New downtown pub does it right
By Steve “Mo” Fye
Copy Chief/ Food Critic
Dublin’s Street Pub’s new Albuquerque location blends Southwest style with classic Irish pub sensibilities and hits the nail on the head. The menu is a combination of traditional Irish pub dishes and bar food with an American twist.
Nearly all the food is exceptional; some is not produced with traditional recipes but is still tasty and memorable. The pub standard, Fish and Chips, was terrific — but not the best in town. (The debate over whose is the best in Albuquerque still rages on.) The fish was hand battered and the chips were skin-on and crispy. The coleslaw was tasty, if nothing special. The lunch-sized portion was generous, and at $5.99, a serious bargain. It came with tartar sauce as well as cocktail sauce, but the friendly server knew to bring malt vinegar.
Brandon’s Shepherd’s Pie was one of the dishes that strayed from tradition. It was seasoned ground beef instead of the usual lamb and beef blend. It also contained corn, which we found puzzling, but tasty. The meat was a touch dry, as it was not held in gravy like in the traditional dish. The garlic mashed potatoes and Jack cheese topping the whole thing off were a nice touch and lent a lot of flavor.
In order to try as many dishes as possible, we ordered the combination platter of appetizers. At $8.49 for two choices and $9.99 for three, the platter is a great deal, heaped with a tasty sampling of dishes. We chose the Southwestern Eggrolls, the Buffalo Wings and Adan’s Nachos.
The nachos were fine, if a bit heavy on the beans, as were the Southwestern Eggrolls. The fusion of Asian and Southwestern cuisine seemed odd, but the eggrolls had a great flavor and were even better dipped in the house-made ranch dressing. The clear winner of the three was the small heap of Buffalo Wings. The wings balanced heat, flavor and the pungency of the vinegar perfectly. We agreed that the wings were superior and were a must-order on the next visit.
Another favorite was the Southern Chicken Salad. Chicken breast meat was sliced and hand-battered and served atop a nice blend of greens with cheddar cheese, tomatoes and bacon. The dressing was an excellent honey Dijon, made in-house as well.
The real winner of the day was the half-sandwich and soup special. Half a Monte Cristo and a bowl of French Onion Soup were passed around the table several times. The Monte Cristo was faithful to the traditional recipe: Ham, Turkey, Swiss and American cheeses on whole wheat bread. The whole thing is battered and deep fried then topped with powdered sugar and served with a side of raspberry preserves. Too often, a Monte Cristo is heavy, oily and a mess. Dublin’s version was light and delicious and the perfect companion to a pint of beer.
Dublin’s French Onion Soup is a shining example of the recipe. Onions are caramelized until a dark mahogany brown, and then drowned in scratch-made beef stock. If there is one nit to pick, it’s that the crouton was a touch soggy, but this happens far more often than not with even the best soups. The topping of Provolone (instead of the usual Gruyere) was gooey inside and beautifully browned on top.
Along with the tasty dishes, we sampled a few of Dublin’s impressive selection of draft beers. Beers are available in pints or 25 ounce glasses. Along with the ubiquitous Guinness, Dublin’s offers a wide selection of domestics as well as some of the better Mexican beer and some fine microbrews.
The restaurant as a whole reflects the menu. The walls are painted in subdued earth tones and the space has a Southwest feel, but the details are classic pub.
Manager and Hospitality and Tourism major Van Overton was nice enough to give us a rundown of the dishes and how they were prepared, as well as a brief history of the company. The original Dublin’s was founded in Las Cruces in the old Bennigan’s site when it closed. Most of the former staff stayed on to start Dublin’s. The success in Las Cruces led the owner to open the Albuquerque location.
We are confident that the blend of Irish hospitality and New Mexico cool will be a success here as well.
Dublin’s Street Pub is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to midnight. 405 Central Ave. NW. 243-1807. Dublinsgrill.com.