Hey, you guys! Did you know Murphy’s Pub serves brunch on Sundays? Yeah, I didn’t either, until a few weeks ago when I stumbled across a Facebook post and saw a photo of their tater tot nachos. Say whaaaaa? Yep, had to have them, but I couldn’t find anything listed on their website. So I messaged them and they confirmed it’s a real thing and that they haven’t formally posted any menu yet because it’s so new. So let me give you the break down.
Brunch is on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and everything is $6. I repeat, SIX BUCKS! It includes: breakfast burger, 2 breakfast burritos with tots, 3 egg omelet, breakfast quesadilla, and tater tot nachos. And if you want to get a little crazy, from 1 to 3p.m. they have bottomless mimosas with meal of choice for $14. It’s such a great deal and you can see from the photos that they are generous portions. And you don’t have to be hungover (even though we very much were) to enjoy this delicious bar food.
We don’t frequent Green Street bars anymore so I wasn’t sure what brunch crowd would be like there. It was quiet and chill and as always at Murphy’s there’s a good mixture of older folks and college students. You’ll place your order with the bartender at the bar before you take your seats. Since it was so cheap (and our hangover hunger was in full effect) we chose a few things off the brunch menu: the burritos, quesadilla, tater tot nachos and, naturally, a bloody mary. The bloody mary was simple and straightforward, served with three olives, and had the perfect amount of spice for me.
The food rang up quickly and we were amazed at the amount of it, notably the tater tot nachos. They would feed one very hungry and determined individual or would work great as a sharable option. The tots were topped with eggs, cheese, bacon, green peppers, green onions, and tomatoes. It also comes with a side of salsa and ranch. It was a fried, cheesy bed of yum and we ended up getting several leftover meals from it. If I could change or add anything I would maybe want some more scrambled eggs (but my obsession for eggs even extends to following an Instagram account named ‘showmeyoureggs’) and more tomatoes or pico de gallo.
As we tried to make a dent in the tater tot nachos, our individual meals also came with tots. We were in tot heaven. I had the breakfast quesadilla and it was great. I really appreciated its simplicity: cheese, bacon, scrambled eggs, and green peppers in a crispy flour tortilla. Some quesadillas you need to knife and fork it because it’s so full but this was perfectly hands on. The bacon was nice and crispy and the green peppers added a nice crunch too. I really liked dipping it in the salsa that came with the totchos so if that’s your thing you’ll want to remember to ask for it on the side.
My husband ordered the burritos. Scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese, peppers, onion, and salsa wrapped in a flour tortilla. I tried that too and it was really tasty but a little wimpy for a burrito. I thought it would be awesome if they chopped up some freshly fried tots and stuffed those in the burritos.
Next time you’re considering your Sunday brunch options and you’re in the mood for some good bar food, don’t pass up Murphy’s Pub. The food was great and the fact that it’ll be easy on your wallet is another added bonus. I definitely need to get down on unlimited mimosas next time!
Murphy’s Pub is located at 604 East Green Street, Champaign. Brunch hours are Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Regular hours are Monday through Sunday, 11a.m. to 2 a.m. (subject to change during university breaks).
All photos by Bobbie Bonebrake.
