Steve Replogle
Google
The Irish Snug wasn’t quite Irish enough for me, and I think a big part of it was the music. The place itself is all bricks and wood and dark leather and gleaming bronze. So, yeah, it looks like a classic pub. The memorabilia on the walls is a mixed bag: some photographs and figurines from the “old country,” but just as many contemporary sports collectibles. The menu is a mix, too; traditional Irish meals like bangers and mash and corned beef sharing menu space with fish tacos and chicken tenders.
But the music! There was a song by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, there was another by the Allman Brothers. You know, standard American bar tunes. No Irish music. I’m not even talking about the Clancy Brothers or the Chieftains, although they are favorites of mine. I know I am aging myself by saying so! But there are plenty of other Irish choices: the Boomtown Rats, the Waterboys, Thin Lizzy. The Cranberries. Clannad. Van Morrison and Sinead O'Connor. U2, of course.
There was none of that. The music was all pure American. Still, we visited on a Thursday. Perhaps there is Irish music on the weekends?
Enough about the music. What about the food? My wife had the Shepherd’s Pie, which she enjoyed. I had the Irish Cheddar Mac ‘n’ Cheese, with bacon added. That bacon was really something! There were huge chunks of it! We thought the food was what we’d hoped for - hearty, hot, and satisfying.
The Irish Snug really does have snugs, those tiny private rooms from the old days. They were for female customers who couldn’t be seen drinking out in front of anyone. There’s a gigantic community room downstairs in this pub, too. It’s fitting for big meetings, or large weddings... or live music, for that matter. Irish music, please!