This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Cornelius, NC and to Galway Hooker, an Irish Pub named for Galway Bay in Ireland.

Dora here. Actually, the entire pub was deconstructed and shipped from Ireland. Cool, huh? And it fits so well in this mixed use neighborhood. 

We visited on a Sunday for brunch. By the time we left, most of the tables outside were full. A beautiful day for outdoor dining!

For my lunch I chose the Bangers & Mash: grilled banger sausage, buttermilk mashed potatoes, brown gravy, crispy onion strings and a side of jalapeno mac and cheese. The bangers were firm and meaty. The mashed potatoes were fresh with skins mixed in, and the brown gravy was hearty and warm. The highlight of this dish was the jalapeno mac and cheese, creamy and delicious with a perfect heat level.

Dora here. Perfect heat level? Coughing…the mac and cheese was in-your-face, clean-out-your-head HOT! Honestly, I should’ve waited to try the mac because it skewed my taste buds for everything else. Wiping sweat from my face…

Shepherd’s Pie is comfort food to me. 

Some of you might be wondering what’s underneath that yummy looking fluff of mashed potatoes. 

Quite a generous portion of hamburger, peas, carrots onion and brown gravy smothered in creamy mashed potatoes. I devoured all the potatoes but couldn’t finish the stuffing. Good and filling, but not jazzed with flavor like I expect from an Irish pub.

What’s your favorite Irish dish?

We rate this restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.