By Danielle Cosner

Straight from the emerald isle (Danielle Cosner)
By Danielle Cosner
Very recently moving from a small town with very little in the way of dining options, my husband and I are delighted to find so many choices in our new Riverside location.
We had the pleasure of visiting Killarney’s Restaurant and Irish Pub located at 3639 Riverside Plaza Dr.
This interesting restaurant is new to the Riverside area, arriving just last June.
We arrived around 6:20 p.m. and already a lively crowd was present.
The staff and hosts were warm, friendly and professional while serving a pleasantly boisterous restaurant full of customers.
The dress code amongst guests ranged from business-casual to casual but anything more formal would have also been completely acceptable.
The age group amongst guests appeared to be mainly twenty-one to fifty and contained a variety of different types of groups including couples, families, groups of office workers, group dates, and groups of men of all ages gathered to watch various games televised at the bar.
The idea behind Killarney’s was to recreate a genuine Irish pub from abroad, thus the entire building is authentic.
The entire restaurant is heavily Irish themed including music, food, drinks, games, décor, antiques, pictures, phrases and even the wax paper they place under your fries.
The design and all the pieces used for construction and decorating were shipped directly from Ireland to create a rendition of the famous Dick Mac’s Pub in Kerry, Ireland.
The variety of food ranges from classic Irish fares to American dishes.
Something is available for everyone with traditional and Irish variations of burgers, salads, chicken and seafood as well as traditional Irish meals probably unfamiliar to most but quite possibly an undiscovered favorite.
The price range is about $5-20 dollars with the average meal being about twelve dollars without drinks but still includes the main desirable trait of the restaurant: atmosphere.
Killarney’s is especially recommendable for group dates or a group of guys looking for an upscale yet still fun and relaxed place to hang out, have dinner and drinks and maybe enjoy a game on TV or live music.
The live music is advertised as a weekly event, occurring Wednesday through Saturday night from 9-12 p.m., Fridays and Saturday’s until 1 a.m.
Arriving after 9 p.m. on a night with live music affords a different atmosphere than the typical evening just described.
The restaurant and pub is filled with music, drinks, and laughter.
During this time period you must be 21 to enter and they check ID’s at the door.
On Oct. 11 a lively cover band, Plan 9, sang steady alternative rock; taking requests and playing favorites from various artists including Green Day and Sublime.
The place was packed with people of all ages, listening, laughing, drinking, dancing, and singing.
The building and outside patio to which the event spreads pulsed with positive sound and the happy mood was contagious.
Killarney’s lines up local and non-local bands from various areas including Long beach and San Diego for these weekly concerts.
To keep up with the entertainment schedules and events, such as Kilt days, you can check out Killarney’s Restaurant and Irish Pub website or their Myspace.com page.
Along with live performances Killarney’s is hosting a Halloween costume contest with three separate catagories.
After a few experiences I must recommend Killarney’s for family, friends, music, and craic- the Irish word for fun.