Dining Out: Irish fare at new Richboro pub

You don’t have to wait until St. Patrick’s Day to dine on traditional Irish fare; another Irish-themed restaurant has debuted in Central Bucks County.

The Irish Horne Restaurant and Bar opened in April in Richboro with a pub-style menu that includes traditional Emerald Isle favorites plus some dishes with Irish-inspired twists.

The restaurant was opened by Ed Horne, who also owns E’s Irish Pub in Warminster, which has a limited menu. At the Irish Horne, chef Zack Lawhead has crafted a full menu that includes American favorites while honoring Horne’s Irish heritage.

The pub’s traditional Irish dishes have quickly become customer favorites, said manager Marlene Steele. “Some people are going down the list so they can try each one,” she said.

Under the heading “Irish classics” are bangers and mash, fish and chips made with cod, shepherd’s pie and short ribs braised in Guinness.

Dishes with an Irish attitude are Irish pub nachos with bacon, peppers and drunken cheese sauce, Irish onion soup flavored with Guinness, the Saint Patrick burger, the “car bomb” burger with Guinness gravy, and the Irish flag salad with baby spinach, mandarin oranges and goat cheese. Desserts include the Guinness float – Guinness with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and Irish coffee.

Among the pub foods are bacon-wrapped pickles stuffed with cream cheese and cheddar, honey-seared scallops, roast chicken, bacon-wrapped cod, and steak frites.

With eight large TV screens tuned to athletic events, the Horne qualifies as a sports bar.

There are 20 beers on tap at the Horne including Smithwick’s Irish Red All and O’Hara’s Irish Stout, and an assortment of Irish whiskies. Steele says that yes, her staff knows how to properly pour a Guinness, and some of the bartenders will oblige with a shamrock carved into the foam on top.

A specialty cocktail list is in the works and is expected to debut soon.

The Horne is located in one of Richboro’s newest shopping centers, the Addisville Commons. In addition to bar seating and tables, there is warm-weather outdoor seating.

The restaurant is especially busy on weekends, Steele said.

Other local pubs that serve Irish fare are Dubliner on the Delaware in New Hope, and McStew’s Irish Pub in Levittown.