Reviews of Murphy's Grand Irish Pub (Fish Shop)

Mercedes Wilson

It's a place I used to go many years ago and got to create new memories with some good friends. Still a friendly neighborhood spot. Loved it.

regina shoopman

Amazing food and entertainment.....if you like Shepards pie and live Irish drinking songs

C.B. Pratt

Excellent Sunday Champagne Brunch. Good prices, friendly staff. After 11am, ask to sit upstairs.

Samuel Parker

Live music and good drinks on king st

Sue Lee Cluck

They have the best crab cakes! We ate there two nights in a row! The fireplace is nice and toasty. Service is a bit slow, but the atmosphere is great.

Ashley Michelle

Great place to celebrate a birthday. Has a little bit of everything with a lot of Irish flair. Visited for the Kentucky Derby Day and it was awesome!

Christina Hudson

Great music. Old Bay wings were fast and tasty!!!

Shannon McClure

Didn't love it. Very busy, but that is good. Food was off, tasted like maybe they needed to change the fryer oil. The taste is still lingering in my mouth. Had the Irish Egg Rolls. We decided not to order anything else. Service was ok for how busy it was at 4 in the afternoon on a Saturday.

Viviana Shanks

Great little find in Alexandria! Extremely packed but the hostess was kind enough to find us a nice table! It’s a very well themed Irish pub and well decorated. We were there for brunch and there is a big bunch of options for cheap including a glass of champagne! It was fresh and good! Would recommend it vividly!

Eileen Waggoner

Murphy’s used to be my favorite brunch spot and pub in Old Town, until this last weekend when my two friends (young queer women) were assaulted and molested by a “war veteran” and management didn’t do anything about it. When my friends confronted management to report the assault, they told them that their assaulter is “a local celebrity and he does it all the time.” Then, they were publically embarrassed and thrown out; the bouncer who threw them out called him a war hero. Murphy’s is NOT a safe space for women or the LGBTQ+ community. To tolerate such violence and hate is unthinkable. Do not give them your business!

Jessica Jeraci

Great beer and loved looking at the badges. Great place

Libby Hogen-Heath

Just the best live Irish music on the weekends!

Kevin Farhat

Great atmosphere, the band was awsome but the place could use a good clean up

Nicole Edwards

Great food and amazing atmosphere. Love this pub and stop in everytime I'm in old town

Anna Bengtson

Perfect. Just what I look for. Small. Slightly grungy. Kind of loud. Bagpipes. Shepherd's Pie. 10/10 would recommend

Alexander Fraser

Great place in Alexandria for food and a pint!! Great atmosphere! Live music is always a plus!

Grah Bella

Great food, wonderful atmosphere. Live music was really entertaining, reminded us of when we were in Dublin.

Dorene Wand

Great Irish food and atmosphere

Nicole Gresham

Beauty of a proper Irish pub complete with lots of beer, irish whiskey and really good pub food. Great daily food specials - Thursday is "Steak Night" with your choice of NY strip, prime rib, rib eye or filet. Good happy hour too.

Wallace Miller

Can't beat their happy hour. Great atmosphere and service.

Brandy Clark

This was my first time here and we loved it. The service was excellent, the food was great and the drinks were perfect. We will definitely be returning!

Patrick Hein

Great atmosphere, friendly and quick bartenders/servers, decent prices (especially for King St). Didn't have any food (only drinks) but everything I saw looked and smelled delicious. Will be back next time I am in Old Town

Samantha

Great food, but air conditioning was awful! Atmosphere was very noisey, but it's a pub so..

Murray H

Tuesday night not busy... I stood at the bar for over 3mins whilst the bar man was glued to his phone. Even the guy playing in the band made a comment ‘hope your not thirsty’. Now as I sit here CLEARLY with a menu and having asked if they are still serving food my drink is finished and the waitress is just on a different planet. Some may say I should say something..... I should not have too, it is a bar, it is there jobs. Shocking service (nice pint of Guinness thou). Extremely disappointing. FINALLY got served... food was fast and nice... but as I watch our trusty bar man is back glued to his phone.

K Stanley

Tried this place once with my friend and I am addicted ever since. I enjoy the awesome mood and delicious dishes and beverages. 5 stars.

Diana Erwin

Delicious Irish stew and excellent service. Right in the heart of Old Town Alexandria

Laura Glasgow

Had a wonderful time at Murphy's this past Saturday night. Both Sides was playing and they're dang good! A wide range of songs from Led Zeppelin to the Beatles... can't beat that for requests! Food is always delish and overall, an awesome way to spend an evening!!!

Jose Ramirez

My wife and I had a great time attending a retirement ceremony at this Pub. The finger foods were fantastic, the wait service was friendly and efficient, and their selection of beverages was plentiful. We look forward to meeting friends to drink a few beers, and holding our own family get together here.

Jack B

Love this great pub, tons of cops and servicemembers patron this bar, great happy hour prices and great food!

G. H. Montgomery

Delicious food and fresh drinks, surrounded by a lively bunch with live music. I'd definitely go again!

Jessica Hutchinson

Food and drinks great! TV a bit loud.

Nadia Cetone

Went here with family while visiting Alexandria and we had such a great time. There were lots of people here with a DJ and a dance floor. Loved the music. Lots of good drinks too. Really nice employees and very fast service.

John McNabb JR

Love the vibe , the Bangers and Mash some of the best ever plus loved the Guinness milk stout.

noizebatch nine

- food was a mix of good and not that great, the fish and chips wasn't that great at all but the pasta special they had for the day was very good - staff was very friendly - service was pretty quick - place gets a bit loud the later it gets but that's to be expected - prices were good this is probably one of the cheaper places to eat around the area - have live music some days - overall a good experience and atmosphere - I'd recommend this place

Rocky Berube

Great place to experience Patriots Nation

Greg Davis

A wonderful place. Champagne Brunch, Live Music at night and a wood burning fireplace ablaze in colder months. GO!

Susan Sweat

Great place. Good food, daily specials and entertainment

Mike Winternheimer

Excellent food at reasonable prices and a wonderful wait staff

Chris Pucci

Friendly staff. Fast service. Drinks were good, food was fine.

Jeffrey Ortz

Beer and food were both great.

Stephanie Frye

Great food great service.

Leah Whittemore

AMAZING food for a great price. Really makes you feel like you're in Ireland. One of the best Irish pubs I've been to by far.

Randy Rajala

An Irish bar with a Russian waitress. We just had a quick drink then left but it was nice.

Ann spitler

Murphy’s catered a luncheon that was delicious !! Baked salmon with dill sauce, chicken with a wonderful marinade, crisp mixed green salad with hearts of palm, red onion and cherry tomatoes, “best ever” apple crisp, tools and Irish butter.

Max Miller

Jordan made me feel welcome and was fun to chat with. Seemed to have bunch of regulars. Great service.

Monica E. Iversen

Good Irish pub, lots of good beer.

Wendy Stuck

Thank you to our server, Erin, and to the chefs for an absolutely fun and delicious experience! The chicken curry had just the right bite-- the fragrance was heavenly. The bangers and mash were savory. The Guiness flight was top notch.

Douglas Pemberton

Great little bar in old Alexandra. I only had drinks but meet some nice regulars while I was there. Bartenders are friendly.

Yoshi Kuronuma

Fun place to drink and hangout with friends and/or co-workers.

Amanda C

This was my family’s first time at Murphy’s and what a great experience! The food was great and very reasonably priced, live and entertaining Irish Music and we left with two t-shirts! Will be making this stop mandatory on any future trips! Keep up the good work!

Clint Sealock

Decent bar, pretty crowded, which takes away from a true pub feel. Live music was good, and good beer and spirit selection. If you're not out for authenticity as far as a pub, but are looking for a good spot for drinks, it's a good spot.

Dennis Winston

Awesome service and food

Ingrid Lanzoni

Best Irish Pub in DC area! I love it! Always good live music! I have fun every time I go there!

N MR

The folks that work here are lovely and attentive. But from a culinary perspective, it's a bit like shopping at a Safeway or Harris Teeter. It's routine, lacking in verve and freshness, there's something kind of decrepit about it all. With a better kitchen the place could really shine. Without that, it's an ordinary Irish pub.

Rob Gray

Great food and atmosphere!!!! I stop here every time that I travel here for work! I would highly recommend this place to anyone. The staff is great and pretty great at getting the food out in a pretty timely manner even when it’s busy. I simply love it!!!

Garrett Hittle

Great atmosphere with good samplings of Irish food. Very fun atmosphere but not over the top.

James Kruger

Great pub. Good beer and whisky selection and they have dart boards.

Ian Mullican

Both a local and tourist favorite. The live music is great and the food is as well. They're great for the community and I'm not sure if they just take part in or help run the St. Patty's day parade, but they're a big part of the culture here.

David Gebert

Great place for all you can eat ribs on Monday.

James RV007

The steak was amazing and the flavor perfect. Veggies were spot on. It was worth the $ spent!

adrienne Morrell

Great food and service. Typical Irish pub all the way!

Jacob Lawlor

Fantastic pub to have a pint at, and a fine staff to serve it to you. Saw live music on a Saturday, great fun.

Christine K

Awesome ribeye. Loved the coziness and buzz of laughter.

David Castagnetta

Really fun Saturday evening. Wish the Irish music didn't take such a long break. Great atmosphere, great service

Rob Simmons

Awesome - Kilkenny on draft!

Jesse Curtis

great pub atmosphere. good food, live music on weekends.

Barry Delgado

Great bar!!! I really enjoyed this place. Their service was top-notch and live Music at night. The beer selection was really impressive. The atmosphere was comfortable. Highly Recommend!!!

Irene Duncan

I love this place! We've celebrated a few birthdays here.

John Westland

Went for steak night. The prime rib was delicious. The crackling fire set an inviting atmosphere. The beer selection was very impressive as well. All in all a great night.

Fabrizio Scipioni

Fantastic food and fantastic people. The food are fine and the surrounding are amazing

jack rosson

Well stocked bar, but we go there for the food and atmosphere. Shepard's Pie is outstanding.

Justin Z

food is mediocre but well priced. service is hit or miss. better in the evenings than during the day.

Nicholas Johnson

Best pub in the mid Atlantic

Mary Kay Goetter

Tasty, great service, excellent live music and friendly staff!

Omollo Obong'o

Great bar and restaurant. Live performance band.

Jdz Random thoughts

Good drinks and a place to have friends

Barb Tan

Great irish foodfare and music. Fun place to spend an evening. Caters to adults of all ages.

Harvey Glick

Great Pub. Great staff. Great food. Did I mention a great place to go?

Ray LaBella

Server was great. Food was meh.

James Baglini

A fun Irish Pub in Old Town Alexandria. Nice place to stop in for a pint of Guiness or stay for dinner. A bit crowded and tight on space but everyone was friendly and the service was quick and efficient. You can't go wrong with the fish and chips but plenty of other menu options as well. The next best thing to hopping on an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin and heading to O'Neill's!

Julia Harris

Loved the love music and service.

Kathy Berry

Trendy it might not be but you will have a good time. Happy hour is 4-7 PM. Depending on the evening you visit they have specials. Thursday night was steak night. Check out the board by the music stage. Check the badge collection!

Cara Magura

They have great service, great food—they have allergy-friendly food, you just have to ask—great music, and a great atmosphere! I highly recommend them to anyone in the area!

Kevin Gaydosh

Pretty good. Good Happy hour prices. Friendly staff.

Daniel Simpson

Good food, great beers on tap selection, all for a reasonable price. Overall a great vibe and the perfect spot to catch some live music or sports. Will return for sure. Can get a little rowdy but that's to be expected in an Irish pub.

Jens Petter Duestad

Very good bartender

Brittany F

The wait staff was attentive and the Reuben was delicious. The small pub makes you feel comfortable and the staff makes it a very enjoyable experience. Highly recommend!

Michael Burmeister

Very popular Irish Pub, owned by a real Irishman, authentic food. Great stop for a black and tan or a Jamison's. Commonly has live music. The bangers and mash is very good. Nice, warm décor. Two meals, two appetizers, and three black and tans will run you about $70 with tax and tip.For quick seating, arrive at off-peak hours. Park at a public garage within a couple of blocks.

Michael Hammel

Great food ,awsummmmm atmosphere.

Joseph MacDonald

You really can't go wrong here. An amazing place!

Neasie Boggess

The waiter was impatient and the food wasn't that great for the price. The cider was watered down.

Alissa Simms

Kristen was amazing. Mom loved her food. I wasn't very happy with my meal but they got me something different in place of it and were VERY nice about it. I will definitely be going back.

David Andersen

Murphy's is one of our favorite restaurants in Alexandria. Good food, great vibe.

Don Rubin

Typical Irish pub. Reliable bar food and drinks. Often have live music.

siniša rojnić

Decent prices, food good for the prize you pay. Interesting design. Worth of visiting. I went there for a brunch and it wasn't to much crowd service was good and fast. Overall nice experience!

Danielle Hope

Gets crowded quickly and can be hard to find someone on a busy night to serve you. Otherwise good spot for that Irish pub feel.

Eric Landerville

Had the fish and chips, the fish was ok but the frys were terrible. Should have ordered the Shepard's pie it looked pretty good

Cassie G

Typical American-Irish Pub setting. Kind of cramped, not really stroller/baby/kid friendly. Food and prices are average. I've gotten the fish n chips (with cottage fries), and the shepherd's pie, and neither are stellar but good enough. The tartar sauce had a darker film on top that indicates it was pre-made and sitting in open refrigeration, not sure how long, but it didn't look appetizing. My husband loves the bangers 'n mash. Service is ok, they do the best they can. We will continue to visit here and order the same old same, but it's nothing stellar.

Jody Fry

Good ol' Irish oub, with live music and a decent pont of Guinness

Theresa Freeze

Loved their brunch after the Army 10 miler!

TANEK ZHANG

Not too bad for a quick meal.

Don Brubaker

Service was friendly and considerate but the food took nearly an hour to arrive. It was the wrong order, and the crabcake was undercooked. They were considerate enough to remove it from the bill.

Kelly Phong

Guaranteed good time. I love the live music. Staff is wonderful. Bartenders are serious pros. Good place to hang out for ladies.

Kate Sutliff

Fun spot on King St to grab a beer and listen to live music. Can get very busy but still a good atmosphere

Jerry Miranda

A staple of Old Town Alexandria. Good cheer and fun times. Live music on Saturday nights. It is a very popular Irish pub and usually crowded.

Jean Pyke

Your typical Irish pub grub in an awesome setting, fantastic atmosphere and superb fire to melt away the chilly evening. Wait staff really look after you and have a great sense of humor. Top spot

Daniel Journeaux

Great live music great atmosphere!

Rita Moore

I attended a retirement Happy Hour and my coworkers all agreed that the wings were good. I arrived late so I didn't order anything. Me and the family went to taste the wings on 40 cent wings on Wednesday night. Because it was eight of us, I called ahead and made a reservation. When we arrived our table was ready and we were seated immediately. Our server name was Erin. Erin was awesome with our group. Very courteous, friendly and attentive. We ordered the spinach dip as a starter and it was really good. Because we came for the wings, we all ordered the wings buffalo, barbecue and old bay. My goodness all three favors were good. The fries were very good and the mac and cheese was ok. I would definitely recommend Murphy's. We will be visiting again. Ask for Erin she's great.

Jeff Martinez

Always great service, great atmosphere, and great food.

Vanessa Moriarty

We went to Murphy’s after light horse, and the manager made a “you and your people” comment, that made us feel extremely uncomfortable and we were told to go downstairs. We went downstairs and then she went down stairs and stated that we had to leave because we did not pay for our drink upstairs although she told us to we had to relocate downstairs. We then proceeded to reason with her, but she stated that she’s a Nervous person and could not handle the situation even after speaking with her staff.

Johncarlo Buitrago

I went for trivia night and had a pretty good time! There were a couple of interesting beers outside of the standard domestic and imported Corona & Heineken but I wish there were more. I made the mistake of ordering one of the specialty brews after 9 and it cost me 6.75! Make sure you time your order right or risk a steeper price. The burger I got was cooked perfectly but came with a spear pickle in the burger itself which struck me as a bit odd but everything tasted fine. The bar upstairs is big enough to seat a decent crowd and the decor is homey but not to the point of being tacky. I'll come back to try the Irish food but my expectations are a bit lower as nothing bumped my experience from "pretty fun" to "great!" Here's to second chances!

Aranzazu Aleman

Really good, the first time I visited this restaurant I order fish&ships and wings all was so delicious!!!! I was so eager to come back even though I come fro Stafford I really wanted to go.... Unfurtenatly the food was not as tasty as the fist time, =( May be it was me... I don't know ... Still pretty good though! I will definitely come back!

Chris Lopez

Nice environment, good food, friendly staff and fun Tuesday trivia. What more could you want? Will definitely be coming back for drinks sometime! Shout out to Stephani for being the best!!

Kiki Diller

A totally solid Irish pub, so much better in the new fashion of foodie hounds too. Love the crabcakes and the staff.

claudia virginia alarcon

Great atmosphere! High energy! Great place to come alone or in a group! Make table reservation 2 days ahead. Bring $$$ to spend on alcoholic, non-alcoholic and food too! Ages range from college through seniors! Know your limit or get kicked out! Go easy on the fowl language. Not a place for children. Becomes a full house quick, so come early to grab a Table! We're monthly regulars. We enjoy seeing Pat Carroll, Pat Garvey and Sanford Markley. These artists and musicians are phenomenal at there craft, which can sometimes leave your skin full of goosies, by the songs that they sing.

Eric Willis

Alan and Tia are awesome! Great music, friendly people, good food, amazing local establishment! Will be back again!!!

TJVB212

Very good food and cold beer. Service was outstanding!

Braden Bentson

The service was great and it was a fun atmosphere, but the food wasn’t all that good. I had the Reuben and it just wasn’t all that good. It was warm and good quality, but I just wasn’t the biggest fan. It was also fair priced. I’m sure there is something good on the menu that would satisfy a lot of people.

Douglas Stepina

I very much enjoyed this establishment. The atmosphere was super comfortable and the service was top notch. The interesting history of the building is also fun for conversation and nostalgia. You also couldn't beat eating a great steak next to the wood fireplace.

Tokyo Tim

Oh how I really enjoyed Murphy’s. We arrived at 2:30pm on a Sunday and they were still serving their Champagne brunch. We were hungry so we enjoyed a couple (or 3) beers until the brunch ended at 3 pm so we could order off the lunch/dinner menu. I enjoyed my Irish Meat and Potato Pie with fries. It did not disappoint. I wanted to try the Shepard’s Pie and fortunately, my wife ordered it. It was very tasty but included Lima beans (or butter beans) and I do not care for those. The restaurant itself was very comfortable and decorated with Police badges everywhere. The staff was pleasant and kept very busy in a small location. I would definitely return and try other items on the menu.

Hilda Kroll

A casual, friendly place to have lunch. Prices are very reasonable to begin with and if you get the Alexandria Visitors Guide you can buy one entree and get the second half off. I got the fish and chips and a friend ordered the chicken sandwich. Service and food were excellent.

Stefano De Rose

Love this place, lively on a Tuesday night, seems to be the only place. Great menu for a pub from what I saw. Drinks and beer, live music, I wanted to get the samplers for 9$ but was tired from the drive down.

Jessica B.

Service was a complete miss, full downstairs only one bartender and one server working. Food runner had to get silverware rolls for table and wasn't pleased about it. No one checked on us once food arrived at table even though we had complaints (cold food) Three stars for atmosphere and polite (but overwhelmed) server

Patrick J Horgan

A good selection of drafts available and they usually have live music at night. The food is ok, a little on the bland side. Go for late night drinks not dinner.

Mark Lawton

Great service and selection and bargain brunch!!

Trevor Cook

How on earth does Google remember this? I have a t- shirt. The Guinness is good.

christopher varner

Very fun, laid back Irish pub where the bartenders know how to pour a proper pint of Guinness. In the old days, there was Murphy's and Ireland's Own; now that Ireland's Own is gone, Murphy's is the undisputed best Irish pub in Old Town. Their food is excellent as well. Proper fish & chips, curries, Irish stew. I'm sad that they don't do Irish breakfast, but then again, never got there at breakfast time anyway. The wait staff is excellent, friendly, and efficient. They do an amazing job, especially considering how crowded it can get.

Josh Pratt

I stop here for a pint and a steak anytime I'm in town. Always great.

Jeff Henry

Nice atmosphere, good selection of Irish and UK beers, ok selection of Irish whiskeys, poor selection of single-malt Scotches. Happy hour doesn't start until 5, with decent happy hour discounts.

Jimps M.

This a really good bar on King Street. Great service with great food. Theres two floors with live music at 9p. Whole place is filled with patches from different law enforcement departments and agencies around the country and some international agencies. The food is good and the apps are great addition with drinks. Definitely a recommended place in the area

Mark Wilkin

Nothing beats a Murphy Burger. We've been going here for nearly 30 years and today we returned for our 25th anniversary. Perhaps it's not the type of place most would choose for such a special event, but my wife and I met at work and often came here at lunch. It still looks and smells the same, the food is just as delicious, and the beer is just as cold. Love the cottage fries too!

Jake Marshak

Decent food. Great drinks. But it is the best Irish pub around.

Jeremy Langenfeld

Cozy neighborhood bar lots of locals go there; a few times and everybody knows your name; great karaoke on Thursdays there's a few weirdos in there but it's usually fun

Nathan Gregory

Inexpensive, strong drinks. Live music was good, great atmosphere. Bartenders were great.

Brian Luce

Great pub, was there tonight for the first time in 20 years...hasn't changed at all! Love it! Live music, drinks and good company.

Lisa R

Stopped here for our group to meet up before doing an escape room on Friday night. The place was busy but we were seated immediately and greeted by the most kind hearted waitress ever. I believe her name was Maddie. She gave us drink recommendations and got our orders in quickly. We waited MAYBE five minutes and our drinks came. This was awesome considering it was a busy Friday night and it wasn’t just beer that we ordered. One of our group members arrived late and put his drink order in. We explained that we were a little pressed for time but the extraordinary Maddie and bartender surprised us with the last order filled and individual checks prepared in record time. Such a pleasant experience! We will definitely return when we have more time to spend. Thanks to the team and especially Maddie!

Dustin Roses

Burger was so/so. Hard bun, factory Patty, no sauce whatsoever. Just sort of chain restaurant level foodservice junk.

Jonah Laursen

The service was top notch and the atmosphere was lovely without being overly rambunctious. Drinks are reasonably priced, and there was live music featuring some Irish tunes giving the pub an "authentic" feel. Other people's food seemed well portioned and looked appetizing.