The bar at Fionn MacCool’s in west Edmonton.

Fionn MacCool’s has been one of my go-to lunch places for the last few years. Working in Edmonton’s core, the downtown location at City Centre has become an easy choice. There have also been the occasional visits there prior to Paint Nite events. My boyfriend has enjoyed their affordable brunch selections, and I love their Chicken Fettuccini with its atypical, but tasty lemon-cream sauce. In the past, I also swore by their Beet Hummus and Tandoori Chicken Sandwich; however, the newest iterations of the menu have been pared down with several of my favourites now removed.

The dining room of the west end location of Fionn MacCool’s.

Therefore, when I received some coupons in the mail recently, I felt inclined to stop by once more. This time, my boyfriend and I opted to try out the west end venue. We arrived early in the afternoon where we seated ourselves in the dining room. It’s a clean space that’s decorated to look like every other Irish pub: dark woods, patterned upholstery, and vintage lighting. The plus is that this building has lots of windows, so it’s brightly lit during the daytime, unlike the dimness of the downtown Fionn MacCool’s.

Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip

After spending some time reviewing the options, we decided on the Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip ($12.50) as a shared appetizer. The notes on the menu indicated that the dip was freshly prepared in-house, and while that may be the case, it did remind me a lot of what I might buy from Costco. Also, it was surprisingly hot to the touch as it must have been baked with additional cheese on top. A tad greasy because of that, it was still good, yet it wasn’t necessarily special. The tortilla chips were fine, although maybe a bit oily as well. Regardless, we took the leftovers home to use the spread as a topping for our homemade turkey burgers, which turned out to be delicious.

Double-Stacked Cod-Wich

For his main, my boyfriend chose the Double-Stacked Cod-Wich ($15.95). The buttermilk-breaded fish was indeed crispy. That would be okay, but the exterior turned out to be too crunchy and the cod slightly overcooked. We also thought that the breading wasn’t quite right to go with the fish as the seasoning used was strong. It felt like it was meant to go with chicken instead of the more delicate nature of the white cod. On a positive note, the ACE Bakery bun used was the perfect density, and it held up well throughout. I also really enjoyed the thick cut fries that came with the sandwich; they were super fluffy on the inside and not completely crisp on the outside, and, personally, I don’t mind that.

Butter Chicken Boxty with Caesar Salad

When it came to my own entrée, I selected something new for me: the Butter Chicken Boxty ($15.50). This dish consists of a large, rolled potato pancake filled with chicken and onions in a thick curry sauce. Mildly spicy, it packed a lot of flavour. The sauteed onions were tender and the chicken was supple. For my side, I went with the Caesar salad. This was nothing out of the ordinary. It was just a really decent version with a good amount dressing to coat the lettuce.

The more I go there, the more I learn what to stick to and what I should probably avoid. Despite improvements that can be made, I have found that Fionn MacCool’s is usually pretty dependable for a standard pub meal. As such, I’ll continue to dine there. If not for the food and friendly service, definitely for the convenience.