Sunnyside Irish Tavern, PJ Horgan, Delights!

It was the first really cold night of the year in NYC & Howie & I were supposed to go into the city to have dinner & see the tree but our plans changed...quite pleasantly. We decided to stay local & head to Sunnyside, Queens to a local joint called PJ Horgan Irish Bar & Restaurant at 4217 Queens Blvd. He hadn’t been there in a long time but still had sweet memories of their authentic Shepherd’s Pie & Irish Soda Bread. He didn’t have to twist my arm since Irish Pubs are one of my favorite types of places to go to especially during the Winter.

We walked under the el tracks (where we parked) & into an inviting & warm atmosphere. The interior has a dark wood bar and booths with Tiffany style lamps that give off a comforting amber hue. There are also some tables in the back & many chalkboards around with the evening's specials, artwork by Irish artists & assorted antiques. The Bartender & Server were both very friendly Irish women. You gotta love the brogue. We also noticed that several of the other customers were Irish. It definitely added to the feel of the joint.

They brought us a basket Irish Soda Bread & butter. We finished the basket in about 3 minutes. It's not like other soda breads I have had that are very dense. This one was light & fluffy. Very similar to the texture of Italian Panettone. It had the perfect amount of caraway seeds & currants. It would also make great french toast. We asked for another basket. Duh!

I had a rib eye steak, mashed potatoes & sauteed veggies & Howie ordered the Shepherd's Pie. With a couple of pints of Guinness & one of the best Irish Coffees I ever had for dessert it was the perfect Winter meal. The steak was cooked perfectly & the potatoes & veggies were fresh & delish. The Shepherd's Pie was also very good stocked with plenty of ground beef, peas & carrots covered with the same creamy mashed potatoes I had.

This is a great place to go with friends, family or on a date for brunch, lunch, dinner or just a cocktail & conversation. The prices are very reasonable & the food is definitely above the average bar grub . I can't wait to try their burgers, chicken pot pie, fish & chips & of course the Irish Breakfast one of these Sunday mornings for Brunch complete with Blood Sausage! Oh, by the way, we took the rest of that Irish Soda Bread home & it indeed makes awesome french toast!!!!
42-17 Queens Blvd, Sunnyside, NY 11104 718-729-9584 40th Street Stop on the "7" Train