Ballydoyle

Went to eat at Ballydoyle in Downers Grove, an English/Irish Pub.  It was a late celebration of St. Patrick's Day for us.

 


Corned Beef Bites

As an appetizer we had Corned beef bites - they were corned beef and cream cheese shaped into balls and fried. It filled Nick's need for corned beef for St Patty's day. They were warm and freshly fried. We were a little apprehensive about the cream cheese but it went together well with the corned beef.  They were served with a cocktail sauce, but it really was not the best sauce to pair them with as it was too tangy and strong.  The cocktail sauce over powered the corned beef; maybe a honey mustard or mild mustard sauce would have been better.

For entrees we ordered a Steak Boxty and Bangers and Mash.  In Irish, a Boxty means "poor house bread".  The menu described the boxty as a homemade potato pancake cooked on a griddle and wrapped around a filling.  The potato pancake was actually thin and crepe-looking; not exactly what we expected  from a potato pancake (i.e. not like a Jewish/Polish pancake).  But it was very delicate and nicely wrapped around tender well flavored steak.  Nick wishes he could have tried the corned beef boxty.

Inside a corned beef bite

The Bangers and Mash were several links of Irish sausages with a mountain of mashed potatoes.  The bangers were well balanced in the spice arena and served in a light gravy. Natalie was hoping that they would be sweet like the bangers we ate at Chequers in La Grange but they were still delicious.

Final thoughts on Ballydoyle:
Food - tasty, would like to try their corned beef in a more traditional presentation.  Otherwise standard bar fare.
Service - when we walked in there was a sign that said to seat yourself, which seemed a little odd. Then we felt like we waited a long time to get menus and water.  After that everything was served very quickly.


Steak Boxty

Atmosphere - most people probably come here for the pub atmosphere so eating here on a Monday night doesn't really exude the same feeling as on a weekend.  But in the bar area they do have a stage for band performances to take place at night. Something else we noticed is that the waitresses are dressed in kilts and t-shirts - maybe trying to be like Tilted kilt, just a little more subdued an not overtly sexual.

Bangers & Mash