Let’s hear it for Irish pubs that serve honest, hearty, no-nonsense, up-front food. Pubs like the 20-year-old P.J. Moran’s, where the lilt in the waitress’s voices say Ireland, the food is familiar, the portions are huge, and the prices are gentle.

P.J. Moran’s is actually two different places. The front of the house gives one impression, the back another. The raucous crowd that packs the woody bar at happy hour is there to drink, laugh, and socialize. But when we made our way through the youthful phalanx, we found a surprisingly genteel dining room of candles, cut glass partitions, shiny brass railings, art deco paintings, and white tablecloths.

Surprising too, at least to a degree, is the menu. Yes, it has all the expected pub fare: wings, chili, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, burgers, sandwiches, steaks, etc. Yet, there are also Italian specialties like chicken piccata, chicken parmigiana, pastas, white albacore tuna on Greek salad, beef in
tortilla wraps, a chicken teriyaki sandwich, and housemade tiramisu.

Don’t overlook the excellent, moist slices of Irish soda bread or the specials of the night. The broiled cod with onions sounded especially enticing. Nevertheless, we opted for more traditional pub picks: fish and chips, steak, the fisherman’s platter, and a chicken, bacon, and cheese sandwich.

The often entrée-size appetizers that preceded them were meals in themselves: enough Irish smoked salmon to fill most diners, a shrimp cocktail with not three or four but six crustaceans, a soothing bowl of beef barley soup, and a dinner-plate-sized spinach salad.

The fish-and-chips main course was everything it should be: a fresh, flaky, lightly-battered cod. The fisherman’s platter of shrimp, scallops, jumbo shrimp, and fillet of sole was simple, fresh, and gently cooked. Think pepper steak with a whiff of Irish whiskey and a garlic overlay when ordering the twelve- or sixteen-ounce Irish Gaelic steak. Entrées came with broccoli or creamed spinach and a choice of rice or baked, mashed, or French fried potatoes. The last are large steak fries, while the creamed spinach and mashed potatoes blend well.

The only sandwich ordered had the bulk of an entrée. Called the Tower 49, it’s a colossal heavyweight of chicken breast, Canadian bacon, and Swiss cheese topped with barbecue sauce on a substantial roll.

The bottled wine list is small but impressive, with five whites (ranging from $19-$29), and five reds, ($22-$37), in addition to a White Zinfandel, wines by the glass, champagne, and other sparkling wines.

Desserts include cheesecake, ice cream, apple pie, chocolate raspberry mousse cake, and the aforementioned tiramisu—made on the premises, the circular dish surrounded by lady fingers, is the best of the bunch.

3 E. 48th St. btw. Fifth & Madison Aves., 212-753-6440