This place is so well done and so artistically-pleasing that it is actually not like any bar that I have ever seen in Ireland. However, like a true Irish pub, this is a place to have a good time and tilt back some Guinnesses or Harps or maybe even a touch of Jamison's (or Bushmill's) Whiskey.

We were staying at the nearby Hilton Towers, located in the half arts and theater/half ghetto and strip club section of San Francisco called the Tenderloin. I noticed the wonderful Foley's Irish Pub sign sticking to the side of a brick building. The large sign was green with gold lettering and was decorated with the emblem of Eire, the harp. A lower sign reading "Time for a Pint!" with a old-fashioned clock below, clung to the lower half of the building with was architecturally created to resemble a traditional Irish pub with green wood and gold lettering.

Inside it is like Walt Disney created an Epcot version of an Irish pub, but I don't mean that in a bad way. There walls are ochre, painted using a sponge technique; adorning these walls are pictures and paintings of Irish folks, book shelves, musical instruments, and antique whiskey and beer advertisements. The bar and the enclosed seating areas (which the pub calls "snugs") were all made of carved dark wood. The wonderful interior design and the lack of cigarette smoke may have been the two main reasons why I wasn't reminiscing about some dive pubs that I know in Dublin.

We found a two barstools against a wall near the bar. We ordered Guiness and Harp from the waitress (service was good) and had a look at the menu, as we just wanted a snack.

The menu looked fantastic; here are some examples of the fare. Appetizers: Champ (mashed potatoes with scallions and parsley) and Curried Potato Wedges with mango chutney. Salads and Soups: Grilled Salmon Salad (flaked salmon, onions and celery atop mixed greens with soda bread) and Beef and Guinness Soup with barley and onions. Pub Food: Cottage Pie (ground beef in gravy with onions and carrots, topped with mashed potatoes) and, of course, Fish and Chips. Entrees: Corned Beef and Cabbage and Irish Lamb Stew.

We choose to split a Smoked Salmon Boxty (crispy potato pancake with smoked salmon, sour cream and scallions) as we were not yet ready for a full meal. It came within a reasonable time after ordering it and the dish was really delicious.

In a town with so many good restaurants, Irish food may not be at the top of your list, but based on the appetizer and the tasty-sounding selections on the menu I'd give this place a try.