I have a colleague who is totally, incredibly Irish, despite the fact that she’s been in Australia for fifteen or more years. She enjoys a drink (or two, or three), loves a good laugh, and once she’s had a drink, it’s actually really hard to understand her as the thick Irish brogue comes out!
I’ve not been to Ireland yet, though I would love to – and K actually has family roots in Ireland, so it’s definitely going to be on our bucket list. In the meantime, we have to settle for going to restaurants and bars like P.J. Gallagher’s Irish Pub at Entertainment Quarter Moore Park for our fix of Ireland.
On a breezy Friday night, we find ourselves a table for two next to a larger table full of laughing Irish expats with great craic. It’s just the type of environment that you would imagine for an Irish pub, and I’m almost tempted to order myself a pint of Guinness to accompany my meal though I don’t enjoy heavy ales at all!
K ordered a steak cooked to medium. When it came out, it was seared really well on the outside, but still pink and tender inside. It tasted a treat even without the buttery Bearnaise sauce. The fries were crunchy and salted well – and went really well with the sauce and juices from my meal.
I ordered the most Irish-sounding dish on the menu, which happened to be the signature dish of the pub as well. I was really happy with this dish – the lamb was cooked to the point where it simply fell off the bone, and virtually melted on the tongue. The crusty sourdough was tasty, and soaked the lamb sauce up really well. The potatoes were soft inside with delicious crispy skins. Overall, it was an excellent dish, and a real surprise as it was definitely beyond the usual pub fare.
Overall, I rate P.J. Gallagher’s at Moore Park a 7 out of 10. The quality of the food is a cut above most pubs, and the atmosphere convivial and welcoming. It’s a great place on a Friday night, and only gets more lively when there’s an event on in the Entertainment Quarter.
Whoa!! Massive servings! Been wanting to try the at Parramatta for ages!
Great looking food! I bet this place is packed on st Patrick’s day!
I went here after a Waratahs game and the atmosphere was incredible. Mass amounts of people, gathering together to celebrate. The staff were happy and friendly and powered through the crowd serving drinks and bringing people food. They had a live band playing which was a nice change to the Irish house music that they play and everyone was singing a long together. My experience was great, I had a great laugh and my friends enjoyed it as well. Would definitely recommend for pre and post game events.