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Plug For Donohue's
(Excerpted from http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com/2007/11/thanksgiving-was-great.html)
You may remember me mentioning a place called Donohue’s. It’s a sports bar and restaurant in our hometown of Watertown, Massachusetts. Last time I talked about it, I said that it was a great place to have a weekend breakfast. I also said that I was amazed at how empty the place was. Well, my opinion hasn’t changed, and neither has the population. It’s still a great place to have breakfast, and it was pretty much as empty as the last time we went there.
This disheartens me. It means one of three things:
1) Not enough people are reading me for my opinion to make a difference.
2) People are reading me, but they think I’m a liar.
3) People are reading me, but they’re thick as a brick and would rather spend more money at other places down the road, for less food, than come out to Donohue’s for the amazing Full Irish Breakfast of Sausage, Irish Bacon, Black Pudding, White Pudding, Eggs, Fried Tomatoes, Home Fries, Beans, and Toast, piled to the point of overflowing your plate, all for the amazing price of less than ten dollars.
Or, in my case, FREE.
J. D. Donohue, the owner, came over to talk to us while we were eating. Our waitress had recognized us from our previous visits, and she had informed him that the guy who wrote the excellent blog about his place was here again. We chatted for a while, and I expressed my wish that I could have put more asses into his seats via my writing. After he left, we resumed eating. When it came time for the waitress to give us the check, she informed us that J. D. said it was on the house.
How nice! I wish I had done something to truly deserve it, though, so if you’d like to make Mr. Donohue’s investment in me pay off, stop by for breakfast some Saturday or Sunday. If the Full Irish isn’t everything I’ve said it is, I’ll personally give you a refund.
(If J. D. is reading this, I’m NOT lobbying for another freebie. As a matter of fact, I’ll refuse it, if offered. My journalistic integrity… nah, that’s a crock. I don’t have any journalistic integrity. I’d just be embarrassed, is all, and if I thought I’d be getting comped every time I went there, I’d start ordering less expensive dishes. I like the Full Irish way too much to do that, so I want to pay.)
I'm moderately well acquainted with Donohue's as a nice place to hoist a pint, and I'd noticed the banner advertising breakfast, but hadn't got around to checking that out. Your description of the Full Irish has convinced me, though! I'll have to try to make it over there one of these weekends.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down
--Robert Frost, "Mending Wall"
I echo Suldogs comments...great hidden breakfast jewel with unbeatable prices and awesome service...I've gone in with the wife and firends many times on Sundays for some golf on the TV(s) and eggs for the belly.
About a month ago on a Sunday morning, when the New Yorker had a line going out the door, I remembered your rave review. My husband and daughter and I headed straight to Donohue's, where we had a great breakfast at diner prices with much better coffee to boot. The atmosphere (and our waitress) was pleasant and airy, and also nearly empty of diners. What gives this restaurant an edge over diners like New Yorker, Tresca's and even the Deluxe is that you don't leave with your clothes smelling like grease! Since there's no smoking in bars anymore, Donohue's doesn't have that "bar" smell to it, either, which would be pretty unsavory for a breakfast place.
I will definitely return to Donohue's for breakfast and recommend it to friends. While I'd like to see it do a good breakfast business, though, it's kind of nice knowing you can breeze right in and get a table! I'm just being selfish, though. ;o)
I done good!
(And I'm glad you enjoyed it.)
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com/
Tresca's was mobbed Saturday, and my husband, David, said, "No way we are waiting, where should we go?" I know he hates the little tiny tables crammed in at The Spot (where we are like two gigantic polar bears getting to a table there, knocking people off chairs and their food to the floor. The food's good, but who likes to feel like Gigantor?), so I said, "Hey, Donahue's breakfast is the hit of H2otown - let's check that out!" It was everything you promised, Jim - no huge crowd, excellent, fresh and tasty food, our waitress was friendly and attentive. David enjoyed his view of some bar video chat board that kept showing buxom ladies and I didn't mind the NFL highlights playing on a different screen. The price was very reasonable, and I swear the syrup was real pure maple. It was awesome, and we will go back - often. Thanks for the tip.
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