The Banshee

April 10, 2008
I stopped in on a Wednesday night and it was dead, so service was decent. This is your typical Americanized Irish pub, but a bit more rustic than many. This place is fairly big, with the long space and high ceilings. I can imagine that it gets pretty loud when it’s busy. They do allow smoking if that bothers you. The beer selection is just ok when you compare it to others in the area (Coopers and Arena), but for an Irish influenced pub, it’s not bad. Most of the taps are macro stuff, and the small lineup of bottles tend to focus on craft beer- Rogue, Victory, Troegs, Knights Head, DFH, etc. If your primary focus is selection, I would hit Coopers since it is so close. If you just need a beer and are in the area, this place should meet your needs. Don’t expect a huge selection or any rarities. Beer is not the focus here.

August 31, 2007 [ Updated September 11, 2007 ]
amtoshpere and beer prices are excellent. Beer selection is okay, good for PA. Service is okay, which is better than is reputation (which is very poor). The food was good but the prices were great. inexpensive Definately will go back...where else can I get a Hoegaarden pint for 2.50

December 6, 2006
Went here for a work party and the buffet food was very good. The layout allowed for a good size private party to happen upstairs and mingle easily with the bar downstairs. It felt like an older establishment with lots of history and was enjoyable overall. Unfortuante that I finally found a decent place in Scranton at party that was partly for my going-away.

April 9, 2005
This is an Irish pub/restaurant located in NEPA but similar to the ones you find in NYC and Ireland as far as architecture and interior design go. The place has a family atmosphere and its owners aim to please everyone The beers on tap are typically commercial with a few microbrews. My cousins seem to like the Hoegaarden on tap. Others dig Smithwicks on draft. I particularly liked the Belgian Frostbite they had on tap. But what I find cool about this place is the cooler with the bottled beers. The owner consistantly changes the selection in the cooler to match the tastes of beer afficianados. They also have a good selection of Irish Whiskeys (14). My grandparents love it here because of the Irish music performed on weekends. They have everything from traditional Irish music, balladeers, step dancers, Irish poetry readings, Finnegan’s Wake, and more contemporary music. I have to say the owners want their establishment to have something for everybody. I can’t think of many places where college students hang with elderly people and see toddlers running around. Dublin, perhaps?