Flaherty’s Eating and Drinking Establishment

Basic Information:

• A Trip to Flaherty’s - 08/28/23
  Overall Rating: 79

  Lynch Serniak

  Lynch's Rating: 38 out of 50

  Environment: 7
  

  Flaherty’s, or as it’s officially called, Flaherty’s Eating and Drinking Establishment, is a bar on the side streets of Kingston. This is actually only the second place we’ve been to in Kingston, so we were looking forward to getting another place under our belts. As soon as you open the door, you’ll find yourself some seats around the large rectangular bar. They also have a good number of sit down tables, but we opted for the easy option of seats at the bar close to the door. Our bartender was super nice, friendly, and informative. We had our drinks and orders taken pretty quickly. I will say as the evening progressed though, it started to fill up, and it seemed like our bartender was taking care of everyone at the bar as well as all the tables, so service slowed down a bit. Regardless, the bartender did a pretty good job given the number of customers she was handling. It did take a bit of time for our wings to come out. To help pass the time, they offer an interesting amount of mixed drink options. Plus, they have their own IPA brewed by a local brewery called Bearded Barrel Brewery. If you’re into that sort of thing, definitely give it a try as it was a pretty enjoyable NEIPA.

  
  Wing Size: 7
  

  While the wings are normally $14.95 for a dozen wings, they offer 65 cents wings on their Monday wing night. I’d place the wings closer to the average side of the scale. You can’t go wrong with that price on wing night though. Expect to be able to take down your usual amount of wings when placing your order. They allow order of any size, so that’s always a plus in my book.

  
  Wing Flavors: 8
  

  One thing that called out to me when choosing Flaherty’s as our next wing visit was the number of options they offer for wings. Additionally, they offer some interesting options that aren’t necessarily completely outside the box, but definitely different enough to pique my curiosity. Of course, they have all your classics if you wish to stay within the lines. If you’re willing to explore outside your comfort zone, they do give you some good options such as Blue Bayou, Thick & Zesty, Hooter, and Maple Chipotle. Unfortunately, I was most interested in the Maple Chipotle, but they were out of that sauce on our visit. I was also interested in the Thick & Spicy, which was described to us a thick, spicy ketchup sauce. While that may appeal to some wing lovers, it did not for us, so ultimately we decided to pass on it.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 8
  

  I started my order with the traditional Hot and I’d say they give you exactly what you ask for. The sauce is an orange-red sauce These wing were very tasty with a good hit of cayenne and a hint of vinegar, but not too spicy. I would have rated these higher if they weren’t lacking with the amount of sauce on them. The Buffalo Ranch was another very tasty wing. This was my favorite of the bunch. The sauce is a great creamy, orange sauce with a great balance of buffalo and ranch flavoring. Finally, I ended with Blue Bayou. This sauce was a thick, white/orange sauce containing a mixture of blue cheese and Cajun spices. You definitely get the Blue Cheese flavoring up front followed by a hint of Cajun flavoring. Personally, I wish there was more of that Cajun spice, but it was still overall an enjoyable taste.

  Serniak's Rating: 41 out of 50

  Environment: 9
  

  Flaherty’s Eating and Drinking Establishment, which is the most on-the-nose name for a place that I’ve ever heard because you can in fact eat and drink in there, is another one of those places nestled into the heart of a small town. Like how Bourban City is located smack-dab on a regular street surrounded by housing, Flaherty’s, or FEADE if you want an acronym, is located on a residential street in Kingston. I like that because it makes me think about all the little townie bars that once existed that elder statesmen have told me about for decades.

  We went on a Monday, their wing night, and when we approached the building, we knew we were at Flaherty’s. I’m not saying you need to have Irish blood in you to be called Flaherty’s but when you have the entire building painted green, it sort of helps.

  When you walk in you’ll notice Irish flair all over the place. The manager of Chackies would be very proud(you should all know that reference and if not go watch Office Space) that there isn’t much exposed wall space. There also are a fair amount of TVs that surround the bar area so watching a game perhaps Notre Dame, Rudy, or the Boondock Saints is in play.

  I loved the vibe inside. It kept me in a good mood the entire time I was there. Everyone at the bar was laughing and enjoying themselves while they ate and drank. People being in a good mood and not looking miserable is something that brings a smile to my face and instantly makes me want to have a good time and see where the evening takes me.

  Flaherty’s also their own Flaherty’s IPA. And thanks to our crack research team(Lynch checking out Flaherty’s website) we discovered that is made by a local brewery called Bearded Barrel Brewery. I got some of that IPA and I really enjoyed it. It had robust fruit notes balanced out by crips hops. See, we can review beer if we need to.

  That IPA went real nice with the 90s music that was pumping throughout the place. I thought that was, selfishly, a fun aspect that I didn’t expect to happen.

  Our server was outstanding. Not only was she covering the bar and the dining area that was behind us but when said that we had some questions about the menu, she instinctually knew what we were thinking and started rattling off the explanations for some of their wing flavors. It was very impressive. Maybe she’s a mentalist or perhaps a Jean Grey type of person. Either way, it was refreshing to hear someone so prepared.

   

  
  Wing Size: 8
  

  65 cents is what the wings go for on Flaherty’s wing night. That’s a pretty good price in today’s high-priced climate considering some places are 75 cents and close to a dollar a wing.

  The size of the wings is also very solid. I feel like I write this line often when it comes to wing sizes but there are larger wings out there but also places that smaller ones. The MPB(meat per bite) is quite alright here at Flaherty’s.

  
  Wing Flavors: 8
  

  17 flavors can be had at Flaherty’s or FEADE if you’re still rocking the acronym. That’s a very good amount of flavors.

  All the classics are represented like your mild, hot BBQ, and honey mustard but then they have some funky uniquely named ones that you know I’m a sucker for. Sauces such as thick and zesty, blue bayou, maple chipotle, and Irish Gold. You throw some different adjectives in a wing flavor and I’m going to want them. That’s how I roll and as I said having our server know the ins and outs of each flavor really makes it that much better.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 8
  

  The wings had pretty decent crisp. Let’s get that out of the way early here.

  I got what used to be my standard 20 wings due to starving myself throughout the day. Yes, that is what it takes for me to consume 20 wings at this point in my life. Getting older let me say, it’ll get ya.

  I wanted to get maple chipotle because I had never seen that flavor before but fate in its infinite wisdom decided that I wasn’t allowed to have that sauce on this evening due to Flaherty’s being out of it. Next time, if the universe allows it to be so.

  I did get the sweet red chile which brought the heat notes. It was a sticky sauce that had that heat that was accompanied by the sweetness. Asian sweet heat, which is what I consider this sauce always plays well and this rendition of this sauce delivered.

  Next, I had the sweet and sour. Sort of similar to the sweet red chile minus the heat, this sauce was another Asian-influenced sauce. It is exactly like you expected it be which for me was the sauce I would get if I had ordered sweet and sour chicken. It was a thin and sticky sauce that had a certain twang that I enjoyed. My only pushback on this sauce was that I wish there was more of it.

  Moving on to the Irish Gold, which is their hot or mild mixed with honey mustard, we have a sauce that brings immense flavor with every bite. The hot had some heat but was quickly extinguished by the honey mustard that did its thing. I really enjoyed the color of this wing. That warm color appearance really gets my engine going.

  Finally, the garlic parm were terrific and the most interesting. You think you’re getting simply wings topped with garlic and parmesan and although you get that with this wing you get something more. You get as I described an alfredo type of sauce combined with the garlic and parm. I’m a big Alfredo sauce guy and think it can be utilized a bit more in dishes so when it gets infused onto a wing, I’m all for it. The sauce was creamy, and buttery and had the garlic parm well represented throughout the wing. I think it’s a must-get.