| It was sometime during the summer of '99, that The Plough and the Stars made the move from being an "upscale Irish pub" to an "upscale Irish pub with actual Irish serving-up the brews." The talent behind
the bar are true Irish from the Emerald Isle. You almost expect them to break into a stirring rendition of "Danny Boy" when a keg is kicked. Oddly enough, the hostesses are American as Apple Pie; so much for consistency. I personally don't care what nationality pours my
pint, just as long as it's a good pour. I suppose the management at the Plough and the Stars feels the bar's theme should extend to the personnel in much the same way that the restaurant chain Hooter's hires women with really big, uh, eyes.
I have to admit that I did love the beer taps at The Plough. Yes, that's right, the actual taps. They're all brass, with the names Guinness and Harp branded on the front of their respective handles. One of the nice things about the tap selection is that they have two
dedicated Guinness taps. If you've ever had the pleasure of watching a Guinness get poured, it's a painstaking process. It usually takes about 3 jiggles of the tap before a pint is filled because of the time required to let the "head" settle down. But when that Guinness is finally ready
to consume, it's sooo good. You have a nice selection of beers to choose from here at The Plough: Guinness, Harp, McSorely's, cider and about two other brews on tap. It's a nice variety for the beer connoisseur to enjoy.
Upon entering The Plough, from 2nd street, you enter a room which resembles an old hollowed out bank. There are tables set-up on your left and right where you can order from The Plough's traditional Irish themed menu. Directly in front of you, the bar resides where you would
expect to see a line-up of bank teller's booths. In the far left hand corner of the room is a stairway that leads up to a balcony area more suited to the dining public. There is also a back room available for large groups, buy be forewarned that you have to get your reservations in well ahead of
time to partake in this intimate setting.
The tables and chairs set-up on the left side of The Plough are almost comically small. They are barely large enough to accommodate 4 pints of Guinness. These tables and chairs aren't very high off the floor either. I'm not kidding, these chairs are only about a foot off the
floor. I thought that management was expecting a troupe of "little people" to belly up to these tables and start "chugging" Black and Tan's.
The Plough and the Stars does an interesting job of lighting the tables and bar area. Wires drop down from the vaulted ceiling to levels right above the tables. At this level, very small lights extending from the wires provide just the right amount of illumination to create the proper mood for
an Irish themed pub in Olde City Philadelphia. Special thanks to the Swankdaddy for pointing out The Plough's art deco lighting system. |
PROS:
| Well done establishment.
A meeting place for young, late 20/early 30
year olds.
Authentic Irish bartenders serving up the
very best in cold Irish brews.
|
|
CONS:
| Not much to
talk about here.
The Plough has to add entertainment into
the rotation. Give me a live trio playing Irish folk music to go
with my Guinness. |
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