The Life of Reilly

Was at Hopkins for family member procedure. We had lunch here and was very, very pleased with the service and great food. Had the fish & chips and Ruben sandwich. Fish was very tender with great batter. The meat in the Ruben was wonderfully moist, best Ruben ever. If you are in the area, go and enjoy!

Great local hangout, delicious food– tater tots appetizer was so tasty, burger, fish & chips, were top notch, awesome beer selection! Friendly service to boot!

Great local bar with friendly staff, great beer and killer crab cakes. Crowd can get loud, though, so be prepared!

Hubby and I love trying out new restaurants but also love saving money at the same time so I often check to see what local restaurants have deals on Groupon, that’s how we discovered today’s spot. In the past 2 years we’ve been using Groupon and Living Social we have found so many great spots that we would have never discovered otherwise and that is especially true with The Life of Reilly. It’s in a residential neighborhood, in a townhouse that nearly blends in to all the homes on the street and there is surprisingly plenty of free parking. Being a rainy Sunday afternoon the place was fairly empty, with what appeared to be several regulars at the bar and one other table occupied so we were able to be served right away. We had already checked out the menu beforehand so were ready to order as soon as Ray, the bartender/​server came to greet us. We went with the Loaded tots to start and a Cup of Cream of Crab and then we shared the Reuben with chips. The Tots were amazing, the only thing that could have been improved upon would be a larger cup of sour cream or better yet, a side of ranch or blue cheese dressing but they were perectly crisped and were loaded with cheese and bacon, I mean LOADED and topped with green onions. The Cream of Crab Soup had more lumps of crab meat than I have ever seen in my life, the only problem was that the soup itself was very salty — and I am a salt fanatic so coming from me that really says something, we decided to take it to go and stopped on the way home to grab some cream to add to it for later that night. The Reuben came out not long after we finished our appetizers, timed perfectly by the very attentive Ray, and was steaming hot. The thick marble rye was toasted which was awesome because such a hearty sandwich needs to be served on bread that doesn’t fall apart mid bite and they loaded the sandwich to capacity with lean sliced corned beef. This was definitely one of the best Reubens hubby and I have ever had, just the right amount of everything — from the generous helping of corned beef to the slather of Thousand Island Dressing — perfection. The chips that accompanied the sandwich are made in house and I know it sounds a little crazy to hear someone rave about a potato chip but these deserve the accolades.- they are light and crisp — similar to Munchos but taste heavenly. My husband usually isn’t too fond of chips like this but he took my word for it and after taking a bite confirmed my thoughts, they were amazing, light, perfectly salted and not the least bit greasy. The menu is rather limited but we are already planning to go back to try Reilly’s Fish and Chips and the Shrimp Appetizer that sounds heavenly. Prices are beyond fair and the servings are extremely large, we saw stairs leading to an upper level but not sure if there is seating up there, if not the restaurant area is fairly small, only about 6 tables but there is also seating at the bar.

Ok so I love this place for many reasons. I had my first date with the boyfriend here, the Guinness is always poured properly, the place has a fun upbeat vibe, trivia, and decent food. The bartenders are fantastic and always friendly. It’s a great neighborhood bar/​restaurant. I don’t have anything bad to say.

First off, super sweet staff! Love that! We ordered a burger and a salad and both were really delicious.
Cute neighborhood feel :)

The sandwiches here for lunch are great. The Reuben is filled with meat and very tasty. We look forward to coming back for more!

Came here on the suggestion of my Airbnb host and Unilocal reviews. This is a cool spot. I loved the neighborhood feel and its proximity to where I was staying. We ordered the Garlic Shrimp and Flank Steak. Both were good; the steak was seasoned well & tender, the shrimp was also good as was the creamy garlic sauce it bathed in. I could’ve used some more bread to soak that up with. The steak came with mashed potatoes and asparagus. My only complaint is the the potatoes were a little bland.
Our server was really nice. There was a minor snafu with our order and she handled it more than fairly. We were sitting a really small table but it never felt over crowded with plates, because she was always on top of clearing our table. It was a busy night and girlfriend was humping!
It was a great night overall. The next time I find myself in B-​more, I’ll definitely be back!

This place is AMAZING — fantastic service, food, & drinks! Love their ladies night with half price bottles of wine and their happy hour. My friends and I went through 3 bottles of wine, loaded tots, wings, the cheese platter, and Guiness bread pudding to top it all off. All the food was phenomenal, and the wait staff were all super friendly. It is definitely becoming a favorite happy hour spot!

I just wanted to update my review at The Life of Reilley has become a favorite hangout spot for us for both food and drinks. It’s tucked a bit out of the way in Butcher’s Hill on Fairmount but is a hidden gem for the area. The food is always fresh and well prepared and the prices are reasonable. On Tuesday nights they do half price burger night which features a basic burger and chips but the burgers are oversized and cooked to order. You can’t beat the price while sipping a few beers. On Thursday they have steak night which features a cooked to order steak, asparagus, and mashed potatoes for $ 15. The portions are more than reasonable and the steak is cooked to your liking. I haven’t had a bad meal here yet, even on the specials nights where sometimes other places like to sacrifice quality for the price.
The drinks are always good here, mostly because they have the friendliest bar staff in the area. They know your name and what you like even if you don’t come in that often. They’re also the biggest mover of Guinness in the region I’m told, which is why the pints are always fresh and perfectly poured. Definitely stop in and grab some food and a Guinness or any other drink, you won’t be sorry.

It’s a decent local irish pub. The food here is reasonable and there is also a decent choice of Irish and American brews. The crowd that gathers here can get quite loud at times. All in all not bad, but nothing out of extraordinary either.

I almost don’t want to recommend this, because I don’t want it to change. A great neighborhood bar without an ounce of pretense, and the reuben is fantastic. Especially great more quiet spot for the Orioles or Ravens, especially if you’re sick of the Fell’s Point/​Canton/​Federal Hill frat bar clones. The bartenders are great, the beer’s good, the food is great.

Great food (I had a side salad of spinach, pecans, cranberries and feta that served as a very satisfying meal); attentive staff, nice upstairs room for meetup gatherings, love it! The only complaint is about something they can’t help: the staff needs to trek through the meetup room at frequent intervals while bussing for the downstairs clientele.

Very tiny neighborhood bar. Appears to be frequented by regulars — who the bar tenders pay more attention to. Food is typical bar food, but it’s good. Not a bad place to grab a bite and a drink.

We don’t live in the Baltimore area, but we have had beers and dinners at the Life of Reilly 3 times in the past year. After my husband has appointments at Johns Hopkins we treat ourselves here. This place bills itself as a neighborhood pub and restaurant and in my opinion it represents the best of that category. The people are all friendly (even the customers), the service is spot on, the beers are cold and the food is good (I mean GOOD). They have a long bar in the narrow front area, with a small dining area in back. They also have a room upstairs that is used for meetings, trivia nights and special events.
The half dozen taps have enough range of selection that just about anyone could find a beer they can enjoy. Of course, there is a full bar, also.
During our visits we have had the house salad, fried oysters, poppers, meatloaf, burgers, Guiness stew, Reuben and bread pudding. You can tell that all the dishes are well thought out and prepared with care, definitely SEVERAL cuts above your average pub food. The house salad is especially fresh and tasty, with a perfect light dressing. The burgers are well made and cooked to order. The meatloaf and stew both are hearty and filling. If you like rosemary, you will love the meatloaf (I do), but if you don’t like rosemary you will want to pass on that. The poppers are large, fresh and flavorful. The bread pudding is rich and sumptuous. And, saving what might be the best for last, the Reuben is excellent. We’re partial to Reubens anyway, but Reilly’s would vie for the best we’ve ever had. In this case, it’s all about the corned beef. Bravo!
To sum it up, we should all be so lucky to have a place like this in our neighborhoods. Cheers!

Stopped in here for a beer and burger on a Friday afternoon recently, and I must say, it was definitely one of the best hamburgers I’ve had in the city. Will be back for sure.

I had won a gift certificate here from Baltimore City Paper and had never been for dinner before, so of course I had to check it out. I went a few weeks ago on a Monday and they were closed. I’m, not sure if it was a fluke or what because Unilocal and the internet both said they were opened. So went on a Tuesday, and they were open.
Upon entering, I wouldn’t say it was the friendliest place to be. We weren’t greeted upon entering and I wasn’t sure if there was an upstairs, if we should sit in the back or at the bar. So we sat at the back. And waited for longer than average time for a greeting, menus, and drinks. Finally we decided to move to the bar, service was still off to a rocky start, but we were able to get some beers.
When I asked if there were happy hour specials, as it says on their tab «ask about our happy hour,» I was told Wings, something else that I forgot, and «cheap beers.» Unsure what that meant and without pestering the bartender we got 2 «cheap» Guinness’ (They were out of wings and poppers by the way).
Here’s where the experience gets a whole lot better… something about a Guinness in an Irish Pub just makes me so happy. It was just what I needed. They also have some other really good beers on draught that I don’t normally see on draught.
Food: The menu was small, but when it is, you know the food’s going to be good. The Caesar salad and House Salad (arugula, walnuts, tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice) were both really fresh and really cold. I loved them both. The Caesar came with some warm garlic toast points, which were on point ;), and fresh shaved parm. Both were served on really cold plates. :)
I got the half order of Sheppard’s Pie ($ 10.99) — I don’t know what the whole order would be because this portion was pretty large! The flavors were great and it was such a hearty meal. With the rainy weather outside, I really felt like I was in Ireland.
Also had the Fried Oyster Sandwich. Roll was lightly toasted just right, the oysters had a little too much breading for my liking, but the flavors were perfect. It came with a caper remoulade which complemented the oysters so well, and lettuce, tomato, and red onion. It was served with homemade chips.
So back to these «cheap beers.» They weren’t, but when I asked afterward if they were on happy hour, she told me no cause we got the 22oz beers rather than the 16oz which would have been on special, but she fixed the bill and gave us the happy hour prices, which was very nice of her!
Bottom line: The food was awesome, the music was great, the drinks were perfect. I’d recommend to others, and will be back :)

The Reuben I got here was ~really good~ but the chips that came with it were really burnt. The space is kind of strange but charming
My friend ordered a whole shepherds pie and the portion was very large, it was a bit soupy but tasted fine

Used to go for trivia every Wednesday, always a good time and Niall always worked hard to keep up with the crowd!

Pathetic people don’t know how to run a business. If you don’t answer your phone, don’t expect customers. I placed an order through grubhub for delivery because I am in the hospital and I can’t eat after midnight, an hour later I get a call from grubhub stating that they can’t place the order because the establishment won’t answer their phone. I called and got the same results. I have not eaten all day and am on a very tight schedule and had to order dominos at the last minute just so I could have something. I will be at the hospital for two weeks and they could have had a repeat customer, but I wouldn’t throw a dime their way.

Needed a stress break from the ²⁴⁄₇ at Johns Hopkins due to my husband’s brain surgery and this place was perfect. A nice neighborhood bar with great food and beer selection. Is it a safe, short walk from the East Hospital Campus.
I had a guiness beer and ordered a hamburger (half off on Tuesdays). The beer was much needed and the burger was delicious (thick and cooked just as I requested) with freshly made chips. I couldn’t finish this huge burger AND have room for dessert, so I stopped half way. I wanted to try the guiness bread pudding, as recommended by fellow Unilocalers. I was almost embarrassed to have this massive dessert set in front of me, a solo diner. It was well worth it! It’s almost tortuous in that it’s too much to eat, yet tastes so amazing, you can’t stop eating it. A must try!

Where do I start ugh, my co workers and I went to grab a burger for lunch. We ordered our food around 11:50 am and did not receive our food until 1:15 pm… We asked our server what’s going on, she said there was a mixed up in the kitchen. Needless to say the table that sat down 30 min later received their food before we did (really!?). We had the same number of party as well. The burger was OK, it was not seasoned. I had better; I won’ t come here again!

I’ve been there once and… daww, I feel warm all over. You guys!
This is what a neighborhood bar should be. It’s what bars dream about being when they grow up. It’s what I always imagined existed but never thought could be real, like snow days in Georgia or Santa or something.
I probably should be more specific with why this is my favoritest bar ever, but just come here, drink the magical Guinness, and you’ll see what I mean.
Cheers.

Talk about your well-​kept secrets, Life of Reilly should be a standard haunt for everyone in the Fells/​Canton area, but flies surprisingly below the radar. If you haven’t tried this pub, you better lace up those little sneakers and bop on over to Upper Fells stat. We’re going for slammin traditional Irish fare, like savory shepherds pie (slow-​cooked lamb and veggies in sauce topped with «champ»: mashed taters whipped with butter, spring onions, milk), perfectly executed American classics like thick juicy angus bacon cheeseburgers, prosciutto mushroom stuffed meat loaf… need I continue?
What, that wasn’t enough to motivate you up off your couch? Drumroll… they DELIVER.
Take THAT, Lazybones. You’ll have trouble rationalizing a call to that Chinese place after Reilly’s serves up a big ol’ bag of amazing right at your doorstep. Go ahead, pick up that phone. You deserve it.

We had a great experience here. Dinner with friends and baby 6:30p Saturday night. Despite being in upper fells parking was no problem and got seated immediately.
Small pub. They have an upstairs dining room, but it wasn’t open the night we went. We sat at one of the few tables beyond the bar. We were concerned it would be loud but the ambience was just about perfect, decent din so we didn’t feel like people were listening to us but not so loud that we couldn’t hear each other and there were no obnoxious outbursts from TVs or bar patrons.
Service was a highlight. They did a surprisingly great job helping with high chair and accommodating our 8 month old. Server knew drinks and food menu backward and forward, gave honest and helpful recommendations. Appropriately attentive and quick.
Nice draft beer selection, finally got to try the berger cookie stout, and surprised they had the dogfish 90 minute IPA. Cocktails were standard and good from the full bar.
Menu did not match the online menu, but that was ok. Fried oyster appetizer was ample portion, delicious. Black and bleu burger was cooked exactly to rare as requested which made it amazing. Shepherd’s pie was very tasty. Bread pudding for dessert was standard, which means it was great — warm, soft, sweet.
We were here almost 3 hours enjoying drinks and food with friends, and hardly felt like leaving at the end. I think we expected something mediocre but this place surpassed expectations in every dimension. While this isn’t the absolute best place to eat and drink in Baltimore, I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t have a good meal and a good time if you came here.

This place is like 2 blocks from my house but for some reason I’ve only been twice in about 4 years. Not sure why, because I like this place quite a bit. Once we went just for drinks, and once for lunch. Both times the service was great and the bartenders/​servers really friendly in a non-​over the top manner.
For food, we tried the wings (good, 8/​$ 8, ½ price during happy hour, but still a little on the expensive side at full price), sweet potato fries with brown sugar (tasty), the burger (pretty good), and the Guiness stew (great and filling). All in all the food seems to be pretty on point here and about average to a little above average on the cost scale.
They also have lots of Irish beers on tap, some TVs, and a pretty inviting atmosphere. Recommend stopping in if you’re in the area (especially since it’s really the only decent bar for blocks and blocks around these parts).

Ehhh — it’s pretty much the only bar in the area, unless you go maybe half a mile to towards Patterson Park. It’s the closet bar to the Hopkins East Baltimore Campus.
I had lunch food there once, which was mediocre.
It’s an Irish pub, but feels more American-​Irish to me. I’ve been to Irish bars in New York City where the bar tenders all have thick Irish accents. To their credit, they do have smithwicks, and plenty of Irish Whiskey.
Their pub trivia is HORRIBLE, though! It’s WAY, WAY, WAY too long! It got started shortly after 8 PM and lasted until almost 11?! Mid-​way through, I had completely lost focus and interest. They take a lot of breaks «grading» between questions. Perhaps they could grad it in batches, or have someone grading and keeping track of the scores, while the MC continued to ask the questions and keep the pace of the trivia going… It was just way too long. Also, most of the questions were from the 60’s and 70’s. Who writes these questions?!

This has to be the best local bar I have found in Baltimore. I’ve only lived on this side of the water for about two weeks and the folks at Reilly’s have already made my feel like a local. The bartenders are friendly, attentive, and heavy handed with the pours.
The food is fantastic, though I have yet to try any of the traditional Irish dishes. The chef makes his own buffalo sauce that is tops. salads are fresh and just the right size, sandwiches are delicious, and the TOTS are perfect.
Extra bonus points go to the owner for being a WVU alum!

Great local bar! Great local people! Good food and drink specials. Check out half price burger night on Tuesdays, or head in for good conversation and a Natty Boh any night of the week. I assure you that you’ll be greeted by a friendly bartender, your drink will be cold, and your food will be delicious.
Get the loaded tots, or the delicious fish and chips, the wings and the burgers are also always on spot.
If you’re an Irish Whiskey person, the bartenders will be more than willing to help you make a choice on which one to try!
The neighborhood and this bar have done me good over the past 3 years, if you’re a butcher’s hill resident, you are missing out if you haven’t experienced Reilly’s.