Brittingham’s Irish Pub & Restaurant Misses the Mark

Restaurant:
Address: 640 E Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill, PA, 19444 (610.828.7351)

Rating: ★★ (2) out of 5 stars
Style:  Irish-American cuisine, with unique seafood selections; suitable to bring the family
Food: Authentic Irish pub fare, as well as traditional American menu standards
Atmosphere: Lively Irish décor and sports pub, large dining rooms
Parking: Yes (large lot for parking)
Service: No reservation needed; polite, yet inattentive waitstaff
Price Range: $$
Unique Feature: wide beer and food selection; live music Thurs - Sun

Brittingham’s Irish Pub & Restaurant has always struck me as I place I would love to frequent. It could be the allure of its Irish-themed appearance, the history of the building and location, or even the convenient 5-minute drive from the heart of Conshohocken. Whatever it was, my expectations for Brittingham’s were very high, which could have been why we left underwhelmed after our visit. It could have been something else though.

We arrived at on a Sunday evening at 7:00pm, knowing that with an Eagles game starting at 8:00, we’d be able to see how rowdy this sports pub would get. As we walked in, we were instantly enamored with the Irish décor and ambience, as well as the impressive arrangement of beers on tap. We stood at the hostess’s perch, waiting for any direction from the waitstaff, until about a minute later, when the bartender told us to sit wherever. While getting situated in a booth near the bar, we looked around to see a (mostly) empty dining room, and only a few locals getting ready to enjoy the game.

Though the smell of Guinness and Smitwicks hung in the air, we both ordered a regular and diet coke, respectively. Even in an empty bar, it took a little while to bring us our drinks. Eventually, our drinks were served, but they had brought out two diets (this was clearly a mistake, and a small one at that, so I asked for the regular). Only after waiting 10 minutes for the correct drink order did I begin to feel unappreciated as a patron.

Purposely showing up with an empty stomach, we ogled the appetizer list until we could find something agreeable. Though I was curious about the Cheesesteak Egg Rolls, we decided on the Irish Potato Skins. We were batting .1000 with our menu selections, as the skins were baked very well, full of chopped bacon and cheddar cheese, and ultimately filling. After deciding on our entrees, we felt a bit miffed by the waitress sitting at the bar, enjoying a familiar conversation with the bartender as we craved round two of the meal. Once she came around, she apologetically took our orders and checked to see if refills were necessary.

Fortunately, our meals were prepared and served without much of a wait whatsoever. I ordered the Prime Rib Melt with Au Jus. The bread was fresh and filling, and the beef was warm and smothered in sautéed onions and provolone cheese. Though there was no Au Jus sauce served with the sandwich, I chalked it up to forgetfulness or the case of an ill-revised menu. As I was more than halfway through my meal, the waitress came over with the sauce that was originally promised.

My girlfriend ordered a restaurant special, appropriately titled ‘The Crab Britt’. The sandwich was comprised of American cheese topped on a heaping of lukewarm Lump crab meat, mayonnaise and bacon, arranged on an untoasted English muffin; overall, we both thought that it was definitely edible, but that it lacked something, possibly seasoning (or creativity). We tried each other’s meals and deemed my sandwich as the winner, no contest. And though they complimented our meals nicely, the French Fries didn’t appear to be fresh & hand-cut, but more like the type of frozen fry that you’d get from an Ore-Ida bag.

After our plates had been cleaned from the table, we started eyeing up the dessert menu. In a final crushing blow towards my hope for Brittingham’s, the waitress simply walked by and dropped the check without asking if there would be anything else. So just like that, we paid the bill and said our goodbyes. The saddest part as our evening winded down was that the dessert list looked great, with options ranging from Original Irish Whiskey Cake to Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake. But alas, maybe I’ll find out next time.

Now clearly, with every restaurant comes the vulnerability of an unpredictable waitstaff, so it’s really not fair to throw Brittingham’s completely under the bus. But still, after having my first expectations and final impressions collide into a wave of disappointment, I can’t justify blaming my expectations. I will definitely try Brittingham’s Irish Pub & Restaurant again, I just hope that next time, they also try.

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Related Topics: Restaurant Reviews, Brittinghams