Despite the loud chatter and lively Irish music, Kip’s Irish Restaurant in St. Louis Park is a perfect place for a decent and relatively cheap meal. The freshly-updated menu offers multiple unique meals. The dim lighting and wood tables add to the relaxed atmosphere, and the casual uniform of the staff completes the casual feel.

Kip’s exemplifies an old Irish pub, with an open area surrounded by wood-paneled walls and decorated simply with pictures and the tops of Irish beer kegs. The bar is the primary focus, but down a short staircase is the main eating area, arranged with tables and chairs instead of booths, creating an open flow to the room. Kip’s also offers a separate private room for hosting larger gatherings.

Kip’s offers eighteen different appetizers ranging from onion rings to tuna takati. Including complete meals, salads, and sandwiches, the food is a new style of Americanized Irish food, with some options more traditional than others.

The traditional fish and chips stands out because of the choice of three different kinds of fish: cod, salmon, or walleye, that is battered and fried. The french fries that come with the meal are a step above a fast food restaurant’s, made from real cut up potatoes that are lightly oiled and salted.

The chocolate cake is thick and creamy in texture, more like a cheesecake than the traditionally bread-style cake. Rich and paired with raspberry sauce and whipped cream on the side, the cake is sure to fill even the biggest sweet tooth. Kip’s offers two other dessert options: apple and oat crisp, and bread pudding.

The service is friendly and quick in the midst of a busy atmosphere. Because Kip’s Irish Pub and Restaurant is attached to the Marriott, it receives most of its business from the hotel with its busiest days being Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

With several TVs tuned to sports and reasonably priced meals––most main courses are between $10 to $19––Kip’s Irish Pub and Restaurant offers a casual and family-friendly setting for a night out.