CLADDAGH IRISH PUB – EASTWOOD TOWNE CENTER
2900 Towne Center Blvd., Lansing, MI 48912
517-484-2523
Price Range: From $10.99 – $19.99 for entrees
Impeccably clean with excellent customer service
[Mo:] The Claddagh Irish Pub in Eastwood was an unexpected treat for me on a cold winter night. With its beautiful décor, warm atmosphere and friendly staff, I was excited to sample from their menu. [Jo:] Yes, it was extremely cozy and I appreciated being seated right in front of the fireplace!
[Mo:] After being greeted and seated by our warm hostess, our waiter greeted us. What I appreciate when I attend a new restaurant is a knowledgeable staff because I often defer to them to help me make my menu choice.
[Jo:] I must say that our waiter was fantastic. He knew the details of the entire menu. I was impressed.
[Jo:] We started with the Claddagh Rings, which were labeled a House Favorite. These were the largest onion rings that I have ever seen, with a sweet savory flavor. They were hand-battered in Ale batter and served with Ranch and Guinness BBQ sauce for dipping. [Mo:] The Kettle Chips are also a winner. The sliced fresh potatoes were cooked to a golden brown and served with Guinness BBQ sauce and onion dip. None of the appetizers were over $9.50 and some of them were quite elaborate; including steamed mussels and corned beef and cabbage rolls (an entrée in itself).
[Jo:] We skipped the soup and salad and ordered straight from the Claddagh Specialties menu. I had the “Bacun Agus Cabaiste” which was a breaded pork loin served with mashed potatoes, sautéed cabbage and topped with a white wine mustard sauce and chopped scallions. The loin was melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
[Mo:] I had the Fish N’ Chips and believe me, this was no ordinary surf-n-turf. The Pacific Cod filet was coated with Ale batter and fried to a golden brown. It’s strange to talk about fish in terms of dimensions but if I had to estimate it measured close to 5 inches in width by 11 inches in length. It was served along with Irish pub chips, cole slaw and a specialty made tartar sauce to die for.
[Jo:] The average cost for all of the entrees was $14.00.
[Mo:] The meals were so large and hearty; I feasted on the leftovers for two additional days.
[Jo:] Overall, I think we can say that our dining experience at the Claddagh Irish Pub was excellent. Although not the traditional pub on the night we were there (i.e., live music or a DJ), the atmosphere, décor and blazing fireplace more than made up for the lack of tunes.
This story was originally printed in the March 28, 2010 – April 10, 2010 edition.
