The Irish Cottage in Methuen moved awhile ago across the street to a bigger building that offers more parking. They used to have a weekend breakfast AYCE buffet that was wildly popular. Not surprisingly, it's currently on hold. They still serve breakfast Fri-Sun until 11:00. On those days, lunch starts at 12:00 and not a second earlier. They are open for dining in and also have a large covered dining area outside.
Anytime there is a question about Irish food, this the place that is mentioned most frequently. They do a Traditional Irish Breakfast as well as a Traditional Boiled dinner and Irish Bangers and Mashed. That should really be Mash. I had the Cottage Pie, and it was terrible, bland and bland with an enormous amount of unseasoned mash. Hopefully, it has improved since it couldn't get any worse.
This is their BIG outdoor seating, all covered. There is still available parking to the left. The closest dark area is where the rollup windows are in the second bar area.
When I arrived, the hostess asked if I wanted to sit in the bar or at a table. A table, please. She then proceeded to seat me at this table. This isn't in the bar?
I finally got a table that was not in the bar. The dining room is very nice with pleasant booths. Everything is in excellent shape, and the place is impeccably clean. They also have seating in the other bar that has roll-up windows. They now overlook the outside dining area.
Guinness French Onion Soup (6.00 on the menu, 6.50 on the check). "Guinness caramelized onions and sweet vermouth, oven baked croutons topped with cheese". Not sure what prompted me to order this, but I'm glad that I did since the soup was excellent. It was served piping hot with lots of melted cheese and a savory broth.
This was the reason for my first visit here a long time ago. Online listed as Corned Beef Reuben, on the menu called "Sligo Corned Beef Reuben" (13.00). "Slow Cooked, Hand Cut Corned Beef, Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut and 1,000 Island Dressing on Thick Cut Rye". The original calls for Russian dressing that is less sweet. For my side, I picked Beer Battered Onion Rings that was a far cry for the soggy rings I got on a previous visit. I also asked for extra dressing on the side, and that was no problem. You never get enough dressing with your Reuben. The sauerkraut was mostly missing, but I got extra kraut on the side. The corned beef was thickly cut, and I guess that's what hand cut really means. The corned beef was tender and tasty, and the sauerkraut was good. The bread was nicely toasted. Biggest pickle ever!
The "Iasc" (Fresh Haddock) Sandwich (12.00). "Beer battered haddock on a sour dough roll with slaw, and lettuce". For my side, I picked the asparagus risotto. The fish was not beer-battered but had a nice light batter. A beer batter is normally way thicker than what this was. The fish was cooked perfectly and was moist and flaky. The bread was light, and the slaw was excellent. It had the right amount of dressing that was seasoned. The risotto was more like a rice pudding since the rice was way overcooked and had no texture left. It was creamy, but it was from the abundance of cheese and not from the starch. The tartar sauce was mostly mayo, but despite that, it was tasty. The pickle was much more enjoyable today since this time, it was really sharp.
I asked my excellent waitress what the difference is between the small nachos and the big ones? She indicated that the large was about twice the size of the small. Just a dollar more, so is there really a choice here?
Celtic Nachos (Small - 12| Large - 13). "Homemade Kettle Chips Smothered in Cheddar Cheese, Topped With Bacon Bits, Onions, Tomatoes, Jalapenos, and Salsa". Salsa on the side, please. I'm not even sure that salsa and nachos should be in the same sentence. Large, of course, since it's only a dollar more. The waitress did warn me that it was big and she was not wrong. I was a bit miffed that the chips weren't salted, but after thinking about it, the dish wouldn't be edible with that amount of salt involved. The chips were excellent, and all the promised toppings were present. It could have been more bacon, of course. The jalapenos look quite fierce, but they lose a lot of their heat after being warmed up. The nachos were well-engineered with cheese and toppings on all the layers. Much to my surprise, the salsa was actually a pleasant addition.
On every review of the nachos, they invariably get called Irish Nachos. Doesn't anybody read the actual menu? All Irish Nachos I have encountered have used potato vedges and not kettle chips. I still haven't met an Irish Nacho that I didn't like. I also liked the Celtic Nachos a lot.
I went on a Sunday, and the place was packed at noon. If you want a late breakfast, you have to get here at 10:30. That's way too early for my lunch, so the breakfast items I had my eyes on will not get reviewed. Excellent service today. My waitress gave me a container for the salsa without being asked.
Irish Bangers & Mashed (16.00) said the online menu. "Irish pork sausage and mashed, topped with Batchelors Irish baked beans". The real menu said, correctly, Banger & Mash. The mashed is the real deal since I found a golfball-sized potato chunk in it. The mash was bland and needed seasoning and cream and butter. The bangers had a nice crisp outside and were pleasant. Being Irish, they were very mild. The baked beans verged on being mushy, and the liquid was just a bit tomatoey. Overall, this was just about what I expected.
The service here has always been very professional and pleasant.
Address: 17 Branch St, Methuen, MA 01844 Phone: (978) 208-4347
If all I’d ever wanted to do was make money, I’d probably be really poor by now.
-- Brian Eno
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