Dublin Castle Irish Sports Grill – Hidden Gem of a Pub in New West

Be knowin’ my fine friend, there be only 289 days ’til the wearin’ o’ the green.  St. Patrick’s Day!  Sure and b’geezus – we’ll all have a grand time.

No, you haven’t accidentally wandered onto some strange Irish blog.  This was the Cudthromach Aire (Gaelic for “Important Notice”) that was posted on the wall of the Dublin Castle Irish Sports Grill.

Never heard of the place before?  Me neither… and it’s a bit difficult to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

This Irish pub is located in the former BC Penitentiary Guard House that closed down in 1980.

Looking at the stately building, it’s quite easy to imagine this as a medieval castle in the misty isle.

We stopped by for brunch (served from 10am to 2pm Saturdays and Sundays) and started with Salt & Pepper Dublin Wings.  The chicken wings were cooked perfectly and the simpleness of salt and pepper enhanced the flavour of the chicken without overpowering it.

While they have a good selection of non-Irish food, we figured we’d try some dishes that sounded like we might find in Ireland.  The Steak and Guinness Pie ($13.99) has Guiness infused sirloin chunks and mushrooms in a rich gravy.  The pie itself was a good portion size and the thing that really impressed me was the light and flaky puff pastry – one of the best I’ve had.

The Shepherd’s Pie ($10.99) was quite satisfying and had plenty of meat and mashed potatoes smothered with a Kilkenny gravy.

As I mentioned earlier, this hidden gem is a bit difficult to find and we got lost trying to find it.  It’s located at the end of a cul-de-sac amid a bunch of residential development.

Food:  4.5 / 5
Service:  4 / 5

101 – 319 Governor’s Court
New Westminster, BC

***UPDATE: Aug 30, 2014 – Dublin Castle closed in early July 😦

www.dublincastle.ca

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