Life > February 21, 2008

By Amy Smerdzinski | Staff writer

Being a university student, I have yet to find a fun place to hang out and enjoy food and drinks in an environment that’s different from the typical Winston-Salem scene. When friends ask “where should we go to dinner?”

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The same restaurants seem to be considered each time, and, in my opinion, many of them are the same in themselves.

However, I finally found somewhere new and enjoyable to go.

Finnegan’s Wake is located Downtown and offers just that — a new atmosphere.

The restaurant and bar is set up to cater to both dinner-goers as well as a large night crowd.

The restaurant itself is fairly small, but it has enough room to fit a large amount of people.

When I walked in, the first thing that caught my attention was the extensive bar that seemed to be central to the restaurant.

Next, what struck me was what Finnegan’s had playing on their televisions. In typical restaurants around Winston, or even in general, one would expect to see basketball, football or baseball games being played.

Not here.

Finnegan’s keeps with the European influence and airs soccer on their televisions.

This helped me feel as though I was in an actual Irish pub.

Adding to the “pub-like” atmosphere, Finnegan’s offers an extensive list of beers.

They carry your traditional beers — Bud Light, Yuengling and Sam Adam’s — as well as several obscure beers that are not found at other restaurants around Winston-Salem.

If you are not much of a beer person, Finnegan’s also offers a wide selection of wines ranging from $5-$7 a glass and $20-$28 a bottle. Other cocktail options are also offered.

My reaction to the food, on the other hand, was not so benevolent. I felt the dinner menu was sub-par.

It was incomparable to other restaurants around the Downtown area both in variety and quality. Finnegan’s offers different kinds of sandwiches ranging from $7-$9 and other entrees including fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and alfredo pasta which range from $14-$17.

I ordered the burger, which was as good as any burger from another restaurant, while my friend ordered the fish and chips. He felt that the fish and chips meal was decent but did not feel that the meal was appetizing enough to order again if he went to Finnegan’s a second time.

When thinking about how I would review this restaurant, I thought of three factors — food, service and atmosphere.

First of all, the food; I would say it is mediocre and would recommend dining at a different restaurant to get more variety.

Second, the service; it was very friendly and quite timely.

Lastly, the atmosphere: In my opinion, this makes this restaurant worth visiting; it resembles a small Irish pub in every way, shape and form.

My favorite part about Finnegan’s Wake — and the reason why I rated it so highly — is that the weekend starts early at this restaurant.

Thursday night kicks off the start of a three night weekend of fun. Finnegan’s great selection of wines, beers and mixed drinks makes it such an ideal place to go with friends (who are of age of course). I happened to enjoy the night life scene of Finnegan’s and after one night can say that it presented me with a new appreciation for Winston-Salem.

Instead of partaking in the usual festivities at Freddie B’s or Pure Chrome, Finnegan’s offered a new atmosphere and definitely made for a fun night out.

I can say that the restaurant appeals to an older crowd (and by older I mean graduate school students) but if you bring a small group of friends with you, this bar is a must-try for any university student. Simply put, Finnegan’s Wake is a bar first and a restaurant second.