THE OLD BROGUE - The Washington Post
760 Walker Rd., Great Falls
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to midnight (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.) Monday
through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. (kitchen closes at 11 p.m.)
Friday and Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (kitchen closes at 9 p.m.)
Sunday; brunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Dinner appetizers and soups, $2.75 to $6.95; light fare and
entrees, $2.95 to $12.95.
Cards: All major credit cards accepted. No separate nonsmoking
During the past eight years, the father and son team of Michael
Kearney Sr. and Michael Junior has cultivated The Old Brogue's image as
a cozy Irish pub in Great Falls. It certainly looks and feels the part
-- a low, heavy-beamed ceiling, dark, wide-planked wainscoting and a
loyal cast of regulars sipping Harp lager at the bar.
This is one of three well-established Irish pubs in Northern Virginia
Advertisement
(the other two, Ireland's Own and Murphy's, are in Old Town,
Alexandria).
The menu at The Old Brogue gives a brief nod to Irish tradition (beef
stew, fish and chips, and corned beef and cabbage), but then
concentrates on American and continental dishes that could be found at
any number of all-purpose restaurants/bars in the area. Having said
that, I would quickly add that the kitchen's general level of execution
is well above the ordinary. For example, there are good quality meats,
real mashed potatoes and bright, leafy greens in the salad. Nightly
specials show a flare for variety, ranging widely (depending on the
season and the whim of the chef) from Mexican to Chinese to German.
My top choice here is the excellent beef stew ($9.95). Reminiscent of
a hearty boeuf Bourguignon, it arrives with all its full-bodied richness
Advertisement
sealed beneath a wonderfully light, flaky pastry crust.
Other choices did not reach such heights but were still enjoyable.
For example, the nicely seasoned twin crab cakes ($10.95) boasted a fair
amount of lump crab flecked with green pepper, and the corned beef and
cabbage dinner ($7.95) featured excellent, lean corned beef slices,
although the accompanying boiled potato and wedge of cabbage were bland
and unadorned.
My medium-rare burger arrived more rare than I had wanted, but the
meat was so lean and gently formed that it tasted like a quickly seared
patty of steak tartare.
The young, energetic staff is not shy when it comes to giving advice
-- most of it quite good -- about the best bets among the nightly
specials. For an appetizer one evening, there was a first-rate guacamole
added to the regular nacho platter, which came dripping with melted
Advertisement
cheese and dotted with fiery jalapenos. On another occasion, a so-so
pate was improved by eating it in combination with a delicious red onion
marmalade and a touch of Dijon mustard with capers.
Two good entree specials were the ham-like smoked pork chop paired
with brandied apple slices, and tasty sauteed chicken breasts under a
thin layer of Smithfield ham moistened with pan juices deglazed with
Marsala wine.
The desserts, such as the creamy lemon cheesecake and the fudgy
chocolate layer cake, are homemade and worth every calorie.
In the pub from Tuesday through Saturday, folk/rock entertainers
provide music beginning at 8 p.m. weekdays, 9 p.m. Fridays and
Saturdays.
An adjacent banquet room is open for dinner on Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays with separate musical entertainment. Despite the extra space,
Advertisement
however, a busy night can mean rooms filled with smoke as well as
Although there are nonalcoholic drinks, wines and mixed drinks, at a
pub, beer gets top billing. Here, in addition to Harp lager, Guinness,
Bass, Michelob and Miller Lite on draft, there are other domestic and
imported beers in bottles, plus a rotating selection of specials for
each month. For example, German beers have been featured during October.
The Old Brogue is an engaging place to find both good spirits and
good food.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZK6zr8eirZ5nnKSworiOanBxcF9mfXB%2BlmiroZ1dpLmlecGrpqCtlWSxcn7Dcmidal1phqKAjG1pnm9dboB2roxrcGlrY2qvooSUm2xo