Bites Nearby: Beer and Serious Pub Grub at Sligo

While driving on Interstate-76 the other day I saw a Range Rover with two round decals that read "Dublin" and "Sligo" flanking the license plate. It is the name of a town in Ireland and a pub in Media. I just smiled to myself at this funny coincidence, since I would be reviewing  that night.

Sligo meaning "place of shells" touts itself as "serving one of the best pints of Guinness in America." I thought this was a pretty lofty billing and arrived early one evening for dinner with an old friend.

We were directed to sit "anywhere we'd like" and chose a four-top (table for four in restaurant speak) by the wall. Though we were the only people in the dining room we received no menus or water for quite a bit. I felt bad because my friend looked really hungry and tired. We sat patiently and our server materialized maybe 10 minutes later. Just to play Devil's Advocate, maybe the bartender didn't tell her that she had customers or maybe she was super slammed with other side work. Who knows?

Anyway, my friend had a Coke and I couldn't resist the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. I know that I should have gotten a Guinness but I am honestly, just not a big fan of Guinness. I wouldn't say I dislike it but I just don't order it when there are things that I prefer on the beer list.

The IPA was complex, slightly bitter and utterly delicious. It's simply a fantastic beer.

My friend had been losing too much weight due to illness so I opted to order her what I lovingly call 'gut bomb' food and boy were we in the right place.

We started off with the duck chips. I can't begin to tell you how much I loved these. Picture a plate of golden delicious fries smothered with slow roasted duck, gravy and cheese sauce.

There is a dish called poutine that originated in Quebec that I feel is the inspiration for this appetizer. Poutine is a dish of French fries covered with cheese curds and gravy. Some chefs will add their own flourishes and I had a wonderful rendition where the gravy was made with veal stock at a Philly Beer Week event years ago.

Sligo's fries were crisp and steaming hot, the pieces of duck were scattered throughout the dish and the gravy and cheese sauce added rich and savory notes with every bite. My only complaint is that the duck was a bit dry. This dish is one of the most decadent I have tried in recent times so I urge you to share it.

My friend had the cheeseburger with Irish cheddar (of course) and I had the Pub-style mussels with fries. The burger arrived on a soft brioche bun with a thin slice of red onion, bibb lettuce, a thick slice of tomato and pickles. The burger was juicy and well seasoned, the cheese melted nicely.

The chef emerged from the kitchen to check in on us (not because he knew I was reviewing but because he is relatively new and trying to get a feel for the place and the customers, which I applaud) and tell us how awesome the pickles were. They were quite good. 

The Prince Edward Island mussels were made with brown ale, garlic, tomatoes, fennel, thyme, parsley, chives and tarragon. A brimming bowl of shellfish with two lovely grilled pieces of bread on top arrived with a separate soup bowl of french fries. The mussels were a touch overcooked. They were slightly rubbery and not as succulent as I had hoped. The broth was fine, I ate the cooked grape tomatoes and dipped some of my bread into it. 

We would have tried dessert but Quizzo was starting and the place had gotten packed. We didn't want to stay for the trivial festivities.

The decor is marked by dark woods, red brick and lots of beer paraphernalia (particularly Guinness). The gorgeous chair backs have a grid like pattern that evokes Celtic imagery. The only thing that I found disconcerting about the interior was that it was carpeted in the dining room. When people are eating and drinking heavily, the last thing you would want is carpet. However, carpet does absorb sound readily so I can see why they would want it. Regardless, it's an ideal and cozy environment to enjoy a pint or burger.

Our surly server got friendlier as the night wore on so I can't officially say she was surly. Once we received our menus and drinks we really didn't have to wait long for anything. As mentioned earlier the chef came out and checked in on us and many of the other tables, which I really appreciated.

Overall I would say the service is bumpy but not bad. It's obvious that the place is in a transitional stage and the chef explained to me that the menu was going to be revamped in a matter of weeks. The new menu will have a focus on more seasonal dishes as is the trend. We'll have to wait and see how it turns out. Until then, stop in for a cold one or your next meal.