The Irish Pub in AC

I went to Atlantic City this past weekend, and no, I didn’t win any money. I lost a little thanks to cold cards and bad luck at poker (I might have played a little bad, too). But I did get to pop into some of my favorite spots. I had lunch at Bill’s, the place festooned with dollar bills that serves up a great gyro. I had an excellent martini at Red Square, a well-appointed but comfortable place in the Tropicana. And I made a stop at The Irish Pub.

The Irish Pub has probably my favorite décor of any Irish pub I have been in. Fancy-pants know-it-alls will probably knock the place for being tacky, out-dated, and cluttered, but that’s what’s so great about it. The whole bar and restaurant are packed with early 20^th century Americana bric-a-brac, with an Irish slant. The place is decorated with: sports memorabilia, boxing gloves hanging from the ceiling, pictures of Jack Dempsey, “No Irish Need Apply” plaques, you name it. I could be wrong, but the bar looks like it was decorated with collectibles acquired during the life of the pub, honest artifacts found at rummage sales and flea markets. The bar has the dark wood and brass accents; it looks like a classic Irish-American pub, the kind of place you’d film a scene in that calls for “an authentic Irish bar with local color” in the shooting script. The place was established in 1972, but it looks older, and I mean that in a good way. It has a scuffed-up charm to it, and draws an unpretentious crowd of regulars. I haven’t encountered any of the obnoxious, loudmouth trash that you usually have to contend with at other Atlantic City bars.

My only complaint is, predictably, the limited Irish whiskey selection. Only 5 whiskies were available, and they didn’t carry Michael Collins anymore, which I had the last time I visited. I asked for Red Breast, which they didn’t have, but bartender asked if it lived up to the hype he was hearing. I gave it an enthusiastic endorsement, so maybe it will find it’s way onto their shelf. Irish whiskey is a fast-growing liquor segment, and Irish pubs that don’t expand their offerings to take advantage of the surge in interest are only hurting themselves. I will give them points for having both Guinness and Murphy’s on tap; most Irish places won’t carry 2 stouts. CULTURAL TIDBIT ALERT: A guy from Ireland told that Guinness and Murphy’s are heavily regional in Ireland. Guinness is the northern stout (not the unfree 6 north, but just the north half of the country) while Murphy’s holds strong in Ireland’s southern half. You’ll get odd looks ordering Murphy’s up north in a traditional pub, and vice-versa. I guess it’s like asking for a deep-dish pizza in Brooklyn. Fughedaboudit!

Anyway, the service was friendly and quick, and I think the pub’s look is fantastic. They also have a gift shop with cool Irish stuff in it. I’ll definitely go back, I’m just hoping I’ll have more whiskey choices when I do return.

The Scorecard: B+: I’d usually be a little harsher because of the less-than-stellar whiskey selection, but the place is so cool in every other respect, I’ve got to cut them some slack. (I know, typical Irishman, big softy sentimentalist). Next time you’re at the north end of the AC boardwalk, check them out. They’re about a block off the boards, but they find them easily because they always have someone handing out fliers and wearing a sandwich board with their specials. (No, seriously, they do. Better and cheaper than a newspaper ad, I suppose).