As St. Patrick's Day approaches tomorrow and the luck of the Irish is surely in full effect all throughout Tampa Bay, it only makes sense that we'd take the time to visit one of the many Irish pubs in Tampa: Irish 31.

Irish 31 is one of the newest additions to the huge roster of Irish pubs in Tampa.  This small neighborhood restaurant and bar aims to provide an authentic Irish pub experience accentuated with a few upscale touches in their contemporary Hyde Park locale.   This means a bar, fully stocked with specials throughout the week, as well as modest lunch, dinner, and brunch (Sunday only) menus lined with a hearty assortment of Irish, American, and Irish-American pub grub.

This means appetizers like their Steak and Potatoes with beef jerky and house-fried potato chips; Irish Boxty made of breaded, fried mashed potatoes served with spicy horseradish dipping sauce, salsa, and guacamole; and Potato Pub Skins with fried red potatoes stuffed with sauerkraut, corned beef and Swiss cheese served with Emerald Isle dressing dipping sauce.  Enough potato for you?

Entree selections at Irish 31 include a two part assortment of burgers/sandwiches and signature entrees including Irish standards like their Size of Ireland Pot Pie and fish and chips.

For a mid-day meal, I went with an order of Ale Pub Cheese Fries and their 31 Burger topped with bacon, white cheddar, red leaf lettuce, onion, tomato, and horseradish cream sauce on a ciabatta bun.

For a burger at an Irish restaurant, this thing was outstanding.  The  thick cut bacon, cheddar, and cream sauce were the stars of the show, all coming together in harmony over a perfectly cooked and generously portioned burger patty.  The pillowy soft ciabatta made for a great tasting bun, but gets a little mushy when all the delectable burger grease seeps in.

Ale pub fries were right on par; thick cut steak fries with a near-perfect crispiness melding with a melty, albeit somewhat bland cheese sauce.  I couldn't really discern any ale-like flavor, but hey, cheese fries are cheese fries.  Can't complain too much.

It seems like Irish 31 has a good concept going for them.  This was definitely a satisfying lunch.  Give 'em a visit and see if you agree.