O'Bryon's Bar & Grill. Newport, KY.

736 Washington Avenue. #7

Price for a Guinness: $6.50 | Overall Rating: 6.25

O'Bryon's is better than one might expect out of Newport, KY. Although, there's one big gripe that I can't get over; the 16oz pour of Guinness. Rather than the traditional 20oz pint, O'Bryon's gave me an average pour in a baby glass. Typically when a bar gives you a Guinness in a 16oz glass it's at least in the popular American beer glass. O'Bryon's served me a 16oz pour in a miniature Guinness Pint Glass; awkward. A disappointing discovery after paying the industry standard for a Guinness.

Aside from that, the exterior is charming and the interior has authentic decor for the most part. It's architected surprisingly well with exposed brick and stone. The bar itself can hold about 13 people and it has a dining room for the hungry travelers. With about 12 beers on tap and a moderate whiskey selection, it does provide Paddy's for those who were wondering (I surely was).

The bartender was outgoing, although he wasn't in much of a rush to get anyone a pint. The music is contemporary and the demographics of the place is middle aged and middle class. There were a few misbehaved kids in the dining room which killed a little bit of the adulting vibe.

One annoyance I had was the plethora of bare walls. It had a lot of open wall space which is never the best look for an Irish establishment, especially if it's a lighter shade of color like this place. It comes off as lazy to me as all it would take is a touch of paint, a flag, simple Crown Moulding, or literally anything to take away from the plain Jane. I would never say to go out and just grab a crappy, cheap, mass produced sign off of Amazon for the wall because that's never a good look either, but it's really not that hard to find something unique to place in your space. Local antique stores, estate sales, and online auctions are just a few quick and simple ideas of where to find something legit for the wall if you're someone who has nobody to barter with.

I think the owner of the place had great intentions and did a good job catering to their niche. There isn't enough of the specific target audience in the immediate area to support a full on authentic Irish Pub, resulting in more of a sports bar feel to attract a broader clientele. NFL Sundays would be great here but if you're looking for that cozy Irish Pub feel; this won't tickle all of your fancies. Unless you're aimlessly walking around these particular few blocks in Newport, KY (which I can't imagine you ever will), don't make this one a priority.

Slainte!