Restaurant: RíRá Irish Pub, Louisville, Kentucky
It was one of those days where I just wanted to treat myself. I had run a 10K in the morning, and then a 4K late in the afternoon. Energy stores were low. My tummy had a case of the rumblies. And I was ready to eat something filling, satisfying, gluten-free, and delicious. With all that running, I had earned that, right?
Normally, when it comes to pub grub, our first go-to spot is Molly Malone’s in Louisville, Kentucky. But, there was a big street festival going on right in front of Molly’s that night (part of the reason for the run), so we knew that it would be busy. Instead, my roommate and I drove into downtown Louisville to Fourth Street Live, where a plethora of restaurants and clubs are located. And among them, the very understated, but Irish-looking RíRá Irish Pub.
This wasn’t the first time we had eaten at RíRá. That distinction went to when the United States was playing England in the World Cup. But that was prior to my blogging days, and I didn’t remember too much of the meal for all the excitement of the match. This time, I could totally focus on what I was eating. Now, pubs can either be easy for me to navigate or difficult. RíRá falls somewhere in the middle. While they do have a Uniquely Veggie Burger, I wasn’t quite feeling it that day. And, let’s face it, sometimes those veggie burgers are bound with flour. So, as I was unsure, and I was feeling something crispy regardless, I opted for a salad. But, not just a boring ol’ house salad. HA! I never do that!
I ordered up their Bistro Salad ($8.95), which is a delicious and unique mix of goat cheese, toasted walnuts, green apple, red grapes, and topped off with a champagne vinaigrette. And, as this was a celebratory occasion (2 races in the same day!), I got a side of the sweet potato tater tots ($4.00). Okay, I’ll be honest…I would have ordered those anyway. Two of my favorite things: sweet potatoes and tater tots. How could this be a bad thing right? That…was instant WIN! And, naturally, my roommate ordered up her usual pub grub: fish and chips ($12.95) with a Magners Irish Cider to wash it all down.
Our server, for starters, was awesome. He took very good care of us, and let us peruse the menu at our own speed. And after he put the order in, he made sure our waters were full and would let us know when food was coming our way. And when the food was brought out, it looked and smelled amazing. I was ready to dive in…but for the blog I needed to take a few pictures. The trials of a foodie blogger.
Pictures done, I lifted my fork and went right for the tots. And I knew, if there was a heaven, it needed to be filled with these delicious bite-size delights. Sweet potatoes in tater tot form are the most amazing invention on this Earth. I think I experienced utopia in one bite. These were amazing. Crunchy on the outside, sweet and soft on the inside. Not overly seasoned. Fantastic. Bite-for-bite fantastic. I wish I had ordered the larger side instead of the small. I ended up saving most of them for last.
So, the salad was the next order of business. Now, a salad can either be really exciting or really boring. It all depends on the combination of ingredients and flavors. I’ve had many boring salads, but I have also had some that just WOW me. One bite of the Bistro Salad here at RíRá…and I was beyond wowed. I know…I know…it’s a salad. But, the goat cheese that they used in this salad made it the exquisite dinner that it was. Melt-in-your-mouth, soft, and not too strong. In fact, I had to ask the waiter what kind of goat cheese they used because now I wanted some for myself. He didn’t know, but went to check with the chef. He did return to tell us, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was now. I wasn’t sure how I was going to like the grapes in the salad, but it mixed really, really well with the cheese and the greens. And the champagne vinaigrette was amazing. And, thankfully, was only lightly dressing the salad, not drowning it. Delicious meal!
And yes…there was dessert to be consumed! We ordered the flourless chocolate cake, but a few moments later, the waiter came back and said that they were out of that, so they could replace the flourless chocolate cake with a regular slice of chocolate cake. We explained why that wouldn’t work for us, and ended up ordering up a bowl of their chocolate ice cream ($4.95) instead. It was fantastic. Honestly. Smooth, creamy, and cold. It was soft and immediately melted in your mouth. Just the perfect way to end the meal.
I was quite impressed with the service at RíRá Irish Pub in Louisville, Kentucky. For being in the party district, the atmosphere was very laid back, very calm, and had the right level of rumble to make it seem like a pub, without being too much. I loved the food. The service was amazing. And the pub itself is a sight to behold. Take a look at their bar when you go in there. The entire thing was dismantled from Ireland and brought over in pieces, only to be reassembled. It’s gorgeous. And it totally adds to the ambiance.
Looking for delicious Irish food? Give RíRá a whirl. Their menu is full of Irish favorites. And I do recommend the not-so-Irish, but equally delicious sweet potato tater tots. They’ll change your life. And this pub will only make you want to come back for more of the atmosphere, more of the food, and the fantastic service.
The Celiathlete 