We bopped on into the dining area which consisted of several tables in one room and a row of booths in another. A bar was situated next door in a separate room. Perusing the menu we saw that they were offering as appetizers steamed clams for $1.50 and Shrimp in the Basket for $3.00. Under the "Delicious Dinners" section was listed Mixed Seafood for $5.00, Haddock for $2.00, Veal Cutlet Parmesan for $3.50 and Spaghetti for $2.50. What bargains!

Okay, so now forty years have passed in what seems like a blink of an eye (or the strike of a computer key) and we’re again standing in front of 305 Market Street in New Cumberland. Oddly, the exterior hasn’t changed much, except for the sign which now boasts the name Coakley’s instead of Town Tavern and some new stained glass in the windows, but inside it’s a whole new ballgame.  If you enter from the front, you have the choice of entering the bar area through the typically irish green door on the left or the dining area through green door number two on the right. Having come for dinner, we chose door number two and made our way inside. Through the entrance, you enter a small foyer and then proceed into one of several rooms that comprises their dining area. Most of the rooms hold only a double handful of tables and lend an air of privacy and intimacy to this restaurant. There is also lattice-enclosed porch area in the rear of the restaurant that provides fresh air on balmy nights.

The first room you enter through the front door is long, narrow and consists of booths that would snugly fit four. You may want to ask for a booth farther into the room and away from the door, however, for patrons entering and waiting to be seated will be loom over those trying to eat in the first two booths.

If you had chosen to enter the bar area, however, one of the major changes from 1958 would make itself apparent. The bar has been moved into what used to be a storeroom and the area that once was the bar is now a dining area, which happened to be where the waitress seated us. Framed posters of Irish bars, Pittsburgh’s windows and other collectibles fit well with the dark interior and reveal the very different influences that have made Coakley’s what it is today. The whole restaurant has a lived-in ambiance that makes you feel comfortable and enhances the ancient irish pub image. It’s certainly not hard to imagine that the building has been in continuous service as a restaurant for over one hundred years.

Coakley’s menu consists of a wide variety of sandwiches, appetizers, salads and entrees. Although some of the offerings have irish-sounding names such as The Dubliner, Shannon Scampi and the Shamrock Surprise, the food is not traditional irish fare. It reflects a more american venue, although the drink list does offer Guinness, Harp and irish whiskies for those with a celtic thirst. A daily special list was inserted into the menu and was also listed on a lighted chalkboard at the end of the room. It consisted of steamed clams for $3.95, an appetizer sampler platter for $6.95, prime rib for $13.95, and pork loin marsala for $10.95.

Having decided on three separate appetizers, we eagerly awaited the first installment and were not disappointed. The dozen steamed clams were delicious, being very tender and juicy and of a small/medium size. They were served with a rather unusual clam broth and butter combination for dipping instead of the traditional drawn butter. The broth was interesting, if salty. But, if you prefer the more traditional melted butter the server will gladly bring you a side of that as well. We also sampled the "Pot ‘O’ Gold" appetizer ($5.25) which consisted of six fried mozzarella sticks which were served with the expected marinara sauce for dipping. The cheese sticks were tres excellent! They had been deep fried to a hot, crunchy sensation on the outside with lots of stringy, gooey cheese on the inside. The appetizer portion of our meal was rounded off with ten Buffalo Wings the Irish Way ($3.95). They come in a variety of flavors including: Mild, Regular, Hot, 5-alarm, Suicide, Cajun, Honey BBQ, and Garlic Butter. We ordered the hot and they were spicy, if not overwhelmingly so. But, considering that there were still two more levels above Hot (5-alarm & Suicide), I suspect they were labeled correctly. The Buffalo Wings were not the slippery, sloppy kind you find in so many restaurants, but were of a more firm, dry nature. They, too, were served with their traditional sides of celery and blue cheese.

Encouraged by the excellence of these common, but tasty appetizers, and the promptness and attentiveness of the service, we awaited our salads. They appeared in a very timely manner and were served with a basket of hot bread sticks. Most entrees on the menu are served with hot rolls and two side choices of tossed salad, baked potato, whipped potatoes, steak fries, french fries, steamed rice, vegetable du jour, pasta, cole slaw or apple sauce. Two of that evening’s diners chose the tossed salads which consisted simply of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, sliced onions and tasty croutons. Some of the dressings are touted as homemade and consisted of Honey Mustard, French, House (oil-based vinaigrette), Thousand Island and Blue Cheese. Having sampled the French, Blue Cheese and Thousand Island, I can’t recommend them enough. When I asked, I was told there was a secret ingredient in the Blue Cheese that could not be revealed upon pain of death, but it provided an unusual but very flavorful dressing. My other dining companion sampled the maryland crab soup which is a vegetable-based broth loaded with chunks of crab, celery, peas, carrots and potatoes. It also had quite a zing to it and was a nice contrast to the crispness of the salads. The bread sticks that accompanied this course were hot, fresh and crunchy.

Out of the six beef selections, seven seafood selections, seven chicken & rib selections and eight pasta selections, we chose the pork loin marsala special ($10.95), the Lucky Leprechaun ($15.95) and the crab cakes from the seafood selections and the house’s specialty, prime rib. The pork loin marsala consisted of seven to eight ¼ inch slices of pork loin that were very tender and easily cut with a fork. They were smothered in a rich, brown marsala oozing with sliced mushrooms and scallions. Some of this entree went home in a doggie bag with me, but most people would find the portion satisfactory and be able to finish it in one sitting.

The Lucky Leprechaun, which had appealed to my dining guest simply because of the name, was made up of seven or eight medium/large shrimp broiled in a wine and garlic butter sauce. The shrimp were firm, juicy and delicately seasoned. My other dining companion had ordered the petite cut of the prime rib ($14.95), but it was still a sizeable portion (10 oz.). It was, however, somewhat dry, but that was helped by the expected au jus that accompanied the entrée. We also tried the crabcakes which were absolutely scrumptious. Made of fresh chunks of crab, there wasn’t a bit of filler in sight. Even one of these generous cakes was enough for a light appetite. Our sides consisted of whipped potatoes with gravy, a baked potato and apple sauce. The whipped potatoes had a very different, but not unpleasant taste. The baked potato was very large, firm and delicious.

Other entrees we did not try, but were tempted by included the Charbroiled Chicken Santa Fe ($11.95) (which was described on the menu as "fresh chicken breast charbroiled to a golden brown with South Western seasoning, covered with salsa, topped with Cheddar and Jack cheeses and served over rice") and the King Size Galway Bay Haddock ($11.95) which is touted for those looking for something a little on the light side since it’s a haddock filet broiled or poached in butter or margarine. Those craving pasta dishes could try the Shrimp and Crab Salerno ($18.95) which consists of shrimp and crab sauteed with garlic and white wine and served over linguini with a light alfredo sauce or the Shrimp and Mushroom Marinara ($16.95).

I was informed that Coakley’s thinks of itself as a heart smart restaurant and that they will be happy to make any of their entrees in a way that fits into your dietary requirements. The chef has already made an effort to offer as many healthy recipes as possible and to cut the fat from a lot of old favorites, but if you need something poached or made a different way, they’re more than up to the challenge.

Dessert was presented on a tray and consisted of selections such as cheese cake, tira masu, key lime pie, and carrot cake. The tira masu was not the traditional dessert we all know and love, but consisted of a chocolate cake filled with a very light, whipped crème filling and topped with bittersweet chocolate shavings. The key lime pie was just average and tasted more like lemon than lime.

Afterwards, I spoke with Dick Coakley, the owner and his chef, Chad McDermott. When asked about the unusual mashed potatoes, Chad simply looked smug and wouldn’t say anything else. Obviously, it’s a closely guarded secret just like the blue cheese recipe. When asked about the menu prices, which are a little higher than you might expect, but not unreasonably so, Dick said, "it’s the difference between serving frozen or homemade food. Our prices may be a little higher, but our quality is much better than average. I have a woman that’s worked for me for over twenty years and all she does is make the homemade salad dressings, soups and sauces. Nothing leaves the kitchen that isn’t the best that we can make it through high quality, name ingredients, creative cooking and the help of the best staff I’ve ever had." If you know Dick Coakley, you must also know how very proud he is of his restaurant. He took us around and showed us all the memorabilia he has on the walls, including a stained glass window from the church in which he was married and his office that was the town jail in the 1800’s. He’s worked a long time on his business and is justifiably proud of his restaurant and his staff.

Dick also informed us that Coakley’s will be making a menu change within the next few weeks. They will be introducing a separate lunch menu which will consist of many of the favorite dinner entrees in scaled down portions and prices, such as the Pittsburgh Steak Salad. They will also be introducing some new dinner entrees for their after 5:00 p.m. menu