O’Connor’s Public House

Most “Irish pubs” lean on green paint and a Guinness sign. O’Connor’s went further: it was designed and built in Ireland by the Prairie Pub Company — one of only five Guinness-approved authentic Irish pub builders in the world — then shipped across the Atlantic and reassembled here on Rochester‘s Main Street, right down to a 140-year-old bar floor, a recovered exterior stone wall, and stained glass and wrought iron salvaged from crumbling Irish churches. The result actually earns the word authentic, and it backs the room up with the food: shepherd’s pie, boxty, Guinness beef stew, a proper pint, and a deep bench of top-shelf Irish whiskey. There’s live music, a patio, and a weekend Bloody Mary and mimosa bar for good measure. Named for the legendary Gus O’Connor’s in Doolin, County Clare, it’s the rare themed pub that’s a genuine destination rather than a costume. High on our list.