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Categories: Irish, Pubs, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: North CenterIrving Park (Brown)
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I've been here twice now, and had a thoroughly enjoyable experience each time! The bar area is dark, warm, and cozy. I came once just for drinks and had the fries with curry sauce - I typically LOVE chips and curry, and their version wasn't bad, but I had hoped for more from the sauce. Still, we ate the whole big portion. Obviously. Who turns down fries?
I was also here for dinner on Friday - we could get in at 7 on Friday without a reservation. Don't form an assumption about the food from that statement though - it was surprisingly good! We had two appetizers to start: grilled mussels, and duck with crispy brie. I absolutely LOVED the duck. Such a great flavor, and so tender. Every little bit on the plate - the spicy greens, the sweet crunchy nuts, and of course the crispy brie, seemed perfectly matched. I was a little "meh" about the mussels. My boyfriend loved them though - I think they were just very ocean-y. Not "fishy" mind you, but like - they tasted fresh plucked out of the water. Which is probably how they are supposed to taste, but I guess it just wasn't my favorite thing. I'm more disappointed in myself than in them; I thought I ate everything and loved it, but apparently mussels and me are not BFFs quite yet.
For dinner I got the grilled lamb and figs. It was a gorgeous medium rare, perfectly cooked, tender and delectable. I wasn't jumping for joy about the figs, but the blue cheese mashed potatoes were a decadent treat. The sundried tomato butter comes in a cold clump - like regular table butter, all stuck together - but melts (in theory) on the hot lamb. This wasn't really explained to me, and I was confused by the yellow-red thing on my plate and moved it to the side. Eventually I asked the waiter and he suggested that I keep it on the lamb so that it melted....it sort of worked, but I suppose it was a bit too late at that point. It had good flavor, but I wish they put the melted butter on the lamb for me - something about the cold butter piece is not particularly appetizing.
Anyway, most of it is quite tasty, and the atmosphere itself is marvelous. Our server was cheerful and knowledgeable as well. Given that the place is a short walk away, I definitely plan to come back both for drinks and more food!
I live down the street from Mrs. Murphy and Sons, and I always see a ton of people out on the sidewalk patio in the summer. It was one of those places that we always talked about trying, but never seemed to get around to it until just recently.
We went on a Sunday in the early evening. It was D.E.A.D. There was only one other table there eating. Maybe it was the time, but I guess I see a lot of reviews on here about it not being very busy. The bar is really pretty (and huge!) and the ambiance was ok for being empty.
Either way, this made for a very bored, and therefore over-attentive server (if that's possible, I guess). He was a nice guy, but he came up to our table FIVE times before we even had a chance to look at the menu, but then it took him about 15 minutes to get our drinks. It was weird and uncomfortable.
I come from an Irish family, so I honestly wasn't expecting much in terms of Irish cuisine. Obviously, the fish and chips and Guinness stew are expected, but I kind of expected things like, I don't know, Irish soda bread or Bakala to be served, but they were no where to be found. They did have plently of BBQ on the menu, which I found odd.
In the end, we decided not to go with the traditionally Irish meals.
And Our entrees were delicious. Surprisingly so. I had the crab cake crusted halibut. It was served with a cucumber tarter sauce (sounds weird, tastes delicious!) and perfectly cooked green beans. I mean PERFECTLY cooked.
Hubs had the crusted rainbow trout, stuffed with a bazillion things, which he really enjoyed, but I thought was too heavy.
The desserts (I mean, really, no soda bread???) were pretty bland and dry though. I'd skip it if I ever go back.
So the entrees were good. I think I expected so little that I was really surprised that it was good, though. In terms of Irish fare, I think it's a little bit of false advertising to call it an Irish Bistro, but it wasn't horrible and I would think about going back in the future.
This is probably the least professional review I've ever put up but I'm just going to say it: this is an awesome place for craigslist dates.
And yelp parties.
And weddings.
And getting silly with the bar staff.
This is a very nice casual Irish bar. The service has always been good, with friendly knowledgable service. I have to say that walking home from here in the middle of winter was not a smart idea, but I worked off my drinks. The actual restaurant/bar is very large and can accommodate large parties. I need to come back here and try some more of the food. This is a solid choice if you're in the area.
I went here with family while in the neighborhood for Thanksgiving. It was pretty empty on a Monday night and they sat us in a great place to keep us from having to worry about disturbing others with our two-and-a-half-year-old who doesn't always remember "restaurant voice" yet -- but not crummy seats by any means.
I didn't really get a strong Irish vibe from the menu, if you're expecting that, as I see some other reviewers were -- there's Guinness in some stuff, and fish and chips.
I had bacon-wrapped pork loin, which was fantastic, and I've had a few -- this is a traditional holiday dish in my wife's family. I started with a beet salad and that was tasty and the right size.
So, it was all good! Only reason for 4 vs. 5 is I feel like one visit isn't enough of a sample size.
We ate in the bar area on a Saturday night and it was pretty quiet (Halloween night, that'll explain it). Loved the atmosphere, the bar is a big horseshoe shape and had a really comfortable feel. There're large couches on one side and a dining room upstairs for a more traditional dining experience.
The food was pretty good- Shepard's pie and fish&chips. Wasn't so into the curry ketchup, but they have the regular stuff around for people like me. Food came out quickly and service was good. Overal a good experience, would go back (and will) again, especially to sit at the bar and check it out from that angle.
Recently moved relatively close to this establishment and have had a few very positive experiences:
Whiskey Tasting: Mrs. Murphy's has a series of different tastings (Whiskey, beer, and possibly wine) which they call a "passport" series. Basically they track how many you attend and stamp your passport. After a number of stamps you start getting free things like an appetizer or an entree...ANYWAYS their whiskey tasting was pretty fun. For $10 on the first (second?) Tuesday of every month they have a whiskey expert come in and let you taste three regionally based whiskeys. Whiskeys were very good, and they gave you a taste of a fourth which was excellent. Highlight of the evening were the oven roasted nuts the chef made though, I had three bowls!!! Excellent experience and highly recommended for both amateur and expert whiskey connoisseurs alike. (Also, Tuesdays are half off all Unibroue beers such as La Fin Du Monde)
Mondays: I've been going here the past two Mondays for half price drafts and appetizers...this is an amazing deal! The draft selection is exquisite, right up there with the best in the city. And at half price you're basically getting it for less than retail value (i.e. you'd spend more on beer at Binny's buying by the bottle). The appetizers are AMAZING! I would highly recommend the wings and the ribs as their sauce is out of this world and the portions are generous. Rarebit was very good, and they give bread refills. Only miss on this one was the potato skins but hey, nobody is perfect right?
Ambiance and service are a big plus. Brad the manager is a really cool guy and will throw a beer or shot your way if you're friendly enough. One last thing I wanted to mention: THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PARKING LOT. I know that parking in the area is pretty easy to find, but a free parking lot for customer use is just a small thing to up the ante in terms of overall experience.
Good food. Good atmosphere. Good service. Good times!
The bistro is just a fun place to be. I've gone a couple of times with friends of mine just before we watch a show at Martyrs. Of course, this is probably around rush hour, so there aren't too many people there.. so it's a nice casual atmosphere.
Eddie, the bartender, was very friendly and very knowledgeable. Sometimes, you just don't know what to order. He'll ask you "well how hungry are you?" and give you a few good recommendations.
I've had the appetizer of cantaloupe wrapped duck with the duck treated similar to corn beef.. very yummy. Sliders, prawns, mac and cheese balls.. tasty and addictive.
They've got a unique selection of beers, ales and other drinks.. so make sure to try one or two.
so as a trade off for dragging my bf to cb2 to sit on some couches and help me decide, i offered to treat him to brunch. and as i wracked my brain for venues near said cb2, eureka! mrs. murphy's and sons popped into my head. and i'm so glad it did.
we'd been talking about trying this place for dinner for ages. and having had their brunch, i want to jump on that!
first of all, great ambiance. the bar is gorgeous, stately and gleaming. and there is ample seating, from cozy booths to intimate two-tops and more group-friendly tables. we agreed it would be a great place to take your parents.
and now the food. the brunch menu is short and sweet. in irish tradition, it starts off with a list of boozy beverages, then goes on to list sides and mains, divided by sweet and savory.
we both went to the sweet side. i had to have the sticky toffee brulee oatmeal (a to-die-for bowl of steel cut oats, topped with pecans, dates and a brown sugar shell, served with cinnamon clotted cream), and my boyfriend went for the bailey's irish cream brioche french toast with strawberries and bananas and sides of maple glazed bacon and potatoes. (the bacon was the best we've ever had - it was like candy!!! you have to try it.)
will we be back? hells yeah we will!!! (and next time maybe we'll forgo the trek to cb2 afterward.)
I'd give 4 stars for good food, interesting beer selection, and friendly service. So how did they end up with 3? The servers were MIA.
We sat in the bar area and had to try to flag down someone to take our order. The cat and mouse game continued throughout the night.
We're pretty patient, but that's never acceptable. The busboy was extremely helpful answering our questions, grabbing menus, and even taking our requests. They forgot our Guiness soup and offered to comp us a dessert. The friendly bartender came over to check and see if we were enjoying our dessert. It's really hard to deduct points because they did try to make up for everything. I would just suggest adding a server to the bar area.
Mon-Thurs $10 fish & chips + draft special- Def. worth getting
crab cake encrusted halibut- It's good if you're not in the mood for bar fare
banana bread beer- Smells just like it! It was surprisingly good.
bread pudding with curry ice cream- If you don't like curry, don't get this. I felt like I got suckerpunched in the mouth with curry, but the bread pudding parts were fried chunks of goodness.
Bought a half price gift certificate here from http://half-pricechica... and was excited to try some great food for a cheap deal. If you haven't been there check it out its a great way to eat for less.
We started with the goat cheese cheesecake appetizer. It was savory not sweet and had walnuts, cranberries, and goat cheese in a pie like shape. The overall affect was amazing and it was a fantastic way to start the meal.
I had the polenta lasagna. The lasagna was layers of polenta with summer vegetables and sun dried tomatoes. Overall it was delicious with a fun take on lasagna. My boyfriend got the special of lamb ribs and loved every bite. The bloody mary's were also in the top five I've ever had. I will definitely go back here one day, even though its not right in the neighborhood. I highly suggest it, I wasnt sure what Irish fare included but now I know and crave more.
I recently moved next to this fine establishment. Eddie, the head bartender is awesome, and makes you feel like you are a true friend of the bar. In fact, all of the servers and staff seem genuinely courteous and knowledgeable. If you are a beer connoisseur, they have a HUGE beer selection from around the world and from local craft breweries. It is def. not a thumping place to party....more of a place to kick back and have a great beer or whiskey and enjoy the company of your friends. The decor is a typical refined Irish pub with a lot of wood paneling and dark colors. The restaurant side serves great food...at a more mid-high price point. However, this is a more upscale Irish "Bistro" so you should not expect cheap grub.
I come here all the time -- basically every Monday night for their half-price appetizer & draft special. The beer selection is top notch. Service is incredible, and the food is excellent (considering it's upscale bar food). Great atmosphere, too.
The mac & cheese appetizer is a must-have. Stay away from the mussels.
Yummy yummy yummy. Our waiter was very nice and attentive, and gave a great rec for the beer. My lack of 1 star is for the noise roll over from the bar to the dining room, making me think twice about being able to take family here. Otherwise, a great place!
I have been wanting to try this place for a while. I've passed by and seen the cute sign and of course it lived up to my expectations:)
First off GET the spinach and artichoke potatoe skins! WHO does that!? takes an amazing dip and puts potatoes with it instead of bread or chips! LOVED IT!
My boyfriend had steak which was really good and I had the halibut, which had wonderful vegetables and a great cucumber tartar sauce.
All and all everything we had was very good comfort food. The bar is beautiful yet relaxed and the staff was helpful and friendly.
My wife and I have been fans ever since they opened. Brian's pub burger is out of this world. Goes great with a hearty beer, of which they have plenty. The bar is spectacular almost too nice. Also get the cheese platter, the smoked salmon, or the pork chop. They also have nightly drink specials.
Well, I went there on Saturday with my boyfriend. I've been looking forward to this place for a while now.
We ordered the bbq ribs as an appetizer. They were delicious, and they just set my standards high for the rest of the meal. Too bad, because I decided to go with the beef and guiness stew and my better half with fish-and-chips.
The stew was not seasoned well, according to me. It was lacking salt, and over all, it was just sour... I guess there was nothing impressive about it, it was bland and boring. I'm not sure how the beef stew is supposed to taste like, but if that's how, I feel sorry for all the Irish taste buds who actually enjoy this dish. I tend to think the one at the bistro is just not something to look forward to.
Now, the fish-and-chips. I do like fish-and-chips. The chips were great. They were actually regular fries, thin cut. They were tasty and crispy. Yummy, as I tend to say when I like something. But the fish... How do I put this? The fish was served as a roll (3 rolls). The batter was a little thick and bland, again and the fish inside, well, boring!!!
I'm not sure what the problem with seasoning the food is, but on Saturday night somebody in the kitchen was off. I've had fish-and-chips made with tilapia that tasted a lot better than the cod fish ones at this place. Also, since we're talking about fish-and-chips. I've heard about the ones at Duke of Perth that they are amazing... I don't think so!!! Greasy and bland, again! And a pretty serious batter on the fish. Never again will I have any at either place!
With that said, I will stay away from this upscale Irish pub. The prices are quite high, and since they are up there, I was expecting something else. Oh, well... Expectations not met this time, but I'll keep looking for some good fish-and-chips.
This sums it all up: Meh...
Excellent, excellent Mother's Day brunch. First of all, we made a reservation but it wasn't crowded. Second, it cost only $19.95 and was more than worth every penny. Third, every other aspect was great.
The food was wonderful: omelette station (including choice of cheddar, brie, or bleu cheese), carving station (roast beef, corned beef, turkey breast), toast (yellow, wheat, and cinnamon swirl), breakfast potatoes, french toast, bangers, macaroni and cheese, steamed carrots, spinach salad, grilled asparagus...
My favorites were (no lie): the bacon, the pea pods, and the chicken tenders with barbecue sauce (I know). But I tried some of everything except the salad and the roast beef, and it was all B-level or higher. Dessert was a chocolate fountain with strawberries, pretzel sticks, and Rice Krispies treats. Yum.
I had two Guinnesses but they also featured champagne cocktails (bellini, mimosa, and St Germain) and Bloody Marys for $8.50. My mother ordered one of the latter, and it included a whole meal--huge celery stalk, olive, onion, lemon, lime, cheese cube, salami, and tumbler of beer (a light lager, maybe Harp I think). She found it too spicy but I know that she has a low tolerance for heat.
Service was warm and gracious from our waitress Kaitlin, as well as the host staff; plus my favorite bartender Eddie (Eddy?) was there. My folks loved the space, and the atmosphere was lovely, with lots of families and cute little kids who did not disrupt the scene but rather added to it. Truly, the entire experience was flawless.
I ate there once a couple of years ago and really liked it. I don't remember much other than that… Read more »
My experience in 196 words:
Friendly server introductions with specials. Lovely bread basket and bacon butter hit the table and are destroyed. Carrot ginger soup with creme fraiche says "hello!"
Mrs. Murphy Corned Beef (if they name a dish after the restaurant you should probably order it) is put in front of me, along with roasted potatoes and sweet & sour cabbage. There is an incredible horseradish cream sauce on top of the beef that does not overpower a single thing on the plate.
I had the wrong drink menu, unfortunately, and they no longer have an item named "Hot Swede" -- a vodka that had several kinds of peppers marinating in it. It inspired a desire for a martini but most of the choices on the menu were sweet. so i had a regular dirty martini. and it came with blue cheese olives. Hi.
My dining companion wasn't that hungry so he got into the potato pancakes with salmon. And then helped me finish my extra large corned beef dinner.
Service was fantastic.
We were so busy feeding ourselves we forgot to feed the meter. It cost an extra $50 for the ticket.
Absolutely worth the dining experience. Exclamation points.
The place looks and feels like a family pub like you see in movies about England. The service is really excellent with Eddie the head bartender making lots of great recommendations.
I was first introduced to this place at a Yelp holiday party a couple of years ago. I was thoroughly impressed with the place then. I do not know why it took me so long to return. I was really missing out on a lot here.
Last night I attended a friend's birthday gathering. Not only was I with great company, i really liked the atmosphere here. The place has a woody atmosphere and the fireplace gave off a nice smell which made for a very relaxing environment. The place is a good size so that even though things were busy, I did not feel cramped at all.
I ordered a pub burger for dinner and it was outstanding. I am willing to say that this burger ranks up there as one of the better ones to be had in the city. The fries were very tasty too. The bartender was very friendly and helpful and made us feel right at home. Although it was a little on the busier side, I never had to wait very long for a drink at all. I thoroughly enjoyed my evening here.
Long time listener, first time caller! Or rather, been here a few times, got off my lazy ass this time around to write a quick review...
I joined friends for a beer tasting event. The $10 beer flight was one for three on the drinkability meter, but the Brainslayer or Headbasher or whatever-it-was from Scotland, not part of the tasting, was good and I'd drink a few of those again. Served along with the beer flight were very tasty fries with a traditional garlic mayo dipping sauce and a very good curry mayo, as well as mussels. Mussels were okay, but I spent more time unsuccessfully keeping myself from eating the delicious fries and gluttonous sauces.
I ordered the barbecue salmon salad, others at the table ordered the burger, fish and chips, and some sausage appetizer. The burgers were large - both were unable to finish - and received rave reviews. I didn't hear much about the fish and chips other than a comment about the rather soupy curry ketchup. The sausage was not a hit, apparently a bit on the dry side; the group apologist claims it was awfully good and exactly what was to be expected. I enjoyed the salmon, though I felt the salad could use a bit more. There was supposed to be some sort of very light dressing on there, but I didn't see it, and I suppose I expected a bit more barbecue sauce on the fish itself but they did me a favor by only going for a light glaze as it let me taste the fish a lot better. I enjoyed it, and left nothing behind.
I attended a wedding in the upstairs area of the restaurant and I absolutely loved it! I thought it was a spectacular place to have a wedding. They had a cocktail reception, with lots of yummy food to pick from at different stations. The best part was the bar, though. Talk about the most important part of a wedding reception! They have tons of great beer on tap and a full bar. What a way to treat your guests :).
The layout of the space is a little scattered, but it allows for people to wander and mingle. There is a central room that is great for dancing toward the end of the night.
I will have to go back to hang out and have dinner/drinks sometime soon!
So I was lazy and didn't want to make corned beef* this St. Patty's day weekend. I'm not a huge fan but knew that my Irishman spouse is. I made a reservation at Mrs. Murphy's.
We were elevatored to the upstairs where we sat at a cramped two-top. The four-some to the left of us was a little loud but once we ordered a drink, we didn't mind. The standout of the meal, for me was, the appetizer. I definitely recommend the potato cakes with smoked salmon. Delicious. My husband loved his corned beef and said the cabbage was the best he'd ever had. Guinness and onion soup and cheesecake were good but nothing to write home about. I would not recommend the mussels. Some of them needed to be steamed more and I wasn't crazy about the butter dipping sauce.
Our server was the best we've had in a while. He was dealing with a lot of tables but he was great. I also liked the décor--they did a great job with the renovation.
I'm going with 3 stars because we both decided that the menu items are $1-$3 more expensive than they should be. Maybe they inflated the prices to help pay for the renovation?
We will return and maybe bring our parents.
*A good friend, who was born in Ireland, informed me that corned beef is an Irish-AMERICAN tradition. Silly me for thinking it is an Irish tradition.
Dined here on Valentine's Day. Great beer variety, cozy atmostphere with brick walls & fireplace.
Appetizers were the best part of meal - I could have easily had second of either the smoked salmon on top of potato pancakes or the guiness soup, which was somewhat bitter, but got better with every spoonful.
They happened to be out of my first entree choice (fish) so I ended up ordering grilled lamb, which was just OK - but since I'm not a huge lamb fan, maybe I was simply unappreciative. . .
my dining partner had the ribs, which were overflowing on the plate and were perfectly tender, falling off the bones.
a little on the pricey side, but good overall. I would come back for jazz on sundays & enjoy a few beers.
I love the atmosphere here. It's comfy and nice and has a fabulous woody smell. I loved the way it made my coat smell when I left. Mmmm! I liked how it didn't get too crowded. Win, win, win.
Service is great - very friendly. Food is very good. I loved the bacon-wrapped scallops they served at the Yelp Xmas party in 2007, and the meal I had here on my return visit was also delish. Oh, and they serve up PERFECT french fries! The only complaint I could ever make about the fries is they leave my plate too quickly. I probably wouldn't order the trout again - it was OK, not as excellent as other things I've had - but that's partially because there was so much else I wanted to try.
Prices are fair, and if you use a http://Restaurant.com gift certificate it's a downright deal. I look forward to coming back!
PS: Free parking lot. Free! Parking! Lot!
Quality / Taste (40%): 4.5
Atmosphere (20%): 5
Service (20%): 4.5
Value (20%): 3
Overall: 4.3
God, I wish this was a better experience. The room is absolutely beautiful. They've spent quite a bit on making the place look great.
Unfortunately, the food and service don't match the decor.
My wife and I both ordered the Irish Breakfast. We're both big fans of the bangers and pudding experience, and thought they would rock at it. When our meal arrived, it was a complete letdown. First off, there were no potatoes. That's right, an Irish place thought it wise to omit potatoes from the Irish Breakfast. Plus, no bread. I can forgive not having soda bread but none at all? That's crazy...
The second thing we noted was the serving size. It was half all around. One banger instead of two. A thimble of baked beans, instead of a latel. The puddings, while excellent, were wafer thin. While the rasher was the proper size, they way under-cooked it. The only thing I could say they did well were the eggs (which were scrambled, so hard to screw up) and fried tomato.
As for the service, it was erratic at best. We set at the bar and we seemed to be the last thing on the bartenders mind. It took a bit to get my tea, and even longer for my Magner's. He was nice enough that we could overlook it, but then he screwed up our check, essentially doubling it. It took a bit to explain to him the mistake, and he did fix it, but that was pretty much the last straw.
I might give them one more shot but I doubt it...
Follow me.
Grilled mussels with lemon garlic butter + French lentil soup with duck sausage + Oat-crusted rainbow trout (stuffed with bacon!!!) + Les Jamelles Sauvignon Blanc = Splendiferous.
Then.
Huge, cheesy birthday party sings 'Happy Birthday'.
TWICE.
TWICE.
Bon Jovi blares over sound system.
Gets progressively louder, or 'festive' as described by hostess.
Now do you understand?
I went to see a show at the American Theatre Company just a block down and figured I would eat at a restaurant around the neighborhood.
Choosing between Cafe 28 and Mrs. Murphy based purely on yelp reviews (and a friend suggestion for Cafe 28) we decided to give good ol' mrs. murphy a try.
I will have to say I was impressed by their food. It wasn't anything super fancy, but it was executed well: flavors, sauce, and texture. But there was nothing memorable, I would equate it to a well executed TGIF restaurant.
Though a friend's burger was wayy over cooked for medium rare, the place served good food along with great beers.
Two minor hiccups: the place seems more of a bar than a dining area. Though the dining room is separate from the bar, the first thing you notice when you come into the restaurant is the smell of beer and a sight of a huge bar (the smell reminded me of a frat party at 2am in the morning).
Another thing was the waiter, nothing wrong with the guy, but he was just goofy! He reminds me of someone working at Medieval Times - mannerisms and all.
Would I come back to Mrs. Murphy? Probably not. If I were ever back in the area I would rather try some place else.
this is a review of the upstairs space only:
Is there a three plus? given my other reviews, I don't feel comfortable with a 4 star rating, but I'm close. The space is beautiful. I attended a wedding there recently, and I thought it was super cool. There is a central Irish pub room with cute dining rooms and a beautiful front room. Definitely check out the fire place.
The staff there was super friendly and professional.
Did I mention a WOOD BURNING FIREPLACE?
The food (which could've been the bride and groom's selections) was just mediocre. I'll definitely go back and I hope I'll increase my rating.
This review is solely for their Mon-Thurs special of Fish and Chips or a Burger and Fries with a beer for $10.
Now, with that out of the way, you need to get your booty here for this special. The place is beautiful! The bar is a huge and amazing dark wooded, carved piece of art.
The hostess the night we were there was a little weird, but I'm hoping she wasn't the actual hostess, maybe just filling in at the last minute or something.
They have two areas to eat (which the flighty hostess neglected to mention) so we were seated in the dining area instead of the bar area. They don't serve the $10 special in the dining area so we had to move (the server who explained this to us, though could NOT have been more nice or understanding about it) about 50 feet away on the other side of the fireplace.
The bar side was actually nicer and cozier than the dining area anyway, so we were happy with the move.
The bartender was our server and was extremely friendly, helpful and informative. All three of us got the fish and chips which were amazing. I don't know what the couple people who didn't like them are talking about. Well... actually, the regular menu price for them, $15 is just silly, so I would be kind of angry if I paid that (you get two pieces of fish and fries served in a "newspaper" cone with vinegar, tartar sauce and a third sauce I didn't recognize cause I'm not Irish or English). I loved the homemade tartar sauce and the fish was really crispy and not too heavy on the breading.
They have a great beer selection as well, so that just makes the deal seem like more of a value. I will DEFINITELY be back for the special, but in all honesty, the prices on the regular menu make me cringe. I don't think I'll ever eat in the dining room, but I'm more of a bar girl anyhow.
I ate at Mrs. Murphys several times and always left happy, The cheese plate appetizer is top notch, Great beer selection, Very good pub burger and the corned beef and cabbage was excellent!!!!
I went here to watch the NCAA Final at the behest of Clayton J. Half price appetizers and half price drafts.
I was really impressed with their beer selection, and everything seemed to be priced reasonably.
The food was the definition of average. Granted, I only had appetizers, but that's all I'm reviewing. Maybe the entrees are a whole other story. But then, why the hell to they let the appetizers slump? I digress....
I ordered the chicken wings with a trio of sauces and the curry chips. The waiter promptly informed me they were "out" of chicken wings and I begrudgingly accepted the substitution of chicken fingers. The place was practically empty at 8pm, I don't understand how they could have already ran out of wings.
The chicken fingers were fine, but no better than any Bennigan-esque restaurant. Sauces were lame. BBQ was from a bottle, honey mustard was 95% honey, and the blue cheese dressing lacked any robust blue cheese flavor/chunks of said cheese.
Chips were undercooked. Managed to get the semi-crispy, but the centers were not soft, still a little toothsome.
Luckily everything was 50%-off, which made the amount I was charged appropriate for what I received.
I'd say a great place to stop in for a beer. Unless you get here for half priced appetizer day, I don't think its worth ordering the food.
We finally had dinner at Murphy's for my boyfriend's birthday. It was a Wednesday so we ordered a bottle of half-price pinot grigio. We ate mussels, potato leek soup and the Guinness onion soup for dinner. We skipped the entrees and really filled up on apps.
Everything was delicious and fun to share. Our waiter, Jeffery was wonderful. He had tips and ideas, but really didn't prod at all. We ended the meal with an Irish breakfast creme brulee and port - both outstanding.
On our way out we checked out the stunning upstairs - what a place! Our waiter Jeffery even showed us around.
Murphy's isn't the cheapest place around, but the food is just wonderful and the experience is certainly worth the price for a nice occasion.
Kudos to Mrs. Murphy and Sons for properly representing Irish cuisine! The Irish have a wonderful tradition of great food that somehow has been lost on the world, but this place does it right by holding on to traditions of good quality food that has been prepared and presented in great ways.
There is an interesting menu filled with upscale gastro-pub food, coupled with a good selection of Irish whiskey and some really good beer (I love any place that has Alagash on tap!). The wood burning fire place was definitely a welcome sight and feel from the cold night we came in from.
Service was pretty good- definitely friendly and inviting, and the dining room, while nothing spectacular had a nice window view out on Lincoln (overlooking Sola) and was a warm, comfortable space. I think the next time I go however I will sit at or near the bar which just has a different feel- more like what you would find in a pub in Galway, plus it is closer to the fire.
For dinner we split two entrees- a bacon wrapped pork loin and a crusted trout stuffed with Irish bacon and caramelized onions. Both entrees were well-prepared, with my favorite being the pork loin- very moist and flavorful, and each entree was coupled with some delicious braised brussels sprouts and some sort of glaze/reduction sauce that matched the dish very well.
Dessert was awesome- a toffee and chocolate chip pudding with a toffee sauce and some brulee'd bananas and pineapple. Rich, yet not too heavy. The only flaw seen in the meal was the delivery of the dessert- no forks until about a minute after toffee deliverance, and our coffee came late too. Little to complain about over-all and I look forward to coming back!
15 or so years ago.....
Me: "I love this grilled cheese samwich"
My brother: "If you love it so much, why don't you marry it?"
Last night...
So I'm starting to think bro was onto something, because I can totally see myself married to Mrs. Murphy's Lamb Sirloin. We'd live in a house made of blue cheese mashed potatoes, plant some grilled figs out front, and have a little baby named Sundried Tomato Walnut Butter. Based on the evening we all had together last night, I think we would be the happiest family on the block.
Seriously. I can't stop thinking about it. Definitely one of the top 5 best meals I've had in my entire life. Good ambience, 1/2 priced wine, a pre-salad with blue cheese and apple slices.... I am going to figure out how to build a time machine so I can go back and live in that moment forever.....
Update on previous review.
I went on St. Patricks Day. So they now have Guiness on tap, Was thinking getting corned beef, but instead went with the Fish & Chips. A bad mistake. Cool bartender, prompt service, three big pieces of Fish, and tasted good at first. But as I started on the second piece of Fish the greasness of it became apparent, and only got worse as it got colder. Kinda skimped on the fries, which were actually really good throughout the meal.
Murphy's is just ok. My problem is that it is way to pricey for what you get. The food quality… Read more »
This surprisingly large space is a nice feel. In the back is a open and well lit Irish pub with a terrific selection of beers. The dining area(s) are surprisingly spacious and includes an upstairs. The decor is tradition and clean.
The food is a bit odd. The traditionals are...well, traditional. The fish-and-chips and corn beef and cabbage are nothing out of the ordinary. I only looked at the BBQ calimari, but it looked like a huge pass.
The Amish Chicken was very good -- terrific flavor, nice portion, a solid choice. I also saw the Lobster Pot Pie, which was described as a "great value". It look OK and at $25.00...I'm not sure it was a great buy.
I would recommend it, but bistro is a bit of an overstatement.
I took my man friend here to celebrate a raise and to tickle is love for the Irish. The place was really impressive. Irish food isn't my favorite but it was a really great experience. The server was everything a server should be, although the bus boy passed our table every single time he was bringing something out for us.
We tried the potato cakes with smoked salmon. They were deliciious but they were fried in pancetta (which I personally don't like, but if you like bacon, they are delish!) My man had the special which was Venison and it was ridiculously good. I had the Beef & Guiness stew and it was also pretty good although it wasn't really a stew, but more of a gigantic plate of meat and guiness gravy. The gravy was great, but big plates of meat is why I don't like Irish food.
They had a great beer and wine list and the atmosphere was right on for a romantic dinner if you want to spoil someone. I left happy, full, and with a huge lunch for the next day.
If judging soley on the food, I would rate this almost perfect. I almost without fail order the worst thing on the menu each and every time my boyfriend and I go out to a new exciting place, but that was finally not the case with Mrs. Murphy's Irish Bistro. We live up the street and had wanted to try this place for quite some time. I began with a French Martini which I would prefer not to talk too extensively about because it was so amazing and I'm likely to crave one for lunch. Order it, try it, love it. I know you will.
For the main I ordered the corned beef & sweet & sour cabbage and it was out of this world. No-knive-necessary corned beef and the cabbage, insane.
Complaint: Service. This is nasty but our waiter had a bit of a timing problem. When checking up on us, there was a lot of "linger" before the walkaway. Not going to ruin my dinner, just obnoxious.
Next, I specifically saved half of my plate for a full leftover tomorrow (I know, a bit tacky) and he tossed them! We had to ask for them when our waiter returned and he was gone a solid 30 before he came back with warm leftovers. The chef had to remake which I appreciate but felt kind of goofy about.
I am concerned about ordering anything other than the corned beef but if you need a place to get your Saint Patrick's Day fix, it this.
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