True Irish pubs are a dying breed, and the Mystic Celt is another nail in the coffin. Those looking for a true pub experience will be at a loss here, but those looking for a rowdy neighborhood locale with great food and a huge beer list will be right at home.

Huge doses of dark wood anchor an enormous space; high pub tables, cozy booths and an oversized bar invite you to stay for way longer than you intended to. Deep red walls, tin ceilings and ornate lighting fixtures add distinctive period charm, while the enormous coves piled high with liquor assure hardcore drinkers that they have reached the promised land.

Although the clientele seems to lean heavily toward the "frat house" side and weekend crowds will send agoraphobics running for the hills, it's pretty easy to time your visit for the off-hours (on a weekday, before the pub-crawlers start for the night, and never during a game). The Celt's menu makes it a neighborhood favorite. Rife with Irish and American comfort food done right, it offers staples like fish and chips (beer-battered cod served the Irish way—with a side of peas) and shepherd's pie. The best part? The kitchen is open until the bar closes. With a build-your-own omelet station and heaping piles of breakfast meats, Sunday's brunch buffet is an unbelievable deal for only $9.95. A carving station (featuring a rotating array of meats, including corned beef) and plenty of sides are added at noon, and you can continue grazing until three.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: K. Tighe