McPhabb's
McPhabb's
McPhabb's
23 Sandyford Place
Glasgow
Lanarkshire
G3 7NG
0141 221 0770
When I first met my husband, he lived in a Charing Cross flat off Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow and the best thing about this flat, other than the fact it was five minutes from town, was that McPhabb's was our local.
We live in Edinburgh now, and have yet to find a proper substitute, but whenever we get to Glasgow we manage to find a special excuse to nip in for McPhabb's unique blend of great food, classy ambience and the sassiest Bloody Mary's this side of the Clyde.
McPhabb's is nestled in a townhouse in a genteel block of Sauchiehall Street just outside the hustle and bustle of town. It manages to look like a French bistro, with cane-back chairs, mirrors, oak tables, wide open windows, a back garden patio and pop-art on the walls.
But the staff and atmosphere are decidedly wacky, in a very non-pretentious, endearing way. Our favourite barman is usually there on a Sunday morning and has been ever since McPhabb's opened - a wee man in his usual skate-dude props, bustling around the joint with a secret smile and a casual joke.
Where else would the blackboards outside advertise silly, tongue-in-cheek slogans like "No ninnies" and "Poison. Keep out." with a large skull & crossbones, where the waitress signs the tab "Smelly"?
Yes, they have a widescreen TV as well, and the place is packed come game time, but it never gets too rowdy because everyone is family here.
But really, aside from the congenial banter, the food is still the best reason to find McPhabb's. The Sunday breakfast alone, advertised as the "Full Heart Attack," is a large plate loaded with quality sausages, bacon, black pudding, toast, beans, tattie scone and mushrooms. The veggie version is just as generously endowed and you're guaranteed leftovers.
The rest of the menu offers the usual pub grub range of baked tatties, baguettes, salads, burgers and an assortment of tasty mains starting at �4.00, including stir-fries, curries and a cracking steak & guinness pie, but the quality is notched up significantly - we have yet to taste a better homemade burger in Glasgow.
Everything is prepared with fresh ingredients in hearty portions, and it's easy to find a healthy or veggie option.
Ah, McPhabb's. Wacky and wonderful, it's still the best gin-joint in town. Find it, give it a try, and we're sure you'll soon have an excuse to go back.
- by Cate Mills-Brydon
(15/02/2001)
