Doyle's Public House

Where: 208 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.238.5359
When: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily
Scene: Dark with plenty of wood and tile — very manly.
Menu: Simple but manly with stews, sausages, subs and nuts.
Drinkies: Yep. A great collection of Irish whiskey, plus a collection of beer from the UK (and the standards as well).
Damage: $6.95 to $11, nothing that will break the bank. The portion sizes warrant any expense.

ANNOUNCER: Jason’s wife quivers with fear.  Jason and Josh revel in Doyle’s comfort food with a neighborhood feel and sports on the screen (including every Red Sox game).  They hug the new Irish bar on St. Helens near Tacoma’s Temple Theatre with its hard tile flooring, long, thick wood bar, dark lighting, and bevy of alcohol seven days a week. It’s a man’s place, but Jason’s wife likes it too.  She’s just a wee bit worried the boys might live there.

JASON: We sound like drunks.

JOSH: On that note, the beverage selection thrills with nearly every whiskey imaginable and several imported beers to boot.  After several prompt questions, my bartender introduced me to a UK imported porter — St. Peter’s Old Style Porter.  Unlike a traditional stout, St. Peter’s Old Style Porter is a flavorful, light bodied dark beer, which is a blend of an old, mature ale with a light beer, brewed together in traditional porter fashion.  It is lightly carbonated, which makes for easy drinking. And it sports a really cool 500 ml rectangle bottle.

JASON: The bottle has rounded edges, and yes, it goes down smoothly.

JOSH: Doyle’s has the beverages covered, so where does that leave the other ingredient?

JASON: Lassies?

JOSH: Down, boy. Didn’t you comprehend the announcer?  
Doyle’s offers a traditional Irish bar fare menu, not American traditional, but items such as Guinness stew, bangers and mash, corned beef — the grub you would expect at an Irish pub.

JASON: The dashing interior calls for a dashing menu design — It’s long and skinny with a drawing of the public house on the cover.  Inside, the first two pages discuss the snacks, salads and soups, sandwiches and house specialties.  The next three pages are a breakdown of the beer and wine.  As mentioned, the beer menu impresses.  It sports the usual suspects, even Yankee brands, but also a UK collection including Samuel Smith, Fuller’s, Belhaven and even Lindemans’ Pomme Iambic. 

JOSH: Food.  We’re discussing food.
I went straight for the bangers and mash — Irish sausage and mashed potatoes smothered in gravy and served without a vegetable in sight (see: man’s place noted above). 

JASON AND JOSH: Men, men, men, men … .

JOSH: The bangers and mash — meat and potatoes — my porter and me lounging in the window with the cool evening breeze.  An absolutely perfect evening.

JASON: I kicked off one evening with the spicy nuts in the “snacks” section.  I guess that’s Irish for appetizer.  Toasted cashews and almonds in a slightly spicy mix arrived warm and soft; I couldn’t stop eating them.  Next, I savored the daily soup special — split pea.  This little beauty spooned light and creamy with sweet carrots here and there.  Split pea haters might smile — it’s not heavy on a pea or woody flavor, pure heaven.

JOSH: I’m bangers and mash hardcore lunching on the delight two days later with another St. Pete’s. For those seeking a lighter meal than the aforementioned meat and potatoes but also not into wimpy soups and salads like my brother, Doyle’s serves a bounty of tasty sandwiches.  On my third visit I chose the Cheesy British Sub, which included the regular mayo, mustard, pickle, lettuce and tomato portion, as well as turkey, ham, roast beef and cheddar cheese.  Easily a foot long, toasted and served with either a salad or soup, I rode it through lunch and then snacked on it later.

JASON: That’s saying a lot for you.

JOSH: Well, let’s look at what Doyle’s offers: good food, huge selection of drinks, great atmosphere, sports on the tele; this truly is a man’s place.  Considering it is located in my neighborhood, I feel confident that my relationship with Doyle’s has only just begun — to live. 

JASON: Stop.

JOSH: Even if it weren’t in my neighborhood, it’s an easy spot right in downtown Tacoma, and I’d still come back.

JASON: And who doesn’t like Guinness in a bread bowl?  OK, it’s Guinness stew in a bread bowl, but let’s not split hairs.  The bowl was toasted, hollowed and filled with a decent stew.  The flavors were rich and meaty, and the serving size average. This won’t satisfy a rugby player, but it’s a good choice after a polo match.  I’m going back for the German pretzel sometime (I thought the Irish hate the Germans?) served with a stone-ground mustard.  I also have my eyes set on the chicken pie — it looked delicious. 

JOSH: Welcome to the neighborhood, Doyle’s.

JASON: I love you, Doyle’s.  You too, honey.