Paddy Mac’s Pub & Grill takes over for the spot previously housing It’s Time and Monte’s and is the closest restaurant to Verona High School, making it a popular spot for Wildcat pregaming.
While the interior is essentially the same, the menu has been upgraded. (I said the same thing in my review about Stone Porch Alehouse.)
For example, the burgers are much better. Paddy’s Irish burger ($11) was big and messy but delicious, especially with the aged cheddar and bacon. It is dripping with Jameson aioli, which tasted like regular aioli.
If you have a big appetite, try the Wildcat ($15), which comes with two super-thick patties, aged cheddar, hashbrowns, onion straws and bacon. Be prepared to use a knife for this burger, which also was messy and delicious.
The grilled reuben ($12) was excellent. You get a big stack of tender corned beef in between buttery-grilled slices of marble rye. I would have liked a little more Thousand Island but still enjoyed every bite.
Sandwiches come with your choice of plain or flavored (parmesan or garlic) pub chips. They are absolutely doused with seasoning, so beware that while the chips are tasty, they will make you quite thirsty.
Make sure to try the savory onion haystack ($6 for a half-order, $10 for a full) if you like KFC, because the seasoning for breading tastes like fried chicken, though way saltier. A half-order is plenty, believe me.
Other menu items include Buck’s pizza, flatbreads and tacos. On Fridays, you can order baked or deep-fried cod, pan or deep-fried Alaskan walleye, shrimp, grilled salmon and perch. The deep-fried cod ($14 for two, $17 for three) was moist and flaky, but the perch ($17) was a bit dry and bland.
Breakfast also is available daily and includes staples you would find at a diner, such as country fried steak & eggs $11.95), biscuits & gravy ($9.95) and various omelets.
Paddy Mac’s Pub & Grill is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.
