Byrnes Irish Pub

Byrnes Irish Pub is a small, unpretentious spot in Brunswick where the kitchen turns out honest pub food that tastes better than what you'd make at home. The chowder is briny and fresh, the chili comes in a bowl the size of your head, and the mashed potatoes land exactly right. It's the kind of place where the server knows the menu cold and can tell you which beer pairs with your bangers and mash.

• Fresh clam chowder that tastes briny and tasted like the sea
• Ruben burger and bangers and mash done right, every time
• Staff that knows the menu and recommends beers without fuss
• Wings and BLT that arrive hot with real care put in

Start with the soft pretzels. Get the clam chowder or the pound of chili if you're starving. The Ruben burger and bangers and mash are what people come back for. Wings come hot and tasty. A BLT on crisp bread won't disappoint, and the bloody mary is solid enough to order another.

Cramped, authentic pub with the right amount of noise. It feels like a place people actually drink beer and eat, not somewhere designed to feel that way.

The kitchen doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. Hot wings arrive crispy on the outside, the BLT comes on bread toasted until it snaps, and the Ruben burger tastes like someone who knows what they're doing built it. Soft pretzels work as an opener. Bloody marys go down easy. Come hungry and willing to linger.

Guests praise the staff for being friendly and knowledgeable. One recent visitor said the service makes them want to come back, and another notes the atmosphere felt genuinely welcoming. Food arrives hot and seasoned right. People suggest staying all day.