South County Bar & Café

Someone from this business manages this listing.

#6 of 601 Restaurants in Cork€€ - €€€, Vegetarian friendly

+353 21 489 1574+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

10:30 - 19:00

Mon

10:30 - 20:00

Tue

10:30 - 20:00

Wed

10:30 - 20:00

Thu

10:30 - 20:00

Fri

10:30 - 20:00

Sat

10:30 - 20:00

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

474 reviews

#6 of 601 Restaurants in Cork

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

€8.00 – €18.00

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours, Drinks

features

Location and contact

West Village Douglas, Cork T12 CKD6 Ireland

+353 21 489 1574

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Is this restaurant good for brunch?

Yes

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Details

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About

Good value Food, drinks and IRISH MUSIC is what makes the South County bar & beer garden, Douglas a must when visiting Cork. Douglas village is a short taxi ride (3 miles) from Cork city and the South County is within walking distance of local hotels The Maryborogh Hotel & Rochestown Park Hotel(both 10 mins walk). This award winning Irish pub has an old world feel, has a cosy snug and a wonderful outdoor area, 'The Guinness beer Garden'. Live MUSIC sessions throughout the year... 4 nights a week including the ever popular sing-along ballad session every Sunday at 6pm. This pub also boasts a large selection of Irish whiskies in the Whiskey corner and serves the tastiest Irish coffee around !!

PRICE RANGE

€8.00 – €18.00

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music

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4.5

474 reviews

Excellent

371

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Rory M

Cork75 contributions

One of the best spots in Cork, not just Douglas!

Jan 2020 • friends

We visit the South County most weekends for drinks, because Douglas is such a nice alternative to going into town and having to get taxis home etc. It's one of the most lively and cosy bars you'll find anywhere in Ireland, there's always a buzz and I think they do live music 3 or 4 nights a week. Recently we've been stopping in for lunch at the weekends, and the food is top class. We were a bit earlier than usual today and saw they were doing brunch til 2, so I got a smashed avocado and poached egg sourdough with a coffee, for less than a tenner! We were served by a really friendly blonde girl (Sarah I think?) and as always, we went away looking forward to next Saturday. Although in reality we'll probably be back this evening for a few pints!

Written 4 January 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tom O

Hi RoryM, Thanks for your recent review. Great to hear that you enjoyed the Saturday Brunch. This has proved to be a very popular time on Saturday mornings and we now serve our Brunch menu on Saturdays until 2pm for the late risers ! Thanks for your kind comments which i'l share with the staff. Hope to see you back soon, Regards & Happy New Year, Tom O'C.

Written 5 January 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

luveatenout

Cork7 contributions

Top Breakfast and great service

Mar 2020 • couples

I recently went in for breakfast with my Partner and we were greeted by very friendly staff. The gentleman behind the bar was very friendly and welcoming and the girl that served us breakfast was very friendly and helpful. Service with a smile is always a plus in my opinion and we will definitely return. Good food and friendly staff, what more can you ask for! The full irish breakfast was top notch, plentiful and we were both given a top up on our tea and coffee.

Written 5 March 2020

kirito

1 contribution

Perfect

Sept 2020 • family

A beautiful, huge and very clean restaurant including the bathrooms which are very large ... The portions are generous and very good and are served with a certain taste, strong flavors, I personally took the chicken curry (unfortunately because there was no the sirlion) still very good even if a little spicy, what else to say ... If you go to Cork go there it deserves a lot.

Written 6 September 2020

TomFOC

Thanks for your positive review. See you soon, Tom

Written 20 September 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

JohnMac

10 contributions

Disgraceful customer Treatment

Jul 2021 • none

We booked a table by phone with the owner on Saturday 24th July for 4pm. We had 4 drinks each,2starters and 4main courses. At 7.40pm the owner came and said"ok Lads ye had a good day but ye have to go as this table is booked for 7.45"". We agreed to go but protested at the short notice (5mins) and we had drink to finish and they waitress had just taking an order so obviously she was not aware of any booking. The owner got very aggressive, totally ignorant and annoyed and cancelled our drinks order and he left abruptly saying he would turn away his waiting clients A bar man came with the bill and we again expressed our dissapointment of the way we were treated and asked for time to finish our drink or move to another table or a gesture of good will by giving us a bill reduction. The bar man apologised several times and admitted that they were 100% wrong and they should have informed us of the booking but would not comprise as he was obviously working under instructions (Tom's way or the Highway) and the poor guy was really nervous. We duly left but it ruined our day This was total greed and ignorance on behalf of the owner and was a case of getting fresh thirsty bums on seats. Customers should not tolerate this treatment or attitude I am local and if you want nice food and be treated with respect go to John O's across the road or Barry's where your custom will be appreciated

Written 26 July 2021

Tom 0

Thanks for the feed back on your experience at the South County Beer garden last Saturday. We did take your booking for 4pm and arranged for you to have the table with a view of the hurling on Sky. We had a pre- booking for 7.45pm so I guess we just assumed that the table would be free by then (as no other table was allocated more than three and a half hours at any stage over the past 6 weeks of opening). I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed your food and drinks and we had a good bit of banter about the Cork hurling game before switching over to the Lions match for you (also on Sky). I really thought that you had the perfect day here at the South County. We did mess up by not informing you of the 7.45pm booking. I am sorry for this but we did get busy and just lost track of time. I assure you greed was not my motive. I only have 13 tables outside for meals and it has been very challenging over the past 6 weeks as we are so limited outside for space unlike the other bars that you mention in Douglas who have large areas outside. Again, I am sorry about the confusion at the end but we just had no other spare table to move you to. Believe me it goes against my nature to have to ask good customers like your selves to move and thankfully we now have options indoors from last Monday. I hope to see you back again soon, regards, Tom

Written 27 July 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Brian

Cork9 contributions

Great pub

Feb 2020 • family

Would highly recommend the pub, as a local man tend to pop in every once in a while - always great food/drink and service. The owner Tom is hands on and always a great sign when you see the same staff year in/out. Great whiskey menu

Written 14 July 2020

Rory M

Cork75 contributions

Restaurant standard food in a real pub environment

Jul 2020 • solo

After a few months at home I chose the South County for my first night out, and have been back once or twice since. The food is legitimately restaurant standard, with the curry and the beef burger my favorite options. I treated myself to the steak on my first night in, and I genuinely struggled to finish it as it was so huge! The health and safety measures are plentiful, with hand sanitizer available everywhere and all the staff wearing visors etc, which to be honest you wouldn't even notice after a while. Staff don't seem to pass the hand sanitizer without using it, which is really impressive. Despite the excellent food and top notch safety, this still feels like a real pub and is one of the best places to relax with a pint and meet friends or watch a match. I love it!

Written 30 July 2020

Maurice O'Sullivan

1 contribution

Terrible food

Oct 2020 • none

I have eaten here a few times during the summer as it is a convenient place to meet. On previous occasion the food was just about acceptable. However today I had fish pie and it was one of the worst meals I've ever eaten. The 'pie' was a bowl of mush (left over from the sea food chowder probably) topped by a piece of pastry. The mashed potato was stale, it must have been left over from lunchtime or yesterday. The vegetables were under-cooked and tasteless. And to top it all there were flies walking across the table. Dreadful food.

Written 6 October 2020

Tom 0

Hi there FoodieDude101, I've been meaning to get back to you on your 'terrible' review written on i think the last day we served before lock down on Tuesday October 6th. All I can say is I am sorry that you spent good hard earned money on a meal and you did'nt feel you received value.... That Tuesday was an extremely busy day as it was our last for a while. We probably took on more than we could handle on that day. As a result, since we re-opened this time on December 4th., we have strictly limited the numbers. We did run out of items on that Tuesday but I will say that we all worked very hard over that period and yours's was the only complaint that I received. .....And what a complaint !?? Did you bring your complaint to the wait staff or management on the day or mention something when you paid? -If not why not? We take all comments very seriously. You may be right about the Fish Pie as there could have been more Seafood in it but it is a very popular dish and everyone says, tastes delicious. The mashed potato was NOT stale as you say. We don't serve leftovers. We cook our vegetables a little under to provide a bite as to not have them soft and all we add is a pinch of salt. As you can see by other reviews we do provide food to a consistent high standard. We have tried hard in this toughest of years and frankly the expression 'kick us when we're down' comes to mind when I read your damning unfair and over the top comments. That said I respect your view as a customer and we don't give up on anyone so please come back soon and ask for me, Tom and I will ensure top attention ! Regards, Tom o'Connor

Written 14 December 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Hugh Mann

2 contributions

Incompetence - Thy name is South County Bar & Café

Jul 2021 • none

I was excited to have booked into this pub for a meal with my girlfriend - having spent an hour trying various other venues which were unfortunately booked out. However, I knew I would find something given that it was ten days in advance of the booking time and so South County delivered, or so it seemed. I rang the pub and the member of staff assured me that they provide for both indoor and outdoor dining and that a table for two would be available on the Saturday night (in ten days time) and said that they had us booked in for that date at 8pm. Fast forward to that date at 7pm. Before booking a taxi from our hotel, I decided to ring the pub again just to make sure we were booked in as I had not received any confirmation by email or text. Surely, though, only a freakish nightmare of administrative incompetence could have prevented us from enjoying a meal booked TEN days in advance? Well, that was the case as the staff member on the phone (a different one this time) said they had no booking under my name. That seemed odd. I asked could they double-check. He did and reaffirmed that there was no booking. He then very rudely blamed me for the mishap, suggesting it was my error and that they could not have me due to the Cork match being on at that time (they won too, unfortunately) and thus the venue was full. He also insisted that they do not take bookings over the phone. This was untrue as I had done exactly that. I told him this was disappointing but he refused to apologise or offer us another booking or any form of compensation for almost ruining a nice evening - we were very lucky to get a last minute booking in our hotel at 9pm. Anyway, I would recommend not visiting this pub at least during Covid times where bookings are important. Perhaps it turned out for the best. If they can't manage a booking, how would they have served me a pint? P.S. I have selected the 'Not Sure' option for every question below as I am genuinely unsure of what this pub offers. They would not serve us, after all. Kerry abú.

Written 8 August 2021

Tom 0

Exaggeration.........thy name is Ian Foot. Firstly, we have a Reservation system which can be easily accessed through our website. I fear you have described your experience a little worse than it really was. I spoke to you on the night and we were frankly booked out so I couldn't offer you a table. Believe me, we are really glad to be back serving our customers so if I was able to help with a table I would have made every effort to do so. Our capacity is greatly reduced as we are keeping tables at a safe distance from each other. We send pre-bookings a confirmation email so I really can't find out what happened to the booking you made 10 days earlier ? You should have been directed to our Reservation system. I imagine your details were treated as an enquiry and not an actual booking ? I didn't 'blame you for the mishap'. I merely suggested that you should have looked for confirmation earlier that 7.15pm for an 8pm booking ? Can I also reassure you that although you have some anti-Cork sentiment in your lengthy complaint, this was not an anti-Kerry action on our part. We welcome all GAA supporters to the South County! You gave us a very poor rating which does affect our business negatively even though we didn't intentionally loose your booking and you say you are unsure what this pub offers ? For you to advise people not to visit our pub during Covid times on a public forum is really unfair to me and our hardworking team team considering that you have never been here !? We strive to offer quality food & drinks in a friendly welcoming atmosphere. So sorry that we were unable to welcome you and your friends on this occasion. We hope you try the South County again in the near future. * Cork for the hurling ! ;) Tom O'Connor

Written 17 August 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

laurad1993

20 contributions

My favourite spot in Cork for a drink

Dec 2019 • couples

Since moving to Douglas 12 months ago, I genuinely would never look beyond the South County as a spot for a cosy drink or two and a good conversation. All the staff working there and indeed a lot of the locals make you feel very welcome. Food is very tasty and they show all the main matches. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!

Written 18 January 2020

Daryl H

Carrigaline32 contributions

Nice warm pub

Mar 2022 • couples

Myself and my partner where here today for a nice meal. We got nachos ( large) to share. They were very nice but I just didn’t understand why there was Bolognese in with it. I’d imagine a nice taco mix in with the mince would do a lot more for the dish. Or a nice in house salsa. I got the scampi for my mains with the upgrade to loaded fries for 2euro extra. Everything on my plate was lovely. My partner got the burger and it was abit bland if im being honest. Desserts were lovely can’t fault them. The place has a lovely feel to it nice dim lights that had a warm feeling to it. Also the staff were excellent and seemed eager to help. I would defo come back I thought the value for money was brilliant considering the attention to detail that went into the food.

Written 19 March 2022

Climber480381

3 contributions

Good Place to Relax

Sept 2021 • family

We were driving through town and stopped in the area for dinner, as it looked like there were a ton of places to eat. But it was Friday night, and we did not have reservations, and we were turned away from place after place. We were about ready to give up and head to the Aldi's, when a pub manager referred us to South County. They were very busy, but they took us in. The place is large, friendly, comfy, and clean. The staff (Steven and Ciara) were very polite and professional, the food was delicious (very accommodating for my friends food allergies). We were so grateful to be able to sit and have a pint and a meal, and the tables were spread out enough that it didn't feel like the people at the next table were on top of us. I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for a casual, friendly, clean place to eat hearty, decent food.

Written 17 September 2021

Tom 0

Thanks very much for your kind comments. We try to keep some spare tables on busy nights for walk-in diners such as your selves. It was a pleasure to welcome you to the South county and we look forward to your next visit ! -Tom

Written 18 September 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Barry B

Cork18 contributions

Early bird treat

May 2022 • family

Went to the South County with my wife & son recently. Said we'd try out the early bird menu(4pm-7pm).The South County in our experiences never disappoints with its food & service but they're really on to a winner with this.Starter,mains & tea or coffee for €19.95 where would you get it? We walked out of there really satisfied.Wish other eateries took a page from their book.Keep up the great work South County

Written 14 May 2022

Tom 0

Thanks for your review. I'm delighted that you enjoyed the food & the value ! See you soon, Tom

Written 4 June 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jason B

Saint Charles5 contributions

Great Local Spot

Jan 2020 • none

A group of us were visiting Cork for work recently, and fellow team members recommended this bar as a good place to go for an authentic experience. The food was great, as was the service. A specific standout was the fish and chips ordered by a colleague. The biggest aspect was that the fish was not greasy at all, and you could actually taste the fish. Definitely recommend this spot if you're in the area. We were unable to stay for the music that started up a bit later on, but hope to experience that at some point. Thank you for a great experience!

Written 27 January 2020

tomandcolm

Thanks for the great review Jason. Glad you enjoyed your meal. Maybe you can take in the music too on your next visit :) -Thanks, Tom O'C

Written 9 February 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

FrazerFrost

Cork54 contributions

👎

Aug 2021 • friends

This is not a good pub. Poor atmosphere & a bad place to watch a match. Also If you’re to charge €11 for a cocktail, it should be made by a mixologist or at least by someone who has had training or experience in cocktail making. The cocktails are dreadful, like really really bad. Went up to Flannerys afterwards, I’m disappointed I didn’t start off there to be totally honest. The owner may think this review is harsh but I would call on him to order a Mojito tomorrow, it was honestly the worst drink I’ve had since that time I made a “Donkey’s Bollox” from my parents drink cabinet. Avoid

Written 22 August 2021

Tom 0

Hi there, You booked a table for the afternoon of the All Ireland Hurling final. When you booked you were told that we did not have any tables left with a TV view but you went ahead with the booking outdoors anyway. We were delighted with with business on the day with some customers booking their tables two weeks in advance. Contrary to your unfounded statement, the South County is a very Good place to watch a match as we have TVs indoors and outdoors with full stereo surround sound. When booking it is important to state that you would require a Tv view especially on a busy match day such as All Ireland Sunday. We have 12 modern big screen TVs on our premises. As regards your cocktail order. I am happy to say that all of our cocktails are carefully prepared with fresh ingredients and premium brand spirits. Surely if you were not happy with the Mojito that you were served you would bring it to our attention and we would be happy to replace it with a fresh cocktail immediately. I am so sorry that your visit to the South County wasn't to your satisfaction and I guess Flannerys gain is our loss !

Written 31 August 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

CorkyOg

St. Petersburg2 contributions

Great food, drink and atomsphere.

Jan 2020 • none

As usual the South County delivers with great food, good music and a wide variety of drinks. Genial host Tom chats and pokes fun at his customers. Service is good and friendly. All in all the best pub in Douglas by far.

Written 11 January 2020

Tom O

Thanks for the positive review ! see you soon again. * Hope I didn't 'poke fun' too much :) - I try to get my retaliation in first ! Regards, Tom O'Connor

Written 13 January 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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