Flaherty’s – An Irish Pub

Laurie and I are always looking for somewhere new to eat…a new dining experience!  Ideally, we’d like to find a couple of restaurants that aren’t too far from where we live that we really like, and then we’d become ‘regulars”.  Alternatively, we’re on the lookout for fun restaurants with good food where we can go with friends and family…

This is Flaherty’s Irish Pub on the south side of Maryville Tennessee.  We’ve been here twice now…once for an early dinner and once with houseguests/family members for an afternoon ‘snack’.

This is a view of the bar at Flaherty’s… Nearly everything in the bar was crafted in Ireland…and then installed in Maryville under the direction of Irish craftsmen.  The bar is well stocked with a wide selection of Irish and Scotch whiskeys as well as a nice variety of ales, stouts and domestic beers.   

The owner of Flaherty’s Irish Pub is a descendant of the Flaherty clan from Ireland.  The name ‘Flaherty’ first appeared in Ireland in the 10^th Century.  It was derived from the name “Flathbertaig” which means “Bright Ruler” in Gaelic. 

The décor is warm and welcoming and it’s obvious that the owner has invested heavily in this new venture.  The only physical item that I found a little ‘off’ for a pub were the wrap around windows.  I guess that’s what happens when you take over an available property… You just can’t change everything!

On our first visit, Laurie and I started out by ordering an appetizer.  These luscious little balls of goodness are Katie’s Taters. ($7.99) This dish consists of whipped potatoes with Benton’s bacon and crisp fresh cabbage blended with Irish cheeses and then breaded and quickly fried.  These 'Taters' are served with a terrific roasted garlic aioli.  The combination of the taters and the aioli is extremely good…and this is a very filling appetizer.

I ordered Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy. ($9.99) However, since I’m not a big onion fan, I substituted Colcannon for the Mash. (In addition to the onion gravy, mash is mashed potatoes with spring onions) Colcannon is mashed potatoes blended with tender cabbage.  With a little spicy mustard on the side, the bangers were quite good.  While the colcannon was good, I had some in Rugby Tennessee…in a fried potato patty format with some brown gravy…that I liked much better.   

This may not look like a traditional Irish entrée…but it is!  Over the years, curry dishes have become part of the Irish dining scene.  Laurie ordered the Madras Curry Chicken. ($12.99) The chicken is cooked with Indian spices and fresh vegetables and then simmered in a savory curry sauce.  It’s served with rice and Irish-style chutney.  Laurie enjoyed her dinner and said that she’d order it again.

OK…So Laurie’s sister Bonnie and her Husband Bill were in town for a visit.  We’d been running around one day and we had a big dinner planned, but we decided that since we’d missed lunch, we would stop at Flaherty’s for a bit of Irish beer and a couple of appetizers…

 

We definitely over ordered!  In addition to our beers, we started with an order of perfectly seasoned and breaded Fried Dill Pickle Chips with a very nice dipping sauce. ($6.99)

In addition, we ordered some of Flaherty’s French Fries (chips) and homemade potato chips (crisps) with a Guinness and sharp cheddar cheese dip. ($7.99) While these 2 appetizers were probably all we should have had for our mid-afternoon ‘snack’, I wanted Bonnie and Bill to try a couple other items too!

There are a variety of Irish food items and entrees on the menu.  These include Fish and Chips; Guinness braised Steak and Mushroom Pie; a Full Irish Breakfast including black and white ‘pudding’; Corned Beef and Cabbage; Guinness Cheddar Mushroom Burger and; the Dublin Burger…corned beef and Swiss cheese with a beef patty. 

Don’t forget the “Boxtys”!  There are 4 varieties available.  These are sort of a wrap…with the wrap being a form of potato pancake.  To learn more about boxtys, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxty. The menu at Flaherty’s also includes trout, chicken and steaks.

Now back to the other appetizers... These may look like Katie’s Taters…but they’re not!  These balls of delectability are Corned Beef Bites. ($8.99) These treats consist of corned beef, Swiss cheese, cream cheese and sauerkraut rolled in panko then deep fried and served with a spicy mustard sauce. (These were great!)

Did I mention that I also requested 2 orders of Katie’s Taters and oh yes…2 orders of the Corned Beef Bites as well… Yikes!  We definitely overate but the good news was that I brought home 2 leftover Katie’s Taters which I subsequently turned into a very nice breakfast! 

Flaherty’s Irish Pub is about 30 minutes from our home here in East Tennessee, not exactly around the corner but close enough that it’s convenient.  This restaurant and pub is located at 1720 West Broadway Avenue (US Hwy 411) in Maryville Tennessee.  Phone: 865-724-1300.  Their website is found at http://www.flahertysirishpub.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to check out what was on the menu!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave