Fogarty’s Isn’t The “Best” Bar On Paper… But It’s Kind Of Perfect When You Want It.
Written By: The Gnarly Gnome
Photography By: The Gnarly Gnome
If you and your friends are headed to Fogarty’s with the intention of bathing in the neon green glow of shamrock signs, singing to flogging molly on the jukebox, and knocking back pints of Guinness until all hours of the night – it’s not that type of bar. Although you can certainly order a Guinness, that’s about as far as Fogarty’s goes into the realm of a stereotypical Irish pub.
And that’s a good thing.
How We Got Here
Walking into Fogarty’s, it feels at first like you’re stepping into a basement – which you are. At one time, the bar used to be called “Shelton’s,” and the space had two different floors. While the upstairs had live music and dancing – downstairs was a bar. That bar evolved into a strange place called “Rockin’ Kickin’ Country” and then “Mr. B’s” before ownership got tired of the younger, rowdier crowd and, when longing for something more, came up with the idea of an Irish Pub.
They wanted an Irish Pub in the sense of the types of places you’ll find in Ireland—quiet, neighborhood spots where you can show up and have a beer with folks and have a conversation.
That’s precisely what it feels like when you walk into Fogarty’s, too.
The Experience
As I mentioned, walking in the door feels like walking into a basement. To take it a step further, if I’m being completely transparent, sometimes the musty smell reminds me exactly of drinking in a basement. Walking in, you walk past the pool table, past the upper part of the room that houses some tables—you walk past the shuffleboard, past the dart boards… and up to the bar.
Behind the bar are a TON of beer taps. Unfortunately, the taps never seem to be working or full simultaneously. With that being said, there’s always a nice variety of craft beer, macros, and some hard tea or ciders – or something else for the non-beer drinkers. That’s in addition to a well-stocked cooler full of cans and plenty of booze if you’re looking for a shot.
A big door opens up to a fantastic beer garden on the other side of the room. It’s an impressive space full of shaded tables and an old car that was converted into a grill. The beer garden alone is worth a stop into the bar on a warm evening for a couple or three beers.
Why I Like To Drink Here
There are only a few bars left in the world where the jukebox or the chaos of the outside world don’t dominate the room, and yet at Fogarty’s, it seems like it’s always about the conversation.
I find myself gravitating towards spaces like that, even when I don’t really want to have a conversation. There’s something very comforting about being around something so… “communal.” It makes me feel good.
Fogarty’s doesn’t always have the best draft list in town. Sometimes, it smells goofy. Hell, sometimes the service isn’t even very great because your bartender is involved in a conversation at the other end of the bar—and sometimes, that’s exactly what I want.
If you want to check out Fogarty’s for yourself, you can find them at 3620 Harrison Ave in Cheviot.