Dining: McGinty’s Public House

To honor the Emerald Isle, this review is presented in limerick form:

Fish and chips at McGintys Public House

There once was a Penguin from Brooklyn
Who wondered what McGinty’s was cookin’.
She ordered the fish,
The greasiest dish
That a fisherman ever set hook in.

The codfish was moist and flaky
But the batter just wasn’t that tasty.
It lacked any spice,
Though its crisp’ness was nice,
And the chips were devoured with haste-y.

The Penguin liked fried calamari,
So she ordered it with marinar-i.
The squid on her platter
Had the blandest of batters,
And the overly sweet sauce was just sorry.

One night, the bird ordered a steak:
A grilled rib eye that lounged on her plate
In a pool of brown gravy.
It was seasoned too heavy
With rosemary sprigs, for Pete’s sake!

The steak was served with mashed po-tah-to,
Which didn’t arrive with a lot o’
Butter or flavor
Or sour cream to savor,
But only a dull grilled to-mah-to.

The servers were all very speedy,
So tip them well, if you please-y.
Score a table outside
And simply imbibe,
‘Cause the food just might make you queasy.

Prices: Fried calamari ($7.50 at happy hour), Rib-eye steak with mashed potatoes ($24), Fish and chips ($13 at lunch).

McGinty’s Public House, 911 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring, (301) 587-1270.

Jimmy says:

Apr 25, 2007 at 1:22 pm

Personally I thought the food was very good, and I love the atmosphere. One of my favorite dishes is the salmon and white bean salad. The bread pudding is great too. I have had a lot of variation on their fries though. Most of the time they are tasty, hearty fries; but sometimes they are limp, thin, and taste like potato skins. I’m not a big fan of mayonnaise, but theirs is great with that touch of lemon.

Woodsider says:

Apr 25, 2007 at 3:10 pm

Now this is what blogging is all about. Penguin, thanks for taking the time to write your review in limerick form. Surely, there will be a lot of chuckles from your readers!

Apr 25, 2007 at 3:13 pm

…and speaking of Nantucket. About ten years ago, I saw a guy walking down the street in Atlanta with a white t-shirt that said only “I AM (underlined) the man from Nantucket!”. It still cracks me up every time I think about that.

Borderline says:

Apr 25, 2007 at 4:13 pm

How can you afford to eat?
For me restaurant eating’s a treat.
Silver Spring restaurants abound,
You must have gained many pounds,
But know that you reviews can’t be beat.

Scott says:

Apr 25, 2007 at 8:12 pm

My friends and I love this restaurant. The calamari is pretty good, considering I get calamari at every restaurant I visit (that serves it).

Megan says:

Apr 25, 2007 at 9:32 pm

Thanks for the great limerick! I’ve always had better luck with the more traditional food — shepherd’s pie, colcannon, and the bread pudding is great. Anyways, us irish never claimed to be great cooks and we are more concerned about which whiskey they serve and what football game is on the tv!