Mc Fadden’s
52 Pine Street
Providence
by Bob Mariani
The brick building at the corner of Pine and Peck Streets has been a bar or restaurant for as long as I’ve lived in Providence. Never mind how many years that’s been, but when I moved here, this location was occupied by Ballard’s, a sports bar/business lunch/seafood place.
McFadden’s, the current resident, reminds me of Ballard’s. It describes itself as a "New York Style Irish Pub." There are two bars and at least two dozen TV monitors, a high energy, metropolitan crowd, a friendly, energetic wait staff, lots of ambient noise and hubbub, and a menu that’s designed to go with your favorite brewski and TV sports show.
On a Thursday night at around 7pm, the place was busy but not quite packed. The menu, which is virtually the same for McFadden’s seven other restaurants in major metropolitan hubs, is a straightforward presentation of items like "sliders," an appetizer of 5 bite-size burgers topped with melted American cheese and grilled onions ($7); BBQ ribs -- a half rack of babybacks ($9); a chicken quesadilla ($7.50); buffalo tenders with blue cheese or ranch dressing ($7); classic nachos with pepperjack cheese, jalapeno, sour cream, guacamole and salsa ($7.50).
We decided to share spinach & artichoke dip ($8). It was a hot platter of mild, creamy cheeses with finely chopped artichoke and spinach accompanied by tortilla chips for dipping. There was more than enough to get two people through the first quarter of a football game.
For my entrée, I perused a list of hearty dishes like McFadden’s Burger ($8.50), an 8-ouncer with lettuce, tomato and onion; A "Balboa," described as a hot roast beef served on garlic bread with melted mozzarella cheese ($7.75); shaved cheese steak on a hero roll ($7.75); and a lobster roll on a hot dog bun ($13). I finally chose the shepherd’s pie ($11). It was a huge plate of hot mashed potatoes laced with bits of stewed chop meat and soaked in gravy with peas and carrots and onions. Nothing new here. Just a good, wholesome version of a hearty old fashioned classic.
My wife had the chicken BLT sandwich ($8)—a grilled chicken breast topped with melted cheddar, bacon, lettuce and tomato. Again, no new culinary frontiers being blazed with this one—but a well-executed crowd-pleaser that went well with whatever beer you might be having. Surprisingly, for such a manly, sports-oriented pub, the only steak on the menu was marinated sirloin tips dish in a mushroom and onion Guiness gravy.
The dessert menu is brief and to the point: a deep chocolate, no-nonsense layer cake that finishes off the robust meal like a 2-point conversion play. And there you have it, the latest culinary inhabitant of the famed Pine and Peck Street location. I must admit I’m sorry to see America – the former resident—go; but McFadden’s is a credible replacement with a less complicated and reasonably priced menu designed to go with beer and ball games. They’re open for lunch and dinner every day and there’s still a cozy separate corner room with deep leather couches and a beautiful dark wood bar that’s perfect for medium size private parties. For information call 861-1782 or visit their
website.Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Table for Two" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
