Two for $20: Fionn MacCool's

Shepherd's pie is on the menu at Fionn MacCool's, 8211 E. 116th Street in Fishers. (Gary Moore/The Indianapolis Star)

Brick strip mall, brick strip mall, brick strip mall. Such is the new scene in Fishers, apparently. Every business, from health-care to retail to restaurants, has this look-alike facade.

And, oh! We passed it! Fionn MacCool's Irish Pub is no different.

Whipping a surely illegal U-turn, Hayden and I visited for dinner recently. We were invited to try the lunch menu, but I wanted to see just what I could get, in dinner-sized portions, for a wee $20.

The mood

I got worried when we stepped inside the wood-clad, sturdy dining room. Was this a chain? Irish paraphernalia oozed from every surface, including the taps of the immense bar. Diners were scattered around the spacious room, but this lad and lass headed outside to the patio.

Dining next to the street isn't usually appealing, but here, a wide strip of landscaping separated us from the cars.

The food

The menu staples had that franchise feel: chicken sandwiches, Cobb salads and burgers, woven in among mouthwatering Irish fare.

Appetizers such as the pub chips with curry sauce or the new curried whiskey wings (even the chickens are drunk here), were sadly out of our budget.

But when I told Hayden that we were going to an Irish pub, he knew he wanted shepherd's pie ($11). And holy cow, did he get some! His skillet of ground beef mixed with carrots, peas and onions was topped with a smallish scoop of mashed potatoes. (He'd prefer more taters and less beef.)

I wanted...everything. Chicken pot pie? Corned beef and cabbage? Guinness Irish stew? Bangers and champ (sausage and mashed potatoes with garlic and scallions)?

I settled on Fionn's yummy pasta ($8.50), with penne noodles swimming in a cheddar sauce. Peas, onion, carrots, and red peppers added color and crunch to what otherwise would've been a giant bowl of mac and cheese...not that I would've complained.

The drinks

No wiggle (jigging?) room for anything other than free water.

The damage: $21.06

If you needed another reason to visit: There's live music every Friday and Saturday. And Fionn's "Halfway to Paddie's Day" party happens this Saturday.