Easier Than Getting on a Plane or Reading Joyce's Classic

The Dubliner is a basic Irish pub on Washington street, an unassuming business in a sea of Sushi and Tapas restaurants. We were there with a small group of friends on a Thursday night for a happy hour.

First of all, the Guinness is outstanding. Go to McGurk's for the patio; go to The Dubliner for the pints. The food is higher-end pub fare- "Gastropub" if you will. We decided to start with the Charcuterie platter, which had three or so artisan cheeses and pate as well as a very odd tasting duck (I think) liver. It was not foie gras. Besides the mystery liver, everything else on the plate was very good. For our entrees, Tim kept it simple with a pub burger, but I ventured a little further with the Green Peppercorn Burger, which I can only describe as interesting. I liked it, it just tasted different. Our friends had an array of food as well, ranging from pasties, which I think were described as good, to fish and chips that smelled like the Mississippi River in July. This was the only misstep of the evening.

The service we had was also good. It was a Thursday night, so there weren't many patrons, but we had 10 or so people and no one went without a pint if they wanted more.

The Dubliner is a good option for dinner that isn't trendy or stuffy and a great option for a Guinness.

www.dublinerstl.com