Sunday, September 21, 2014

Fado Irish Pub Review

As with most cities, Quizzo is a popular thing at most bars early in the week. Fado Irish Pub is no different. The GF and I know it from our grad school days where we spent the weekend nights dancing away amidst the crowd.


But being working stiffs now, along with some friends, we decided to stop on over for Happy Hour and stayed even longer for some Quizzo. Apologies in advance for the cell-phone pics.

Maple Manhattan [$9]
Tap 357 maple rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters
  

I went with the maple Manhattan, an even sweeter version of this classic fern-bar standby that went down smooth. Appreciated the appropriate rock as well.

Strongbow Cider [$6.75]
 

The GF went with the cider, which was crisp, dry, but had enough sweet and tart flavor to go down easy for the GF.

Moscow Mule [$10]
Russian Standard vodka, Crabbies alcoholic ginger beer, fresh lime juice 
  

We also tried the Moscow Mule which seems to be getting popular once again - along the same vein as the Manhattan. This sweet tipple was tempered by the ginger beer and the tartness of the lime.

Slow Roasted Pork Belly [$7.95]
Magners cider reduction
  

This was on offer as a special during Quizzo, and while these were sizable hunks of pork belly, they were a bit too tough for my liking. I didn't seem to get as much of the slow-roasted action I was expecting. The cider reduction was a nice element to the dish though, along with the bite of the green onion.

Pretzel Cup [$6.95]
Three fresh baked pretzel sticks, Harp lager cheese sauce, specialty mustard


For a city known for its pretzels, Fado's iteration is great - buttery and salty, maintaining a crisp crust on its exterior, with a softness within. The cheese sauce was accompanied by a specialty mustard that had some kick with horseradish notes. 
Topped Chips [$6.95]
Harp Lager cheese, bacon
  

There were a variety of topped chips on offer, including chicken curry, chimichurri, pulled lamb, or peppercorn for a dollar supplement. While they weren't crispy, they were certainly creamy and topped with a well-seasoned cheese sauce and some hearty chips of bacon.

Fish & Chips [$6.95 Quizzo Special / $9.95 Half Order Entree]
Lightly battered haddock, thick or thin cut chips, tartar sauce, house-made slaw  


For Quizzo, Fado had a $6.95 special for the half order fish and chips. The haddock's batter had a nice crisp and was fairly light, with the fish maintaining its flaky meatiness. The accompanying cole slaw had a creamy mayo-base and the thick-cut chips were well-seasoned.

Fado Gooey Double Cheese Burger [$11.95]
Two house-made gourmet patties, cheddar, pretzel roll, fries
  

I went with the cheesy burger, which had a unique flavor - not unlike the seasoning for a Salisbury steak. I actually enjoyed it, encapsulated in a pretzel roll. The crisp fries were creamy within and were perfect pub fare. 

Fado's also beefing up its cocktail program, in addition to an already strong beer and draft line-up. So in addition to having good pub grub and a bumpin' weekend crowd, what else do you need from an Irish pub?

Fado Irish Pub and Restaurant on Urbanspoon
http://www.fadoirishpub.com/philadelphia/

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