On The Traveling Professor's small group tours to Ireland, we've uncovered some interesting dining spots for all travelers:

Rustic Stone:   My favorite spot in Dublin City Center.  I like the friendly service, busy but not overly loud dining room, rustic (of course) decorating scheme, with a modern take on the food.  We ate there on our small group tour to Ireland with 13 diners.   We don't usually sit at one big table, but this time we split up in two tables of four, and one table of five.  People raved about the starters of iced cucumber soup with frozen avocados as well as the bean minestrone soup with chorizo.   Of course, I loved the crispy chicken wings.  For dinner, a few diners soothed their jet lag with massive servings of  beef (t-bones, sirloin, rib-eye, fillet). Others praised the monkfish and pasta servings.  Half-size pasta servings can be available for starters.  Sorry, no room for dessert.

Pitt Bros: My pick as a lunch spot.  They claim to be authentic American BBQ.  Walk in the door and you get the feeling you're in Dallas, TX.   The routine here is to pick a spot at the table, peruse the menu, go up to the counter and order pulled pork, ribs, brisket, sausage, chicken...oh my goodness, my mouth is watering!   Service is friendly and we observed a few families eating there, obviously attracted by the all-you-can-eat soft serve, self-serve, ice cream to top off the meal.

Francesca's Restaurant:  Located in the Brooks Hotel (where we stay on our small group tours to Ireland) its a good choice for an uncrowded and less noisy dining experience.  Service is good, the dining room is bright and airy with an open kitchen. Our travelers liked the gnocchi, traditional Irish dishes like sausage,  beef cheeks and hearty salads.  I'm usually not a big fan of hotel restaurants, but I make an exception for Francesca's.  It's a bit more relaxing than the hustle and bustle in some of the other Dublin eating establishments.