A good pub, like a good dojo, is the perfect place to meet new people, learn from your elders, and practice your best ear-piercing kai. Today’s Groupon delivers a swift knifehand strike to your tastebuds. For $10, you get $20 worth of pub fare and drinks at Mulligan's Irish Pub and Grill in Franklin, where a $5 pint of Guinness is officially an appetizer.
There are plenty of Irish and non-Irish favorites on Mulligan's menu to complement their selection of 16 draft beers. To start off, raise a pint of Guinness ($5) or a tender baby-back riblet ($8.95) from the appetizers menu as you try to figure out which one of the 12 high-definition TVs is tuned to single-elimination speed knitting. For the main meal event, traditional dishes such as the popular Irish lamb stew ($10.95) and the corned beef and cabbage ($10.95) are joined by other pub fare such as vegetarian shepherd's pie ($9.95) and rotisserie chicken ($10.95). On Fridays, the chef at Mulligan's routinely demolishes expectations with the seafood specials, featuring seasonal ingredients with imaginative twists (price depending on featured seafood). Past incarnations include sweet chili-glazed Pacific swordfish and citrus-marinated Chilean sea bass, as well as a whole hog stuffed with truffles, swallowed by a tiger shark, and then barbecued and served with a side of teriyaki-glazed asparagus.
Mulligan's Irish Pub and Grill sports the requisite décor, with Smithwick's mirrors and Guinness signs on the walls, wooden dining booths, and ceilings strong enough to support all of the TVs. With 16 beers on tap, this pub provides the perfect excuse to invite your favorite regulation-size rugby union team for both a drink at the town and a night on the bar.
Reviews
The Shepherd Express says:
- Mulligans is a congenial place at all times. Of the local Irish pubs, Mulligans prepares the Irish basics as well as anybody, especially the corned beef. This is the type of pub that would be welcome in any neighborhood. – Jeff Beutner
Four TripAdvisors give Mulligan's four owl eyes, and 90% of over 100 Urbanspooners like it:
- Great staff, clean, great happy hour (twice per day) and the best Irish food this side of Dublin! Try the Sheperd's [sic] Pie! – Wags, Urbanspoon
Mulligans Irish Pub & Grill
Of the 113 intrepid souls who've attempted to conquer the Paddy's Lament burger challenge at Mulligans Irish Pub & Grill, only two have succeeded. It's not a feat that ought to be taken lightly—contestants have 60 minutes to finish a three-pound burger topped with a half-pound of cheese, a pound of corned beef, and veggies, as well as a mountain of beer-battered fries. Victors are rewarded with bragging rights, a $50 gift card, and an approving head nod from the cook.
For diners not hungry enough to take on the challenge, however, there's plenty of other more reasonably sized pub favorites on the menu, such as tangy buffalo-chicken pizza and meaty nachos. Mulligans is a three-time winner of the Sticky Fingers Chili Cook-Off, a four-time winner of the Milwaukee Chili Bowl, and the people's choice winner at the Taste of Ireland for best Irish stew. There's also a sweeping variety of authentic Irish favorites, including corned beef and cabbage, shepherd's pie, and fish and chips in a Harp beer batter that's been lauded by reporters from Express Milwaukee as "feathery" and "flavorful." On weekly Friday fish fries, the kitchen serves fried haddock, lake perch, and bluegill along with internationally inspired specialties such as barbecued asian shrimp and spicy seafood linguini.
The bar also boasts 16 draft beers and more than 20 varieties of Irish whiskeys. There are 21 HD TVs scattered throughout the bar and seating areas, broadcasting everything from thrilling football games to thrilling laundry detergent commercials.