In a small borough nestled into the main line, is a tiny family owned bar and restaurant named McShea’s.
Walking in you will be greeted with a feeling of familiarity and told by a passing waitress to take any table that is available. The informal, cozy and friendly environment makes you feel right at home.
Quick service is something McShea’s pride themselves on. To start the meal, drinks are brought with a starter of warm creamy crab dip with crackers and bread.
You can enjoy the appetizer while looking over a menu of stereotypical pub food with a sprinkling of unique but delicious options. We picked a nice selection of different dishes.
My family and I sampled soup, nachos, shimp mac and cheese, salad and hot wings. The factors that set McShea’s above the rest, are numerous.
The nacho chips, buried under a large helping of cheese and chili, are homemade and fried fresh daily. The salad was a large piece of salmon cooked to perfection perched atop a generous helping of fresh veggies, all drizzled with a slightly spicy chipotle ranch dressing. The combinations of flavors within each of the dishes served at McShea’s offers a scrumptious, and sometimes unexpected, experience.
Do not fear, the prices are reasonable and ordering is a breeze. You can get exactly what you want because of the option to switch out your protein for any number of other choices.
The atmosphere screams small-town Irish dive bar. The wooden floor is warn and rustic, while the walls are littered with small plaques of gaelic sayings and Irish nick-nacks.
The bar runs the length of the front section of the restaurant. The entire wall behind it is lined with different types of liquors and bottles.
A small section of space is left for rows of mugs. If you are 21 or older you may want to partake in the Beer Box Challenge. This task is a great incentive to not only revisit McShea’s but to also widen your knowledge of beers.
You are given one year to try 50 different beers at the bar, and when you conquer that feat, a mug will be displayed on the wall with your name for two years. Then, you are either given your mug or offered to try again. Within the 2 years that your personalized mug is displayed you will drink from that. This allows you to enjoy 22oz for the same price as the average customer pays for a 16oz beer.
If you are looking for a night of fun, this small town is only a short train ride from Cabrini. Hop on at the Radnor station, inbound toward the city and it will take you just about 15 minutes to end up in the heart of Narberth. When you arrive you will have a choice of local shops, a movie theater, a couple restaurants and three bars to choose from all in a three block radius.
So, next time you are headed somewhere on the Paoli- Thorndale regional rail line, or just driving by the tiny borough, stop in for the friendly environment and the delectable food.
For a small info box:
Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11am- 2am
Sun: 10am- 2am
Address:
242 Haverford Ave.
Narberth, PA 19072
Parking:
Metered- Bring quarters!
Website:
http://www.mcsheas.com/index.html
