For those of you who have a little Irish spirit, a pub is often a great place to dine. Pubs can be comforting, relaxing and often are an entertaining environment if accompanied with the right staff, and, of course, typical pub food.

However, in my opinion, it can be difficult to find the perfect pub with the right dose of Irish character. In general, pubs are not known for their tasty delights.

Now I don’t mean to offend anyone, but pub cuisine can be a little misleading. Fish and chips, shepard’s pie, and, of course, bread pudding can all be delicious. Yet, sometimes I find myself questioning how anyone can “overcook” any of these dishes. Other times, as with any other restaurant, if it’s not the food at the pub, it could be the bad service or shabby atmosphere.

Surprisingly, I found myself wandering into a pub the other day; who knows, maybe I was craving fried fish and chips. Yet, at the Squealing Pig Irish Pub in Cherry Creek North, I was captivated by its amusing faCB’ade and relatively good food. The pub is decked with collectable furnishings to add to the thriving, Irish spirit.

The walls are decorated with newspaper clippings, landscape paintings, and charismatic, Irish pride accoutrements. The lighting of the restaurant is also appropriate for its theme.

It is lightly dimmed, which recreated the musty, dark environment we often think of when imagining Ireland. The layout of the restaurant, though a little cramped, is relatively pleasing for comfort needs. There is seating both indoors and out. Inside, there are three separate areas for seating, and to the left of the pub is the bar; it wouldn’t be an Irish pub without a bar.

Now though I enjoyed the traditional Irish ambiance, I did find myself wishing for better service. I found the service to be a bit overwhelming, and forceful. Unfortunately, the service at any restaurant is a large part of the dining experience. To clarify, at the Squealing Pig the waiters are not rude or inconsiderate. Rather, the waiters are overbearing, which would make anyone a little uncomfortable while eating.

Besides the “too personal” service, the food was surprisingly good and inexpensive, great for a college student. The menu featured the typical pub food such as bangers and mash, grilled Rueben, and burgers. The Squealing Pig also put a twist on their menu, by adding dishes such as spicy egg rolls and tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa.

For a starter, my friend and I weren’t sure what to dive into. So, we decided to order something different, and chose their homemade savory potato chips for $5.99. The homemade chips were made by thinly slicing the potatoes, and then seasoning them with salt, pepper, oil and a hint of vinegar. They were then fried to soak in the flavor and baked.

The dish came with a side of ranch dressing, but in my opinion, the chips were amazing alone.

As an entrCB)e, we ordered their flying pork wings for $12.99. At first I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised; who ever heard of a pork wing? A pork wing is actually a ham shank, which is trimmed, leaving lean pork on a single bone. This dish featured two savory pork wings slowly cooked to perfection. It is served with a side of wild rice and barbeque sauce. The sweet and tangy flavors had my mouth watering.

Now, usually I wouldn’t allow myself to order something on an Irish pub menu that was out of the ordinary.

But, considering the situation and that I was with someone else we shared and took a chance by ordering their spicy egg rolls for $11.99. The dish featured three egg rolls filled with beans, corn, jalapeCB1os, and sliced chicken folded in to a thick egg roll wrapper. They were fried, which brought out all of the spicy flavors of the ingredients. The dish was served with a side of guacamole and a fiery sauce.

I’m not a fan of Irish desserts, but the Squealing Pig did feature various sweets. Some of them are bread pudding and chocolate Dublin mudslide for $5.

If you are willing to take a chance, then check out the Squealing Pig, located at 2700 E. Third Ave. in Cherry Creek North. However, don’t complain about the awkward service, because I did warn you. Nonetheless, the food and atmosphere were good.

The number is (303) 388-4440. They are open on weekdays from 11a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and on the weekends from 11a.m. until midnight. Enjoy the luck of the Irish at The Squealing Pig Irish Pub.