D'Arcy's Pint

The next stop for the Culinary Delights Tenderloin Committee (CDTC) is a well-known Irish pub called D’Arcy’s Pint. Located on the near southwest side of Springfield (661 S. Stanford St.) and online at http://www.darcyspintonline.com/, it is billed as a “cozy, neighborhood-style pub,” which features “traditional Irish fare and American classics.” We were eager to see how D’Arcy’s tenderloin stacked up, because if we were analyzing the traditional horseshoe sandwich fare, they would be at the top of the list.

One of the CDTC members of the group could not partake due to an early lunch.  (What’s up with that? Another missed email or what?) Nevertheless, the remaining four members were joined by two lovely and adventurous females from our respective offices. The word adventurous is used liberally in this sense, because our companions didn’t adhere to peer pressure and order the loin. Instead, they basked in the pleasure of a ham ponyshoe and vegetable ponyshoe. After much discussion, the CDTC voted to allow them to stay.

After entering this “cozy, neighborhood-style” pub, we were politely told the wait would be approximately 20 minutes. Lo and behold, after the passing of only 10 of those long minutes we were seated by a striking young lady. One member of the CDTC was so smitten, the only thing he could say was “wowwy.”

Greetings and salutations were thrust upon us after we were seated by a pleasant waitress and her young Protégé. Our waitress took our drink orders and Protégé took the food order. D’Arcy’s is well-appointed with all the standard photos and posters from Ireland, along with a substantial bar area. It’s very clean and can accommodate many patrons.

Our colleague known for his love of cherry-flavored drinks ordered the pre-mixed cherry Pepsi, but we failed to provide the Effervescence Test on the product. After further review, the cherry Pepsi was not held in as high esteem as the handmade cherry Coke from Yesterday’s. Strike one.

The tenderloin itself was priced on the “proud” side at $7.95, which only includes potato chips. French fries were an extra $1.99. Comparatively speaking, these prices were a bit high. Strike two.

Soon after our order, Protégé brought in the loins. At first it appeared a well-balanced plate, but upon further review we noticed the loin was thin and only a handful of French fries were added. All the usual condiments were supplied – the onion and sandwich pickles were well stocked, while the beloved pickle spear made a generous contribution. 

 

Protégé was asked for “mayonnaise” and brought a Miracle Whip derivative, which was clearly salad dressing. After much debate amongst the CDTC about the authenticity of the salad dressing/mayonnaise the wait staff was asked and provided proof of this faux pas. It was in fact salad dressing…ugh! The CDTC debated the problem of an authentic Irish pub, sewn in the Catholic tradition of their country, serving salad dressing when it’s well known to all that Catholics don’t eat anything but real mayonnaise. When asked, our waitress expressed a fondness for Miracle Whip and claimed to not notice any difference between Hellmann’s and generic mayonnaise. She was clearly in need of a mayonnaise appreciation class. Swing – foul tip.

The bun was nicely toasted and well-proportioned for the size of the loin. The loin was thin, lean and juicy. The breading was crisp and golden brown, but lacked seasoning. Service was superb and Protégé will soon make a very fine waitress. However, after the meal, upon making further inquiry into the salad dressing/mayonnaise incident, it was revealed by wait staff that real mayonnaise packets were readily available. Strike three! 

All-in-all, D’Arcy’s Pint provides excellent service in a cool and comfortable atmosphere. However, the loin experience was somewhere between average and acceptable and pricey. Stick with the Horseshoe Sandwich!