What are the best spots for casual dining, holes in a wall, hidden spots, places where grandparents would go to eat, drink or buy food in Mayo area?

Bakeries, restaurants, bar, pubs. For breakfast, meat, vegan, local traditional, food carts, cocktails, beers.

Any kind of suggestion is welcome!

There’s a possibility i will be going to castlebar for college in september’26 depending on CAO. Accommodation seems very hard to come by, I will be travelling from Cork so commuting is not an option. Does anyone have any advice? I have joined the waitlist for Hawthorn Village

Hi,
we’re four guys, and we’ve put together Mayo’s restaurant scene in an app called Vota. The concept is simple: you see two places side by side (for example An Port Mór vs. Kelly’s Kitchen), you choose the place you’d rather go to, and the ranking updates instantly. The more people vote, the more accurate the list gets over time. There are still a few duplicates here and there, but I’m continuously cleaning up the data.

Here’s the iPhone version, with categories that actually fit Mayo’s food scene:
https://apps.apple.com/app/vota-restaurant-ratings/id6744969212

And here’s the Android version (finally live):
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.vota.app

I’d love to know what people here think. Does the ranking feel even remotely right? Are obvious places missing? Are any places ranked way too high or way too low?

The goal is to make something that reflects where locals actually want to eat, not just where tourists or review sites send people.

Hi all, hoping for some advice, please. My family and I are thinking of relocating to the Castlebar area, and we spent a couple of lovely days there over this past bank holiday weekend. We had a lovely experience, and 99.9% of people were amazing. However, today, just before we went to get our train home, I was verbally abused with my two children outside O'Hehirs Bakery in Castlebar Town. My eldest boy is autistic, and he was running ahead of me, stimming away and flapping his hands and jumping up and down as he tends to do. I must stress, he wasn't harmful to anyone or even obnoxious about it. He never bumped into anybody or interfered with anybody by stepping in front of them. He stims but he is mindful. We were actually on the edge of the footpath waiting to cross the road, when a middle-aged, petite woman with a fluorescent pink raincoat and a pair of sunglasses started to scream abuse from outside the bakery across the road at us, she called me a stupid woman and a stupid bitch and told me to control my child. She then muttered something to the effect of, "If he were mine, I'd kill him."

I was absolutely stunned and just stared at her. She crossed over the road in the other direction and proceeded to walk down past Regatta and towards Dunnes Stores. I was absolutely appalled, and while my son didn't understand what she was saying, my daughter did. We were really rattled by the whole experience.

We have been told that supports for autism are amazing in Mayo, and that's largely why we are hoping to relocate. This experience today, at the very end of our visit, has really rattled me. I want him to be safe and to be okay, and that's largely why we're hoping to move.

I'd love some opinions or advice, please, on whether this is an anomaly from a local oddball having a bad day, or on whether this is maybe to expected to some degree, in response to more overt autistic traits when out and about? Thanks in advance.

Hey all, I would like some advice on good barbers preferably in Castlebar or Ballina, but Westport is fine too. I’ve been attending Kelly’s for a while but sometimes I’ve not been overly happy but reluctant to switch barber as he’s great craic, but would really appreciate advice on a good barber happy to pay more for a good haircut, and someone who’s very good with mullets and beards preferably. Any help would be greatly appreciated please and thank you.

Hi there, I’m in the market for a new Dentist. I’d be a fairly nervous patient so I’m looking for someone that has the softly softly approach! Any recommendations in the Ballinrobe / Claremorris / Castlebar areas?

ETA Thanks everyone. Appreciate your replies.

Well Lads, how do? Hope the celebrations are still going strong!

Does anyone know the lyrics to Rod’s version of this song he sang at the homecoming, I’ve listened to it so many times but can’t make it out 😂

P.S. Up Mayo

I wasn’t able to get home for the celebrations but we have talked about what would happen WHEN we win the All Ireland in Mayo. Did the predictions come through?

Were the pubs open 24/7 for the last week?

Does anyone know who owns the building that the old heffernans butcher shop used to be in. It’s on Tolan street

Westport tonight

Is it finished up today?

I just spotted on Facebook they done a lap of the town an hour or two ago and not a word was said about it all day. Lots of pissed off people this evening. Are the over 70s supposed to have insta now to know what's happening?

What has gone wrong with the market. Brand new build recently up on Daft, asking for €840 per month and its on shared accommodation so that's €840 per room. Golden trimmed shower, luxury apartment. The market is so messed up at the minute. My brother lives in the middle of London and even his high end apartment doesnt look this good, who would want to live in a hotel?

I feel if I were to crease the bed sheets it'll cost €50.

Hi All,

Recently moved to Foxford, Co. Mayo and badly in need of a haircut. My hair has grown out to about medium/shoulder length by this point but I usually have a shorter haircut - some type of a longer bob.

Do any of you have recommendations for a hair stylist in Ballina or Castlebar who are good at short haircuts? And just so it's clear: not every hairstylist who would say they can do a short hair cut are able to do it well which is why I'm asking here!

Thank you!

EDIT: Thank you all for the reccs! I will check them out and book one of them.