Despite all the great things we’ve written about Blarney Stone over the years I still had my doubts about the steam table. I mean if you have ever been inside it’s hard not to think that most of the stuff from the steam table (corned beef not included, obviously) might just be meh… but it had to be done.

For $6.50 I got the grilled chicken and it came with 2 sides. I got rice and beans (surprised?) and it was pretty awesome. The chicken breast had some really nice looking grilled marks and added some smokiness flavor. As for the rice and beans, they were pretty flavorful and tasted like how they should be (unlike rice and beans from another place I recently hit up).

After this meal, I think I may just add Blarney Stone to my list of “to go” lunch spots and give their burger a try. If I’m lucky enough to have more than 30mins I may even squeeze in a beer or 2.

Blarney Stone, 710 3rd Ave. (btw. 44th & 45th) 212-490-0457

The blog Law & Food took it upon themselves to try every burger in Midtown East recently and came to these tough to argue with (?) conclusions:  Black Shack (on Lex btw. 37+38th) is meh, Sarge’s (on 3rd btw. 36+37th) is better for deli food, Five Guys (on 3rd btw. 43+44th) does its job but isn’t as good as Blarney Stone (on 3rd btw. 45+46th).  And the winner is… Rare Bar & Grill (on 38th and Lex), even though admittedly it’s a splurge, and Blarney would be their choice for a day to day burger.  Noticeably absent is the burger at P.J. Clarke’s (on 55th and 3rd), but according to AHT (our Mayor of all things hamburger) it’s not that good anymore.

Related:
2009 Readers’ Poll: Best Fast Food Hamburger

If you’re looking for something to do tonight, Mamacita filled you in on all the St. Paddy’s Day sweets and drinks specials but what celebrating St Paddy’s day at lunch? On a recent Rock Center concourse jaunt, I noticed that Pret a Manger is now stocking new Corned Beef and Pickle Sandwiches made from Niman Ranch Corned Beef. Could be a good choice if you are looking for your corned beef fix without the pub crowds, though the price tag seems a bit steep at $6.89. If you’re willing to brave the hoards of drunken revelers, Blarney Stone on 3rd Ave has a lovely looking corned beef sandwich that Zach calls his “favorite St. Paddy’s Day lunch.”

Pret a Manger (various locations)
Blarney Stone , 710 3rd Ave (btw 44+45th St)

Oh the Blarney Stone, my divey Midtown sanctuary. I find solace in your burgers, and sliders, and corned beef, and Guinness, but what about the practicing Catholics among us? Surely they want to celebrate the end of the workweek regardless of Lenten responsibilities. Enter the Blarney’s Fried Fish Sandwich…

Last week, I stopped by for a little lunch-time fun-time, passed on my usual cheeseburger to try out their fried fish, and was rewarded with the East Midtown version of eating from Kim’s Aunt Kitchen (Blarney is one step up from a cart, let’s be serious). I didn’t catch if my fish was frozen, breaded, or thawed before hitting the grill-I was busy placing my drink order-but they do give you the option of tartar or no tartar, and any add-ons. I’m sure you could pretend this was a Filet-O-Fish and throw some faux American on this hot piece. Fries is another option; mine were crispy, hot, and delicious.

The fish had a milder taste, similar to the whiting from Kim’s Aunt, with a nice crunch on a good-sized roll. It came piping hot which is always a plus. For $5.50 this sandwich is not just worth it, it just might be the best option in the area.

While at my spot, I spotted a most curious sign: “Mix n’ Match Sliders”? For $5 you can pick any three sliders you want from the ones available: burgers, chicken cutlet, pulled pork, and fried fish. The combinations are endless!

Blarney Stone, 710 3rd Ave. (btw. 44th & 45th) 212-490-0457

Related:
Friday During Lent? It’s Time For Cheap Fried Fish Sandwiches!
The Friday Guide to Midtown Lent

Thanks to Lunch’er MikeyMike for passing along this info about the Blarney Stone (on 3rd Ave. btw. 45+46th): “Had a burger there today. Price is now $6 plus $0.75 for cheese. Burger was tasty but I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the onion rings both in quality and quanity. You now have your choice between steak fries or regular fries. New to me is that they now have 3 sliders for $5.”  Sliders?  You don’t say?  Well, I had to stop by and check those out…

3 for $5 is not bad, and they are pretty much what you’d expect.  Waaaay better than White Castle, but certainly not a better quality meat than what you’d get at some of the better burger places in Midtown.  (What do you expect for $5!)  They were cooked nicely medium rare (a difficult feat for patties so thin) and American cheese, lettuce and tomato is included for your $5 (I went the just cheese route.)  Grilled onions would have been nice though… I’m thinking I should have asked.

Speaking of onions, I like the fact that you can add onion rings (or fries) to your order for $1.50.  For those who have never basked in the glory of the Blarney Stone onion ring, they are the real deal. But I’m sad to report that Mike’s disappointment was not a one time anomaly.  They are still homemade, and the seasonings they use are spot on (you can actually see the flecks of spice on the outside) but the batter is a complete horror-show. It was completely falling off the onions, and kind of soggy.  It’s doubly inexcusable because I waited over 10 minutes for my order (most of that time spent waiting for the onion rings to fry up fresh.)

I don’t know what the problem is, or why this has happened, but something has got to be done about it. I did notice they put the rings direct from fryer to container. Perhaps they need to hang out a bit in the open air before being shoved into a styrofoam fortress to steam away? (Although, I did try one right off the bat before walking out- and they were bad even two mins out of the fryer.) I couldn’t eat more than 2, which should give you an idea of how bad they really were.  A soggy, crust falling off the onion, mess.  Really, really disappointing.  Hopefully they will realize that something is wrong, and fix the problem.  Until then, you may want to stick with the french fries.

Related:
Revisiting My Favorite St. Patty’s Day Lunch (and the best Onion Rings in Midtown)
Blarney Stone Replaces Fries With Giant Potato Wedges
The Blarney Stone Burger

Who knew?

Last week we passed along Peter Cherches’ recommendation of the brisket sandwich at the Blarney Stone (on 3rd Ave. btw. 44+45th) and commenter Larry informed us of this news: “What’s the deal with their new fries, if we can even call them fries? They’ve recently moved onto these huge wedges, which are like 1/4 potato each and in my opinion, a real step down from their previous thick cut fries.”  Larry was kind enough to send along this photo, and remarked that according to the guy who takes the orders, the customers have spoken and “love them.”  Larry’s not convinced. 

The photo may make it hard to put things in perspective, but if you know how huge the burger is at the Blarney Stone you can see these new fries are enormous.  And, to be honest- while I don’t normally like thick cut fries (I’m a shoestring man myself; Five Guys fries are about as thick as I like ‘em) these actually look kind of good. Has anybody else tried the new fries?

Related:
The Blarney Stone Burger
Revisiting My Favorite St. Patty’s Day Lunch (and the best Onion Rings in Midtown)