Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to introduce you to one of the best shepherd’s pies I’ve ever had the pleasure of, well, having. But before I get to that, I have to mention that the Shamrock Pub & Grille is on US 27 a little drive down I-4 West. The afternoon atmosphere was quiet with only a few locals at the bar and a table of older ladies chatting over a few beers. Adam and I claimed a cozy booth and waited for a few Dundee friends we hadn’t seen in ages; one of my high school besties and her husband. We started ordering some amber to light ales — I believe mine was an amber Scottish ale on draft — and decided to go with the two for $19.99 special.
Our appetizer was a plate of juicy, breaded, fried mushrooms. The shepherd’s pie tasted as good as it looked, and they had HP Sauce! Anything less would have crime against shepherd’s pies everywhere. The melted cheese, lightly toasted peaks on the mashed potatoes, the flavorful meat –– this dish was everything that defines one of my favorite comfort foods. The ground beef and veggies were also juicy, which was a big sigh of relief.
Adam chose another old favorite for his entrée, fish and chips. Our friends went traditional too with bangers and mash and a dish of juicy ham, mashed potatoes, and baked beans. Everything was served by a very helpful waitress with a beautiful Irish accent. She didn’t even grimace when I asked for more HP Sauce — for some reason asking for more HP at some other places is like asking too much.
We all stayed over three hours chatting over good food and ale, and we couldn’t have been more comfortable. More people started to trickle in after sundown, so I’ll keep in mind that the late afternoon is a nice, quiet time to enjoy the Shamrock. Other nights feature trivia and live music, so I’ll rev myself up sometime and head back. Towns need their quality watering holes, and that’s what the Shamrock is for Davenport and wandering Orlando natives alike.
The Shamrock Pub & Grille • Menu • Yelp • Twitter • Google Maps
T: (863) 424-4242
This place sounds great! The shepherd’s pie looks a million times better than my own, and the atmosphere sounds right up my alley. Thank you for sharing this; it seems definitely worth the drive 🙂
I’m so glad this post inspired you to visit The Shamrock! It kind of reminded of McRaney’s Tavern in Winter Park, which also has a great beer selection on tap, delicious food, and a kickin’ bar trivia scene!http://mcraneystavern.com/