Sully’s Irish Pub in Medina, Ohio is truly one of those restaurants I revisit every time I am in the area. No joke. I once even drove up from Columbus, Ohio when I was there visiting a friend just to take her there for dinner. Then we drove back afterwards. Yes…worth the gas, worth the time, and worth the drive. Because as far as Irish pubs go in the United States, this is, by far, the absolute best I have been to.
On a recent visit, which was just before the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 5K I was running in, my roommate, friend and I stopped in for dinner. Prior to this, however, I contacted the restaurant to inquire about some of the ingredients in the food. It was important, especially before a race, not to eat something that might ignite a reaction to my gluten allergy.
The owner of Sully’s e-mailed me back. I had asked if I could bring in my own wrap to have with my usual, the Leprechaun Wrap, as normally this mix of grilled sliced Portobello mushrooms, red and green peppers, red onion, tomato, romaine lettuce and a balsamic vinaigrette glaze, comes in a flour tortilla. He said that I could bring my own wrap and they would be happy to use it for my vegetarian dish. As I also inquired about the appetizer my friends I always get, the Guinness Cheese Dip, which is served with boxty potato cakes, he looked into that as well. After telling me the boxty was, in fact, made with flour, he said I could bring in an extra tortilla and they could make me up some wedges to fry up for the dip. And then, almost immediately, he replied back again saying that since the dip actually had Guinness draught in it…it wasn’t gluten-free. Absolutely correct. And a good catch there. Still, here we have an owner willing to bend over backwards for a patron. Kudos to John Sullivan and his pub, Sully’s, for that.
I did end up bringing my own wrap to dinner. While my friends enjoyed the Guinness Cheese Dip, I got a cup of the Tomato Basil Soup. It was warm, rich, and delicious. Definitely not the Guinness Cheese Dip I had previously enjoyed on prior visits, but definitely made up for not being able to have that appetizer. It was just enough to wet my palate for the entrée.
As this is a pub, and I am a vegetarian, the Leprechaun Wrap is one of the best choices on the menu for me. I ordered it, sans the wrap, with the french fries. I love the fries at this place, so I wasn’t going to pass that up. I didn’t send the wrap back this time, but next time I will so that it is warm and pliable, but the kitchen whipped up the insides of the wrap and placed them in a dish, serving them alongside my order of fries. I wrapped up my vegetables and dug in. And, yes…it was just as good as before. And, as is usual with my two friends…they split the gigantic fish & chips dinner…and savored every bite of the haddock filets and “chips.”
Since none of the desserts there are gluten-free, we passed on dessert this time and left, quite satisfied once again. The food has always been amazing. But what really makes Sully’s Irish Pub stand out in this small-town outside of Cleveland is this – the people who work there. I give big kudos to John Sullivan for working with me and my food allergies. Not every owner will take the time to not only offer suggestions, but double-check ingredients and quickly reply. I also have to give major props to Barb, our waitress who we’ve had three out of the four times we’ve been there. She’s awesome. She always keeps up on our orders, makes sure our drinks are refilled, and just makes us feel at home there. She has since our first time we at there.
If you happen to be venturing up to Cleveland, Ohio or find yourself near Medina, Ohio…do me a huge favor. Stop into Sully’s Irish Pub. This little place offers up a whole lot of Ireland not only in atmosphere, but in their menu, their drinks, and their staff. When I say this place is somewhere I return to often, I’m not kidding. I’m already looking forward to my next visit there. Sully’s really does stand heads and tails above the rest when it comes to Irish food and Irish pubs in the United States. And it’s in small-town Medina, Ohio. Go. Feast. Drink. Enjoy.
Sláinte!
The Celiathlete 