Clancy's Pub, Pizza & Grill

7128 Pacific Street
402.393.1610
Plus two other locations in Omaha, kitchen open 11am-11pm, seven days, bar open 'til 2am
clancysomaha.com

Spinach Artichoke Dip ($7.99)

The shamrock on the outside could hardly prepare me for the outmoded did-a-leprauchaun-throw-up-in-here "Irish-themed" interior. There were about one zillion televisions, though, making it a perfect place to zone out in the middle of meaningless conversation. There's no indication the menu, climate control system, jukebox, or clientele have been updated since 1977, the year this, the original Clancy's location, opened its doors. Case in point, the conversation I overheard at the bar during "Jumpin' Jack Flash:"

-"Say, Bill, you're about as old as Mick Jagger, aren't ya?"
-"Uh. (Pause.) No, I don't think so."
-"Yeah, but he's almost 70 too, isn't he?"
-"Yeah, but... naw."

Out came the first course, a creamy concoction with a variety of dipping apparatus. If you don't like tortilla chips with your spin dip, try celery! And if you don't like celery, try marble rye toast! The presentation reminded me of one of my healthy dinners I'd throw together in college. But it was pleasantly cheesy, with large artichoke pieces. All in all, I'd rate it as a mediocre-to-good version of this comfort food favorite.

Large Pepperoni Pizza ($14.50)

I'm quite critical of pizza, but I tried to go into this with an open mind. Although the "party cut" drives me nuts (as I discuss here), this pizza might actually do best at a party. A kid's party. Like, at Chuck E. Cheese. The crust and sauce didn't taste like much; the best quality was the stringy mozzarella that didn't want to break, providing mild amusement. I'm chewing on the leftovers as I write this, and I can say with confidence that if you have $14.50 and want pizza, this is not the place to go.

Our bartender/waitress, who was quite curt at first ("Is that what I heard?" she scorned as she repeated our order), opened up to us a little by the end. But for a place with ultra-conventional cuisine and decor, you'd at least expect the service to be friendly and the prices to be low. The good news is that you, too, can be the proud owner of a large one-topping pizza, for free. I don't know what the catch is if there is one, but if you sign up for a free Pinpoint Card, you'll get a bunch of great restaurant coupons in the mail. Hey, free is free, even if it is tasteless, greasy pizza pie served by someone who acted like she didn't want us there.