Inside: Clancy's Tavern in Neptune

(Credit: Alex Biese)

Coastal Monmouth County, the area of the state known by many as the "Irish Rivera," lives up to its nickname with more than its fair share of Irish pubs and restaurants.

Thanks to the abundance of like-minded establishments in the area, it takes a lot for one of the Emerald Isle-style spots to stand out. Metromix Jersey Shore recently took a trip down to Route 71 in Neptune to check out just such a place, Clancy's Tavern, to see how it fared against the rest of the pack.

Décor: Spend some time in Clancy's and you'll find it pretty easy to forget that the establishment is located in a strip mall on a relatively busy stretch of highway.

The vibe inside is laid-back and causal, and it feels like a fitting place to check out the big game on one of the several televisions that line the walls of the bar and dining areas. However, the ambiance in the dimly lit bar is broken up by the bright and shining liquor store that is attached to Clancy's.

And if it's national pride you're looking for, the bar has an Irish history lesson printed on the front page of every one of its menus.

Drinks: While Clancy's does feature a respectable wine list, this is clearly a beer place. The bar boasts nearly 20 different brews on tap, with even more available in bottles. And, true to its old country roots, Clancy's offers plenty of U.K.-based beers, including Smithwick's, New Castle and Harp.

With its Guinness, though, is where the bar proves its worth. Oftentimes, the difference between a standard bar and an Irish pub or tavern comes down to the way they pour its Guinness. Between knowing how long to let it sit before you serve it and making sure the pint has the proper amount of head, there are a lot of variables that come in to account when pouring a proper pint.

Fortunately, Clancy's does its Guinness right, making a pint of beloved Irish beer a fine companion to its hearty Irish eats (more on them later).

Crowd: Gerard Wagenhals, a doorman at Clancy's, said the bar draws a mixed crowd of local regulars and younger bar patrons. Wagenhals described the clientele at Clancy's as "not too clubish but also not too hole-in-the-wall bar, either."

On a recent Thursday evening when Metromix took a look inside Clancy's around dinner time, the crowd appeared to be a mixture of couples and folks who had just gotten off work.

Entertainment: From 6 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday night, Clancy's presents live acoustic music by Pat Stone. The bar also has karaoke starting at 10 p.m. on every other Wednesday, with the next evening of fun being this Wednesday (Dec. 10). A DJ spins the hits of the '80s every Friday night, and there also are other live acts scattered throughout Clancy's calendar every month.

Food: The menu at Clancy's features plenty of traditional bar-and-grill food, such as fried appetizers, burgers and a wide variety of sandwiches, as well health-conscious items, including salads and pan-seared tuna.

It also offers a tasty take on shepherd's pie. For the uninitiated, shepherd's pie is a filling Irish favorite where seasoned ground beef and vegetables are served covered with mashed potatoes and cheese. The version of this dish at Clancy's is an incredibly filling and affordable meal costing $9.25 that could probably feed two people.

Bottom line: While they may not be breaking any new ground over at Clancy's Tavern, the place gets the job done if you're in the area looking for a pint and a meal with a bit of Irish-American flair. The beer is good, the food is filling and it's all fairly affordable -- the average bill comes out to about $15 per person. Plus, the bar is attached to a package goods store, so you can stock up your liquor cabinet while you're there.