A high-energy restaurant with huge portions and a huge personality

 

by Jane Lebak

Bellingham is all fired up about its newest restaurant, Arigna Irish Pub and Coal Fire Kitchen.

Owner Gordon Hyde describes Arigna as, “a higher end Irish sports bar with really good food and service. We have a coal fire pizza oven, and we’re named after Arigna, a coal mining town in Ireland.”

Hyde has lived in Bellingham since 2006. He operates two other Arigna locations in Rhode Island, so for his third, he chose to stay close to home.

The vibe is energetic, with several HDTVs in the dining area and a top-notch sound system. The decor features beautiful exposed stonework, a portrait wall of Irish sports heroes, and a larger-than-life mural depicting the miners of Arigna.

With spacious high-top booths, Arigna gives diners plenty of room for pizza trays and multiple appetizers. The menu ranges from pub standards like fish and chips or burgers to Irish specialties like bangers and mash, hog wings, and Irish tater kegs.

Hyde stresses the size of the portions. “We make them big because people like that.”

Co-owner Ryan Blaney, who grew up in Holliston, adds, “We’ve got a scratch-cook kitchen using fresh ingredients all made in house. As a result, we pride ourselves on having guests who visit twice a week and not once a month.”

General Manager Mariah Vega says, “Our service here, from start to finish, is nothing short of an excellent yet memorable dining experience. Customers love our hand cut fries, coal fire seasoned vegetables, coal fire seasoned wings, homemade soups, daily food specials, and best of all, our famous ‘PB & J Bomb.’”

What’s a Peanut butter and Jelly Bomb? “Signature deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich, rolled in cinnamon sugar & served with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce.” Definitely worth the trip.

Arigna’s Rebel County Banquet Room is airy and spacious, with colorful pictures of famous musicians ringing the room. The banquet room can host up to 65 people, and it has a private bar and buffet. Bookings are already filling up for holiday parties, but it’s  also useful for overflow seating.

Vega says, “When an entire baseball team called to ask if we could find places for thirty people…? Yes, we did. Easily.”

Naturally, reservations are much preferred to the abrupt arrival of a party of thirty. Reservations can be made over the phone and soon will be available through the website. 

Beginning in October, the Rebel County Banquet Room will showcase live music on Friday nights. The restaurant went the extra mile with the sound system, ensuring its plug-and-play tech will allow musicians to plug right into the network for high performance results—and a fun evening for guests. 

Arigna is the only location in the area showing UFC events, and the bar area TVs show most of the big games. Hyde says, “We’re eager for football season to start again. That’s always a good time.”

Hyde says, “We make sure everyone enjoys themselves when they come, whether it’s a group of friends enjoying a spontaneous lunch or folks hanging out at the bar watching the game. We offer 27 different draught beers, and with 50 seats around the bar in addition to the 130 in the restaurant, we’ve got space for everyone.”

Regular customers can take advantage of the Arigna Rewards Program. Customers earn points for every purchase, and they can redeem 200 points for $10.00 off. 

Arigna offers a full menu, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Sunday to Wednesday, and on Thursday through Saturday until 10 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, they also feature a late-night menu until midnight, including all the pizzas and most of the appetizers.

“I love it here,” says Hyde. “Every day is different. I meet a lot of people and get to know the community.”

Blaney agrees. “We bring a premium experience that you typically find in a major metropolitan area, but with all the conveniences of being your local gathering spot.”

Arigna offers curbside pickup and Grubhub, and soon will offer Doordash. To check out menu, visit https://www.arignairishpub.com or stop by 799 South Main Street (Route 126) in the Bellingham Marketplace.

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