With more than 20 restaurants ranging from Mexican (Maria Maria) to Japanese (Kabuki) to barbecue (Lucille’s) to seafood (King’s Fish House), one wonders what culinary voids are left at 10-month-old Tempe Marketplace.

Now you can scratch Irish off the list as well. D’Arcy McGee’s, one of five Irish pub chains operated by Canada-based Prime Pubs, opened its first Arizona location May 23 next to the Harkins Theatres.

If you’re looking for an authentic Irish pub atmosphere, you’ll probably be disappointed by D’Arcy McGee’s. This is the Americanized, shopping mall version. Despite the dark wood furniture and a few brass accents, the space is well-lit and sports an open feel.

Much like the smell of a new car, D’Arcy McGee’s feels almost sanitized, although, to be fair, it’s less than two weeks old. A few years of wear and tear may turn that around. Until then, smaller touches — like adding a dartboard — would go a long way toward making it a more comfortable hangout.

What D’Arcy McGee’s may be lacking in atmosphere, though, it more than makes up for with a tasty menu of Irish and English dishes, if my initial visit is any indication.

A friend and I start with an appetizer of Yorkshire puddings ($8.99, pictured upper left). For the uninitiated, puddings are popoverlike pastries about 2 inches in diameter that act as tiny bowls for a spoonful of Guinness-braised boneless short ribs and a sprinkle of aged cheddar.

The hot dough is soft and light, and the meat flavorful. All four puddings quickly disappear, washed down with cold glasses of Harp and, to my friend’s delight, Strongbow cider.

I order a small shepherd’s pie ($7.99, $9.99 for large, upper right) for an entree. Instead of lamb’s meat, the flaky crust is filled with ground beef in a brown gravy and is topped with mashed potatoes. (Other pies include chicken, beef and vegetable, seafood, and leek and salmon.)

Vegetables are under-represented in the pie — just a few tiny pieces of carrot and a couple kernels of corn — but a large helping of broccoli and cauliflower comes on the side.

My friend opts for a steak and mushroom boxty ($9.99, lower left), which is a potato pancake folded like a giant soft taco. The beef is very tender. Like the short ribs in the Yorkshire puddings, the button mushrooms are braised in Guinness.

I like my shepherd’s pie, but must admit my friend chose the better entree.

For dessert, we share an order of bread pudding ($5.49, lower right), which has the appearance and consistency of a piece of cake but a nice flavor.

Other beers on tap at D’Arcy McGee’s include imports Smithwick’s, Kilkenny, Erdinger and Hoegaarden, as well as domestics like Alexander Keith’s Red Amber and Creemore Springs.

Bar offerings also include several Irish whiskeys (Jameson, Bushmills and Redbreast) and more than a dozen single malt and blended Scotches.

D’ARCY MCGEE’S
Where: Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway
Open: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Prices: Appetizers $6.99-$9.99, salads $6.99-$12.99, burgers and sandwiches $9.49-$12.99, entrees $7.99-$21.99, desserts $5.49.
Info: (480) 557-9087 or primepubs.com.

Posted in: D'Arcy McGee's • Tempe |

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