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| - I've been coming to the Brocach for seven years, since before they even employed "Sinjin," everyone's favorite con artist (http://tinyurl.com/m8mer6t - for some reason, the article confuses the Brocach with the Claddagh; no wonder people aren't buying newspapers anymore). It's now my favorite place for bar trivia in Madison, though the drinks and food are fairly average.
First, the atmosphere. The bar has two stories, with several different seating areas and table/booth options, and an outdoor patio. It's a little dark, as a proper Irish pub should be, with heavy dark wood and plush padding on the seating areas. It can get loud on the weekends and during St. Patrick's Day, since there isn't much on the walls or ceiling to absorb the sound. The bathrooms are kept clean and well-stocked, and they even (finally) fixed the lock on the stall in the upstairs women's bathroom. The patio area is small and can sometimes seem cramped, and drunker patrons will sometimes smoke out there. It's normally not too bad as long as you're sitting indoors, but sometimes it wafts up and in through the second-story windows (which are open during nice weather), which is fairly unpleasant for a non-smoker like myself.
Second, the staff. They're great, absolutely one of the highlights of going there. They're very capable, and enforce certain rules when they need to do so. Marcos and Sam currently run Sunday night trivia, though Sam will be departing soon, and will be replaced by a long-time trivia regular. They're funny, friendly, and conversational, and they're great at knowing the regulars - Marcos always remembers to talk to me about the latest Lifetime Movies (a shared campy obsession of ours). The other night, I asked for a Diet Coke and Sam gave me a regular. I noticed immediately, and he profusely apologized and rectified the mistake right away. They also give great advice about the beer and scotch selections, and will pour beer samples if you're interested but unsure. Sam and Marcos do a phenomenal job of juggling trivia questions and answer grading, pouring drinks, taking orders for food, running out plates, and clearing away empty glasses and dishes, all at the same time - not easy! I've never had bad service here.
Third, the entertainment. Trivia is on Sundays. The teams with the best names each week get free whiskey shots for each of their players, and the names are one of the best parts of trivia night. The Brocach staff write their own questions, a welcome difference from the dreaded Team Trivia WI with its incredibly stupid 15-point final question. Their questions are interesting. Some rounds are weekly fixtures: current events, a picture round, a matching round, potpourri, and occasionally literature. They announce two of the trivia subjects each Sunday afternoon on their Facebook page, which is nice. They're also really responsive to questions posted on their wall as to whether a usually-scheduled event will be taking place on holidays. They do take requests for round topics, which is great! There tends to be more of an emphasis on pop culture and media, and somewhat less of a focus on sports, which my team loves. I've also been to open-mic nights, which are great. They do a great job with the artists; nothing too loud or grating. When one regular open-mic performer had an album coming out, the Brocach did a mini-album release party for him, which was great. Live Irish music nights are fun as well, though it can get fairly loud pretty quickly if you're near the band.
Fourth, the food and beverages. Both are somewhat overpriced, although the happy hour deals aren't bad. The potato leek soup and Greek chicken salad are fairly good, but not standouts. The lounge fries are addicting and delicious, and they're great for sharing in a group of 4-6. The beer cheese dip is pretty gross; I'd recommend avoiding it. Their corned beef (in both sandwich and with cabbage) is pretty knockout, as it should be at an Irish pub. The reuben is delicious, although a bit greasy. The thick-cut fries are great! The Brocach burger is serviceable, but the black bean burger can get pretty dry. My boyfriend is a big fan of the fish fry. Another favorite of mine is the shepherd's pie. I've never tried the main courses, though - they're comparatively very expensive. The servers are excellent at listening to order modifications. I have a friend who despises pickles, but I love them, so every time we go together, he asks to have his pickle put on a separate plate for me, and the server remembers! The tap beer selection is diverse and seasonal, but quite good, and there's always a beer on special for trivia nights. The scotch and Irish whiskey list is phenomenal (Old Midleton is insanely expensive and worth every penny when you drink it neat). The mixed drinks are fantastic, especially the Irish coffee, but a bit expensive for a regular night.
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