"GOOD NOT GREAT Murphy’s is an iconic neighborhood restaurant nestled in the heart of the inviting and very walkable Virginia Highlands neighborhood. On this warm Saturday evening, we shared the Panko crusted crab cake and vegetable appetizer, two entrees: a lobster roll with parmesan fries and the Guinness braised brisket with a side of crispy brussels sprouts, and two desserts: the tollhouse pie and the peach galette. Interestingly, the vegetables on the appetizer stole the show: fresh, very well-seasoned, a plate cleaner to be sure so our mom’s would be proud. The crab cake was indeed mostly crab, and not full of cake filling as experienced in some other mid-tier restaurants. Unfortunately, the lemon seasoning was far too heavy and overtook the taste of the crab. We had split opinions on the brisket. My wife loved it, but it had much more of a stewed taste than I would have preferred. As well, if you grew up in a Southern home and are used to generally overcooked vegetables, you will likely fine the carrots and green beans needed a little more time on the stove. The toasted bread on the lobster roll was delicious, but, overall, we both felt the lobster roll was too heavy on the celery and lacked adequate seasoning. The parmesan fries were hot out the kitchen and great for the first 5 minutes. However, once they went from hot to warm, the true taste came through as a little bland and required additional seasoning as well. The crispy brussels sprouts, though not so crispy themselves, were quite good with the addition of the crispy onions. You know how when you look at a dessert, and it looks delicious and when you taste it, it’s amazing? That was definitely true for the tollhouse pie, not so true for the peach galette. The tollhouse pie had the constitution of a high quality chocolate chip cookie, really tasty. Be sure to ask them to warm it for you. The peach galette, however, was a real disappointment. You could barely taste the peach, but instead the dominant flavor was somehow an almond blend. While the service was top notch – courteous, informative, responsive – and pricing very reasonable, it’s hard to give this iconic restaurant anything higher than a 4. The food is good, but not great. BTW – As you would expect for the Virginia Highlands area, the parking is minimal… so come early to get a space or Uber."
