On this health-conscious campus, working out is a way of life. But if you want to get the desired high-impact effect, forget that silly gym; try hoisting an O'Sullivan's burger and some specialty fries - then you'll understand what working out truly means. R. F. O'Sullivan & Son in Somerville is a place where the food reigns supreme, but the huge, centrally located bar area and neon beer signs remind you where you really are: a neighborhood pub.
O'Sullivan's is what Cheers wishes it could have been. Filled with friendly locals and people looking for a great bite, O'Sullivan's lacks the translucent layer of grease saturating the tables and floor of its rival (Mr. & Mrs. Bartley's Burger Cottage in Harvard Square), but it still manages to grasp the quintessence of a great burger. Over 10 beers on tap, twice that in bottles plus a comprehensive menu with burgers, salads, steak tips, fish and even diet options (At a pub? Honestly!) will have everyone singing, "Beer, beer, beer," (Irish drinking song).
When you look at the menu, unless you're a pescatarian, the only page that should concern you is the burger one. And with 27 burgers to choose from, it's a monumental decision. Fortunately, it doesn't really matter which you choose, because each burger is two inches thick and cooked exactly to order - none of that, "Oh, we can't cook rare or medium-rare" garbage.
However, if you're open to suggestion, try one of these: the Black & Blue burger with crushed black pepper and bleu cheese, the J. D. Burger with homemade barbecue sauce and cheese, or the Bourson Burger made with homemade Bourson sauce.
O'Sullivan's does low-ball you a bit on the toppings, though. For example, it costs an extra quarter per topping for typical amenities like lettuce, tomato etc. However, at $7.95 for a half-pound burger and amazing fries (see next section, please) you can't mind that much.
Most people differentiate fries based on large-and-flavorful or crispy-and-salty categorizations; O'Sullivan's is the former.
They take a whole potato, cut it up lengthwise into five to seven slices, season them and fry 'em up. As one eater commented, they're probably lower in fat, because they are so big that less of each fry is actually "fried."
Wishful thinking, of course, but nevertheless, this whole spud process leaves the eater with a fry that has a crispy, hot outside and a delicious, soft, hot mush on the inside.
Aside from fries, the hand-cut, fried-in-house-batter onion rings are an excellent choice for a side dish. And the coleslaw is also unique: fancied up on a bed of lettuce, crunchy and fills the whole plate.
If you haven't figured it out yet, a pescatarian doesn't eat red meat (sometimes no chicken, either), but don't worry: There's room for them, too. Six different tuna options, chicken roll-ups, a "colossal" Caesar salad and the obligatory pub dish, fish and chips, make O'Sullivan's complete. O'Sullivan's even offers a carb conscious burger without the bun, even though it's a little outdated by this point.
When you go to O'Sullivan's, relax and have a beer. The burgers are all cooked to order and it takes a while to grill up that much meat.
Also, if you love the color red, make sure you specify that you want your burger cooked rare; the default burger is unfortunately cooked medium-well.
One more problem at O'Sullivan's worth mentioning: the burgers are too fat to fit in your mouth. So either unlock your jaw or bring a blender and a sip cup, because you're not gonna want to miss a bit of it.
