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Home | Family Dining in Marin: Celebrate Five Years of Finnegan's Marin

Family Dining in Marin: Celebrate Five Years of Finnegan's Marin

Finnegan's Marin exteriorNovato family favorite Finnegan's Marin celebrates its fifth anninversary this month! With its old world atmosphere, Irish-inspired fare, and extensive and inexpensive (everything's $3.99!) children's menu, Finnegan's is a family friendly pub located in the heart of Novato's Old Town. They're also famous among local parents for their kids-eat-free Sunday nights, where children 12 and under can dine for free with the purchase of each adult meal from 5 to 10 pm.

In celebration of their fifth anniversary, Finnegan's is extending their kids-eat-free deal to the entire month of June, 2011. That's right—come on in at any time during the month (Father's Day, June 19, and the Novato Art, Wine and Music Festival weekend, June 11 and 12, excepted) and kids can eat lunch, dinner, or weekend breakfast for free.

Finnegan's Marin was opened by Novato resident Henry Hautau in 2006 and quickly became a gathering spot for families in the community. Finnegan's has the warm inviting atmosphere of a traditional pub, with lots of dark wood, cozy booths, and a large bar dominating the front room. Further back you'll find a more open dining room with tables for larger parties, and a outdoor patio for use on nice days. The walls sport mirrors, and sports memorabilia, as well as plenty of flat-screen TVs for use on game day. You'll also find photos of community sports teams, groups, and schools decorating the rooms—we even found our son in a group photo from his preschool a few years back!

Kid-sized fish and chips at Finnegan's MarinFinnegan's menu is, as expected, dominated by sophisticated takes on pub grub and Irish-inspired dishes. Fish and chips made with Guinness beer batter, corned beef and cabbage, and shepherd's pie share the bill of fare with burgers and creative sandwiches, as well as less traditional fare like pasta, grilled flat bread pizzas, and a variety of entree-sized salads.

The children's "Little Leprechaun: menu is an extensive one, with kid-friendly standards (all $3.99, or free in June) like chicken tenders, a cheeseburger, mac-and-cheese, pizza, and even a smaller-sized portion of Finnegan's esteemed fish and chips. Children's meals include a soda with free refills, too. The kids' menu also features brunch fare (served Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 2:30 pm) like pancakes and french toast, and after-dinner treats like a Henry Weinhard's root beer float ($3.99) and a leprechaun ice cream sundae ($.99).

The Irish Reuben at Finnegan's MarinOn our most recent visit, the grownups opted for the Irish Reuben ($10.99), a massive sandwich stacked with shredded corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese, and the Guinness fish and chips ($14.99). The fish and chips were a standout—non-greasy, crisp, and with a savory flavor that probably came from using the rich Guinness stout in the batter.

Our son opted for the fish and chips, too, while our less adventurous five-year-old stuck with her tried-and-true mac and cheese (although she was a little suspicious of it, since Finnegan's uses white cheddar and she seems to think all normal cheese should be orange). Portions were all huge, and we all ended up taking much of our dinner home with us.

Finnegan's Marin interiorIn keeping with its pub identity, Finnegan's Marin offers a variety of Irish and American beers on tap, including Guinness and Smithwicks, as well as Irish whiskeys and speciality drinks. They also host a variety of special events throughout the week, including open mic night on Monday evenings, trivia on Tuesdays, Wednesday-night karaoke, live music, and of course Giants game specials.

Check out www.finnegansmarin.com for menus, a full calendar of events, and more information, or call them at (415) 899-1516. Finnegan's Marin is open daily, serving lunch from 11:30 am and dinner starting at 5 pm. Brunch is offered on weekends from 10 am. They're located at 877 Grant Avenue (at Machin) in Novato. Plenty of free parking can found on Grant or behind the restaurant on Cain Lane.

Interior photo by Colby Larsen, courtesy Finnegan's Marin