Shack Lunch

the roast chicken lunch plate and 2 pints of stout at The Shack pub in AthloneJust look at that there.

Don’t you wish you were sitting right there, about to tuck into that gorgeous, steaming platter of roast chicken, rosemary stuffing, steamed veg and half mash and chips with a frosty, beautiful pint of stout standing proudly behind it, sweating chilled beads of condensation?

Oh lord, it hurts just to describe it.

This is an example of the dinner (see my explanation of the Irish use of the word “dinner”) awaiting you at The Shack Pub every weekday afternoon. I tend to blog about the Shack Session every week, but I’ve not mentioned that, in my humble opinion, there’s hardly a better place to have your dinner. It must be said that their roast chicken is a falling-off-the-bone, mouth-watering experience so superlative that I hardly ever order anything else.

The Shack maintains a solid, to-the-point offering of about 8 items that includes 3-4 daily specials alongside a core of Irish pub lunch favourites like roast chicken, fish & chips and bangers & mash. The specials can range from curry to fajitas to chinese dishes – I suppose it depends on what the chef feels like making. There is also a selection of appetisers and desserts for those with more time on their lunch hour than myself.

With two roaring fires, open beams and antiques and instruments of every description tucked into every nook and cranny, the Shack’s cosy, eclectic decor is a welcome respite from the madness the world can throw at a body before the lunch hour. Include their fantastic pub fare in the equation and you can hardly find a nicer place to be for your afternoon meal.