Mulligans is located on 27th Street in a section of Franklin with smallroadside motels, a vestige of the days before Interstate 94. The attractiveinterior includes woodwork in the main dining area, which offers private boothsalong the window. Smokers will be directed to the bar area, which contains evenmore windows than the dining room. The ceilings are high enough that cigarettesmoke is not a nuisance. With numerous flat-screen TVs, this also doubles as asports bar.
A pint of Guinness ($5) heads the appetizers. Theother options tend to be less than Irish, with riblets, quesadillas, spinachartichoke dip and chicken wings. At least the nachos offer a corned beefoption. You’ll also find leprechaun sliders ($5.95), a serving of fourmini-burgers with a choice of cheese (including a mild Irish cheddar). Theburgers arrive well done, but the meat remains moist enough. In a smart move,lettuce, tomato and pickle chips arrive on the side.
The remainder of the menu includes sandwiches,pizzas and entrees. The entrees are split into two groupsmain courses andIrish specialtiesand include a choice of soup or salad. The above-averagehouse salad comes with leaf lettuce, grape tomato and the usual list of slicedonion, cucumber, carrot and radish. The rye croutons are good. The dressingsrun from tasty balsamic vinaigrette to very ordinary blue cheese to pleasanthoney mustard. The soups are competent. A daily special might be creamy NewEngland clam chowder or Reuben soup, which is basically a vegetable soupglorified with corned beef. There is also a decent French onion soup toppedwith a round of bread and melted cheeseit’s just salty enough.
The main courses include items like barbecue ribs,rotisserie chicken and New Yorkstrip steak, but we are here to try the Irish specialties.
Corned beef & cabbage ($10.95), the scourge ofIrish pub purists (since it rarely is found in Ireland), is a heaping serving.Thick slices of beef are served over colcannon mashed potatoes and topped withstrips of cabbage. The corned beef has a fine flavor and is perfectly trimmed;the potatoes have just a few hints of their red skins; and the cabbage iscooked to its last vestige of crispness. Would that be al dente? The plate alsoincludes grilled vegetables with strips of zucchini, yellow squash, sweet redpepper and spears of fresh asparagus. Minus the meat, this would make a finevegetarian meal.
Irish lamb stew ($10.95) is another big serving.Large pieces of braised shank are well trimmed and cooked to a compellingtenderness. The stew is fleshed out with carrot, onion, potato and parsnip. Thecarrots are at their prime and the parsnips a revelation with their sweet,delicate flavor, though the potatoes seem a hint underdone. The stew isthickened with stock. At one visit it seemed too beefy, detracting from theflavor of the lamb; at another it was more subtle and worked better.
This is the time of year for fish & chips($9.95), and it is easy to see why this choice is so popular here. The piecesof haddock come in a thin, feathery, Harp beer batter so flavorful that the tartarsauce can be skipped entirely. Friday offers additional options of lake perch,bluegill and walleyebreaded or battered.
Arrive Friday evening for the seafood special of theday. This is where the chef shows true creativity. Contrast fish & chipswith items like citrus-marinated Chilean sea bass, barbecue Asian shrimp withlo mein, and diver sea scallops with a wild mushroom risottono wonder there isa wait for tables on Friday evenings.
Mulligans is a congenial place at all times. Of thelocal Irish pubs, Mulligans prepares the Irish basics as well as anybody,especially the corned beef. This is the type of pub that would be welcome inany neighborhood. n
Mulligans Irish Pub & Grill
8933 S. 27th St., Franklin
(414) 304-0300
$-$$
Credit Cards: All Major
Smoking: Yes
Handicap Access: Yes
