It was hunger and luck that led my friends and I to the The Galway Arms in the heart of downtown Chicago one afternoon while visiting the city. In fact, my local friend, Heather, was the one who stumbled upon it. Little did we know that this small Irish pub was one of the finest in the city. No joke. The Galway Arms, as we found out, was voted Best Irish Pub in Chicago in 2010’s City’s Best Chicago publication. No small accomplishment…as Chicago is a notoriously Irish city and it is bursting with Irish pubs and Irish-themed bars.
So, the bar was set pretty high for this place. While it didn’t look like much on the outside…stepping inside was like being transported to the pubs in Dublin, Galway, Lisdoonvarna, and the like. It was definitely a slice of Ireland in the heart of Chicago. No Disneyland wanna-be Irish here. This was authentic!
The interior of the pub itself was hardwood and beautiful. We were shown to a table that was near the bar. Great ambiance. Great placement. No phoney Irish music playing. None of that “Danny Boy” crap that most “Irish” pubs play. This place had atmosphere. I’ve been to Ireland four times now and this was no different than stepping into a nice corner pub in one of the fine cities over there. I felt…at home.
We were given time to glance over the menus and make decisions on what we felt like eating. Cathy was set with her pub-standard: the fish and chips. Heather went off the beaten path and decided she would give their Corned Beef Sandwich a try. As for me, I went with my usual pub standard (when offered) and got the Homemade Veggie Burger (minus the Kaiser roll, of course!). Both Heather and Cathy got Magners with their meals and we settled in to conversation about travel, about the city, about plans that evening while we waited for our food.
Getting our entrees took the perfect amount of time. We had to wait…which to me meant it was made to order and everything was fresh. I didn’t mind the wait as the pub was brimming with Irish culture and we had a good time taking in our surroundings and telling stories of our journeys over to Ireland. Both Cathy and Heather sipped on their Magners Ciders and we have no concluded that The Galway Arms definitely serves up the best pour of Magners…anywhere. It was crisp, it still had carbonation…and it was refreshing. Perfectly poured!
When food did arrive, we made quick work of trying it out. Cathy was eager to dive into her fish and chips. The fish was cod, golden-fried to a crisp perfection and served with lemon-pepper Parmesan seasoned fries. I had to swipe one of her fries to give it a try. I could see why it paired well with fish, as the lemon-pepper added a nice flavor to counterbalance any seafood flavor. Nicely executed on behalf of the pub.
Heather took one bite of her Corned Beef Sandwich and went to heaven. She said the meat was perfectly done, with just the right amount of fat still on it. The horseradish sauce was the perfect level of spice, without being overpowering. You could taste every component, down to the Irish cheddar cheese and Celtic sauerkraut, all layered to perfection between multigrain bread. She said it was the best she had ever had…anywhere.
As for me, I prepped my bun-less Homemade Veggie Burger as I usually do. When the lettuce and tomatoes were cut up and the veggie burger sliced and tossed in, I grabbed a fork and dove in. Flavor. That’s all I can say. Major flavor. It wasn’t bland, as some tend to be. This packed not only a kick, but paired well with the fresh lettuce, tomato and onion that it was served with. And the fries…oh…the fries. I mentioned before that I was not a fan of steak fries. But these…were perfect. Crispy on the outside and not overdone on the inside. Nothing mushy about these. They weren’t overly salted either. It couldn’t have been more perfect. I still have a hard time believing when I am surprised with steak fries done right. These didn’t carry grease on them. They fried them to perfection and I enjoyed them down to the very last bite.
Don’t waste your time with those pubs that try to be Irish. When you’re in an abundantly Irish city like Chicago…seek out The Galway Arms. Feast on authentic Irish food, without the “Americanized” version. Satisfy your palate the way Irish food is meant to be served. Try something you normally wouldn’t if you dare. You might be surprised at what you get. And order the Magners cider…because nowhere serves it up as perfectly as The Galway Arms. It was voted Best Irish Pub for a reason in 2010. I wouldn’t be surprised if they won that honor again in 2011. If they keep serving up food and drinks like what we got…they have it in the bag!
Sláinte!
The Celiathlete 