PUB GRUB FOR LESS AT MCG'S.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

There aren't many independent eating places left, other than your local Thai or Chinese cafes, where a diner can sit down and enjoy a full-service evening meal with entrees priced at $10 or less.

But they're around if you look hard enough.

If you're lucky you might stumble across an Irish-American pub like the new McG's in Chatsworth, which still serves up such entree-type dishes as its in-house version of Irish stew for $9, the traditional British-style shepherd's pie at the same price, and a good old fish-and-chips plate for $10.

With its huge selection of bottled beers and worthy taps of draft plus a cinema-size television screen projecting the best sports happenings, McG's already has garnered a solid local following.

The clubby, somewhat rustic interior has its expected pool tables and dartboards plus casual high-stool seating and one or two boothed areas.

The savory Irish stew, dubbed one of McG's classics, is served casserole style, a generous portion of tender chunks of braised beef with carrots, potatoes and cabbage plus a couple of slices of premises-baked Irish soda bread with butter.

And the familiar platter of fish and chips consisting of crunchy beer-battered cod fillets with chubby fries (or if preferred, onion rings) is definitely ready for a sprinkling of vinegar from a bucket on each table holding bottles of HP, A1, ketchup, mustard, Tabasco and that needed malt vinegar.

Hungry? One of the more filling items is McG's shepherd's pie. The heaping, juicy ground beef mixture here arrives covered completely with a thick buttermilk mashed potato coating. And there's a colorful side of various sauteed vegetables cooked in garlic and butter.

It's certainly a hefty serving for under $10.

Want to spend a bit more?

Get the steak.

Although it was slightly oversalted one night, the half-pound flatiron steak here seems like a pretty good buy at $15.

Served with the same array of sauteed vegetables as the shepherd's pie, it also comes with a choice of potato (baked or fries) or onion rings.

At these prices, you can put up with a mistake or two.

Order a Caesar salad ($6) here and it may arrive after the entrees, as it did one evening recently.

Additionally, it's a somewhat unusual rendition, offering the expected romaine lettuce, croutons and parmesan, but oddly possessing such non-Caesar ingredients as avocado, tomato and cucumber.

Actually, it's quite a good and satisfying salad, but hardly traditional.

Call it an Irish Caesar.

And there are, of course, some pre-entree pub-style noshes. As an appetizer choice, either battered clam strips ($6) with a tomato dipping sauce or meaty Buffalo-style hot wings ($7) with a ranch dip can hit the spot with a refreshing brew from one of the 34 taps, like a glass of dark, foaming Smithwick's. And there's more.

On its roster of untried under-$10 plates are bangers and mash ($8), shrimp and chips ($9), calamari rings and chips ($8), chicken tenders and chips ($7) and deep-fried clam strips and chips ($6).

Also untried to date are McG's Cobb salad ($7.50) and its burgers ($6, $9 and $14).

The kitchen also bakes a limited number of chicken pot pies ($9 each). Unfortunately, they weren't available during review visits.

McG's is a jolly place, unpretentious and generally pleasing.

But most importantly, it's not expensive. And that means a lot these days.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

[e-mail]

McG'S

Food: Two and one half stars - Service: Three stars - Value: Three stars

Where: 21356 Devonshire St., Chatsworth.

Phone: [phone].

Meals/hours: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Bar open until 2 a.m.

Food type: Irish pub fare.

Cost: Starters from $3 to $7, sandwiches from $5.50 to $14, entrees from $8 to $15, desserts $7 each.

Credit cards: All major except Discover.

Patio dining: No.

Parking/valet: Street and rear lot. No valet.

Full bar: Yes.

Beverages: Beer is the beverage of choice here with an international selection of 34 on tap and 81 in bottles.

Music/entertainment: Live bands and DJs Thursday through Saturday nights.

Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout, no on delivery.

Reservations: Taken, not required.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2) Above, a charbroiled 8-ounce flatiron steak is served with a choice of baked potato, fries, onion rings or mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables. Philip McGovern, right, owner of McG's, presents some of the pub's dishes.

Joel Lugavere/Special to the Daily News