It's getting cooler! How about some soup and comfort food in downtown Leesburg?

Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial
Updated ·3 min read

One day, we'll tell you where to eat the best low-calorie or vegetarian/vegan or ketogenic lunch in Lake County, but today, in the spirit of Halloween-week naughtiness and in anticipation of much-missed cold snaps, we present to you some of the best stick-to-your-ribs comfort food items in downtown Leesburg.

If you're new to Leesburg, McCracken's Irish Pub has become a Cheers-like hangout in the downtown district during its less-a-year in business.

Not only do they serve a righteous draught of velvety Guinness, their food is definitely worth writing about to Ma and Da.

The atmosphere at McCracken's is upbeat and no-frills but there's a flair for the irreverent and stylishly creative, most notably a striking brass octopus doorhandle on the front entrance door. They accommodate patrons in an outdoor patio and serve sweet-and-savory tweaks on old British Isles and Irish staples, uniqueness that sets Melissa McCracken and Patrick Kelley's establishment far apart from the standard American beer bar food fare.

Just about every item on McCracken's menu qualifies as comfort food. On my visit, I dug into the Shepherd's fries, which is a crazy-wonderful heap of Old and New World tastiness. The shareable appetizer plate consists of thick-cut fries topped with a Shepherd’s pie blend, beer cheese, house-made Guinness glaze and parsley. Touches of sweet and savory and intense meatiness make this a comfort-food conglomerate that's not for the faint of the heart.

The Irish onion soup crock at McCracken's provides hot, gooey comfort on chilly day.
The Irish onion soup crock at McCracken's provides hot, gooey comfort on chilly day.

The Irish onion soup crock is perfect for a cold day, and like most everything else at McCracken's, it's intense. Its beefy onion-laden broth comes topped with toasted rustic bread and melted Irish cheddar. With a hunk of sourdough bread on the side, which was surprisingly fresh and toothsome for a non-bakery-derived item, provided the pinnacle comfort-food ahhh and bellyful of happiness.

One supercool feature at McCracken's is the restaurant's "Lite Bites" menu. The items are not light, per se, but smaller, less coma-inducing. The $9.99 portions include a half-shepherd pie, corned-beef boxty stack, lunch-size fish and chips, and classic mac and cheese. (We won't tell your doctor if you don't tell ours!)

The shepherd’s fries at McCracken's offers a heap of thick-cut fries topped with Shepherd’s pie mix, beer cheese, house-made Guinness glaze and parsley.
The shepherd’s fries at McCracken's offers a heap of thick-cut fries topped with Shepherd’s pie mix, beer cheese, house-made Guinness glaze and parsley.

Ellen Bruce runs Ellen's Cafe on 3rd owner with daughter Brittany Bryant. The made-from-scratch cafe of quintessentially American staples has been a favorite of the downtown Leesburg lunch crowd since opening in September 2019.

Bruce and Bryant took over the cafe from JMatt's, run by JMatt Maddox, son of Jim and Sandy Maddox, who ran the Southern Gourmet Cafe, a longtime Leesburg favorite. JMatt famously said once that their family's menu helped fund a vacation home for his cardiologist because of all of the artery-clogging decadence they offered with their cheesy melts and other home cooking.

Today, Ellen and her crew continue the the Maddoxes' beloved recipe for chicken salad plate, still a top choice at the eatery.

What's more, all of the food at Ellen's is hearty and affordable. Many of their meals are still priced under $10. The cafe is ideal for that much-needed solo lunch hour when you need to get away and retreat to someplace cozy, friendly, no-nonsense and familiar. It's also a nice spot for work meetings.

A cup of homemade chicken soup costs only around $4 at Ellens Cafe on 3rd in downtown Leesburg, but it packs a big hearty punch.
A cup of homemade chicken soup costs only around $4 at Ellens Cafe on 3rd in downtown Leesburg, but it packs a big hearty punch.

A bowl of Ellen's soup is the chef's kiss on a colder day. I tried their exquisite homemade chicken soup during a 90-degree midday early autumn afternoon, and it still hit the spot as a nerve-rattled newbie reporter on the beat. The bowl of lusciously savory broth, tender shaved chicken and chunky noodles — salty, but not too salty — hits deep down in your soul.

More: 'What's on the menu?' with Joa Jane Harpster

More: Tired of dystopian news? Check out Crooked Can's plan for a new brew-topia in Lake County

What's your comfort-food go-to?

Let's keep this conversation going. Send your favorites to news@dailycommercial.com.

McCracken's Irish Pub is located at 719 W. Main St., Leesburg. Call 352-460-0659 for more information. Ellen's Cafe on 3rd can be found at 110 S. Third St., Leesburg; 352-630-1313.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Comfort food faves at McCracken's and Ellen's Cafe on 3rd