Who: The Skamarakas Family – Jim (Dad); Anna (Mom); Brighid (DD14); Eilis (DD5); Granuaile (DD who turned 1 today!!); Dot (Grandmom); Russ (PopPop)
Where: Raglan Road Irish Pub
When: April 16, 2006
What: Lunch –
Where’s Me Fada Burger (kid’s menu cheeseburger with fries); Me Ma’s Pie – Beef and Lamb; Me Ma’s Pie – Chicken and Mushroom; Fada Burger – Sirloin burger with cheese; Sod – the Stew (an Irish stew made with Guinness); One and One – Fish and Chips; Ger’s Bread and Butter Pudding; Bates Bangher Banoffi Beauty – graham cracker crumbs, bananas, caramel and whipped cream
Soft drinks and juice
Approximate Price of Entrees: About $100
Rate the following (1-5, five being the best!)
Food: 4
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 5
Okay for Children: Based on our experience today, I would say no. Our service was WAYYYY too slow for the littlest members of our party. We sat down to lunch just about 2 PM and didn’t get done until nearly 3:30. There was Irish music piped in, but in terms of entertainment for little kids – none.
Okay for Couples: Yes – although this definitely has a pub atmosphere – don’t expect quiet and romantic
Be Sure to Try: We would both HIGHLY recommend the pies. Dad had the chicken and mushroom; Mom had the beef and lamb. The chicken had nice chunks of chicken and mushrooms in a nice gravy – similar to what you would expect in a chicken pot pie. The beef and lamb had nicely flavored ground meats. The pies themselves were flaky and light – very nice. You can have them served with either chips (french fries) or a salad
General tips: We were here at 2 on Easter Sunday afternoon and expected to find crowds everywhere. Well, due to the work being done at Pleasure Island, not too many people were heading back in this direction. We had virtually the whole restaurant to ourselves for a while, and even after we had been there, only a few tables and a couple of bar stools were filled. One of the bartenders was wandering around talking to us, and said it has been very quiet on Sunday afternoons with the construction work. It was a good time to try the place out.
Dollarless Tip: I split my beef and lamb pie with the baby, and there was plenty for me to eat – especially with the nice portion of fries (not too much, not too little). I think, had we eaten breakfast (which we did not, in case we wanted to order and sample a few things), two adults could have split the pie and the fries – and since we ordered dessert (we ordered two and we all shared), that would have been plenty to eat.
Extra Comments: There are not any real “starters” or appetizers on the lunch menu – a bit of a disappointment. They did have two soups and some salads, but we had hoped to see some other appetizers that we could have shared.
Grandmom did not enjoy her meal at all. She had fish and chips, and one of the pieces of fish was overcooked. She said it was like eating straw. A very handsome man with a brogue straight from the auld sod came over to try to rectify it – offering her new fish, a platter of something else, another drink, whatever she wanted. She declined all of his offers but he was persistent with them, apologetic, and just so darn cute 🙂 My oldest daughter was swooning as he left the table.
Our waitress was one of the world’s worst. She was very slow, kept forgetting important things, and filled my iced tea glass with Coke. Unfortunately for her, she had no sweet Irish brogue, poor thing, so we weren’t very forgiving after the first few mistakes.
We had an enjoyable meal here – most of us – the atmosphere is very authentic, and my daughter, a former champion Irish step dancer, enjoyed all of the music. Also, if you are not interested in a big sit down, there is a counter service area where you can get a pint and some fish and chips or something else without having to get a table in the restaurant. There is an outdoor seating area as well.