Steaks and burgers are good but rest of the menu is pretty blah, seems like they count on giving you a huge portion to make up for the crap-tastic food. Â Service here has never been consistent for me, some nights its great, some I can barely find someone to take an order. Â
Still trying to give this place a chance but reading the reviews make me wonder just what kinda kool-aid are these people drinkin (and where can I get some). Â Am I just missing something?
What a fun place to hang out at!! Â My husband and I stopped in Pensacola on our roadtrip home to Orlando and decided to dine here with friends in the area who recommended this spot! Apparently it's popular with tourists and locals since it was featured on the Food Network and the Travel Channel.
We got here around 1130a on a Sat. It was starting to get busy so this was the perfect time to get in to avoid the large crowds. Placed our name on the list but they couldn't seat us since half of our party wasn't there yet. Fair enough.
While waiting for the rest of our party, I ran to the restroom. It's definitely a maze getting there. Once I found it, I almost walked into the men's restroom!! Luckily some women were behind me that were regulars and steered me in the right direction. So make sure to read the signs!!! I chuckle about it now. Â
The restaurant is very fun and has all sorts of fun Irish themed items on display. Also don't be surprised by the $1 dollar bills hanging from the ceilings. Apparently it's tradition to sign a $1 bill and leave it so they can hang up. And they're at $1 million and counting....super crazy but a neat idea that makes this place so unique from other places.
Food was good and of course centered around Irish pub fare. We started with the Irish boxtys which were rather good. Think deep fried mashed potato balls! They served with 3 different sauces. My favorite was the ranch sauce. L
They have an extensive burger menu with some crazy concoctions . My husband got the hot fudge burger. Yes HOT FUDGE. It was a burger with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. And he finished it. And said it was good!! Â I have cut red meat out of my diet so it was a little hard to find something that didnt have meat. I ended up going with the naked fish and chips which was a grilled fish with steak fries, an Irish cole slaw and a diced tomatoes. The only thing I didn't care for was the cole slaw which was rather bland. It didn't even taste like it was tossed in a sauce of any sort.
My only observation was that the menu doesn't seem to be very vegetarian friendly so be forewarned.
Service was very good and prompt. Not much of a wait and glasses were refilled.
When we finished lunch, the restaurant was bustling and packed in the lobby area! Definitely glad we got here early . So if you don't want to wait, make sure to get here early! I can only imagine this place gets super packed for dinner.
We started with a flight of their craft beers. All were excellent. My favorite was the Stout. Very smoky flavor. We ordered the senate bean soup and bread, as well as Boxtys for appetizers. For our meals we had the blue cheese steak burgers, a Reuben and the fish & chips lunch special. We all shared bites, and everything was excellent. Can't wait to go back. This place is amazing.
Review Source:A Pensacola favorite for locals and tourists!
McGuire's Irish Pub offers a fun Irish/New York pub atmosphere complete with Irish folk music and dollar bills taped to the walls and ceiling. Â The original location that opened in 1977 was located in a strip mall, but it moved to Pensacola's original Old Firehouse in 1982.
You would think McGuire's is a tacky tourist trap with bad food, but it is quite the opposite! Â McGuire's is an 11 time Golden Spoon winner, awarded "best steaks" in Florida by Beef Backers, and is highly recommended by travel guides such as Frommers and Fodors.
Mostly I come here for burgers and beer. Â The burgers are quite a bargain at only $9.99 and range from classic cheese burgers, black and blue burgers, interesting Hawaiian steak burgers and Reuben burgers and some oddball burgers with strange toppings such as peanut butter or hot fudge (what?!?!?!). They even serve a "Garbage Burger" that contains a little bit of everything. Â I imagine it tastes as disgusting as it sounds! Â Other than the burgers the only other thing I have tried on the menu is the potato skins and the nachos. Â One of these days I am going to order something besides burgers and bar food from the menu!
The cocktails at McGuire's pack quite a punch!!! McGuire's pours 1 1/2oz shots so their tasty double shot martinis contain three shots of liquor - PACE YOURSELF!!! Â One martini is usually more than enough for me. On the rare occasion that I drink two dirty martinis I usually end up walking into the wrong bathroom door! Â The Irish Wake is so powerful that there is a three drink limit on this cocktail!
One last fun fact: McGuire's brews five of their own beers as well as a seasonal beer. Â The regular line includes McGuire's Light Ale, McGuire's Irish Red Ale, Wild Irish Raspberry Wheat, McGuire's Porter and McGuire's Irish Stout. Brewery tours are available and home brewers even have the chance to take home some of McGuire's yeast to brew your next batch with!
Our favorite spot to eat when in Pensacola.  I'll admit that while the food is great, I have a soft spot for the brown bread and the raspberry beer.  The décor is great fun with money stapled to almost every available spot in the place.  There is also a gift shop.  We usually split a steak and salad and are more than happy but this time I also had the mussels.  They were fantastic. The staff is wonderful.  This place is consistently great in every way!
Review Source:If you want a relaxing meal with friends go at lunch when it is considerably less crowded and noisy. Â If you want to have a raucous, fun evening go for dinner but go early or expect a considerable wait. Â The place is hard to get into for a reason. Â The steaks and traditional Irish fare is excellently cooked (lamb chops and shepherds pie are particularly yummy). Â The steaks and burgers are HUGE and properly grilled to order. Â The pour is generous and reasonably priced. Â The meals are a little expensive compared to other restaurants but worth it for a special occasion. Â Fun place, good food all you need to add is good friends/family.
Review Source:I don't see the attraction.
Why can't hey be bothered to take reservations? With so many tables, the average time to turn a table should be highly stable and predictable. I assume they just want to run up your bar tab while you wait.
So you wait 30 to 90 minutes only to be rushed through dinner. No one in our group was half way through their salad before the entrees arrived.
I know they are a steak place, but most good steak houses 100 yards from the ocean serve decent seafood. My grilled crab cakes were burnt to a crisp.
We had to wait about 30-40 minutes because we went on Friday night, but the food and experience totally worth it! I grabbed a drink from the bar (try anything with whiskey). Our server was great, we had the fish and chips, reuben eggrolls (I don't even like Reubens, and these were fantastic), and steak/mushroom pie. What some people call "touristy" isn't in my eyes; I think the owners just wanted to go over-the-top and festoon the place in every Irish artifact they could find. They definitely succeeded. You'll never get bored because there is so much to look at! I do wish I had tried the beer. This is a must-stop in Pensacola.
Review Source:The place was very touristy, both outside and inside. However I was blown away with how good my meal was. Appetizers were amazing, and the meal itself was far more than a person could eat on their own. Just thinking of this places makes me want to drive back to Florida, words I never expected to type. Even got caught up in the kitsch of the place and left a dollar on the wall. If I'm ever back in Pensacola, I'll be back for sure.
Review Source:I was a bit apprehensive when we first entered because the restaurant itself feels a bit dingy and dark, and honestly, smelled a bit like urine, but I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Don't get me wrong, the thousands upon thousands of dollar bills hanging from the ceiling is a fun addition, but I couldn't help but feel just a leeetle bit dirty.
But the food is stellar. The warm brown bread with honey butter starts you off, and I had to restrain myself from stuffing the entire loaf into my pie hole in one fell swoop. Hubby had the Rueben burger, and even though my fish and chips were delicious, I was jealous of his meal. But I think he was jealous of mine, too! The burger was juicy and flavorful and HUGE. Fries are crispy without being overcooked, and my fish was wonderful.
We liked it so much we came back again before leaving for home, and this time I tried the Shepard's Pie. It was flavorful and the root veggies were a nice surprise instead of the more common green peas (ick!), but it seemed as if the beef had not been drained, and so it was a bit greasy for my tastes. But still good. Just not something I would necessarily order again.
All in all, I highly, highly recommend this place. Burgers are stellar, and I've heard the steaks are out of this world.
And trust me, I'll be testing some of those drink specials when I'm not sporting this belly bump any more!
When I think of what a great Irish Pub should be this place exceeds all expectations. Â Of course the decor and design of the place are all way over the top and exaggerated to the maximum for full tourist effect but it is done in a fun way that really works. The food is fantastic and the staff is attentive and friendly. Â This is a VERY popular place and it always has a crowd and everyone seems to always be having a great time. Â They have some great deals on their lunch specials and portions are very large. Â Its rare I can't finish a meal but this place has defeated my well honed eating skills on many occasions with portions so large I couldn't complete the meal. Â I've always found that I've gotten very good value for my money here and they also have their own beer selection and I like all their brews. Â I'm generally a huge anti-touristy person but this is one tourist trap joint that I actually love (as it seems many locals do also) and I find the food to be very well done for this type of establishment.
Review Source:One word: Â Fantastic! This place is an iconic restaurant in Pensacola. The food is reasonable but the true reason you go is to hang out with friends and meet new people. Burgers, steak, and fish and chips are good. I would recommend the Reuben egg rolls as an app. They are a delicious treat. With all that praise out of the way, I would caution the average goer to only visit at night. That way you can get the most out of the experience.
Review Source:Big fan! Â My only complaint is I do not travel to Pensacola often. I'd go back on every trip. This was a recommendation from someone on my flight. Turns out, my hotel was within walking distance.
This place was very good. I was alone so I sat at the bar. Great choice. Bartenders were fantastic and the patrons were very friendly. I made a few friends by the end of the night. The beer they brew there is spot on. I stuck with the stout most of the night and it competes with Guinness. That good.
The blue cheese chips appetizer could be a meal and a good one but don't fill up. Too many good choices. It is a steakhouse after all and the ribeye was everything I was told it would be. My only mistake was not getting the blue cheese crumbles on top. I forgot to ask and the bar tender didn't offer (his only slip up all night). Cooked properly and seared to perfection. Many folks around me ordered the Sheppard's Pie. Looked great as well and everyone finished it. If you have room for dessert get the Jim Beam bread pudding. The sauce comes out hot and makes the dish.
I cannot write a review on this place and not mention the money. Over half a million dollars on the ceiling and walls!? Â Have to see it to believe it and appreciate it. Go just for that and stay for the beer and the food. You'll be glad you did.
I've never had a bad meal here in my life. Â I basically rotate between three meals. Â I either get the black and bleu burger, the ribeye steak, or the fish and chips. Â All are great and every time I make sure to get Irish Boxtys. Â If you are in the mood for a steak I believe it's the best in town. Â This place or Agean Breeze are my steak destinations in this area. Â Most nights it's jam packed but if you were thinking on going on a Tuesday night beware the runners club comes in and fills out the place.
Review Source:This Irish pub truly has everything a person could desire. Bar seating. Open dining room seating. Private nook and cranny seating. Live music. The food portions are enormous and very well thought out for bar food. They even brew their own beer on site. Simply an amazing experience. I will always visit this pub when in Pensacola.
I'm giving this restaurant five stars because, unlike most other "jack of all trades" restaurants, this one in particular truly fulfills on all levels. While nothing they do is particularly fantastic (the food quality is only OK, their house-brewed beers are only OK) something about this place just makes for a great experience. The atmosphere is unlike anywhere else.
Love it! We visit the pub often and love the food, beer, and environment. We have never had bad service. You start your service with a loaf of bread and a bowl of awesome beans. (you may have to ask for the beans) Don't forget to hang a $1 bill on the ceiling or wall, that is if you can find a place. This is a great place to bring a large group.
Cons: This is a very active business and you may have to be put on a waiting list. Some of the food is pricey but there are plenty of items to choose from that aren't.... Enjoy!
I was so excited to go here then so disappointed. I have NO IDEA why this place has so many good reviews. This is a place that seems as if it worked very hard to get it's customer base and tons of awards for their food BUT once they got the good reputation they must have let the food and cleanliness go by the way side. Most of the reviews I've seen have alcohol references in them and this place has strong drinks-on the menu they say they make everything with double shots and some drinks are so strong that they limit the amount you can have. I say this because the only way I feel like someone would think the food is good is if they were drunk. (I'm no saint, I've been drunk and the only place still open so late was a place I hate on normal days but friends talked me into eating there and it was the best thing ever-I thought maybe I had judged too soon so a couple weeks later I went back sober and sure enough it was disgusting) About the cleanliness, to the eye everything is tidy but as we were walking to our table I almost slipped and fell because the floor was so greasy. There was a very bad greasy, fried smell in the air as well, like it had soaked into the walls. I would hate to see their kitchen- the grease smell makes me think they don't clean it very well.
Also, THE FOOD was disgusting. It wasn't just me that felt that way, it was my husband too so I guess I'm not crazy. The lighting in the restaurant was very dim so I felt like they were trying to hide something. He had the Brew Master burger which had an obnoxiously huge piece of liverwurst on it. They definitely got it out of a can and sloppily cut a piece and threw it on the burger. If it would have had a thin slice on top of the burger patty it would have made more sense. As for the beef patty-overcooked. I had the Reuben egg rolls. They had absolutely no taste. It was like dog food which I've tried and I think Id rather eat dog food any day. It was supposed to be like a Reuben sandwhich in the form of an egg roll. Sound delicious? yes! Was it? NO!!!!!! I couldn't even finish one. I'm CONVINCED they minced up old Bologna and fried it. I expected rich flavors but I got tasteless mush! Food was overpriced as well. The 18 cent soup or whatever the price... was even overpriced. It wasn't 28 bean soup by any means. It was a can of navy beans dumped in a bowl with no seasoning, thick as hell, but they tried to make it look special by putting a little green leaf on top...If this tricks people into thinking it is some fresh dish then good for them but I wasn't fooled.
I can understand how people get excited about the atmosphere with all the dollars on the wall and the way the waitresses dress and the souvenir shop but in reality there is no feeling in the air like hey this is cool! I like this place! I'm excited! NOPE! It's just a bunch of distractions TRYING TO CREATE ATMOSPHERE. I can't speak of the bar side maybe that's where the said atmosphere is??? Last thing, I feel like most people who come here are passers through or on vacation so they are just excited to be somewhere new...I don't know it's the only way I can rationalize it.
Building a house makes one hungry, so our group decided to get all dolled up after day one of house building and head out to a night on the town.
Since we were a big group (there were 17 of us total), we got there early, around 5, so that we could all be at tables next to each other.
Our waiter was awesome! He knew the menu forward and backwards. Added bonus: he was from St Louis & a Cards fan. But I digress.
Some of the people at my table ordered the Reuben Eggroll Appetizer: Homemade Irish Eggrolls with Corned Beef,Sauerkraut and Swiss Cheese. Served with Thousand Island Dressing for dipping. It was so good! It was Reuben heaven.
So the waiter was telling us about how Chef Emeril had stopped by a few weeks back and was raving about the Yellow Fin Tuna Steak and loved it so much that he had to get seconds of that bad boy. Well, if it is good enough for Mr. Lagasse, then it was good enough for me. You can get it prepared rare, medium, or well done. I had it prepared medium well. It was melt in your mouth amazing. The Yellow Fin Tuna Steak consisted of: AAA Grade Tuna, Sesame Encrusted and Chargrilled with a Wasabi Buerre Blanc Sauce. Oh my gosh. That Wasabi was on fire. It brought it together.
As if the app, Irish Honey Black Bread with Pure Butter, Green Salad and Tuna wasn't enough, I decided to try the  HOMEMADE BREAD PUDDING with Bushmills Irish Whiskey Sauce. Apparently it is an Old Irish Recipe and they tend to go a little heavy on the Whiskey Sauce (they warn you). It was freaking amazing.
By the end of the night, they had to roll us out of there.
If you are ever in Pensacola, you need to check this place out.
.
Loved it. They say you can't come to pensacola without going to McGuire's. They are soooooo right.
The 28 bean soup. Freaking amazing and I haven't had bean soup since I was a child because my mom made me. Then had Benets which are basically my new favorite (pastry?) ever and a 6 egg ham and cheese omelette because I could and it was also super delicious. I have no idea how I managed to get out of there and walk around but if course no brunch is complete without mimosas and a complimentary Irish coffee right before leaving. I had a frozen one and drank about three sips before realizing that it was too frozen to drink. The hit version though was very warm. They make those Irish coffees really strong.
I hope to come back for dinner time and drink properly. They brew their own beer there and I tried a bit of the dark brew. Very good.
I was in the USA visiting my mother over xmas and doing a bit of genealogy research. We were well pleased to come across this place. In the land of chain fast food, this place is an oasis in the desert.
They brew their own beers, we went there twice in the two days we were in Pensacola ;) I had a pilsner the first day and shared potato skins with my mother. I had my heart set on a Reuben sandwich but the skins portion was so huge we were both full. Not to worry, I had the Reuben the following day with their ale. Excellent stuff!!!
It's a very busy place, the décor, the signs for the toilets are misleading as it says "gents" with some sort of circle with an arrow pointing to the door next-door, which I failed to see the first time. I nearly scared a woman out of her skin, I was quite embarrassed but the staff got a good laugh at my expense...
Been here a few times before, had their burgers, which were good.
But this evening i decided to have some steak.
Steak is definitely over priced.
Came on a Monday night. ($2 Margarita Monday.) it wasn't busy at all, our service was REALLY slow. our dinner was over a hour long just for a burger and a steak.
Asked for my steak Medium, came out well done and dry.
Only thing I will give them, their alcohol is super strong!!!
I've been to Ireland, but I've also been to O'Charley's (an American "Irish" chain,) so I tried not toget my hopes up when I headed to Mcguire's. I was visiting friends employed by the nearby Air Force base, and it was absolutely at the top of their list, so how could I say no? Honestly, it's very charming, in a totally over-the-top but not cliched way. Money on the ceiling, lots of sports memorabilia - it was doing all these things before the chains caught on. Despite going on a weekend night, it wasn't SUPER busy.
Pros:
- Fun atmosphere
- Really reasonable drink prices
- Senate bean soup. Yum!
- The "Irish Wake," which is a Pensacola specialty (picture a Long Island Iced Tea, but with green orange juice instead of coke)
- AWESOME service.
- Some semi-authentic Irish dishes (the Boxtys and the black bread were great)
- Generous portions
Cons:
- The meat is much too expensive for the relative quality. $25-40 is reasonable at a nice place in Manhattan where they serve really good beef, but what I had? Give me a break.
- Â Most of the over things I tried were too salty or over-crusted in pepper (seasoning is one thing, but this went beyond what was reasonable.)
Go for the experience or the ale (brewed on site!) and skip the "famous" steaks. But certainly go nonetheless.
Hmm... Â I really don't know about this place. Â The ambiance is cool but the food left much to be desired.
My Grandparents live near Destin and I know there's a McGuire's there as we've driven by it numerous times but never eaten there. Â My Grandma is buried in Pensacola at the Naval Air Station so we stopped here for lunch on the way back from visiting her Thanksgiving weekend.
The dollar bills all over the ceiling were neat, but all I could think about was how much money it amounted to, curiosity I guess. Â
Out of our group of 5, two of us were vegetarians and I believe the only thing on the menu for us was the steamed vegetable plate. Â I ordered mine with cheddar cheese on it. Â Everyone besides us also ordered the 18 cent senate soup or whatever it is. Â
When our food arrived, I couldn't believe how big my plate of veggies was, and it was absolutely SMOTHERED with cheese. Â We totally could've shared. Â
It was good until I ate my way into the center of the pile of veggies. Â They were COLD on the inside and the cheese hadn't melted at all under the top layer. Â Not that I really cared at that point I guess because I was already full and wasn't planning on taking the leftovers with me. Â
I'm sure if I wasn't a vegetarian my experience would've been much different because I wouldn't be so limited on what I could eat. Â
No one else really commented on their food one way or the other but my cousin asked me later on if my veggies were cold, apparently hers were as well.
I agree with someone else who said the dollar bills seemed dirty. Â We had an air vent right over our table and as the bills flapped in the breeze, all I could think about was dirty money germs being sprinkled upon our food.
I really liked McGuire's Irish Pub. Â It had been recommended to me by several people before my trip. Â I was really happy to see that it was a block away from my hotel. Â I therefore didn't have to worry about what I had to drink. Â I ate here both nights I was in town.
I ate at the bar both nights. Â The bartender was friendly and helpful with menu items. Â The first night I had corned beef and cabbage, which was prepared perfectly and was served with a generous portion. Â The second night I had the shepard's pie, which was as good as any that I have had in the UK. Â
Adjacent to the bar on both nights they had great music, including a musician singing Celtic songs on my first night. Â Excellent.
I had such a great time that I wanted to take home a souvenir, so I went to their gift shop to find a baseball cap or a tee shirt. Â I was very disappointed with the quality of items in their gift shop. Â Much of the merchandise was kitschy or tacky, and not worthy of an otherwise great establishment. Â Despite the vast array of available items, I did not buy anything. Â
Nonetheless, five stars for McGuire's.
4 stars for atmosphere, and for redeeming itself. I'm a local, sort of, and was almost going to write the place off until this last visit.
Our server, Andy, was awesome.
Our steaks, ribeye and filet, DAMN!
My martini- extra dirty, yum!
The beers, brewed there and good stuff.
I've had just about everything on the menu, don't order the fish and chips and you probably won't be disappointed.
Drink specials are always pretty good, and if you feel like scraping yourself off the floor, have an Irish Wake or two...
Simply amazing. If you are in Pensacola or Destin, FL you MUST GO HERE! They have everything from $10.00 ground steak burgers to Shepherd's Pie to the best stakes in the Gulf Coast!
The atmosphere is awesome. The walls and ceiling are covered with $1.00 bills. Sign one and ask for a stapler! They'll let you put it wherever you want. We've stapled our own several times. They do have to take them down to count every year for insurance reasons, so it may not be in the exact same spot when you come back.
My favorite appetizer is the Boxty's. They are quite literally fried, mashed potatoes. SO AMAZING. Served with 3 dipping sauces.
My favorite thing to do, is to rent out a room. They have several different sized rooms for different events. All they need is a credit card to secure the room and a 18% gratuity is added to the bill. You get your own private room to celebrate with friends or family. We've done this for Birthdays, Bridal Showers, Work Parties and Going Away Parties. Great fun, every time.
The best drink they have is called an Irish wake. It's about 9 different liquors all in one glass. Light green, served in a Mason Jar with McGuire's logo on it. You get to keep the jar! They say they're so strong that they can only serve 2 to a person before cutting you off. That hasn't happened to me though. Ha ha.
Watch out for the bathroom doors! Guy's is labeled Girls, with the arrow pointing to the other door and vice versa. They do have deodorant, lotion, soap, and mouth wash in the bathroom for you though!
LOVE this place. I miss it everyday that I'm not in the area. Please, stop in! Every time we brought out of state friends and family here, they've raved about it ever since. You will NOT be disappointed.
The only time you may not want to go... is ON St. Patrick's Day. This place is ALWAYS SOOO packed it takes hours to get in.
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