Make this Fayetteville food truck's bar bites with Irish flair part of your weekend plans

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Hi foodies,

Paddy’s Irish Pub, a longtime fixture of Fayetteville nightlife, is known for its live music, comedy nights, sometimes controversial decor — and unexpectedly good grub from its on-site food truck, The Cottage.

But don’t call it Irish food.

“I don’t want to do stereotypical stuff,” said kitchen manager David Sears.

His vision for the truck, which has been open for about two years, is American bar food with Irish elements, he said.

For example, Sears said, adding pastrami to poutine, a Quebecoise dish made with fries, gravy and cheese curds; or topping a burger with an Irish whiskey aioli.

Perhaps the most traditionally Irish dish on the menu is the fish and chips, where Icelandic cod loin is dredged in an Irish lager batter, served with hand cut fries, house-made tartar sauce and a lemon wedge.

Cod is pricier than other white fish like pollock or haddock, but worth it.

“I want our guests to have the best product we can find,” the chef said.

Sears, 62, an industry veteran who’s been in and out of kitchens since the ‘70s, took the helm about three months ago. Since then, he’s been building a new menu set to launch July 5.

Favorites like the smashed potato grilled cheese, made with fries, bacon, sour cream, gouda and white cheddar; and the pesto grilled cheese, made with tomatoes, parmesan, gouda and balsamic glaze; will remain, with the addition of a patty melt and a four-cheese grilled cheese.

The food truck will continue to offer cheese, pepperoni, margherita and meat-lovers' pizzas, all made with dough from Capri Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria on Bragg Boulevard, and cooked in the truck’s own brick oven. Burgers will replace the current sliders on the menu.

Late night bites

Open from 7 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday and Thursday and 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, The Cottage is one of the few Fayetteville-owned spots to get a late-night bite.

It attracts customers beyond the bar, Sears said. It’s not uncommon for people to stop by just to order food and head home, he said.

The truck may soon be on third-party delivery apps like Grubhub and Doordash, Sears said.

Until then, it’s well worth dropping by the next time you find yourself hankering for bar food done right. And if you happen to be out on a Thursday, you can even catch a comedy show or an open mic night at The Church, a venue attached to Paddy’s.

Have you tried the food at The Cottage? Let me know by emailing [email protected].

Happy eating,

Taylor

Taylor Shook writes about food, dining and business for The Fayetteville Observer. She can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter, or Facebook. 

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: This Fayetteville, NC food truck dishes up bar bites with Irish flair