Mullane’s Delivers In The Clutch

Sports are prone to cliché, so it’s fitting that sports bars are, too. Older pitchers invariably have guile, draft picks always have tremendous upside potential, and sports bars are a place to go for beer, wings, and burgers.

Mullane’s Bar and Grill (71 Lafayette Avenue, between South Elliot Place and South Portland Avenue) is an Irish sports pub and mainstay that offers all the usuals  — and some less than usuals. Mullane’s is owned by husband and wife David and Deirdre Finnegan and has been servicing Fort Greene since 2006, according to its website.

I’ve stopped by Mullane’s more than a few times, and each time I’m impressed with how excellent the service is. From 3pm to 7pm on Monday through Friday, there’s a $6 beer and a shot special, $2 off drafts and well drinks, and a free buffet, according to the website. From personal experience, the place can get a bit crowded during major sporting events — but like any good sports pub, you can count on Mullane’s to be showing whatever it is you want to see.

My server told me the House Trio ($17) was among the most popular orders, but that it was sometimes polarizing on account of the mini chicken tacos. I knew what I had to do.

Here’s the scouting report on the house trio:

• The mini chicken tacos are really tacquitos and I can see why they’re as polarizing as John Cena. They’re not too crunchy and they’re definitely on the oily side. They come with utterly stock salsa. But what’s this? A creamy, semi-spicy center that’s actually pretty good? Consider me confounded. I didn’t finish them, but then, the trio was a ton of food.
• The buffalo wings deserve some dap. I didn’t make any special requests when I ordered them, so I received a half a dozen none-too-spicy but sufficiently meaty wings. They’re well-seasoned and the skin is a bit crispy. The blue cheese dressing deserves credit for not being the stock gloop, but rather a runnier and cheesier varietal. These are five tool, high upside wings.
• The mozzarella sticks are damn solid, and I say that as someone with a predisposition against them. The crust is firm, crunchy, and none too oily. The cheese is exceptionally stringy and the marinara sauce… well, it’s sauce, but the sticks are well-suited to it.

I also ordered the Burger and a Berger Special ($15), which is a cheeseburger deluxe with a Radeberger.

I was greeted by a hefty burger topped with cheddar (American and other cheeses are also available) and, at my request, a side of onion rings that cost an additional dollar. Fresh tomato, ample lettuce, a not-very-sharp onion, and a zesty pickle rounded out this sports bar standard.

I ordered my burger medium and I found it to be pleasantly beefy, and while not too juicy, certainly cromulent. The onion rings did the trick, but they were nothing to write home about (but good enough to write about to you, dear readers.)

Of course, Mullane’s is a sports bar, and on that front, they’ve got you covered. My Radeberger was crisp and thirst-quenching.

The beer list may not get too wild with its selection, but the prices are reasonable and the beers are always well drawn. Combined with the excellent service, nine luminous televisions, and the exceedingly approachable aforementioned grub, and this is as good a place as any in the neighborhood to sit back, relax, and catch a game with friends.