Sunday, March 9, 2008

Restaurant Review: Lochrann’s Irish Pub & Eatery

By Donna Chen of Donna Cooks

FRISCO — Bringing an authentic pub atmosphere to a white-bread suburb is tough, but that didn’t stop Dave McNabb from trying, with Lochrann's Irish Pub & Eatery. Heck, 75% of Lochrann’s interior was created by Irish craftsmen. Ignoring the master planned feel of Frisco Square and the valet parking situation, Lochrann’s impressive exterior with a prime location directly across from a soccer stadium seems almost too perfect to be true.

Unfortunately, it is. Suburbanites filled the pub in masses this Friday evening, and the large waiting crowd in the lobby completely obscured the view of the hostess. Looks like the standard “eye the table like a hawk and swoop in as soon as the occupants get up” pub seating strategy is too uncivilized for Frisco, Lochrann’s employs an Applebee’s-like seating approach to better suit its patrons.

Lucky for us, the majority of the group we were meeting had already arrived and been seated. I plopped myself down on a comfortable booth and was immediately overwhelmed by the noise level. Close your eyes and the chattering crowd drowning out the live acoustic music felt almost like sitting in a busy pub across the pond. But it’s much louder than your neighborhood pub, launching into a decibel zone that is uncomfortable to sustain over an entire meal.

Open your eyes and that pub feel further disintegrated. The wood work was dandy, but neither of the two flat screens above the main bar were visible from the entire dining section we were seated in. The crowd, though roaring with chatter, were calmly seated at their individual tables, with quite a few babies and toddlers in tow. The only people moving about in the dining area were waiters in white button downs and waitresses in plaid mini skirts. No soccer games on TV, no groups of rowdy youngsters, and no beer list.

No beer list! Though our waiter was able to spout off Lochrann’s malt offerings (which seemed way too few for a pub), his efforts were futile as almost no one could hear what he was saying in that sea of noise. The only cider on the list was Strongbow at $6 for a pint.

The group grew grouchy, the noise wearing away their initial excitement. Thank goodness the appetizers arrived soon to appease the increasing uneasiness. We sampled the Galway Bay Calamari ($8.95) and the curious fusion creation Boxty Quesadilla ($8.95).

The light, golden, crisp calamari rings are above average quality for pub fare. However, the boxty quesadilla (not photographed) turned out to be the highlight of the evening. Warm gooey cheese held together two soft and substantial potato pancakes filled with onion, tomato, and bacon. There’s nothing particularly Irish or Tex-Mex about this dish, but the unique plate is just the right kind of rich hearty fare fitting to accompany a mug of brew.

Entrees didn’t fare as well. Fish and chips ($11.95) turned out an overpriced plate of thick, slightly slimy cod squares coated in soggy, too peppery batter. There was no crispness in the fish or the chips, both were limp and disappointing. Chips had no hint of any seasoning and required a generous dose of malt vinegar to make them even tolerable.

Chicken and bacon boxty potato pancakes ($9.95) lacked the oozy cheesy fun of the boxty quesadilla. Dry chicken cubes bore an uncanny resemblance to the texture of canned chicken (yes, we’re talking Chicken of the Sea texture) and cream sauce was too bland to do anything for the potato pancakes.

Across the table, a diner leaves a plate of oven roasted crackling Irish chicken ($12.95) alone after the first couple of bites. “Too dry, even with the whiskey sauce,” she complained. Classic Irish stew ($11.95) and Kobe beef shepherd’s pie ($11.95) turned out better reactions, though I have to wonder why Lochrann’s insists on making shepherd’s pie with ground Kobe beef instead of the traditional lamb.

At the end of the meal, the waiter came around to ask if we’d like to try Bailey’s Cream cheesecake or chocolate whiskey cake for dessert, but no one in the group wanted to stay in that sea of noise for a minute longer.

As much as I love the concept of a great little pub right across the street from the soccer stadium, I found little at Lochrann’s to love. Somewhere between the miniskirt donning waitresses and the menu’s practice of sticking the label “Irish” or “whiskey” or other Irish-sounding word/phrase in front of blatantly non-Irish dishes, Lochrann’s loses its appeal as a pub and gains a Hooter’s-esque feel with the kind of ”authenticity” found at of Outback Steakhouse. Sorry, that is far from enough reason to make the trek up to Frisco worthwhile.

See more stories in:

• Food and Drink > Dining / Restaurants

Comments