Cheap Eats - O’Terrill’s boasts superb pub grub and a view, too

A friend who likes almost everything about pubs — the wide selection of beers, the burgers and battered fish that pad the belly, the atmosphere ideal for quiet conversations during the day and fall-off-your-barstool raucous come evening — says she hates actual pubs. Doggy-smelling old carpet grosses her out. Cave-like interiors render her claustrophobic. It’s no wonder that O’Terrill’s ranks supreme on her list of favorites. The popular Midtown bar and restaurant has all the trappings of a classic pub: Terrapin, Guinness and Bass on tap; a dark, smoky burrow ablaze with televised sports and neon beer signs; and outstanding fish and chips.

View to a spill: Yet, O’Terrill’s is thoroughly not pub-like. Sipping a beer at the bar inside feels much like hanging out in a friend’s basement hideaway kitted out like his own personal sports bar. Least common to a typical pub is O’Terrill’s deliciously air-conditioned patio with a view of Renaissance Park. Cradling a pint of Guinness, one guest in the far corner of the terrace took advantage of the free Wi-Fi while a group got rowdy across the room, knocking over empty glasses.

Po’boy, rich ‘wich: It’s fish fry time Friday and Saturday nights, with blue plate specials of crab cakes, catfish and, the night we visit, oyster po-boys ($6.99). O’Terrill’s does a bang-up job with the sandwich. The bread is textbook-perfect: The thin crust and light interior crackles under your fingers as you give the po’boy a bit of a squash, compacting it enough to fit in your mouth. Tufts of shredded lettuce, tomatoes and a slathering of mayo cushion the plump battered oysters, of which there are just a bit too few.

Cashin’ in my chips: Cold beer and malt vinegar dream of hooking up with O’Terrill’s battered haddock and chips ($9.99). The white flesh practically melts on the tongue, while the batter holds up, crisp to the end. House-made tartar sauce delights with its piquant flavor, but the soggy coleslaw is forgettable. Hand-sliced potato chips, ringed a caramelized brown, flutter with a lightness surprising for their satisfying thickness.

Show of force: If you didn’t get your pint in during your meal, knock back another in the form of the Guinness ice cream and brownie ($4.99). Caramel and chocolate sauce zig and zag all over two scoops of Greenwood’s Guinness ice cream atop the hefty wedge of homemade brownie in a combination that’s a little too generous and sweet. But lazing on the patio, watching early evening melt into night, a little too big and sugary proves just right.