was packed, but we were fortunate to get a spot as someone was leaving. The two hosts at the front were very nice. They said there was a 20 minute wait for the dining room, they have a cool system that texts you when the table is ready. We decided to just go to the bar and find a table (which by the way, is find your own seat and then you’ll be served.) We spotted the last table and made our way to it. Our waiter came over right away, he was so nice! I feel like his name was George? I don’t know, so sorry. I forgot lol. I saw specials for the Thatcher’s in Denville for that day I was going and was hoping they would be the same in Fairfield. I didn’t even see a specials menu… I’m a clean eater for the most part and picky, so I saw a chicken dish and asked if I could just get plain grilled chicken with veggies on the side. The waiter looked at me like I had a few heads and just suggested I get their one chicken dinner dish and remove some of the toppings. No problem, I placed that order. I got it, it was okay. It tasted buttery (gross) and was battered. I didn’t enjoy my meal but the rest of our group loved it. The drinks btw are on point! Would I give it another chance? Most likely! It was their first week. so maybe in a week I’ll try it again.
Btw, every day at happy hour they apparently have drink specials and free food!

A fun pub. Great place for happy hour after work. Got there at 5 30 on a Wednesday. It was hopping. Parking lot was full but there is lots of street parking.
Nice big bar area. Good draft beer selection. Free sandwiches and hot food on the side during happy hour. Also ordered wings and German pretzel sticks. The pretzels were amazing! Id skip the wings next time.
Ill definitely be going back. It was only 3 days old and was already running with great service and nice atmosphere.