Cronin and Phelan - Good Ol' Dependable Irish Pub

Since Football season is officially back, Dan is always on the hunt for a good ol' dependable pub that serves up all the games and tasty food and drink to boot.  He happens to root for the unfortunate Miami Dolphins (and those games are hard to come by in NY) so having a place to watch their games can sometimes take some convincing. 

After searching around the neighborhood for a place that would accommodate Dan's wishes and at the same time would dish out tasty eats, we found ourselves at Cronin & Phelan's.

Atmosphere:
Set up like a typical pub, Cronin's space is divided into a sizable bar area as well as a restaurant.  There's plenty of TV's around that showcase all the football games, and the staff is super nice and accommodating with the TVs.

Dan and I sat ourselves in one of the 4 person booths up front and got great access to the tennis match (for me) and the Dolphins/Patriots game for Dan.  The overall atmosphere was casual and cheery, as almost everyone was there to eat brunch, drink brew and enjoy football.  The staff is really lovely and patient with everyone's personal sports requests.

Food:
Excited to see what they had on the menu, Dan and I got a few different appetizers that we grazed on throughout the afternoon.

Irish Soda Bread - The first thing that appeared out of the kitchen (and it was on the house) was a generous helping of Irish Soda Bread. I love, love, love this treat so I was naturally excited - and Dan dug it too, deciding to break his gluten free streak.  Loving the flaky, buttery bites of this bread, it gave us high hopes for the rest of the meal, which also produced great results.

Irish Fries - It didn't take long to sell us on this dish, as it consists of well-done fries with Canadian bacon and cheddar cheese.  Everything about this snack was gluttonous, and we loved the medley of textures it served up, from crunchy (fries), gooey (cheese) to chewy (bacon).

Chicken Wings - Being tough critics when it comes to wings, I think Cronin's version did quite well, producing nice crunchy texture with just the right amount of spicy buffalo sauce.  We ordered it on the medium side, which wasn't too spicy, and overall I found the wings to be nice and meaty.  The blue cheese wasn't the greatest but all in all didn't take away from the tastiness of the dish.

Service and Cost:
Completely satisfied with the friendly and generous service, I can see why Cronin's has been a staple in the neighborhood for many years.  There's a lot of regulars that go in to enjoy the delicious food, homey atmosphere and the abundance of sports action.  All in all, I'd love to come back again and try its proper brunch menu.

Costs are fair and veer on the inexpensive side at about $25/person for the aforementioned food and a few beers as well.  We never felt pressured to leave and loved being made to feel welcome.

3 Mmmms

Cronin & Phelan's - 38-14 Broadway, Astoria NY 11102
718.545.8999
N/Q Train to Broadway or R/M Train to Steinway Street
croninandphelans.com