Checking out the neighbourhood pub - Shillelagh's

After lunching at Peters', Ezra and I headed home so he could unpack his stuff and get settled in before we headed out to what was supposed to be an early supper/mini Tribune reunion with our friends Tiffany and Adam at the Wild Rose Brewery.


We met at 5:30, so no one was particularly hungry and/or perhaps a little shy about eating if no one else was. So a couple beers (well, just one for me, because I was driving) and two and a half hours later, the conversation wound down and we went our separate ways.

"I'm so hungry I'm going to pass out!" I said to Ezra after we'd gotten into the car.
"Where do you want to go eat?"
"I think my mom said she's making tacos."
Ezra made a face. Apparently he doesn't like Mexican food. We decided to try out something close to home, but when we pulled into the parking lot in front of Sorrentino's, Ezra asked if we could see if things were busy at the pub, Shillelagh's (pronounced She-lay-lee's).

Although Game 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs between the Flames and the Blackhawks was on, the crowd wasn't too large or rowdy and we managed to find a table for two by the wall. I ordered a bison burger (with Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce!) and he got a baked lasagna.


I enjoyed the burger, though if I hadn't read the word "bison" on the menu, I wouldn't have guessed it. (Don't worry, it costs the same as a regular burger... wait a minute...) The BBQ sauce was good, though I would've liked more, and I enjoyed the lightly-toasted, herb-flecked bun. It's a little weird how they put the toppings outside the bun, but of course, it's not very hard to put it inside.

For 99¢ I could've gotten a side order of sweet potato fries (quite possibly my favourite food), but I was craving something light so I went for a salad instead. I'm always impressed when restaurant salads are more than a pile of chopped up iceberg with maybe a slice of tomato and/or cucumber on top.


Check out the artfully arranged tomato! The carrots! The spring mix!
Ezra's baked lasagna was less impressive - it looked and tasted like it came out of a box, with a melted processed cheese slice on top.

Shillelagh's was a lot of fun, and after years of wondering what went on in that seemingly tiny pub (it's actually pretty spacious and spans two floors) I'm glad I finally got to experience it. It wasn't a fancy sit-down dinner, but it wasn't Old El Paso soft taco kit, either.

Shillelagh's Pub
323-1851 Sirocco Dr SW
Calgary AB
(403) 255-4747