Bull Feeney’s is an Irish girl’s dream come true. There’s a huge selection of beers (Smithwick’s, Guinness, Harp, Carlsberg, Stella, Shipyard, Geary’s and Allagash), a glorious menu to satisfy the Irish and non-Irish alike, and traditional Irish songs playing between pop music selections. Before I get to the food, let’s start with the most important part of the meal: beer. I ordered a Black & White (half Guinness, half Allagash) for the first time and it is now my all-time favorite beer. The boyfriend had a Black & Blue (half Guinness, half Blueberry Ale). It was clear this lunch was quickly turning into the liquid kind.
The menu (after wiping off my slobber) includes Irish stew ($10.95) with lamb and root vegetables braised in lager and Guinness, lamb chili ($7.95), lamb burgers ($9.50), Powers Irish Whiskey steamed mussels ($11.95), Irish nachos ($10.95), banger sandwich ($9.95), reuben ($7.95), sweet potato fries ($3.95) and plenty of non-Irish items like Maine boiled lobster, salads, sandwiches and stews.
The boyfriend ordered the Irish cheeseburger, ground beef topped with rashers (Irish bacon), oak-soaked Irish cheddar, lettuce, tomato and red onion on a toasted potato roll. I couldn’t pass up the bangers & colcannon ($10.95), an entree with traditional Irish sausages over mashed potatoes and cabbage cooked in bacon and onion butter covered in a lager gravy.
Seated on the second floor we watched pedestrians navigate the piles of snow, some slipping all over, as we waited for our food. The service was a little slow, but we didn’t mind. We were in no hurry. The boyfriend and I shared a cup of seafood chowder (which came just three spoonfuls before the entrees), and although I thought it was perfect, he swore it came from a can. I still don’t believe him, nor do I care. He enjoyed his Irish burger, saying it was “pretty good” but for the fact that it was barely warm. My potatoes weren’t as hot as I’d wanted, but the dish was so delish I couldn’t complain.
After forcing down as much as I could, there was no room for dessert. Wishing I had heard the desert menu before eating, I substituted a Car Bomb shot for the Car Bob cheesecake.
Car Bomb shots are a half pint of Guinness and a shot of Jameson topped with Bailey’s. The shot glass is dropped in the pint, then chugged. I am quite adept at the art of the Car Bomb and can out-chug just about anyone I know — including the boyfriend.
We left Bull Feeney’s with full, warm bellies and set out to navigate those snow piles. “How would you rate lunch, on a one to 10 scale,” I asked the boyfriend.
“I’d give it a seven or eight,” he said, “but it would have been a nine if you’re plate had come out without sauce dribble on the side.” Ahh, the ol’ chef standards are high.
“Well, dribble or no dribble, we’re going back. I’ve got to earn more freckles somehow, and consuming bangers and Car Bombs should do it!”
— Amy Martin
Bull Feeney’s is located at 375 Fore St. in Portland and is open from 11:30 am-9 pm on Sun.-Thurs. and 11:30 am-11 pm on Fri.-Sat. Call 773-7“ or go to www.bullfeeneys.com.