Clancys Pub - Brooklawn, NJ

Posted by Chewru Guru

March 27, 2008

Roomy Pub a Great Alternative To Large Chains

Clancy’s Pub
Brooklawn, NJ (another store in Sewell, NJ)
Get Directions
Menu: Clancy’s Website Menu
Meal: Dinner / 8pm / Weekday
Price: $35 (For Two - No Drinks - Includes Tip)

If you’re tired of hitting up TGI Friday’s or Applebee’s all the time, Clancy’s is a sure-fire bet to go somewhere a little different than still feels strangely familiar. More like the aforementioned casual eatery joints than a local ‘pub’, Clancy’s offers you all the room you need to meet, greet, and mingle while still getting great food and all the alcohol you need.

We swung by the Brooklawn location on the side of Rt130, which is fairly accessible and clearly marked. There looked to be a good amount of parking, and we really liked the the exterior, which included an outdoor patio with several tables that they presumably open seasonally. Once inside, you’re greeted with a choice to sit at the bar, tables near the bar, or to be seated in the dining area ‘downstairs’ - which is really just two small steps below. Still, the bi-level feel is a neat touch and serves as a effective buffer from the bar crowd and noise, if you’re not into that kinda thing. The tables and booths are all wooden; the booths do not have any padding whatsoever, but are polished, finished, and seem to be high-quality furnishings. We didn’t think they were uncomfortable for the time we were there, but both of us felt that even a minimal layer of foam across the top of the seat would really work wonders. As suggested, the place is quite large for the moniker of a pub, and we counted somewhere in the area of two-dozen televisions mounted on the wall (most of which were in the bar). The Sewell location does not appear to be nearly as large as its brother in Brooklawn.

We didn’t order any drinks this time around (so we’ll need your input on that!) but we did shy away from their regular menu to try their dinner specials. Autumn ordered the shrimp fra diablo, a pasta ‘n shrimp creation that was supposed to be very spicy. I tried their grilled tuna steak on fresh greens with a side of their homemade corn crab chowder. We thought the waitress was good - not only in her courtesy to us - but in her ’suggestive selling’ and encouragement for us to try other items from the menu. I caught her with a question about the size of the tuna steak (she actually lowballed the size, suggesting it was 5oz when it looked to be closer to 8oz), but had also admitted that I was the first person who had ordered it from her. We did notice, though, that she was alone in the dining room and service speeds were really only slow-to-average. I’ll let Clancy’s worry about the economics, but on this particular weeknight it looked like they could have used another waiter/waitress on the floor.

The chowder came up first and was very good. I’ve had the chowder before and it’s one of my favorites, but occasionally they go a little overboard with the spices and I was pleased that this particular cup was just right. They won’t do you any favors on the size - as their version of a cup expires in just a few large spoonfuls. Still, considering that I havent found another place with a soup I enjoy as much as theirs, I happily pay the $2.95. Autumn’s diablo came with a complimentary full loaf - a good 12 inches - of italian bread, pre-sliced. The bread wasn’t exceptional like you might find in some Italian restaurants, but they gave you a lot and we liked it. The sodas came with free refills, and I burned through the first two ice-packed glasses so quickly that the waitress brought me a full glass without any ice to save her two more refill trips. Good thinking.

Our meals came in a reasonable amount of time and were presented very nicely, with garnishing on the plates and overall looked great. Although I ordered my tuna steak medium rare, it was only faintly pink throughout which I’d consider more cooked than I liked. I immediately realized this wasn’t the mouth-watering ahi tuna sushi-grade steak I loved at Bahama Breeze, but at under $11 for a medium-sized portion I was fairly content. What I did miss was some sort of side dish that I would have happily paid for. The greens underneath included spinach and assorted lettuces with diced tomatoes and onions on top, and was a great compliment to the tuna. Autumn noted that she wished the fra diablo sauce was a little bit thicker and spicier as a personal preference. For all the pre-meal talk from the waitress about how good and spicy it was, Autumn seemed to think it was much more mild than advertised. While she liked the marina-style sauce, she thought it was a little on the watery side which may have explained the lack of kick in the flavor. No complaints on the pasta and shrimp, however, as they were both cooked well and tasted great on their own.

If you go, I’d recommend trying their chicken wings (12 for $6.95) and their chicken pot pie ($8.95); they have established a very good reputation for both of them and I’ve had them both many times. For the sake of the review, however, we felt it was important to try something outside of our immediate Clancy’s comfort zone.

Pros:

- Lots of space for friends and family
- Large bar area, tons of TVs
- Very polite service
- Reasonable prices
- Outdoor seating

Cons:

- Doesn’t have a really defined personality
- Service times, while not offensive, were fairly slow for a weeknight
- Dinner entrees are ala carte .. no freebies
- Outdoor patio has no additional bar

Guru’s Score: 3.55 Chews