A Matter Of Taste

The Pub at 202 Locust Street
202 Locust Street, Harrisburg 
232-9914


by Sue Barry

Traditional Irish pub hospitality greets you at The Pub at 202 Locust Street, an up-to-date Irish-theme bar and grill in downtown Harrisburg. If you walk through the entrance and into the front room, a long wooden bar hugs the right wall. Taps are in place with a few favorite Irish libations. Upon the brick facade hangs mirrors and stained glass panels depicting the rolling hills of the Irish countryside. Ceiling fans with fluted lights hover quietly overhead. This pub is clean and airy, not at all like the down and dirty pubs of yore.

If you were to keep walking past the bar, you’d step up into a casual dining room where the same decor is carried through. A large screen TV is situated low along the left back wall by the farthest table. A tough table to sit at if you wish to watch sports on that TV; for that matter, it’s tough for anyone in The Pub to watch it.

When one goes to a pub, one expects good beer. And while Guinness and Bass define good beer, selections at The Pub should expand beyond these expected types to include Murphy’s and McCaffrey’s and even some local beers. However, an added embarrassment, I would say, was that the beer cooler was all but empty on our visit.

When one goes to a pub, one expects good pub food. And we did get good pub food at 202 Locust Street. Although the menu does not carry many Irish specialties, the two starters that they do offer are a typical Irish stew and potato soup. The Lamb Stew ($5.95) is rich and hearty, laden with meaty lamb and chunks of carrots and onions and garnished with chopped chives. It will truly convert anyone who shies away from lamb. The Potato Soup ($3.95), although not intended to be exhilarating, has a nice mellow flavor and good consistency. Both the stew and the soup are served in large wide rimmed bowls and make you warm up to this place in no time.

After a recommendation by our zealous waiter, we tried the Calamari ($7.50) as an appetizer. These deep fried rings were sautéed in olive oil and then mounded on a platter served with marinara sauce. As an alternate dipping choice, our waiter brought us a side of the Caribbean sauce that is usually served with The Pub’s Tuna Salad Sandwich ($5.50). Our waiter had us pegged, as he knew we would enjoy this more exciting side to the Calamari.

Irish Wings ($6.95) were flying on a recent Saturday night with the right amount of hot sauce mixed with a subtle taste of Stout, but they would have been better if they were served a tad crispier. Alternatively, if you judge a pub on their fries, The Pub gets the golden shamrock award as having the best — served thick, crisp, piping hot, and flavorful.

The 202 Burgers ($5.95- $6.95), made with 100% Angus beef, are packed with flavor, juicy and succulent, and are a good choice for beef lovers. Served with the great pub fries, toppings include the staple lettuce and tomato, while bacon and your choice of cheese can be added. A classic grilled Reuben sandwich ($7.25) of piled high thin sliced corned beef topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing on rye bread was fair, but should not fairly be compared to the favorite New York deli prototype.

A Chef’s special recipe for a mildly seasoned Chicken Salad creates a sandwich ($5.75) so full of large chunks of chicken that when handling it is difficult to keep the salad contained within its fresh Kaiser bun.

From chicken to the sea comes a non-traditional Fish & Chips served with malt vinegar and pub fries. This dish is non-traditional in that The Pub uses salmon instead of cod or another white fish fillet as its fish to batter and deep fry. As far as fish & chips are concerned, besides cod, I have seen haddock & chips, halibut & chips, sole & chips, even smoked cod & chips — but I must say that this was the first time I ever had deep fried salmon or have even seen deep fried salmon on a menu! Using salmon does elevate the cost, but if you’re willing to pay $12.95 for fish & chips you will find The Pub’s salmon fish & chips have a low grease factor and, at 1” thick, have batter and flesh cooked perfectly and quite tasty.

Although not seeing many patrons order dinners, they are also offered at The Pub — hand cut steaks, pastas, crab cakes, and other seafood. The Grilled Swordfish dinner ($12.95) was done as ordered, tasty and plentiful, and featured a nice variety of roasted vegetables on the side. A recent Saturday night visit found The Pub with no specials and no desserts … and offering no excuses.

The Pub starts to pack ’em in later at night for the 20-something bar scene. We hear there are thoughts of opening up the second floor for dining and making a side entrance which would allow dining patrons direct access to tables without having to shuffle through a crowded bar. Aside from the specials and desserts, that would probably promote dinner patrons even more.