I Should Have Asked For Fried Coleslaw: Muldoon's Review

Every once in a while I get a certain craving for dishes that are on my list of lifetime faves: bbq pork, pizza, fried chicken, fish and chips.  These aren't things that I always crave or always sound good, but when I want them I want them and I will always try to search out the best.  I will also not be afraid to travel a little bit to get it.  A few weeks ago the urge for a plate of fried goodness in fish and fries form hit me like a ton of bricks.  I've had some solid F and C at various places before (B-Rip Brewpub, Claddagh), but I was looking for a new restaurant in place I don't often visit.  On a Saturday night in late fall that place was Muldoon's in the Carmel Arts and Design district.

When I arrived at the restaurant I was surprised that it was actually a little bit easier to find parking than I thought it would be on a weekend night.  This is a good thing because a lack of available parking has a tendency to make me impatient.  As I went inside I had good feelings due to the fact that I love any place with an Irish pub type atmosphere and lots of hardwood and hard drinks.  Call it the Ron Swanson factor.  The restaurant was quite busy on a Saturday night, and luckily my friend and I were able to snag a couple seats at the bar.

There was little need to look at the menu since I had my mind set on fish and chips.  However, there was one glaring absence on the menu that should be mentioned here.  The fish and chips at Muldoon's is not served with coleslaw.  I know some of you might be saying so what, but to me coleslaw is something that should ALWAYS be served with fish and chips.  Even just a little side of coleslaw is a great way to break up the fried fish and the fried potatoes.  Also, I just love the stuff.  To Muldoon's credit the bartender heard me lamenting the lack of coleslaw and asked me if I'd like to order it as an extra side.  I did because I wanted it, but it was an extra charge.

The meal itself I would say was not the best fish and chips I've had, but certainly not the worst either.  The portion size was very nice with 3 nice sized cod fillets and a healthy portion of fries.  The cod was flaky and nice, but the batter on the fish seemed to slough off easily which made it hard to eat with my hands as I prefer. The fries were not a standout, and if you read my blog you know that's a frequent criticism I have. Likewise the coleslaw was not particularly memorable, and it would have been nice if it was just a little more tangy.  I definitely wouldn't mind going back to Muldoon's again, but I think experiencing the fish and chips once was enough.  I've heard good stuff about their tenderloin so maybe that's the direction I'll go on a revisit.

Taste 6/10 A tick above being completely average. I have a feeling there might be better things here than the F and C.
Value 4/10 After adding the extra (overpriced) coleslaw to my bill it was fairly expensive. However, the price for the fish and chips seems to be inline with other restaurants in the Indy area. However, since I didn't enjoy it quite as much as what I've had elsewhere the value score suffers a bit.