Bites Nearby: Loco Leprechaun Is Part Pub, Part Cantina

Recently, my friend and I decided to check out Westlake bar and restaurant, Loco Leprechaun.

The Irish-Mexican cantina was born from owner Mike Ollick’s long-time desire to open an Irish pub or a Mexican restaurant. “So, I decided to combine then,” he said.

The bar offers a large open space and six televisions - a great sports bar atmosphere ideal for March Madness. The food was more sports bar than either Mexican or Irish and the appetizers were the one of the best parts of our meal.

The Loco Reuben Dip was creamy and cheesy with bits of corned beef and cabbage, served with toasted rye bread. My friend had the Guinness BBQ Wings which were exceptional – and I don’t even like wings. The sauce was sweet and smoky and just a little spicy.

The menu was a far-reaching: a mixture of Mexican food, Irish dishes and other specialties. I had chicken paprikash, which Ollick said was a favorite, but I found it disappointing. My friend’s Loco Wrap was a better choice with juicy chicken and spicy guac wrapped up in a flour tortilla, paired with potato chips.

We wrapped up our meal with hot donuts served with Irish cream frosting and coated in cinnamon sugar. They were like little balls of ooey goodness and a great ending. Despite the fact that both of us were full, we finished them all.