Celtic Monkey Irish Pub and Grill

Great job on the beer battered fish and chips (for which I substituted tater tots). Really appreciate the attention to detail the server put into making sure the salad ordered by the person in our party with Celiac was indeed gluten free.

My wife, son and I chose to make the small drive down to the Monkey Junction area to have dinner and drinks at Slainte (pronounced slawn-cha) Irish Bar & Grill after seeing multiple pics posted on social media by Exec. Chef, Chris. The sole purpose of making this trip, was to indulge in some Irish brew and the Reuben Egg Rolls...but enjoyed much more than just those pockets of stuffed goodness. FOOD: Carribean swordfish, lemon-cream chicken pasta, spinach artichoke dip with lemon zest, reuben egg rolls and Keto-Friendly / Sugar-Free / Gluten-Free local dessert cakes. Beginning with the Reuben Egg Rolls, my wife and I, each, took a bite and immediately savored the tender and flavorful corned beef. Combined with kraut, then fried up to a delicately-perfect, crispy shell...these egg rolls exceeded expectations. Each of these Irish-German pillows delivered on the taste of a juicy Reuben sandwich with the ease of eating as a finger food. Loved these. The spinach-artichoke dip included some lemon zest, dusted over the dip, which you can taste immediately on the first bite. At first, it seemed as if the zest was too much...but within 2 seconds of chewing, it melted into the creaminess of the dip. I believe that, due to the strong power of lemon zest, I would have enjoyed the dip more, had it only been dusted with half of the zest. I do not claim to be an expert in swordfish tastings but the texture and flavor of the steak resembled that of a nice Mahi Mahi. The white meat was flaky and tender, cooked evenly throughout with Caribbean-inspired flare and a light cream sauce, served with fresh veggies and whipped potatoes. After I asked our server, Rebecca, to have the Chef surprise me with a dish...along came the white wine pasta with char-grilled chicken, zucchini, squash, onion & mushrooms. The chicken was very plump, juicy, tender and had just the right amount of char on the exterior. The pasta was cooked perfectly and blended well with the velvety, white wine sauce. At the end of the meal, Chef Chris recommended a local dessert-maker's keto-friendly cakes, which had zero sugar and was gluten-free. Now...I am an old-school guy with a palate that enjoys high-fat, real sugar and real dairy in my desserts so my opinion may not carry any significant merit with these 2 cakes. They were both moist and sweet, as a dessert should be, but I could discern the difference in ingredients used compared to your grandma's old recipes. Overall, the food was very good and my cravings were suppressed with those Reuben Egg Rolls! SCORE: 3.9 STARS!! SERVICE: Rebecca was our server for the evening and had assistance from her supporting team. She carried a warm smile, was quick to refill drinks and was certain to follow up at our table multiple times...an asset to Slainte. SCORE: 5 STARS!! OVERALL SCORE: If you want a casual, friendly Irish-American pub to put back a few drinks, enjoy some delicious fare and socialize...Slainte delivers well. 4.4 STARS!!