Old Pub Food

For some cheap comfort, you can’t beat a pint of Guinness with a toasted ham and cheese sandwich in Grogan’s pub, South William Street.

A gang of us rang in the New Year here, and I noticed that the sandwiches seemed almost as popular as the plain. Grogan’s are unlikely to start serving soup, let alone Thai Green Curry or Chicken Linguine, but for €3.50 you’ll get an old-fashioned white bread, toasted sandwich with a jar of Colman’s mustard to keep the hunger pangs at bay.

Opinion was split: some said that Grogan’s sandwiches smelt exactly like burnt hair, but I couldn’t get enough. SnackBox informs me that one other pub, the Blackhorse Inn in Inchicore, has a similarly limited menu, serving only soup, sandwiches, and that old classic, coddle.

Most pubs have had to start providing food just to stay alive, but a few die-hards have managed to get by on their atmosphere and a loyal clientele. A friend of Jean’s asked for a packet of crisps or peanuts in one Irish pub and was told, “this is a pub, not a restaurant.”

Do you know of any good pubs for soup and sangwiches?