Mulligan's Taverne on the Green
For great food in a friendly atmosphere

By Margaret Locher Contributing Writer

Owner Mike O'Regan PHOTOS/MARGARET LOCHER

Westborough - When we walked into Mulligan's Taverne at the Westborough Country Club, my boyfriend and I were pleasantly surprised with how the decorating immediately made us feel like we had entered the home of a friend - a friend with classic but simple taste. We were seated by the window overlooking the practice putting green.

Our server, Courtney, brought us a plate of tortilla chips with homemade peppercorn hummus spread. I later learned that Courtney is the daughter of owner Mike O'Regan, who told me that his wife, Debra, is the bookkeeper and hostess and his son, Shawn, is the chef. His other two children used to work at Mulligan's when they were younger - a true family-run establishment.

We ordered sodas and a shrimp cocktail ($8.99) as we looked over the menu: it combined traditional tavern-style items such as sirloin tips ($14.99), grilled Reuben sandwich ($6.99) and burgers ($6.99 to $8.99) with unique options like the tomato Thai salad ($8.99) and butternut squash ravioli ($15.99). Mulligan's also has a kid's menu, which includes hot dogs, grilled cheese, chicken fingers, and mac 'n' cheese.

Mulligan's fruit tart is a work of art.

My boyfriend almost went for the beef and Guinness pie ($13.99) - an interesting twist on standard chicken pot pie, which is also on the menu. Instead he ordered the rib-eye ($16.99) and chose the Cajun spice rub over the espresso rub. He selected garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus from the list of sides.

I considered the eggplant parmesan ($12.99) but decided instead to order the veggie rollup ($6.99) from the list of wraps. I also ordered a garden salad ($6.99). When it came out, it was so big, I didn't want to finish it for fear of ruining my appetite.

Every Thursday night, Mulligan's has live Irish music. The musicians tuned up as we dug into our meals. Golfers trickled into the dining room and bar area from the course as it got dark. The violins, accordion and other instruments replaced the soft classical music that was playing in the dining room when we arrived.

My boyfriend loved the Cajun spices on his rib-eye. His grilled asparagus looked so perfect that I had to steal one of them. My rollup was packed with various perfectly-prepared veggies. I ate the steak fries that came with it and planned to bring the second half of it home to have for lunch the next day.

We didn't think we had room for dessert, but when Courtney showed us the options for that night - homemade créme brulee ($5.99), homemade white chocolate bread pudding ($4.99), grape nut pudding ($2.99), Boston cream pie and a fruit tart ($4.99) - we couldn't say no. My boyfriend had the créme brulee, which was a larger than usual serving. I opted for the fruit tart, which was in a graham cracker shell and topped with sliced kiwi, strawberries and blueberries.

A gem of a meal in a great location - now, if only we knew how to golf!

Mulligan's Taverne and Restaurant is located at 121 West Main St (Route 30 West) at the Westborough Country Club. The phone number is 508-366-0207.