The Dubliner opens up just in time for St. Paddy's Day
At the new Dubliner Irish Pub & Grill, anyone can feel like they have just stepped onto the green grass of Ireland. As St. Patrick's Day approaches, definitely consider this pub if you want to raise a pint of ale to celebrate the day. The friendly camaraderie here is immediately evident at the front door. The boisterous bar area is filled with laughter.
The new dining spot opened last month at a location that had formerly been a luncheonette with a deli counter and a diner. Any reminder of those prior eateries is long gone. The take-out counter has been replaced with a beautiful and large wood bar.
My husband Norman and I dined at the Dubliner on a recent Friday night, which was great timing. There is live Irish music every Wednesday and Friday evening. A guitarist played and sang Irish ballads throughout the evening, doing an especially lovely job with the favorite "Danny Boy".
The Dubliner has three sections: the bar and two adjoining dining areas. The totally renovated room has a completely new look from the previous tenants. Hardwood flooring, wood paneling on the walls and wood ceiling fans add a rustic quality to the pub atmosphere. The tables and chairs are also dark wood.
As for color, what else would do but green? The painted sections are dark green. Flat screen televisions are located in the bar and dining room.
Norman and I sat under the "Dubliner Wall of Fame," which showcases photographs and other memorabilia. We sat below a framed Certificate of Naturalization for an Irish-born man who gained American citizenship in 1966. Artwork depicts beautiful scenic views of the lush Irish countryside. As for libations, the Dubliner offers at least 15 true Irish whiskies and a full menu of drinks. Many are priced at $5 per drink.
Menu prices are reasonable, especially considering the portions the restaurant offers. Customers will feel they got a good deal by paying so little for so much food.
The Dubliner is just as much a place to go for a snack as somewhere to go for a complete dinner. We saw as many people enjoying their sandwiches with fries, homemade Dubliner chips or cole slaw as those savoring hearty steaks, chicken and fish meals. The Dubliner menu includes a variety of sandwiches and burgers, priced between $6 and $8.
Popular Irish cuisine is sprinkled throughout the Dubliner's menu. Every food category has at least two or three items inspired by recipes from the Emerald Isle. To begin, we ordered the steamed Donegal mussels ($9) in a white wine sauce. The meaty mussels were served with toasted bread points. The garlic in the dish complemented the dozen chicken wings appetizer ($10), which comes three ways: Buffalo-style mild, hot or sweet and spicy with a Jameson Irish whisky sauce. The accompanying blue cheese dressing was chunky and fresh.
The Dubliner menu has numerous items with potatoes. It begins with soups like Paddy's Potato Leek at $2.75 per cup and $4 a bowl. Favorites like Shepherd's Pie, Bangers and Mash, Galway Chicken Pot Pie and Tralee Fish & Chips are priced at $11 or $12.
I opted for the Kinsale Creation salad, rumored to have originated at a golf course in Kinsale, Ireland. The large plate ($10) included an ample portion of chopped grilled chicken and numerous vegetables and fresh mozzarella cheese. The blended balsamic vinaigrette was perfectly sweet.
Norman wanted to be more traditional. He chose the potato crusted cod platter ($14), which came with a small Caesar salad. The potato crust never got soggy and remained crunchy.
For dessert, we had four choices. We picked a homemade apple crisp ($5) with vanilla ice cream ($2). The apples were delicious and plentiful; the crust was wonderful.
Norman washed dessert down with a strong Irish coffee ($5). The whipped cream and cr�me de menthe topping balanced the flavor.
Cheers, or sl�inte, as they say in Dublin.
The Irish Pub is at the base of an old (circa 1905) Victorian-style hotel building, and has been run by Dick and Cathy Burke since 1972. Entering during daylight hours may require an adjustment to the change in light, or lack thereof, but once done you’ll see that this is no cookie-cutter pub replica.
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