Pack up your forks and run to O’Shaughnessy’s Public House located at 4557 North Ravenswood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60640.
This is no ordinary Irish Pub! Sure, walking in, you might imagine you’re on “a bit of the old sod” but after taking a look at the menu you will notice that they serve a better than average Irish fare. You can enjoy traditional Irish favorites such as Shepherd’s Pie, Bangers & Mash, corned beef style panini’s and or stray from the traditional menu and sample their blackened cod or layered BLT salmon sandwiches. Perhaps the best thing they have to offer is their wait staff. We had a four year old in our party and Chuy (his nickname for Jesus) was absolutely charming. He greeted out little one with crayons and a coloring placemat but had a special way of engaging with little ones that made our entire meal a pleasure!
We started our meal with orders of curry fries and hummus with fresh vegetables. Fans of Gene and Jude’s fries will love these spuds. They have that great greasy flavor that die hard french fry lovers crave and they were topped with a rich brown, slightly sweet curry gravy. The hummus was wonderful! I was very impressed by the texture. They served a coarse ground chickpea hummus with only a hint of garlic and seasonings so the fresh taste really shined through. The vegetables were a wonderful side to this thick dip and accompanied with toasted wedges of pita bread.
I enjoyed a blackened cod sandwich which was served with a smoked jalapeno mayo, lettuce and tomato on a crisp roll. The fish was cooked perfectly and the mayo plus the blackening spices created a whole spicy, salty, party in my mouth. Skip the tomato, the texture just didn’t accent well with the fish.
While I have enjoyed many shepherd’s pie in my day, this one was different. It had the same slightly sweet, rich brown gravy along with the minced meat and vegetables topped with the traditional mashed potatoes. For those who like delicate tastes, you’d love this blend. There were no overpowering spices of any kind. We also tried the BLT/salmon sandwich named “The Sullivan”. The sandwich was layered with thick sliced bacon, on toasted bread, served with lettuce, tomato, warm mayo and mildly smoked, thinly sliced salmon. Yum!
Of course, no Irish Pub experience would be complete without sampling a few pints. The Guinness was cold, served with the terrific head that is expected of a good Guinness however, it was the draft Smithwick’s that was the real surprise. Again, the temperature of the ale was perfect….cold …but it’s the first time I have ever received a Smithwick’s topped with foam like a traditional Guinness. Ahh…Slainte’ ! Sports fans will love the abundance of TV’s and if you are looking for a place to host a private party, they have a beautiful back room with a private bar and enough seating for a crowd or overflow from their usual patrons.
The next time you are in The Ravenwood’s area, stop by O’ Shaughnessy’s Public House for a pint and a good meal and enjoy eating well in the Ravenswood area.
4 out of five forks.
Karen,
Great write up. You have a natural ability and have created your own style. This could be the start of something big!