The Banshee

Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

320 Penn Ave
Scranton, Pennsylvania, 18503-1931
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.84
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
13
pDev:
16.93%
View: Place Reviews
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Ratings by EStreet20:
Photo of EStreet20
Reviewed by EStreet20 from New Jersey

4.6/5  rDev +19.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 5
Attended college at the University of Scranton and fell in love with this place.

Great food and drink at an extremely reasonable price. Decent on tap beer selection along with some standout bottled beers. Some Belgians along with a few nice imports. There's always a few micros on tap as well. Great monthly beer specials, such as Oktoberfest, where you purchase a stein and get extremely cheap fills of German beer for the month of October. I also recommend checking out the Guinness "black list". My favorite is the Black and White (layered Guinness and Hoegaarden.

Overall a great place. If you like Irish pubs definitely check this out if you're in the area. One of my all time favorite bars.

Live Irish music every Friday and Saturday at a minimal, if any, cover charge. Snugs in the corners containing couches and coffee tables to relax on.
Jul 30, 2005
More User Ratings:
Photo of VegasBill
Reviewed by VegasBill from Nevada

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4
I stopped here a few years ago and this was such a pit I did not review it.So with my trip East this year I thought, I would give it another try.The atmosphere is perfect for me, all of the dark woods and decor, such a comfortable feel.The pub did appear dirty though,just grimy, but to be fair with all of the nik-nacks and nooks and crannys it is not easy to keep a place like this clean.They do have a large tap selection,service was terrible but when I finally did order I tried the IPA from Breaker Brewing, my first time for this and very good.
I used the mens room and the door was broken, it would not close, just hung open. When someone uses the Ladies room they have to walk by the mens room, I know some are laughing right now but its just no the right way to run a business.
Oct 28, 2012
Photo of mjtiernan
Reviewed by mjtiernan from New York

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Came to The Banshee for the first time during a business trip on a recommendation but was a bit skeptical based on BA reviews. I'm glad to report that the reviews are outdated and this place has turned itself into a true haven for craft beer geeks like me. So good that I've been back to The Banshee many times on subsequent trips to Scranton.

It's got a good mix of people. Students from the University of Scranton, middle-aged professionals and locals. The place has a ton of character...original brick and woodwork. The bar itself is old school dark wood with mirrors and the whole bit.

Fifty-two taps...yep. A real nice mix of excellent NEPA breweries (try ShawneeCraft) and more well-known and widely distributed craft options (Dogfish, Port/LA, Dark Horse, Half Acre, Stone, etc). You can also get something like Miller Lite or PBR if your bar mates wear skinny jeans and hate flavor in their beer. The co-owner, Mike, knows his beer and there's always numerous things on tap to tempt you.

The food is delicious. Pub fare, but with some thought put into it. Very interesting burgers...big and with lots of toppings including pulled pork, onion rings, coleslaw, fried egg (not all on the same burger). Wings are really good which is really saying something coming from a guy from Western NY. Also try the Reuben...melts in your mouth.

Bartenders are attentive, friendly and for the most part knowledgeable. On several occasions I've witnessed the co-owner or one of the bartenders taking staff to "beer school" where they try the newest beers on tap and get a sense of the flavor profile and style. It's easy to get a good recommendation that's based on actual knowledge of the beer. They'll also let you try whatever you want.

Can't recommend The Banshee enough ...unless you hate friendly people, good food and wonderful craft beer.
Aug 17, 2012
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Reviewed by keymcgrip from Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
I returned to the Electric City for a college reunion and wanted to spend a little time with a former professor. He suggested that we visit the Banshee. Good call.

The Banshee has a spacious interior, handsomely appointed with the classic brick and wood stylings of a repurposed older property. In addition to the usual bar and table arrangements, the Banshee sports a couple of spaces set aside with upholstered furniture. one around a fireplace. I didn't get close enough to be able to tell if the fireplace was functional. The overall theme, as one might expect in a place called the Banshee, was Irish. Nicely done, but nothing unusual.

What is unusual, for an Irish bar, is the beer selection. Most bars of its kind offer no surprises--the usual suspects, domestic and Irish. Michael, one of the owners who tended bar on my visit, told us that they have 52 taps. The offerings from those taps rotate often. I started off with a tasty Lunch Pail Ale from nearby Breaker Brewing, which is just down the line in Plains, PA. Roger enjoyed a well-poured Guinness. After a couple of these we each finished with a mighty Clown Shoes Vampire Slayer imperial stout.

Clown Shoes provides this description on their website: "Our second anniversary ale incorporates signature dark malts, holy water, and malt smoked locally with hickory, ash, and vampire killing stakes." I heartily recommend that you try it should you be lucky enough to find it gracing a tap. We were lucky enough to be in a place with both the taste to sell the Vampire Slayer and a helpful bartender who clued us in.

As they might say in the old country, ah, the Banshee, good on ya!
Jun 18, 2012
Photo of vette2006c5r
Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 4
I am from Scranton, and The Banshee is one of my favorite places. It has a great atmosphere, its very "old" style, there are couches in private booths to go relax and talk at, the place is not often too crowed, and even when it is, it never gets out of hand. The service is decdent, nothing to speical, there is a nice selection of beer, but they dont have too much in choice, and the food is quite good as well, a little bit more pricey then some other places in Scranton, but overall not bad price wise.
Feb 25, 2010
Photo of Brenden
Reviewed by Brenden from Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
I think my favorite thing about this place by far is the atmosphere. Nice sitting areas downstairs for when you're not sitting at a table or the bar. There's a very authentic Irish feel about the place that I really enjoy. There's also an upstairs area that's nice. Old photographs, a bookshelf, old chandeliers and beautiful wood accenting gives a very rustic feel. The prices are very reasonable and the food is on the plus side, though service can be slow and sometimes the food can come a little cooler than you'd like. The beer selection is something of an oddity; there are a whole lot of bottles and taps, but it's a whole lot of really bad stuff. Mostly your typical domestics (adjunct American lagers) with the obvious Guinness, etc. you'd expect. The worthy brews could be counted on one hand and I don't think I'd be using all my fingers. The service is okay but varies depending on time of day, server, etc. A decent place to go, great looks and atmosphere, but not really the place to go for a good beer.
Mar 07, 2009
Photo of rawhydes1
Reviewed by rawhydes1 from Pennsylvania

1.9/5  rDev -50.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 3 | food: 2
Have been here a few times, at the request of alumnae from "da U" (of Scranton).

Sunday, lunchtime: 10 total customers in the place. Freezing cold air comes in every time front door is opened. Took 45 minutes to get our order of sandwiches and soup. Beer selection is CRAP.

We're reviewing this as a BEER BAR, right???
I don't get the reviews that state: This place is great, but the beer selection is weak, basic, the usual, etc... What does that mean!!

Food is cheap, but is should be, when it takes 20 minutes for the waitress to bring your drinks, then another 45 for sandwiches and cold soup.

Has potential. Decor is nice, but splurge for some tables that are CLOSE TO LEVEL. We switched tables 2 times, because tables rocked. One ALREADY had a pile of napkins under the leg to level it off.
Feb 08, 2009
Photo of ColForbinBC
Reviewed by ColForbinBC from New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Absolutely fell in love with this place the first time I was there. An extremely authentic Irish bar plopped in the middle of scranton, pa. Tons of cool, irish stuff on the walls. A couple of snugs surround the area near the door, while a large wooden bar that encompasses almost an entire wall, with booths and tables to the left of the front door. A large library style ladder is present behind the bar.

The food is standard irish pub fare for the most part, and is pretty good. I have never been disappointed.

They have a decent beer selection, standard micros with a couple of gems mixed in. I usually went here for the Guinness, one of the better pours I have had.

The best part about this place is the fact that they do not have any TV's. I love it. Encourages a very chill and relaxed atmosphere. They usually have live irish music every friday and saturday night, and its always solid.

I highly recommend this place. Grab an irish cigar from the bar and cozy up in one of the snugs with a pint and enjoy.
Feb 09, 2008
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
There was a rich irony in that I often bitterly complain on a regular and continuing basis about television monitors in bars and on the rare occasion that I actually wanted to watch something, there were NO TVs!

Oh well. Moving on, this was a real find! Kudos to whomever initially added this to the BA data base. Holy Spectacular, Batman! The address was 320 Penn, but it also encompassed 322.

The entryway had a short vestibule flanked by three snugs on the right and two on the left. Continuing aft on the right side was the gorgeous, laminated dark wood bar with its twenty-two taps, along with the equally breathtaking back bar with its sectioned mirrors, movable library ladder (!), and cabinetry underneath with brass hinges and handles. Further aft on the right side, the space took a dog leg past the end of the bar, leading to the washrooms.

On the left side, a stairwell led up to the second floor banquet/catering facility. Lining the staircase was a number of sepia-toned photographs detailing the conversion of the space(s) from a warehouse to the current bar. Further aft, along the left wall, was a short stage.

The bulk of the left and center of the space was restaurant tables and seating, as well as some booths. There was also a staircase leading down to the employees only basement. The back wall had a set of library shelves lined with books with the original mantle as its centerpiece. Stained glass doors flanked the mantle, leading into the kitchen. Look up, see blue! No, in this case, it was the original pressed-tin ceiling, which had been painted a brassy gold, as well as exposed ducting of the same color. They also utilized vintage chandeliers and ceiling fans. Perfect!

Karen Sznyter was my great server, offering up twenty-five micro bottles, twenty quality import bottles, and ten macroswill bottles, for a total of fifty-five. The taps numbered twenty-two, but only four were really BA-worthy.

Mom test: Smoke-free, plenty to look at, great food. Yep.
Dec 02, 2007
Photo of crenegar
Reviewed by crenegar from New Jersey

4/5  rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
A nice old building, used to be a mortuary I think. This is a good location right off the highway from 81 if headed south. We stopped for a late lunch/early dinner. Sandwiches were good and priced right, $6-8 for most items. About 20 beers on tap and though many are the generic stuff most distributors have been pushing lately (Stella, Blue Moon, Boddingtons) there were some nice choices, Spaten lager, Franzikaner Weizen, Rogue Kells Lager, Mad Anthony Ale and Beamish Stout to name a few. The Beamish and the Mad Anthony were in fine shape. Not necessarily a great beer bar but certainly a good choice for the atmosphere, food and decent beer selection.
Sep 04, 2007
Photo of PAYankeeFan
Reviewed by PAYankeeFan from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
I can't slate this place as it caters very well to my grandmother from Ireland with its menu, service and excellent Irish-pub design. Every weekend night they have Irish music of some sort, and the whiskey selection is great. There is no television either as conversation is encouraged.

Beer is hit ot miss. Last time I was there they had Stone Smoked Porter on tap but macros rule and they seem to be more interested in what liquers can be added to Guinness than hutning down awesome micros. Some times they have multiple good ones on tap but if you want a more consistant offering of beer: Cooper's is the place to go.

I feel bad saying that because I've had so many events at this establishment. Try the wings! I have to say the people who wait the tables work hard while the bartenders are hit or miss...
May 22, 2006
Photo of ggaughan
Reviewed by ggaughan from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I have been going to the Banshee every now and then when I get back to Scranton and enjoy myself each time. The food selection is very good for a bar and caters to the Irish theme and they do it quite well. The bar / restaurant is very large and has a very cool vibe to it. Having been to a bunch of pubs all over Ireland, I would say this one does a very good job of getting it right. For the area they have a pretty good selection of beers and not just the standard Irish pub beers. On my last trip there ( the day of the St. Patrick's Day parade in Scranton) they had Chimay Blue, Duvel, a few Lindeman's offerings, a few from Dogfish Head and a few Germans from what I could tell. Overall this bar has to rank in my book at the best bar atmosphere in Scranton and second to Cooper's as far as beer selection as the other Scranton bars mainly cater to the macros.
Mar 16, 2006
Photo of stingo
Reviewed by stingo from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Discovered this little gem after attending happy hour there with friends. Great ambiance with a dark hardwood bar, muted lighting and bare brick walls. All of which was apparently fairly recently constructed, but the place looks like it has been around for a long time. Also, if you go, try using one of the "snugs" - they're great! Big easy chairs around a table, closed in to make it more private - aptly named and executed.

The tap list consisted of the usual macros, but some goodies stood out - Guiness, Harpoon, Boddington, and a few other more off the beaten track brews were to be found. This is not counting the nice selection of bottles, with Rogue and Paulaner sticking out in my mind. The beer tasted fresh and clean.

I had the chili cheese fries and the boneless chicken wings both of which were quite tasty, supplied in good sized portions. The bartender that waited on us was attentive without being clingy - something that I enjoy alot.

For a Friday night happy hour, (with freezing cold temperatures outside) the place had a nice crowd - not jammed in but not empty either. They feature Irish music on Fridays at least - but I was leaving just as the band for the night was arriving.

All in all a very nice place to throw a pint back in. I will definitely be returning.
Jan 13, 2004
The Banshee in Scranton, PA
Place rating: 3.84 out of 5 with 13 ratings