Restaurant Review: Irish bar comes out fighting

The craze has gone beyond burgers to ‘dirty food’ staples such as cheese fries and hot dogs — all topped with yet more so-bad-for-you-it’s-good oozy food.

Kitty O’Shea’s is a confusing one, then; a basement bar (formerly Pivo Pivo) with more of the Boston Irish than soda bread and stew about it — but that’s no reason to write the place off.

The other half and I grabbed the secluded snug — a plush booth set apart from the bustle of the bar — and ordered a feast.

I chose a special of pulled chicken, doused in buffalo and volcano sauces, on a plump brioche bun, along with a sizeable side of sweet potato fries.

Chicken seems to be pulling ahead of pork these days, and this was a nice departure from the norm; the chicken moist and clean, the light yet fiery sauce packing a decent punch.

Sweet potato fries can tread a fine line between perfectly crisp and overdone, and these were on the dark side — although a parmesan and rosemary topping provided a savoury tang to counteract the sweetness.

But the OH’s chilli cheese fries more than made up for it; a rich, meaty topping, cheese and sour cream providing a meal in itself.

His coney hot dog was another winner, with more of that beefy chilli piled on to a good quality dog and brioche roll.

Kitty O’Shea’s may not be anything new, but with portions fit for a king and prices to beat trendier offerings nearby (a Coney hot dog comes in at £5.50 and fries start at £2), this basement bar is a great bargain find.

If there’s one other reason to visit, it has to be the offerings from Cork microbrewery Franciscan Well available on tap.

We sampled the Rebel Red (a personal favourite), stout and a hearty IPA, all of which are likely to draw us back to Kitty’s before long — and, for under a tenner, it’s safe to say a decent meal too.

Rating: 8/10

Kitty O’Shea’s

15 Waterloo Street

Glasgow

G2 6AY

Tel: 0141 564 8100