The Claddagh Restaurant & Pub

 

Located at 130 East Parris Avenue in High Point (with a sister location in Asheveille), The Claddagh serves Irish pub fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week. There is a full bar, food specials change daily, and a brunch is offered on Sundays.

 

Named for a traditional Irish ring and boasting an equally traditional (for the most part) menu, the Claddagh has the Gaelic pub look down cold, an image solidified by the tricolours displayed amid the wood-and-brick interior. Whatever its bonafides, however, the Claddagh offers a fairly underwhelming experience.

 

My first visit here was to place and pick up a takeout order. The hostess who greeted me was amiable, but none of the front-of-house staff seemed to be wearing masks. The food also took a few minutes longer than estimated though it wasn’t an unreasonable wait by any means.

 

I went with fried green tomatoes, a half-order of fish and chips, and a half-order of shepherd’s pie to feed two. Though the half-orders were billed as enough food for anyone who wasn’t starving, portion sizes skewed small. Prices also seemed inflated for the restaurant’s concept. Our half orders were $10 apiece with full orders starting in the mid-teens. The fried green tomatoes, an app, ran $11.49. A good value this is not, but it would be pardonable for top-notch food.

 

On that account, The Claddagh is a mixed bag. The fried green tomatoes, thickly battered and accompanied by a deliciously zesty smoked gouda pimento, were very good and well worth it. The fish, a beer battered cod, was likewise battered well and nicely crisped without being dry inside. The shepherd’s pie was heartily satisfying though the flavors were a bit understated. On the other hand, the sides ranged from forgettable (slaw) to bad (flavorless, freezer fry-grade chips).

 

The Claddagh’s menu appeal and the meal’s high notes were enough for me to not write this place off completely, but if I return, it will be with lowered expectations.