367 Neponset Ave
Dorchester, MA 02122
Who doesn’t love an Irish pub? When we heard about McGonagle’s, we had to try it. It is owned by Oran McGonagle, who also owns The Dubliner in Boston, and Aidan McGee. It certainly didn’t hurt that Oran is from County Donegal, the same area as our friends’ son-in-law, or that McGonagle’s made history by being named to the New York Times best American restaurant list, listed as an Irish-American bar.
First thing we noticed when we walked in was the large bar upstairs. It was very crowded when we arrived so I didn’t get any pictures of the inside (without invading anyone’s privacy). It is very tastefully decorated with dark woodwork through out and gorgeous copper-patina ceiling tiles. Downstairs was another bar and more restaurant seating all done in the same decor. Lots of televisions were showing a variety of sporting events throughout, though not loudly.
We were sat downstairs for our reservation which was a bit loud due to a gaggle of folks enjoying someone’s 30th birthday at a long table next to the bar directly alongside us. This made it difficult for us old fogies to hear each other well (since half of our party is hearing challenged). Our waitress was incredible. She was friendly and on top of our every need, especially when refilling those creamy pints of Guinness!
We ordered the Sharing Platter for an appetizer. Most everything was delicious. It came with pigs in a blanket, chicken tenders, cheese croquettes, roasted corn ribs and prawn crackers with curry dip. The chicken tenders were outstanding, as were the pigs in a blanket. I am not a curry fan so I won’t talk about the dip. The corn ribs were disappointing. They were dry, overcooked and difficult to eat. We didn’t complain about them, just left them, however, I saw others go by later that didn’t look dried out. It must have just been the ones on our platter that were not good.
Between the six of us, we tried 4 different menu items with a couple of us getting repeat items. Paula and I got the shepherd’s pie and it was delicious. It is made with lamb rather than beef and cooked perfectly. Jim and Robbie both ordered the fish and chips which they both throughly enjoyed. The large piece of fish was cooked to golden brown and the triple cut, thick cut fries were perfection! Debbie ordered the chicken and leek pie which she said was delicious. It was served directly on the plate with mashed potatoes and carrots that were all wonderfully cooked. Steve ordered the Irish stew that was incredible. Large chunks of beef, carrots and onions in a dark gravy were served in a large bowl with Irish soda bread on the side. Everyone was happy with their meal choices, and we all did a little taste test of each others’ plates.
We did get a couple of desserts to share, but in true form, I forgot to get pictures. As usual, we dug right in to dessert. We tried the sticky toffee pudding, which we had had in Ireland this spring. It was delicious. The other dessert was listed as Irish cheesecake. It was definitely not a traditional cheesecake, but it was very good. It had a fluffier, cream cheesier taste and was gone in 2 seconds.
We left saying that we would try McGonagle’s again, maybe for lunch or during the week next time to avoid the loud bar crowd while eating dinner. They have an extensive lunch and even brunch menu that includes lots of appetizers, sandwiches, salads pizzas and eggs besides there typical Irish cuisine. It is definitely worth a try!
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