Fado Irish Pub - Austin

We go to Fados for the food, the beer and Rugby. We always have a great time. Pros: great food and beer Cons: none more

A wonderful oasis for fans of the "original" football. These lads will open the pub at 6AM if the weekends' fixtures call for it! Supporters of all clubs are welcome, but get ready for a bit of the banter and leave your attitude outside, it's all in good fun. The Irish Breakfast is just what's called for when you're knocking them back early in the day and they do it better than anyone. I can't live without football and thanks to Fados, I don't have to! Pros: Great Beer, Open EARLY for Footie and Rugby Cons: Pricey Pints more

We travel a lot and always visit an Irish Pub in the area. This is, by far, my most favorite Pub that we've visited to date. We have visited Fado on many occasions and have always experienced great service, great beer, and great meals. We absolutely love the decor & atmosphere. If planned right, you can have a very nice romantic meal (avoiding time slots of televised sporting events), an awesome night out with live music, or a great time watching those sporting events with friends while making new ones with the staff and crowd around you. If you like soccer, this is the place to watch the game as it's always a blast! If you like seafood, the Blackened Chicken & Shrimp Boxty is the must have item on the menu! The description of this menu item does not serve it justice as this dish is just heavenly and makes my mouth water as I write this! If we are in the area but do not have time to eat in, we call ahead for this wonderful meal to-go! It is rich, flavorful, has huge shrimp, and a large portion. Just ask your server and I bet they'll recommend the Blackened Chicken and Shrimp Boxty as well! Pros: You Must Try Their Blackened Chicken & Shrimp Boxty Cons: We Haven't Experienced Any Cons Yet more

Over the years I have been to Fado's on many an occasion, and for the most part have had a great time, however.. i think management MUST have changed! Simply put, they are watering the Non-beer or wine drinks down! Over the past month I have been there twice, and a simple vodka and cranberry has ZERO vodka in it! After getting our round of drinks on New Years Eve, we all tasted, and suprise suprise... little if ANY real alchohol! I would say mostly club soda and water... All of us patron's MUST start sending drinks back and demanding to speak with management on this! Pros: Lot's of great people watching Cons: zero alcohol in mixed drinks! more

Love this place, think the decor is awesome and the staff do a great job. Can get a little crowded on weekends but if you like being where the people are than it's for you Pros: quality draught beer, staff, atmosphere Cons: Parking, can get crowded more

I was in town for the Austin City Limits Festival. We were wandering downtown, and saw Fado's and decided to give it a shot. It was ok, but I don't think I would recommend it. I tried to order 3 different Irish beers, and each one got a blank starte from the waiter. We had to ask a few time for our water, and our water felt the need to tell us about how he was supposed to be at the ACL Festival, but had to work. The food was pretty good. Our napkins were damp from not being fully dried, and, while we were wating for our tab, we looked arounf and noticed how dirty the place was. But, the layout of the bar was cool, and it seemed like if there was a bit more effort put into the palce, it could be a rockin place to hang out, day or night. Pros: good location Cons: staff seems to not really care more

I'm a native Austinite and I've had some awesome times for many years at Fado's. I've taken my "just off the boat" Irish friends there and they love it! Best damn Guinness in town. You can have bad service anywhere one day but overall Fado is great. Great food, service and great times (isn't that why we go to bars?). They have great music, trivia, football and rugby. I took my staff to lunch there one day and we had a great meal and a pint. The service was impeccable and food delicious. So, all you Fado haters lay off. Pros: Great Drinks, Service and Music Cons: None, Great Irish Bar more

Kathleen is too cool for this. She's fun to be with and I think this is a sham, I just can't believe it. Pros: Great beer Cons: Parking more

Fado? How about FakeO. Though the furnishings may be imported along with some of the alcohol, most everything else is NOT IRISH. In fact, it appears be a local hang out for Upper and Middle Class Yuppies. I didn't go there to hear "Elvis"? WTF, the band was also a joke, no wonder they're usually there and not playing better venues. From what I hear most so-called Irish establishments in Austin are simply "A JOKE". I'm not laughing. Hell even the City of Austin get's in on the cover charge, city parking (I believe my tax$ paid for the garage?, cost $7, then FakeOs $4 cover charge, not alot of money, but thats's what you get for it, NOT ALOT. Don't waste your time or money in Austin. more

Why are women so stupid? Do they think the world revolves arounbd them and their complaining? Thanks in advance. more

I went here on St Patty"s Day 2008. This is bar is a false Irish Pub Delux. Cover to get in and highway robbery for a beer or drink. Of course it was crowded, poor wait staff and poor management. This place shoud be avoided always not just at St Pattys day. I rate this the worse Irish bar ever. Pros: Location Cons: Food, value, service, everything more

I just wanted you to know that my friend was having her birthday party at Fado recently. Normally we have a wonderful time but unfortunately this time we did not. Kathleen was supposed to be helping us out. She was the WORST ever! She was rude right off the bat and she took forever to get out drinks and forgot orders over and over again. I understand Fado is a busy place. Believe me I have worked in bars and restaurants for the past 6 years. I know. But it was frustrating because we could see her taking her time and talking to some guy who apparently works at Fado as well instead of doing her job. I just want to say that I have never done this before. I usually understand people in restaurants and bars being busy. But this was ridiculous. Kathleen was just so rude the whole time for no reason! She made it seem like we were a huge inconvenience to her the ENTIRE time. I mean from the moment we got there we were some big burden on her. My friend told me it was the worst birthday she has ever had. I have to say that I expected more from Fado and my friends and I will have to think twice before coming in again all because of one terrible waitress. I hope that someone will have a talk with her, and perhaps her co-worker (whose customers I'm sure were suffering as well) about their behavior. Pros: Normally a fun bar Cons: Kathleen's service more

I visited Austin last week and unfortunately happened to wander into this bar. When I ordered a drink, the draft beer was totally flat - when I asked the barmaid to replace the drink she first accused me of lying and only v grudgingly replaced it. I asked to speak with the manager after this, but he dismissed me as "an english tosser". Anyone who is English and reading this review, draw your own conclusions about this bar from this. Oh, the food gave me delhi belly as well. Pros: The exit Cons: Obnoxious staff, dreadful food more

I used to go to Fado's all the time, but then got tired of it. I went back over the weekend and it was awesome all over again! We sat outside (there were 2 of us) around a huge 8 person table because there were no other seats. We order some drinks (just the right amount of tasty and strong) and some of the cheese dip and wedges, and it was great. The waitress was really nice and friendly, although she disappeared for a little while. We sat in the back and drank with some random people who sat at our table - that's what pubs are for! The best thing about it was that there was some fun music playing. Definitely recommend for large parties. Pros: Great vibe Cons: Can't think of anything major, so nothing more

I went to Fado yesterday to celebrate the conclusion of tax season with a co-worker and her boyfriend and had a blast! I went to Ireland for my honeymoon last year and the part of the pub that we were sitting in was very reminiscent of a pub my husband and I went to in Dublin. The Guinness was fantastic with great head, and the Newcastle was great as usual. Sharla was our waitress and she did a wonderful job. She did a good job recommending drinks to my indecisive friend. The happy hour appetizers were an excellent deal. The Irish Nacho's are definitely something to write home about. We finished off the night with an Irish car bomb and left just as it was getting super busy. I was very impressed with the whole experience; we've declared Fado "our place". It definitely won't be long before we go again. Pros: Atmosphere, service, happy hour appetizers Cons: Parking difficult to find, but what do you expect on 4th street? more

OK, after some time staying away after a disappointing visit some months ago, I gave it another shot. Not much better. The bar still suffers from a cleanliness issue, one that pervades in both unpleasant odors and off-tasting Guinness. The odor strokes me as coming from poorly cleaned rags used to wipe down surfaces--there is a faint but pervasive aroma of wet dishrag that hits you on entry. That fades, but the metallic-tasting Guinness I'm afraid, does not. I drink a lot of draught Guinness, and it's not supposed to taste like it's in a metal tankard. The head was good, and the pour proper, but I suspect line or tap cleanliness issues. If this were a local bar, I'd say it was par for the course, but it's an outlet of a multi-unit national chain concept, with what I assume are higher standards. Even though it's a chain, there is nothing wrong with the bar that a thorough cleaning, including beer lines wouldn't help a lot. Service is OK if a bit spotty due to the way the bar is divided and broken up by partial walls. Sometimes it's hard to get the bartenders attention, which was the case on this visit too. Food is mostly tasty though, and a sampler platter of cheese dip, chicken tenders and boxty quesadilla, washed down with a Smithwicks (which tasted fine, perhaps less particular about the lines it flows through, or at least less affected) really het the spot. In sum, give the place a good scrubbing and get the lines cleaned out well and I'll give it another try, perhaps in a few months. Pros: Food Cons: Cleanliness, odors, off-tasting Guinness more

Great happy hour, good specials, fun to meet and enjoy time with friends. When I was in college all of the bars smelled the same at 10am after the staff had cleaned up from the previous nights doings. Fado has the same problem. After a few drinks it might not matter but watch out at the start of your outing. Pros: Very Good Pub Cons: Smells like a college bar at 10am. more

I would reccommend Fados to anyone who enjoys drinks and good talent for bands. I went there with my husband almos every other weekend to hear talented musicians playing beatles songs!! A trendy and very irish pub. Recommend to anyone wanting a blast of a good time laddie!! Pros: love the place great staff Cons: none more

I love this place!! Great food, great drinks, and the best Guinness in town. Johhny behind the bar is a riot and the staff always takes care of me. Pros: Great Guinness, Great Food, Great Staff more

Good food, good deals on whiskey, and the freshest Guiness in town. What's not to like? And unlike an "Irish Pub" aspirant near by (which is not quite up to TGI Fridays' level of quality), you can actually decide on a lark to participate in the pub quiz and get a seat. more