Brian Van Nieuwkerk (left) with kicking shrimp, bartender Jamie Burdett and John Turner with fish 'n' chips

The new St. James Corner Restaurant and Irish Pub — in the old Cherry Lounge site on 1st Street S.W. — draws its name from St. James's Gate, the home of the Guinness Brewery in Dublin. For fans of Irish pubs and fare, St. James Corner is right up your alley. The exterior is adorned with custom stained-glass windows. Inside, a prototypical assortment of mirrors accented with beer and whiskey logos complement the dark wood finishings.

The three of us started with the aptly named meat lovers’ platter ($32.95) — consisting of generous portions of chicken fingers, boneless pork ribs, charbroiled Spolumbo’s sausages, chicken wings (we chose the St. James barbecue flavour) and chips and salsa. This platter alone was almost enough to satisfy our growling bellies. The appetizers were good, but not memorable. The one true star of the platter-o-meat were the ribs. I’m a fan of dry ribs, but often find myself annoyed at the meagre meat-to-bone ratio. Being boneless, these ribs not only won that battle, but they were delicious as well. There was just enough salt and pepper to add flavour without overpowering the taste buds, and the meat was a decent cut, rather than ad hoc scraps just one step away from getting ground into hot dog filler. Next time, for $11.95, I’m going to order one, possibly two… heck, maybe three, orders of those bad boys.

For drinks we slurped down two pints of Guinness ($7.85 each) and one pint of the St. James house beer ($3.75, as it was the daily special), which is brewed by Sleemans.

Even though the menu features items such as thin crust pizzas, quesadillas and wraps, all three of us opted for meals from the authentic Irish favourites section. One of my companions had the Finnegan’s fish and chips and the other went for the Guinness steak pie. I ordered the “original” shepherd’s pie (all three dishes were $12.95).

The fish, featuring two thickly battered pieces of fish and a heap of fries, with an add-on side of gravy, was reportedly delicious. The steak pie was a hit as well — a combo of steak, mushrooms and potatoes topped with puff pastry.

The shepherd’s pie wasn’t particularly “original” in any way, which, in the end, turned out to be a good thing. Caramelized onions topped mashed potatoes mixed with grilled zucchinis, carrots, broccoli, onions and red peppers. The potatoes would have been bland on their own, but worked well as part of the whole dish. The meat, gravy and vegetable combo was rich and tasty, making for a filling and satisfying meal.

In the end, there’s not a lot of difference between St. James Corner and its sister Jameson Pubs (in Brentwood and across from Sunridge Mall). While they aren’t cut from the exact same cloth, there is a similar pattern, and one can tell they’re related. But that’s OK, they all serve above-average pub fare in welcoming atmospheres.