When in Cowboy Country, Go Irish
- Jason James Barry
- Jun 24
- 2 min read
All I thought of in the days leading up was the food. The real McCoy, the fall-off-the-bone barbecue stuff. After all, we’re in Dallas. So, I have a question: if we’re in Texas, where’re all those baby-back ribs, and the coleslaw, and hand cut fries? I’ve been expecting to literally stumble from one rib joint to the next until I had to be carted home in a wheelbarrow. Dreams though, sometimes shatter. Mine did here, deep in the heart of… well, you know the song.
Too many of the eateries in wingspan of the Dallas downtown hotels seem to default to mediocre food served moderately quickly — if that’s a thing. Which it seems to be. Add stifling heat and the more than occasional mumbling, zombie-like homeless person — and Dallas sits poised to formally launch a whole new tourism niche — namely, staying put in the hotel and ravaging the lobby snack pantries and vending machines.
And by Day 2, I’d given up. Or I nearly did. As I slurped on a chocolate shake and watched volleyball families descend on the food court-ish “The Exchange Hall” across from the hotel, I searched up as a Hail Mary — Irish Pub — and finally, some real food in this damn town.
Enter: Patrick Kennedy’s Irish Pub, located a short walk from the hotel and the sweltering yet somehow magnetic green outside of The Exchange Hall. The window front blended in with the sadly 7-11 styled storefronts ubiquitous to the area. But steps inside, the dark wood, dim lights, and bustling tone cemented Patrick Kennedy’s as a stalwart refuge from the disappointment that the Dallas downtown — so far — has served up.
The pub was busy but not crowded. Sports played on more than a handful of TVs. And I was seated almost immediately. And of course, they offered all the essentials an Irish pub does. I went with my standby of bangers and mash, which to the unseasoned is code for spiced Irish sausages and mashed potatoes. Service was both prompt and friendly — with the waitresses unafraid to call patrons “sweetie” as they checked up and buzzed by.
For $21 plus tax and tip, the bangers and mash at Patrick Kennedy’s Irish Pub satisfied, and helped restore hope that other food gems in strolling distance remained to be discovered amid the uninspired and the convenient that all but dominate the Dallas downtown.
4.5 Stars out of 5. Patrick Kennedy’s Irish Pub is located at 1201 Main Street, Dallas, TX. View their menu and hours at: https://www.patrickkennedysirishpub.com
Jason James Barry is an award-winning essayist, journalist, and author. During his travels, he often writes restaurant and coffee reviews that capture the essence of the cities and towns he visits. Ever involved in his writing, this summer Jason revised and re-released his police-life memoir, “The Midnight Coffee Club” as a second-edition publishing (available on Amazon).
Comments