It doesn’t look like much on the outside. In fact, it’s your basic hole-in-the-wall restaurant on a street packed with a variety of eateries and shops. The entryway is inviting, nonetheless, but it’s one of those ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ places along the strip of Main Street in Franklin, Tennessee.
I am talking about McCreary’s Irish Pub and Eatery. Located in the historic downtown area of Franklin, Tennessee, this place is literally a hole-in-the-wall. But size isn’t everything, so don’t let appearances deceive you. Step inside this pub and you find a cozy, friendly environment. My roommate and I stopped into McCreary’s on the way home from Alabama for some lunch. We were seated near the bar at the back and enjoyed hearing snatches of conversation wafting from the locals and customers around us.
With a long drive ahead of us, however, alcohol wasn’t what we sought. After getting our Diet Cokes for us, the barmaid – a woman who looked like a roller-girl with tattoos, dark hair, and an attitude to match – took our order. We decided to split an order if their famous Irish Cheese Chips, a basket of Irish chips piled high with cheddar cheese and chives (the original comes with bacon and sour cream but the vegetarian in me axed the bacon and neither my roommate nor I like sour cream). They arrived piping hot and fresh and after one bite, we realized why they were so popular. They are the perfect drunk food. And every last bite of them was delicious. We polished off the basket just as our entrees came out.
By now it should be no surprise that my roommate ordered their fish and chips…and enjoyed every bit of them. Thankfully, McCreary’s offers a Vegetarian Special, consisting of a sauteed Portobello mushroom cap topped with white rice and served with sauteed veggies. It looks a bit of a mess upon arrival. Nothing special. Nothing notable. The vegetables were full of flavor, however. The rice…cooked just right. And the mushroom…it was the first time any Portobello meal I ordered had sauteed it properly, so the juices weren’t spilling out all over the place. It was fantastic. I ended up moving the mushroom aside so I could enjoy it last. Yes…that delicious. That good. And this little pub was the first place to do it right. I never would have expected it. But I love unexpected surprises.
We went without dessert this time, as we were stuffed full from the appetizer and the entrees, but we left more than satisfied with not only our meal but the experience there. Very friendly staff. Very warm environment. Lots of talk. Lots of happy customers. Many of them regulars, you could tell.
I love trying new places when passing through an area…but McCreary’s may become a usual stop. I can’t wait to see if the next time I get their Vegetarian Special if it lives up to the standard it set. I hope so…because this pub is among the best I have been to in the United States. Don’t pass by the Franklin, Tennessee exit without stopping in for a bite. Trust me…you will not regret it.
The Celiathlete 