Shepherd’s pie, commonly referred to as cottage pie in Ireland, is a popular Celtic dish. It is commonly found on menus at Irish pubs, either made with beef or lamb. While I typically review the dish as part of my review of Irish pubs (except for instances where it is made with lamb), I want to try different prepared “TV dinners.”
Fadó Irish Pub is a group of pubs with locations along the East Coast of the United States. The name itself means “long ago.” The pubs began in 1996 and have become staples in their communities since. I recently visited the Philadelphia location, and it was delightful.
On Friday, November 14, 2025, the Dubliner on the Delaware, located in New Hope, Pennsylvania, announced on social media that they will be closing at the end of the year after more than a decade in business.
On September 20, 2025, I went to Philadelphia’s Plough and the Stars. It is located at
123 Chestnut Street in Old City. The pub hosts live music and is known for
their excellent traditional Irish cuisine.
This pub is the first pub I ever went to in Philadelphia, so
it holds a special place in my life, even a decade later. From what I have
heard, George Donaldson from Celtic Thunder (may he rest in peace) used to
perform here under the painting of the blue bowl upstairs.
I ordered my typical shepherd’s pie. Most Irish pubs use a long and shallow dish to serve this meal. However, the Plough and the Stars used a round dish to serve the food, allowing for more depth. It would make sense to have more meat and vegetables on the bottom, which did happen, but the mashed potatoes were piled high on top. Their shepherd’s pie is made with beef. Usually, the potatoes tend to be flavorless when people make shepherd’s pie, but that was not the case here.
The Black Sheep Irish pub in Philadelphia opened in 1999. It is
located near Rittenhouse Square. I went on August 28, 2025. It was the second
time I had been there, but my first time going alone. It was just as good as I remembered
it being the first time I went a few years ago. When I went with my friends, I
had found the pub on Google Maps and decided to take a chance, and they did not
disappoint.
The food was delicious. I had the shepherd's pie both times I went. It is made with ground sirloin (some places make it with lamb). They brought out HP sauce to go with it. I tried a bit this time out of curiosity, and it was so good, but I ate the shepherd's pie mostly on its own without the sauce. When I went a few years ago with some friends who were in town, they loved what they got as well.
.jpg "McGillin's Pub Philadelphia")
McGillin’s has been open since 1860, making it Philadelphia’s
oldest continuously operating tavern. It was originally opened by Catherine and
William McGillin, who were Irish immigrants, under the name Bell In Hand Tavern. The customers
who came to the bar simply called it “McGillin’s,” which is its current name. It
is located at 1310 Drury Street in Philadelphia, PA.
I went there on Saturday, August 9th, 2025, around 11:30 am. It is nestled off a side street in Center City, just a few minutes’ walk from City Hall. As soon as I walked in, I was amazed at all of the cool décor lining every inch of wall space throughout the building.
Harrigan’s Pub is located on County Line Road in Hatboro,
Pennsylvania. It is located in a shopping center with a bank and some stores. They
offer a variety of food and beverage options as well as music and events. There
are what looked like slot machines or other types of games next to the bar.
I went to the pub around noon on Sunday, August 3rd, 2025. This was my first time at this restaurant, though I have driven past it several times. When I walked in, I saw a bunch of people in military uniforms at the bar. I realized that the restaurant is near Bittleton Air Base. Still, I could not help but feel like I was walking in on some important meeting. After I looked around, I realized there were other patrons there as well, so I felt better about going in.
Garvey's Irish Pub is located on 41st Street in New
York, New York, right off 7th Avenue in the heart of Times
Square. It used to be called Gleason's before it changed to Garvey’s. It is
right down the block from the Hampton Inn and other hotels, as well as a few
Broadway theaters.
If you are looking for the restaurant on Google Maps, it might not show up unless you search for it yourself. When I was planning where to eat this past weekend while in NYC, I was looking up Irish pubs to eat at (shocking, I know). I was staying at the nearby Hampton Inn and found several in the Times Square area, but did not see Garvey’s until I was going to Carnegie Pizza.