Mulligan’s Gaming Pub, a unique, local restaurant, features board games, traditional Irish drinks and food and a pleasant atmosphere. Originally in Colonial Heights, they now reside at 308 E. Main St. in downtown Johnson City as of 2020.

As a patron of Mulligan’s when they were purely a game shop in Kingsport, I realized that I had not eaten here since they had moved to Johnson City. On top of the restaurant having unique food for the area, this was a problem I wanted to strive to fix for myself. Not only was the atmosphere fantastic, the service great and the food fantastic, but I was also able to talk to one of the owners, Keith McCoy.

I started the interview with asking about Mulligan’s feature on America’s Best Restaurants.  McCoy stated that it was quite the experience, and he had never experienced anything like that before. It was stressful, but fun at the same time. The conversation then turned to the food. When asked about his favorite dish, McCoy stated his favorite was the Guinness Stew, as he liked the complexity of the flavors that dish had. However, he immediately noted the workers and owners were close to all their recipes. They do not serve anything they wouldn’t be proud to eat.

While at Mulligan’s, I ordered a shepherd’s pie, scotch eggs and an orange creamsicle, one of which will be recreated in a later edition.

The orange creamsicle is a mixed drink made with Irish cream and orange vodka, served on the rocks with an orange slice. The drink had a nice texture, and for being a strong drink, I actually really liked it. The drink balanced the line between fruity and straight drinks.  

Scotch eggs are deep fried, hardboiled eggs, encased in sausage, served on greens with honey mustard. The eggs were boiled perfectly, the exterior was nice and crisp and the honey mustard complemented them perfectly.

Finally, the main dish I chose to eat was the shepherd’s pie. It was made with lamb and glazed with red wine. It had peas, carrots and celery. It was topped with mashed potato and cheddar cheese, making the dish have a wonderful mouthful.

Photo of guests enjoying their time at Mulligan’s Gaming Pub. (Contributed/@mulligan_pub X)

In addition to drinks and food, Mulligan’s sells board games, Dungeons and Dragons materials and miniatures. Patrons can play a selection of freely available board games while eating and drinking and listening to the frequent live musicians at Mulligan’s. The store and restaurant is open Sunday through Wednesday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the bar closing at 10 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., with the bar closing at 12 a.m.

Mulligan’s Gaming Pub is good, affordable, ambient and always has something to do. I’d recommend it to anyone in the area. To keep up with events and promotions at Mulligan’s, follow their Instagram @mulligansgamingpub. For more information, visit Mulligan’s website, mulligansgamingpub.com.  

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