Harrington’s
There's no shortage of Irish pubs in Greater Boston, but if you're north of the city, there's one spot that's been welcoming guests like family and serving up comfort classics for over 20 years.
Harrington's in Wakefield, Massachusetts, is a North Shore favorite for Irish inspired dishes and, well-poured pints. The large bar, cozy snug booths, and dark wood motif has visitors feeling right at home.
And at Harrington's, it's always a family affair because the pub is family-owned and named after co-owner Lisa O'Neill's family back in the old country.
“Harrington's is my mother's name from Ireland. My family's from County Cork and we named it, one day, my mother's cousin was here from County Cork, so she walked in and she said, ‘Harrington's’. Of course, you're going to feel it when you walk in, you feel like you're in a family-owned business. We want you to feel comfortable.”
“Whether you're dining by yourself, dining with one other person or, you know, a large party of ten. We want you to feel comfortable and welcome. We pride ourselves on food from scratch. We want people to come in and have a great experience.”
That welcoming experience starts with the appetizers.
Like the crock of French onion soup, slow simmered beef broth with caramelized onions and leeks topped with toasted bread and cheese for a melty, savory spoonful.
Or the loaded Brussels sprouts, oven roasted and tossed with blue cheese crumbles, bacon, and a balsamic glaze.
But you can't go wrong with some potato wedges at an Irish pub, especially the way they do it at Harrington's.
“We definitely love potatoes, right? The potato wedges are. It's a baked potato, again made from scratch. We section it, cover it with cheese, melt it in the oven and serve with sour cream on the side. They're delicious. Yeah. And they're very filling. Like, often I could easily have them for just a meal.”
“It's a whole potato. It's not a small portion. It's a large portion.”
But if that's not filling enough, Harrington's offers some delicious handhelds as well.
The ultimate grilled cheese patty is a perfect combination of a grilled cheese and a burger. It's Angus beef sandwiched between cheddar, American and mozzarella cheese with bacon all on grilled sourdough.
If you're craving a classic burger, Harrington's has the goat not named after Tom Brady., unfortunately.
It's a half pound Angus beef patty with caramelized onions, fig jam, balsamic glaze, and creamy goat cheese.
And for Harrington's most popular sandwich, get the classic Reuben.
Our corn beef is moist and tasty, and we stack it high. Slice it thin and stack it high. And it's delicious. On a rye bread, marble, rye. So you have the sauerkraut. And then the thousand island dressing. The beef is sliced thin and tender. And with the all three different flavors, you have the hearty meat, and then the sauerkraut is a little obviously sour, a thousand island dressing, a little sweet. So put it all together. It's a it's a delicious sandwich.
As for entrees, Harrington's has plenty of classics there, too.
The fish and chips are made the proper Irish way with fresh haddock, beer battered and deep fried to a crispy golden brown with fries, coleslaw and, of course, some malt vinegar on the side.
Harrington's steak tips are sirloin cuts, charred up on the grill and doused in a bourbon barbecue sauce served with green beans, carrots, cauliflower and, of course, a baked potato.
Or you can go for the grilled salmon, browned on the grill and served over a bed of scallion mashed potatoes and asparagus, drizzled with a cilantro, jalapeno and lime aioli.
But when in Ireland, you have to get the shepherd's pie, and at Harrington's, it's a top seller.
“Shepherd's pie is one of our most popular items, and it's a good quality ground beef. And we have in the shepherd's pie, carrots, corn and a hearty gravy. And so that's all sauteed together. And then we put it in a souffle dish, and we're going to top it with the garlic mashed potatoes and crisp it in the oven.”
“It's a definite comfort food. You cannot beat it.”
The only way to end your meal at Harrington's is with their bread pudding served warm and topped with whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a drizzle of caramel sauce. It's rich and creamy and super sweet.
“It's a great way to end your meal alongside of an Irish coffee.”
“The food is delicious, the atmosphere is friendly and warm. We want everybody to come here and have a Harrington's experience, and I want every customer to feel like they're our only customer, so every table to feel like they're our only table.”
“And when you leave, we want you to say, that was a great experience. I'll be back.”
