Fionn Maccool's - Saint John

I had a pleasant culinary experience in this restaurant. The service was good, and our server was attentive and friendly. While the nachos were decent, the main courses did not fully meet my expectations, but the dessert was delicious. The reviews within our group were mixed...and we found it strange that the payment terminal calculated top on the bill instead of the pre-tax sum like most places. However, here in the past I have dined solo and always had a great time, especially the mini-Yorkies. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant for the pleasant atmosphere and good service, despite the mixed opinions about the food. It's worth trying.

We like live music. It wasn't too loud. Our server was great. We talked to us and couldn't find a mistake with the level of professionalism he brought. The atmosphere was good. It was late in the evening, but the place was still half full. We like a lot. Our only problem was the menu. We are regular and we were not impressed by the menu change. That's a personal thing. I'm sure some people love it. My wife had chicken bacon. Too much bacon and I guess that made it salty. My Montreal smoked meat sandwich was also a tad salty, but delicious. The Koleslawin was excellent. We will continue to review a menu change before we come back.

Staying at Fairfield Inn next door, I was curious and decided to try it. I had the Pub Nachos and my wife the Spinach and Artichoke Dip. The food was good. Live music was usually arranged or very late '70s early '80s covers...for guitar, which caused a few rough spots, but all the songs were crawling. I think our server was the manager. She was uneven and seemed to do as much work as the rest of the staff came together. Bottom line is that it will never be confused with fine restaurants, but rather better than perfect to use. I'd be ready to go back if I were back in St. John.

We wanted to try this restaurant, but made the mistake to go during the live music night. At the door we couldn't hear the hostess and she couldn't hear us because the music was so loud. Our server could not hear us take our order. After screaming for a few minutes, we asked if something could be done about the music. “It’s always like that,” she replied. Even the musician who was really good joked that he “hoped that he was not too loud and interrupts the meals of the peoples”. It is absolutely Bonkers that the administration would think that this is appropriate, or even convenient for the patrons. It's also just strange to have music loud in a half empty restaurant.

Our order was a bit on the dry side. The manage happily replaced it for us and when the bill came we were pleasantly surprised to notice that we had not been charged for that portion of the order. The live acoustic music was an...added bonus. wit staff was friendly. We will be back.