Dunn-Gaherin Food & Spirits
“I love an Irish Pub. But I love an Irish pub with great food even more. That's why Dunn-Gaherins in Newton has been one of my hangouts for about 20 years.
“We sit on the borders of Newton, Needham and Wellesley. And we're nestled in a residential area. It's got sort of this Swiss chalet front, but then when you walk in, I think…you feel like you're in Ireland.”
“Seana Gaherin runs the show here with Irish enthusiasm and charm. I always think an Irish Pub takes on street cred if it’s run by a Sean or Seana. Seanna is always here, making sure the staff and the guests are happy. Honestly, sometimes I get tired just watching her.
“I couldn't have asked for a better job in my life. So it's just a wonderful opportunity to be with people and feed them really good food and make them your friends and family.”
“You walk in, you sit down, you hear it, you smell it, and you say, Oh, I think I'm in Ireland.”
“It's small, it's sort of like a snug pub, but I think it's warm and welcoming. It's like you're walking into somebody's home.”
“The bar is just really charming. I love the wood and the open beams. There’s table is sort of near the bar if you like the action, but you don't really want to be sitting at a bar. And then way in the back there's more of a traditional dining room. It's an Irish pub, so it's a great place to meet your friends and to making it even better is this menu absolutely has something for everyone.”
“Food is art to me. So you want to just blow people away. When they come into this place. I think they're gonna have a burger and a beer and then they go wow, that was like unbelievable, it's so good.”
"I consider the nacho to be the most social of all appetizers so easy to share. And with the salty crunchy nature of them it makes you want to hang out and have a couple of drinks.”
“We make them nice and crispy we put them under the broiler loaded with cheese with fresh jalapenos and salsa and sour cream, so they're good and gooey, they're fabulous.”
“I'm a chicken wing freak and they make great wings here. Seanna herself recommends getting the wings plain with the sauces on the side.”
“My favorite way to have them is really crispy. Put a coarse sea salt and pepper on top of them and then serve the sauce on the side. And that way, you can regulate the amount of spice and it keeps them nice and crisp.”
“This is Seana’s pride and joy: It's fried eggplant with panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, and a side of marinara sauce.”
“You get a little crust. So you're gonna get a little crunch on that first and then the the eggplant is s going to be nice and tender. And then it's going to have that finish of saltiness from the Parmesan. And then the marinara it's like an explosion of flavor. A lot of times people get them as appetizers as a group and then everybody ends up ordering them as a side with their entrees.“
“I love a big beefy burger, especially one that comes with a steak knife down the middle. This is a big burger served with Irish cheddar and caramelized onions, tomato, lettuce on a brioche bun and it is just phenomenal.”
“The most important thing is the bun is nice and soft. So it picks up the cheese and the burger all in one with a little finish of that sweetness from the onion. And it's just fabulous flavor.”
“Some foods just hit me in the gut and the soul. Shepherd's Pie is like that. It's made with ground beef, corn, mashed potatoes, onions strings, all that gravy. Make sure you enjoy every little bit of it on a rainy or cold day, this is the best.”
“This is meat and potatoes but it's very pretty for meat and potatoes. I have to tell you I eat a lot of steak. I love to mix it up with lamb”
“It's a half pound, we marinate and then char broil them and we turn them over some roast potatoes with sauteed spinach and some fire red peppers. You don't even need to have butter for your spuds because all the flavor, they just meld together. It's perfect.”
“This is fish and chips which is really just a fancy name for fried fish and french fries. This is a gigantic lightly fried haddock. It comes with coleslaw.”
“We recommend you try some malt vinegar on the side, which is a really nice compliment, it brings out the flavor of the fish. But you can always start with a side plate. So if you're not used to using vinegar, it's a way to introduce yourself into it.”
“Seana Gaherin will tell you to put some malt vinegar on that, I think you should put on lemon and then dip it in the homemade tartar sauce.”
“This is the bread pudding. It's topped with a caramel sauce. It's got Jameson in it. You may want to Uber home after you have this dish, three big dollops of whipped cream. This is how to finish your meal here.”
“It's a really big portion. We make it in house. We warm it up and we finish it off with this velvet sauce we make with some Jameson. But it's a lot. So just get ready to take some home with you and have it the next day."
“This place is right off the Pike. It's got plenty of parking. It's near Newton and Needham and Wellesley. Perfect place to meet your friends and have some fun, Dunn-Gaherins.”
