It is no secret that Boston is considered one of the most Irish cities in the United States.
You can still get a feel for the Irish culture in Southie, Dorchester, Charlestown and beyond, including the South Shore, where towns such as Marshfield and Scituate are nearly half Irish/Irish-American.
And, of course, the pub scene in the Greater Boston area reflects this, with many renowned watering holes, including The Burren in Somerville, The Druid in Cambridge, The Banshee in Dorchester and J.J. Foley’s in the South End.
But plenty of terrific Irish pubs can be found elsewhere in New England, too, and one that combines the greatness of Boston’s pubs with the scenery of the mountains of northern New England can be found in a rugged, wild part of Vermont, making McGrath’s a perfect place for lovers of the outdoors, including skiers, snowboarders, hikers and bikers.
One of Vermont’s most scenic roads is the stretch of Route 4 that cuts through the central part of the Green Mountain State. From the quaint villages of Quechee and Woodstock along the eastern part of the road to the mountainous terrain of Killington and Mendon to the west, it’s popular with tourists nearly all year long.
McGrath’s sits at the very top of Route 4 in the Killington/Mendon area, tucked away between Pico Peak and the Deer Leap Overlook in Sherburne Pass at an elevation of nearly 2,200 feet. That may make this the highest Irish pub in New England, if not the entire Northeast (depending on whether you consider any of the summit bars at various ski areas in the region to be Irish pubs).
One thing that makes McGrath’s so great is the fact that it’s inside the historic Inn at Long Trail, a country inn that has been welcoming hikers and others for a long time. It’s right at the trailhead where a path leads up to Pico’s summit to the south and Deer Leap directly above the inn to the north. (Ironically, the Long Trail no longer goes past the inn, as it has been rerouted a little ways to the west.)
Because it is part of the Inn at Long Trail, McGrath’s has an incredible amount of character, both inside and out. The view of the building with Deer Leap hovering above it from across Route 4 is quite striking, while sunsets facing Route 4 west are equally memorable.
The interior of the building combines the coziness of the inn (including a homey sitting area for reading and board games) with the old-school charm of the pub, and the two mesh together so well that it is somewhat tough to figure out where the inn ends and the pub begins.
The pub itself is off to the left and just past the inn’s check-in area and consists of a comfy and welcoming bar to the right and a variety of tables to the left, extending back to a wood stove that gets put to good use during the colder months. All kinds of knickknacks and memorabilia adorn the walls, and a rather odd sight greets visitors to the left in the front area: a boulder (yes, a boulder) that emerges from the floor of the pub right by a table and an adjacent couch, as the structure was actually built around the rock. (The couch is set up close enough so that you can sit on it and use the boulder as a footrest.)
PHOTOS: McGrath’s Irish Pub on Vermont’s Route 4
While the atmosphere at McGrath’s is about as good as it gets, none of this would matter if the food, drink and hospitality weren’t up to par. Fortunately, the pub fires on all cylinders.
The menu here has the type of dishes you might find in Ireland, including a rich Guinness beef stew; a comforting shepherd’s pie with a perfect mix of mashed potatoes, ground beef, corn and gravy; a hearty chicken pot pie with plenty of white meat chicken, root vegetables and chicken gravy, all in a flaky puff pastry; and a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner with carrots and red potatoes added.
You can also opt for hot dogs, burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese and a seven-grain “nature” burger, and McGrath’s does their own take on bangers & mash with a “bangers & boxty” plate that consists of Irish sausages, potato pancakes and onions.
Irish pubs are often judged on their Guinness pours, and the pours at McGrath’s are certainly done correctly — the fact that Guinness Stout get served two or three minutes after all the other beers shows that they are doing it right.
Guinness is not the only Irish beer served at McGrath’s. Other options include an easy-to-drink Harp, a malty Smithwick’s (and make sure you pronounce it correctly!) and a Half & Half, made with Guinness and Harp. This being Vermont which is one of the best states in the country for beer, you’ll also find local brews from the likes of Long Trail, Fiddlehead, Lawson’s and Switchback.
Wine and cider are also available at McGrath’s, as are cocktails and spirits — and if you’re a whiskey lover, the pub has an impressive list that includes both familiar and not-so-familiar Irish whiskies. (The place claims to have the largest selection of Irish whiskeys in all of Vermont, by the way.)
Route 4 has some outstanding options for food and drink from the New Hampshire border to the New York border, including the wonderful Worthy Kitchen in Woodstock, which has been written about here for their sublime burgers and a beer list that puts many others to shame.
Worthy and McGrath’s are very different places, so it’s all a matter of what you are looking for, and if you like a good old-fashioned Irish pub — and the type of scenic beauty that will make your knees weak — McGrath’s seems like a no-brainer. It feels like a little bit of Boston in the mountains.
McGrath’s Irish Pub, 709 Route 4, Sherburne Pass, Killington, VT, 05751. innatlongtrail.com/mcgraths-irish-pub
Dining and Cooking