I grew up in an Irish neighborhood in Chicago, and I went to a university with a very good Irish pub in walking distance of campus so maybe I am being harsh with this two star rating with high standards. Regardless, I know good Irish food when I have it, and Brocach does not deliver for me.
The beer list is about what I would expect from a Madison pub. Now that I am writing this review, I regret not getting a pint of Guinness. You can tell a lot about the quality of an Irish pub by their Guinness pour. I will return later with an update for everyone.
The decor is spot on and service seems to be attentive.
Something that worried me is that my food arrived in less than 5 minutes after ordering. Food has either been made in large batches or is being prepared with the use of a microwave.
I ordered both an order of cheese curds and an order of Shepherd's Pie, an Irish cuisine staple. The cheese curds were heavily breaded and came with something that resembled a tarter sauce. I was greatly disappointed by both the curds and the sauce it was served with. The breading was way too heavy to appreciate the cheese inside. Also why are you serving tarter with the cheese curds? This isn't a fish fry. I recommend putting an Irish spin on the dish. Make a Guinness or a whiskey sauce; do something creative.
The Shepherd's Pie was disappointing. Many of the vegetables in it were diced too large and the pieces were inconsistent. The cooks in the back need to work on their finesse with a knife. I bit into several pieces of carrot that were at least an inch in diameter and completely raw. The ground beef in the pie tasted like it was prepared to be part of a sloppy Joe, not a Shepherd's Pie. The taste of ketchup and bbq sauce was overpowering. Usually Shepherd's Pie will have beer or whiskey incorporated into the sauce. The potatoes on top were prepared well enough. My favorite part of the dish was the crunchy, fried potato slices on top.
I want to like Brocach because I love good Irish food, but I can't give it more than two stars because the Shepherd's pie was so far off the mark for me between the seasoning and raw vegetables.