Review
Brownes steakhouse is on the Main Street in Blanchardstown village, It’s a large premises that takes up several units, and there is a car park to the rear. Inside the entrance is a smart bar area, with a room off to the right for private parties or functions, while to the left is the main dining room with a large open plan kitchen.
The main room is divided into smaller areas, and booths are a feature. Comfortable seats in brown leather and cream paintwork gives it all a contemporary feel and we were seated in our own booth, with plenty of room and some comfort. There are plenty of pictures around the room, and there is a bovine team, which fits the theme of the restaurant nicely.
Brownes is a steakhouse, and the signature dish is a steak on the stone, which is very popular and forms the basis of the mid week special, a fillet steak on the stone, with sides and a drink for €20. The a la carte is divided between starters, steaks main and sides, and the steak section takes up almost half, with a choice of seats and an array of sauces from around the world giving a very large choice indeed.
Starters included slow cooked ribs, French onion soup, prawns pil pil or tomato and mozzarella salad. Main courses are dominated by the steaks; there is a choice of cuts, and a sauce or style. For example you could choose to have a fillet with red wine gravy, a strip loin with chimichurri salsa from Argentina, or a rib eye with classic Béarnaise and fries. Other main courses include fish and chips, Thai beef salad, spaghetti and meatballs of Cajun crusted salmon, so there's a good selection for everyone.
My better, prettier half is watching her figure with a protein, low carb diet, so she started with a well made and very flavoursome French onion soup, while I fancied the look of the slow cooked ribs. They fell off the bones, and the tangy sauce was very good indeed.
Deirdre decided on the steak, an 8oz fillet with the red wine gravy, which she had with a crunchy salad, while I went with the fish and chips, two fine chunks of cod in a light beer batter and homemade chips with mushy peas and a tartar sauce I enjoyed, which is something, as they are usually too bland and creamy for me. Deirdre also asked for a side of the chimichurri salsa, which was verdant and garlicky and excellent with the hunk of steak that was left for me.
We finished with a small shared rhubarb crumble and some freshly whipped up custard, which had the vanilla seeds in plain sight. A coffee and tea sent us on our way.
We really liked Brownes; it is the perfect neighbourhood restaurant, serving good food at sensible prices and with charming atmosphere created by a really friendly and gracious team. I'll be back, and next time it will be a rib eye with Béarnaise, or maybe the Roquefort, either way, luxury problems.
