Review
Powers Thatched Pub is on the Main Street in Oughterard Co. Galway. It's very visible with its whitewashed walls and red paintwork and serves some really good food and a range of craft beer.
Powers was closed for ten years, from 2004 until 2014 when a major refurbishment was undertaken by the new owners Frank and Mags Kinsella. They did their bit, and now local man Rory Clancy has taken the helm.
Rory has worked in the town for over five years, managing one of the other premises, and has now gone out on his own, with most of his original team, and his local knowledge has informed the offering now, and in fairness I think it's spot on.
Inside Powers is traditional, with lots of wood, a stained glass window and roaring fire. They're a balcony above the entrance to the left, with a cast iron bed, like the little loft one would have found in an Irish cottage back in the day. A penny farthing hangs on another wall, and children, little boys in particular, are fascinated by it.
We dropped in for lunch, but they open for breakfast and dinner as well, and in a short time have built up a strong trade, which in March is still mostly local, but no doubt in the summer the tourists will flock here as well.
There's a choice of sandwiches and wraps, some light bites and a few main dishes. There's a choice of burgers; beef, lamb chicken as well as a stew.
I had the lightly spiced lamb burger with perfect fries. The burger was thick and juicy, with a lightly spiced yoghurt sauce, and a slice of tomato, red onion and lettuce. It was delicious on a toasted Brioche bun, and the fires went down a treat, dipped in the spicy home made tomato ketchup that came with them.
Deirdre had a half and half, a cup of the home made chowder, and a wrap with their own spiced beef and salad. The chowder was very good and full of fish, and the spiced beef was delicious.
This isn't complicated food, but it was all very well made, and obviously some love goes into it. The meats are sourced from Finnerty butchers just across the roads, the salads from local growers and the fish from local boats.
While we were there locals popped in for a bite or a drink, all greeting the staff by name. One man got a big hug for his trouble; a returned emigre back for a weekend visit home, and another asked after Rory's brother Gearoid, a professional boxer in Australia who had a fight that morning. He didn't win unfortunately, but no doubt like Powers he'll come back better and stronger. Check it out.
