Even though the Peacock family is technically Scottish, I’ve always wanted to check out Callaghan’s, which is located at 916 Charleston St. in Mobile, Ala. Since 1946, this restaurant and bar has occupied an old 1920’s meat market building and has been a longtime landmark in the city’s Oakleigh Garden District.
If you’re looking for a place with character, then this is the place. It’s definitely the most “Celtic” place I’ve ever been. The worn tiled floors are even checkerboard green and white. If you’re not Irish, it’ll make you wish you were.
My interest in Callaghan’s picked up a while back when I read that its bacon cheeseburger had been named to the Alabama Tourism Department’s list of “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die.” The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and USA Today also voted their burgers as the Best Burger in Alabama, and Lagniappe magazine named it the Best Burger in Mobile. Mobile Bay Monthly has also named Callaghan’s as their Best Music Venue, and Esquire Magazine has named it one of the Best Bars in America.
My wife and I arrived Friday evening, just before dark, and even though we’d never been there, we found the place with no problem. Nestled in an out of the way, residential neighborhood, not too far from the city’s downtown area, we parked in front of a house on Charleston Street and walked a short distance to the restaurant.
We grabbed a table and a few minutes later one of the waitresses took our order. Our food came back to us in a timely matter, and I was shocked by the size of my bacon cheeseburger. At first, I wondered if I’d be able to finish it, but I soldiered on anyway and managed to eat it all. To say that it was the best bacon cheeseburger I’ve ever had would not be an exaggeration.
The bar restaurant’s patrons were a mixed group. The venue had a slight college feel to it, but there were also a number of older guys and a family or two occupying some of the tables. The place isn’t large by any stretch of the imagination, but despite a modest crowd, it didn’t feel cramped. The building was also decorated with a wide variety of souvenirs, neon signs, framed newspaper clippings and other memorabilia. I can only imagine what the place must look like on St. Patrick’s Day when the place holds an annual party to mark the occasion.
In the end, how many of you have ever been to Callaghan’s? What did you think about it? Did you like it or not? Do you know of any other restaurants like Callaghan’s? Let us know in the comments section below.
For more information about Callaghan’s visit their Web site at www.callaghansirishsocialclub.com.
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