MURPHY’S GRAND IRISH PUB
ADDRESS: 713 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
WEBSITE: https://murphyspub.com/
It had definitely been a while since I’d been to Murphy’s in Old Town Alexandria, with the last time being when I was still living in the area. I remembered that it was a stop during a King Street pub crawl that I was at with some friends from work, and I’m pretty sure I only got some pub chips the last time I was there. This time around, I made sure to pick up some of the other food on their menu as well.
The pub is definitely a very lively atmosphere, having been a King Street institution for the past 45 years. We got there right around 8:00PM on a Friday night, prime time for the evening crowd to start packing the place. They also had a musician that was setting up for some live music at their stage as well. In addition to the first floor, they also had a second floor area as well, where they could close off for private events.
The menu features a number of different food options, from burgers to sandwiches to salads. There are also a number of Irish entrées as well, including shepherd’s pie, bangers & mash, and Irish stew. Of the Irish pubs that I’ve been to, I’ve typically been one to lean towards fish & chips, and this time was no different. The shepherd’s pie and Guinness burger had also sounded pretty good as well, and I think that if my appetite had been larger, I might have considered those instead of the fish & chips.
When you’ve been around for 45 years, there’s probably a good number of people that have passed through the doors. That was definitely reflected in all of the patches that you could see hung up behind the bar as well as from the cross-beams up near the ceiling. It looked to be a mix between police departments, fire departments, and also military units as well. It was definitely pretty impressive to see that they had that many patches they’d received that could span across such a large space like that.
Because we had a larger group, that probably contributed to why it took a little longer to get the food out to the table. My plate of fish & chips had two fillets of North Atlantic cod dipped in their signature beer batter and fried. It was served with a portion of their cottage fries, along with tartar sauce for dipping and a small portion of coleslaw. Cod always seems like a good choice for fish & chips, since it holds up well through the battering & frying process. The fish was flaky, had good flavor, and the batter wasn’t dredged on too thick either. I personally would prefer if the cottage fries were a little smaller in diameter, since these were quarter-inch thick potato slices, but they were still nice and crispy on the outside.
Murphy’s is definitely going to be a happening place if you visit during the evening timeframe. Although most might be stopping by for the beer and spirits, they also have some good food options to choose from as well. If you’re in the mood for some Irish classics or even some smaller plates for stuff to munch on while you’re here enjoying the atmosphere, Murphy’s will have you covered.
Let’s now take a look at the Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** Beer Battered Fish & Chips **
Two fresh North Atlantic cod fillets lightly fried in Murphy’s signature beer batter. Served with Murphy’s cottage fries and coleslaw.
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And finally, here are my rankings for Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub:
Food: 4.25 / 5
The food definitely tasted good and there was a variety of choices available on the menu, between your Irish classics as well as burgers, salads, and sandwiches.
Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
If you’re looking for a lively pub atmosphere, this is definitely the place. With a full-length bar as well as a stage for live music, there’s definitely a good energy if you’re stopping by during the evening.
Service: 4.25 / 5
Despite the fact that we were a pretty large crowd to take care of, our waitress Marisela did a good job to make sure that everyone in our party of seven had what we needed. She also checked in with us throughout the meal as well.
Price: 4 / 5
My plate of fish & chips ended up being $17, which I did think leaned more on the steeper side. Food costs have been rising lately, and I’m sure that being right on King Street in Old Town Alexandria has something to do with it as well, but I thought that the portion of food I got would be more reasonable at $14 or $15 instead.
Overall:
17 / 20
(85%)
Categories: Restaurants, Virginia
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