When you think of Rhode Island seafood is the first thing that comes to my mind. That is what I was planning on eating until I passed Murphy’s Pub. It was located pretty close to where I was staying. They have been around since 1929 so I knew I could not pass up an opportunity to try a little piece of history.
They are a classic Irish pub with a beautiful wooden bar. They were pretty crowded when I arrived, but I was still able to get a seat at the bar. My timing was perfect because within 15 minutes of arriving the place was packed and it was standing room only.
I watched the bartender make Moscow Mules and I decided that I would get one, especially since they were served in copper mugs. The taste was perfect and it was nice to see they used a locally made ginger beer.
Their soup of the day was Italian sausage. It sounded comforting so I started with a cup of that. The sausage was crumbled in the soup so I was able to get the taste of sausage in each bite.
I ordered a stuffed Quahog to have along with my soup. I have never had this dish before so I was excited to try something new. It was chopped up clams mixed with stuffing, then cooked in a giant clam shell. It was really hot when it came out so I had to let it cool off a little. Once it cooled it did not take me long to finish it. The clams were tender and tasted perfect with the fluffy stuffing. It was a nice balance of both ingredients.
I was still a little hungry so I ordered a sandwich. I went for their “City Hall Steak and Cheese”. It was hanger steak sautéed with onions and mushrooms and it was smothered with white American cheese. They served it on a nice Italian roll. It was essentially a Phily cheesesteak but considering I was in New England Patriots country I knew they were never going to call it that.
The sandwich was huge, much larger than I was expecting. The steak was very tender and was even more amazing being covered in cheese. The onions were sweet and the mushrooms added extra texture to the dish. It also came with a side of their homemade potato salad. They use red potatoes which are my favorite.
Based on the constant crowd of customers, Murphy’s Pub is a popular place. I am so glad I stopped in and tried what they had to offer. I would highly recommend anyone visiting Providence to check them out. www.murphysprovidence.com
Enjoy!
T
