Rí Rá Irish Pub

jmz62565

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +16.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

Walk into Ireland. On a cold March day I walked into a nice warm Irish pub called Ri Ra. The atmosphere is lively and fun with a beer selection thats decent,but not great. They have 10 taps with all the large Irish beers and some local Vermont micros, Longtrail,Magic Hat ,and Otter Creek. The bartender was quick and helpful with selecting food and beer. The food selection is deep with a wide variety of Irish foods. The sandwich and soup selection is also large. This is a nice place to hoist a few pints with some good food.

03-15-2006 23:49:31 | More by jmz62565

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.83/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

Good place for an early dinner, burgers and some more Irish foods, but at night it turns into a bad and they often have live music. They've always got all your regular Irish beers on tap - Guinness, Harp, etc. Usually a bunch of local craft and a few from the area. I'll usually get whats on special because they'll usually have something for $3 that's a craft beer (last time it was the Redhook IPA) that's fairly decent.

Once the band starts playing it gets a bit rowdy but it's a fun place especially if you're in the mood for a guiness.

05-17-2010 14:19:42 | More by kingcrowing

apresskibrewer

California

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4 | $$$

Ri Ra's atmosphere is what you could expect from an american 'irish' pub. without getting to critical though, it does alright for itself on the overall feel. I love the guinness mosaic in the front entryway though.

The food is great, with the default pub fare, but also with some Irish dishes that aren't that bad of a representation... the best you can get in burlington anyway.

The service is variable, and the place is often very busy. If you treat the bartenders well though, they usually will make it right with you.

Beer selection is on par with any irish pub in America. the Guinness pours well, and is only 3.5$ on Sundays (or at least it was the last few sundays i've been in!)

The prices drive away the college crowd during the schooling parts of the year, which can be a huge plus.

06-15-2008 04:31:12 | More by apresskibrewer

ecoboy

Rhode Island

3.55/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5

Have you been to a RiRa before? I waited a long time before visiting this particular outlet, having had less sparkling results in Providence. Then they erected one in Portland, which is pretty great. Rira's work hard on their "authenticity" but each location also seems to reflect the local area a touch.

My favorite thing about RiRa is my favorite thing about my favorite British and Irish pubs: the attempt to make it feel less like the existing structure in place before RiRa arrived. The bank that used to be there is unnoticeable. Instead, some of the nicest pubby chatty booths and tables. I tend to sit right near the front in this RiRa, preferring tables to bar only rarely. Warm in both temperature and atmosphere, I don't know if I've ever stopped in during the summer months. RiRa works better for me when the leaves change or fall completely off.

Servers are quite often of Irish descent with sometimes as few as zero generations since the trip over. As one might expect, Bass, Harp and Guinness are readily available every day. But Magic Hat is another good account. Then there's the trickle off through Sam Adams, Heineken, Corona (?!?!) yaddah yaddah yaddah.

Food is pubby and affordable (unlike the Portland location which can bring in entree prices over $20.)

Let's face it, Burlington is one great town for beer fans. RiRa is somewhere down the list for me, but it's definitely on there.

10-28-2003 17:52:03 | More by ecoboy

Billolick

New York

3.55/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3 | $$

On the main tourist/pedestrain drag in downtown Burlington. Just a short walk from the much more interesting Amer.FlatBread and Farmhouse B & G..Go here for a burger and a pint of something mainstream. Dont ever expect anything too interesting on tap. Irish themed in a near Disney sort of way. A mess of flatscreans with the game on..Dull tap list, sole highlight was a selection from switchback...yawn...decent place for me to take my college student daughter to, cuz she likes the burgers, but not much else going on here, especially beer wise...you can see American Flatbread across the square from the rear of this joint....

01-20-2011 01:25:36 | More by Billolick

scottum

Vermont

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3

Another solid bar in the heart of Burlington. Nice selection of brews. Always good to see Humble Patience on the nitro. Always better to see Jay Peak Tram Ale available in Burlington! Service is usually on. Great pours on the nitro, a sign of a top notch bar staff. Good place to stop and grab a pint or two when in Burlington. Sometimes they squeeze in live music too with a very small stage in the center of the place. Overall, a canned irish pub feel though. Go to Nectar's around the corner instead.

11-03-2003 20:41:20 | More by scottum

mltobin

Connecticut

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4 | $$$

The decore from the outside certainly stands out while strolling by on Church Street in downtown Burlington.
The atmosphere is very good, often busy at Ri Ra, a warm and cozy environment that is fairly typical of a nice irish pub, a place where the locals can gather.
The service is good, warm and friendly.
Beer selection is mediocre, vermont micros represented and some macros common in an irish pub, but that is about it.
Food is better than average, shephards pie is great, but the prices are a tad expesive for a "pub".

02-07-2008 02:20:27 | More by mltobin

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4 | $$

A pretty decent Irish-style pub in the outdoor shopping mall on Church Street. There are much better places for beer enthusiasts extremely close by, but RiRa is still worth a stop on your pub crawl. Nice atmosphere overall, tidy decor. Crowd can get rambunctious, but what do you expect? Service is decent. Beer selection is okay, with your general British & Irish staples and a few micros. Food menu isn't extensive, but everything they have is tasty and well-made; typical Irish pub fare, as would be imagined. I particularly like the Kilcooly sandwich.

Again, there are much better places to explore when you're in town, and there are a few places I've yet to check out. But RiRa is still a good stop, perhaps for a quick lunch.

05-09-2011 13:19:51 | More by Rifugium

youbrewidrink

Vermont

3.4/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4 | $$

It's all been said before. This is your classic Americam/Irish Pub (chain). Basic beer selection with euro's & locals on tap. BMC and a few other bottles.They really do a good job with any of the slow pours that they offer.

The food is pretty good, if you sit inside the service seems to be better that out on Church St.

I enjoy sitting at the bar in the evenings when Michael is bartending, you'll know him when you see him. I think he is the main reason we keep going back here.

Ri-Ra is by no means a must visit, but you could do a lot worse.

08-14-2009 13:19:58 | More by youbrewidrink

plaid75

New York

2.86/5  rDev -17.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5 | $$

A nice sized establishment, good woodwork and glass and a nice bar. There is a good amout of tables near the bar and plenty of space to spread out. The beer selection was kind of a downer, considering you were in Burlington. A few Vermont craft beers and then the rest were imports and a macro or two.

The big screen tv is a good touch.

Nothing special. Just your run of the mill Irish pub. They are a dime a dozen in NYC, but i would imagine in Burlington it is something of a novelty. Way too crowded at night during the weekends, as it becomes more of a college bar/club. Line outside and all.

05-04-2006 15:58:03 | More by plaid75