Jake O'Connor's Public House

Jake O’Connor’s is a lovingly detailed Irish pub in downtown Excelsior—owner Dermot Cowley also runs O’Donovan’s in downtown Minneapolis and Lola’s Lakehouse in Waconia. The place is every bit as charming as standard bearer The Local, full of warm woods, art glass, and various dining nooks with different ambiences.

We arrived early one Saturday night with the kids in tow, and despite an empty scene throughout the pub, we were led to the stairs and into a less formal but still attractively designed basement bar/dining room. Every few minutes another set of adults with kids was seated, leading me to conclude this was the family ghetto. Not everyone wants to dine out with/around children, but considering the loud music and boisterous scene at Jake’s, the segregation of families seems an unnecessary penalization of much of the client base out here in the burbs, especially in a pub that encourages its patronage via an extensive children’s menu.

Mood soured, we proceeded to order. The large menu was a mix of domestic and Irish fare, some of which was delightful, but the bulk of which was mediocre. I can’t decide if the Irish breakfast—bacon rashers, sausages, black and white pudding (blood sausage and scrapple, basically), ketchupy baked beans, and thick-cut fries that tasted anything but fresh—was badly made or just typically Irish. It was definitively unappetizing.

I also can’t endorse the shepherd’s pie, a benchmark dish if there ever was one. The pie was so scaldingly hot, I suspected it had been microwaved, but whether it had or hadn’t, the large casserole was mostly mashed potatoes and tomatoey sauce with very little ground beef or veg. The Murphy’s stout pie was leagues better, redolent of beer and sirloin, served with a flaky puffed pastry roll instead of the traditional crust.

There is an extensive and interesting beer selection and a large wine list that consists of nothing little but commodity wines—rarely have I seen so many choices but found so little of interest.

Service was of the cheerful teenage variety, though we felt rushed and repeated attempts were made to clear our plates before we were through, nor was our table offered dessert.

Jake O’Connor’s is an engaging space with an appealing vibe. Next time I go, I’ll leave the kids at home and sit upstairs. I suspect I’d leave happier.

200 Water St., Excelsior, 952-908-9650