After many delays, The Curragh finally opened a fourth location at The Glen Town Center in Glenview—on St. Patrick’s Day. Good timing.
A welcome addition to the Glenview dining scene, The Curragh has a large space with soaring, wood-timbered ceilings, brick walls and the overall feeling of a really nice barn. Live musicians play from the small stage in the bar on Friday and Saturday evenings, and the mood here is definitely convivial.
Choose a beer from their extensive on-tap offerings, including several “specialty beer drinks” like the famous Black & Blue (Guinness and Blue Moon) or the Snakebite (Harp and hard cider). There’s also a list of martini cocktails with an Irish theme, including the Irish Cooler ($9), ice-cold Effen Cucumber Vodka with muddled lime and mint and topped with club soda.
Much of the food here is on the heavier side, and the deep fryer is getting a workout. We started with the Reuben Rolls ($9), which are essentially Irish eggrolls (wontons filled with cabbage, kraut, corned beef and Blarney cheese) served with Reuben sauce for dipping. Although tasty, the ratio of wonton to filling was off; I’d love to see them a little plumper, and they need to work on the fryer temperature, as these were too oily (often the result of not-quite-hot-enough oil, caused by crowding the fryer).
The Grilled Artichoke ($9) appetizer featured three large artichoke halves, grilled and served with a thin house-made lemon aioli; probably the better bet if you’re looking for a healthier starter.
A cup of soup or a small salad can be had for a $2 upcharge with your sandwich or entrée, and the soups here are quite good. The Cream of Asparagus was the very definition of spring, fresh and very flavor forward. Apple cider adds depth to the French Onion soup, which is then baked with crostini and melty Swiss cheese. And while the Guinness Cheese Soup, loaded with sausage, potatoes and Cheddar cheese, may not be the lightest option, it was stick-to-your-ribs yummy.
Speaking of Guinness (and there are a lot of reasons to do so here), the Fish & Chips ($15) off the “Irish Fayre” menu capitalizes on the Irish connection by dipping the cod into a Guinness-beer batter before frying it to a deep golden brown. It’s served with steak fries, homemade tartar sauce and coleslaw (the latter of which we steered clear; it had an off taste). The fish was flaky but both the crust and the fries were again on the oily side.
Irish Stew ($14) is another hearty classic. The tender chunks of lamb are slow cooked with carrots, potatoes, celery, onions and herbs in a savory brown sauce accompanied by fresh Irish brown bread that cries out for sweet butter (not provided, so ask for it).
Pescatarians will find the broiled Dungarvan Salmon ($16), topped with pesto breadcrumbs, a viable option. It’s served with a large dollop of skin-on mashed potatoes and lightly sautéed carrots, zucchini and broccoli.
There are a number of vegetarian possibilities here as well, including the Veggie Burger ($10), topped with fresh mozzarella, mixed greens, caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes on a whole-wheat bun, served with thin, crispy french fries. While overall a pleasant mouthful, the veggie burger itself was too mushy and difficult to contain on the sandwich.
For those who are counting, that’s four entrées and four different potato preparations. We didn’t get the Irish Boxty, a stuffed Irish potato pancake served with still more mashed potatoes and veggies, but the one with chicken and veggies in a basil-pesto cream sauce did sound mighty tempting.
Full to bursting by dessert, we opted to share the Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake ($6) by hometown favorite Eli’s Cheesecake, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. And share you must with this sweet treat or you won’t fit behind the wheel of your car to drive home. Better yet, walk. You’ll need it!
2.5 out of 5 stars (B-)
The Curragh
1800 Tower Road
Glenview
847-998-1100
