The Harp On Church

What a weird little place. In a good way. I waited until after a couple of visits to write a review, and I’m glad I did. For starters, I didn’t even realize it wasn’t a real bar on our first visit. I mean, it looks like a good oi’ neighborhood Irish pub… but there is no liquor behind the bar. Beer and wine only. No problem, we were only out for a bit o’ bite anyhow.
On our first visit we got the Harp Salad and the Harp Burger… might as well test the eponymous favorites, eh? Both were excellent, although my wife thought the salad could have used a smidge less dressing. Meh… I loved it. The Harp Burger was cooked exactly as ordered and was quite good. Fat and juicy, lots of blue cheese and goodies atop. Loved it. If there was a downside it was the Old Bay fries. I love Old Bay. I’ll put it on anything, maybe even my Rice Krispies. But there was barely a hint of this goddess spice on the fries. They were otherwise great french fries, but they didn’t rock my Old Bay world.
Our second visit wasn’t as great, but still nothing to seriously complain about. We sat on the other side of the tiny little pub, and our server was prompt and attentive. My fish sandwich was a bit mushy, but otherwise tasted pretty good. Topped with tiny onion rings, accompanied by a giant cuke/​pickle and some house fries… pretty pretty pretty good. But still mushy.
The Rueben was a better choice, stacked high with corned beef. No sides, just the sandwich. Very tasty, if not the consummate iteration of the venerable sammy.
Overall, I love this place. Sweet, mellow, neighborhood pub vibe. Good, solid food offerings. Hard liquor behind the bar would be a plus, but certainly not a deal breaker. Check it out!

There’s a reason they’re winning statewide awards — the food is unparalleled for an Irish pub. The chef/​owner is classically trained, and his modern spin on classic Irish fare is great. I recommend the harp salad, fish sandwich, Reuben, corned beef & cabbage, Irish stew, and pretty much everything else! I knocked it down one star because it’s a bit pricey, doesn’t have fountain soda, and is often closed for weeks at a time, making plans difficult.

BOYCOT HARP ON CHURCH!!!
I just want to say to my friends, Harp On Church has lost a customer FOREVER!!! I went there last night and tried to have dinner… met up with some great friends. We had the fries, AWESOME and then ordered the Margarita Pizza which would have been delicious had they not drowned it with Balsamic Vinegar… who the hell puts vinegar on a pizza??? When I brought it to Megan, the snotty owners attention she reached for the pizza telling me «we have always done it that way, do you want anything else… we said just a desert, the Crème Brûlée she brought us a piece of cake with a smirk on her face knowing that wasn’t what we ordered, took it laughing and walked away…
I then asked her mom «what the heck is going on?» I explained my self politely but firmly and said «I owe you for a bottle of wine, fries and a beer!» She told me forget about it… decent customer service… and we left. I then put a short comment on their Facebook page… and now they blocked me!!! I doubt you’ll ever see me in there again and if I am in there… They’ll know it!!!

We came here this past Saturday before a UConn game as Willibrew was totally packed. We all enjoy the atmosphere and the food was great as well. I had the ‘Jillson’ which was excellent. My husband and my dad both had the reuben and said it was amazing! The only complaint was that the beer was a little flat but it definitely wasn’t a deal-​breaker by any means.

Cool vibe, solid food. I randomly stopped here for lunch today. There wasn’t a ton of people here but those that were seemed to enjoy there food. I am not in Willamantic often, but will keep this place in mind if I find myself here again.

If you want a thin crust pizza and I mean real housewives skinny thin they have it. My daughter got the Irishman pizza and if you love potatoes and pizza you need to try this. The Reuben is a little different no Swiss here but Irish cheddar the sauerkraut is tame which gives it an interesting twist. I’m a big fan of sour I mean war pucker sour so I was not excepting a sweet flavor. The hanger steak is one of the best things on the bill of fare. Also the hand cut fries with old bay is a must. staff is awesome! I think they would make a killer corned beef hash. Also note this is more of a bar with some really good food don’t expect Ritz Carlton motif

Ah-​mazing Banh Mi! One bite and the aroma emanating from it was already addicting! I don’t live in town, nowhere near it in fact but so glad my friend suggested this place for lunch today.
I can only imagine how their wings would taste like if they actually offered them. I say this because when my friend said to meet here and I found out it was a pub, I expected pub fare. No big deal, my sandwich was great! I’m not a fan of the potato salad because it had dill pickles so it was sour. Next time I’ll ask if I can substitute it with their coleslaw, which I heard was great!

I really like the food here! Its probably one of the best in the area! The Irish stew is amazing!
However the tables are a little cramped and the server was kind of unpleasant…

I know food and so does Harp on Church. I thought the food would be «ok’ based on other reviews here, but I was very impressed with the quality of the onion soup, traditional Reuben sandwich and a hand shaped Harp Burger. Can’t wait to try some other items. All booth seating and a very rustic feel felt warm and inviting. Hang your coat on a hook, slide into a booth, order up a Harp’s on tap and enjoy the food.

The Harp was a mixed bag. Our table was pretty cold because we were near the window, but otherwise we liked the Irish pub atmosphere.
Most of the food was great. The cheesy gnocchi special was small but delicious. The steak, and the fish & chips were both very good.
The mussels were a disaster. For starters, there were rocks in the dish of mussels. I didn’t count them since I didn’t finish the dish, but there were approximately 5 rocks, and each one was around 1 – 2 inches in size. Weird.
More importantly, the mussels themselves weren’t cleaned properly. They were sandy, and the «beard» was not removed from about half of them. So those mussels had gross, hair-​like things sticking out. Anyone who has made mussels before knows that you need to remove the beard before cooking them.
It would have been a great meal, but whoever is responsible for preparing the mussels is either incompetent or simply doesn’t care. Avoid that dish, and everything else will *probably* be quite enjoyable.

We were looking for comfort food on a cold evening, after an art exhibit opening. Since Harp on Church was right across the municipal parking lot, we decided to give it a try and it was great! My hubby had the Irish Stew and I had turkey stew. Bread was good, if cold, but went well with our stews. Atmosphere was warm and friendly — we’ll be back!

Lovely little place with tons of atmosphere and great food and beer. Unfortunately, the wait staff get consistently mediocre reviews thanks to the owner’s sister. I’ve stopped going there.

This is one of 2 places I eat in Willimantic. The food is always good and the atmosphere is conducive to a beer or two with an old friend. The ‘snarky’ waitress referenced in another review is very efficient and quick, and polite when treated nicely. I hope they stay around for a long time

Great little pub — newer, but feels like it’s been there a very long time. The mussels were fantastic — and abundant. We preset the Harp salad — a heaping, fresh plate of greens tossed with crispy onions, candied walnuts, cheese, and more. (Caution — it’s large enough to tip the table over if left on the edge!). Traditional pub faves like Irish stew and burgers were nicely done, and the marinated hanger steak served over mash and beans was tender and cooked just as ordered. Overall a very good meal and a solid value. Combined with Guinness on tap — quite a find in Willimantic! We will be back soon…

May be a smaller pub but the food is out of this world, absolutely amazing. They have a great selection craft beers to 5 bucks a beer may sound pricey but the food is top of line hands down best food I’ve ever had

The place is ok, but most of the times I have come here I found the staff unhelpful and even a bit rude.

I love eating here. Whenever I’m in Willimantic I make an attempt to get a bite. If you love New England clam chowder try theirs. Instead of using Yukon gold potatoes they use big sized red potatoes with the skins still on which I love. If you’re a vegetarian beware, there’s bacon in this. The presentation of their food is simple and rustic which is perfect for any pub. Like other reviews stated, their menu is very limited however, you’re bound to find something you really enjoy. Their fries are delicious, their turkey sandwich and veggie sandwich are delicious, and so many more.
I’m not a big beer or wine fan but I must say I really enjoy their Ace Perry Cider on tap. It is a delicious and refreshing beverage to have with lunch or dinner.
I must say that the kitchen hours are strange, they change often and are predominately based on how busy the restaurant is. In addition, on either Tuesdays or Thursdays, I can’t remember which, they have a live Irish band play which is cool and fun making the place tightly packed and busy.
All and all, The Harp is an awesome choice, competitively priced, has delicious food, and a super cool atmosphere. A must try.

We stopped in here on a Wednesday evening. It was comfortably busy, with just enough people to give it atmosphere but still plenty of room to move. The lighting was good, the décor is a fair attempt at creating a pub and good for Willimantiic but a long way from the real deal. The service is decent and the waitress friendly. The menu is limited but we still found some things that interested us enough to try. I had the Irish stew and my wife the Asian popcorn chicken. My stew wasn’t bad but (as an expert on stew) can tell you it needed some more Worcestershire sauce and would have been elevated greatly if served in a bread bowl. Stew is not the most attractive looking dish and anything to kick it up a notch visually helps. The popcorn chicken tasted ok but failed in presentation. Also, if they just served plain popcorn chicken with a variety of dipping sauces that would have been better. Athens main negative for me was Jimmy Hendrix in the background, just not what I want to hear at dinner. We would return but it’s a small place and if it was crowded certainly wouldn’t hang around to get a table.

average pub… small dark dining room.
Half Snarky waitresses
Food came out VERY quickly which made me question what they were pre cooking back there.
Burger was good. fries were hot… beer was cold.
Nuff said

It’s not really fair to judge an Irish pub by a single visit on Saint Patrick’s Day, but I had a good time and I’m happy to pass along the joy.
It’s not a big place, and it sure was full when I arrived to hear a friend’s band play. We stood for a bit, and then a couple invited us to take their table as they were on their way out — we were very grateful.
They were serving a limited menu for the holiday, featuring corned beef, of course. My daughter polished off the entire corned beef and cabbage dinner, somewhat to my surprise (there was a lot of it), and I had no difficulty with my Reuben. Our waitress was positively effervescent, even in the midst of the crowd.
All this, plus a solid tap list, wins them three stars. They get the fourth for the good musical taste to invite my friend’s band to play for them on Saint Patrick’s Day. And at some point, I’d like to go back to see what else the kitchen can do.