mccarthy's red stag pub and whiskey bar

firstly, full disclosure: i love authentic irish pubs. i love the music, the atmosphere, and generally everything about them. i was very excited to hear that what was previously granny mccarthy's tearoomwas being converted into a pub, especially as bethlehem is completely void of irish pubs (no, molly's does not count). i finally stopped in on a friday night for a bit and a few pints of guinness. first and foremost, mccarthy's, seems to have retained its more cafe-like setup with the majority of the space being plastic tablecloth covered tables. the bar was pretty small (8 people?), and there was no room, so we took a table. we explained that we were there largely to drink and maybe order some food at some point (which should be commonplace in a pub) -- while we were seated at a table with no issue, the staff did not seem to be used to that request. it had more of a restaurant (order drinks, order food, drink/eat, leave) type feel than it did a place you could sit for a couple hours and socialize. we ended up ordering a couple of small plates, including the char-grilled jameson wings and the dubliner and innis & gunn fondue. it was happy hour, which meant half-price appetizers. that brought the wings to $5.50 and the fondue to $3.75 -- an excellent deal. even better, they were really good. i forgot about much better grilled wings can be. their house buffalo sauce was spiced, slightly vinegary and delicious. the fondue came with both fresh bread and sliced apples, and were a perfect accompaniment to the tasty fondue. our guinness(es) were well poured and hit the spot. however, our visit ended when the waitress saw our food was done and asked if we wanted the check, which seemed to be our cue to make way for the next diners.

i think mccarthy's would be a great place to patronize regularly if the bar was a bit bigger, and they put in place a more authentic pub decor and set up where patrons can stay and socialize. perhaps breaking out the seated dining area from the bar would help with this. last i saw, they had started doing some renovations -- maybe this is the goal. i sure hope so!

unique place with live music!. we stopped in at the tearoomtonight and it was really a great atmosphere! we sipped on tea (with which we were offered cream and honey on the side) and munched on fish and chips (very light batter which was somewhat bland, yet served with malt vinegar, tartar sauce, etc. to allow you to season to your liking). we could hear each other easily as the live music played with three musicians sharing anecdotes between songs as we enjoyed the clean, warm and comforting environment. it was a really nice change from stopping somewhere for drinks of other sorts on a date night. we'd definitely go again!

not your average breakfast -- in a good way!. in addition to bacon and eggs, the lambeg traditional breakfast is served with potato farl (pancake) and small but thick cuts of black and white pudding (sausage, don't ask and i won't tell). looks to be the largest plate on the menu but isn't super sized, so don't be put off ordering this tasty plate. true of food from the british isle, it doesn't present very well -- but just like a proper english breakfast should, it tastes delicious.

they serve a selection of teas and ground coffee in a plunge pot (french or café press). the restaurant also has stocks of british groceries: we bought porkie pies, white and black pudding, clotted cream, crunch, turkish delight etc. to take home with us -- together with two more of their scrumptious scones.

soon after 10am a group called amárach (which means "tomorrow" in gaelic) sat down to make good irish music -- which made for a unique sunday brunch experience. when we left an hour-and-a-half later theroomwas packed.

while the decor is a little tired the spirit is good and the breakfast tasty -- so i'll recommend this unusual spot to those who are looking for something other than an american diner breakfast.