I've been to McGuire's several times over several years of vacationing in Destin. Â Every year I remain impressed and have a great experience. Â The restaurant offers a unique experience, offering Prime steaks, excellently prepared, and served by well mannered and attentive servers. Â Though the service and steaks are close close to that of fine dining experience, the ambiance is far from it. Â
Recently, I enjoyed the smoked ribs, which I thought were very good. Â My wife enjoyed the fillet, which she had prepared Medium. Â It too was properly cooked and ranked high on her list of steaks.
Our kids (8 and 6) also enjoyed their time and food. Â I look forward to next visit.
Overall, I rated this restaurant a 5 star, which I don't take lightly. Â There is really something on the menu for everyone. Â From top notch steaks which can best Ruth Chris, Morton's, and other well known steak houses, to corn dogs for the kids. Â Service is excellent. Â Ambiance is fun and relaxed.
If you didn't already get this from the other reviews - this place was on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives! AND there's over a million bucks of dollar bills hanging from the ceiling. no joke.
Okay, so McGuire's is known for their burgers, but I've experienced them and they really aren't that great. They get such rave reviews and constitute the main portion of the menu, but I found that they aren't anything super special.
But, don't get me wrong because I LOVE McGuire's. The atmosphere is fun, the service is pretty good, and their brown bread with honey butter is delicious...I'm just not a fan of their burgers. In my next visit to McGuire's after having tried their namesake, I opted for a grilled chicken sandwich (w. swiss and bacon) instead, which  was much better and is now my usual order there. Maybe it's because I'm not a huge burger person? - I dunno.
Definitely give McGuire's a try if you're in the Destin area. It's a nice change of pace from the over-abundance of seafood restaurants.
About once per month some of my clients come to Destin to do a personal day trading mentorship with me.
Even though it seems I am constantly on a diet, lunchtime is always the Monday treat at McGuire's.
18c bean soup to start. Homemade beers are fantastic. It is difficult to order anything but the bar b que prime rib since you can smell it cooking a mile away.
I have never left the place without taking something back in a doggie bag.
Alex L Wasilewski, CEO Puretick.
On Sunday at 11:45 there was no wait for brunch. That is a miracle in Destin with all the tourists. This place is HUGE!!!!!!!!! They took us on a long walk to get to our table and we finally ended up in a dark room that had huge casks for beer. It was pretty cool.
They bring out this brown bread covered in honey butter when you order. It was good. We had the Irish Boxtys for an app. They were ok, but they were not traditional and not what I was expecting. They were basically hush puppys with good dipping sauces. For an entree we split a ribeye. It came with a salad and a side. We chose the caesar and asparagus. Both were pretty good. The steak was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. It came on a sizzling plate. LOVED IT. It had a tomato with blue cheese melted on top along with two big crunchy onion rings. It was a very big steak. We were stuffed and took a lot home.
They had the full menu minus the prime rib. They also offered brunch which was around $10 and came with an irish coffee for free. That was cool and we will probably partake next time. They also had pitchers of bloody marys for $8 and bottomless mimosas for $4.
A guy was playing guitar and singing while we were there also. He was good but the music was making me sleepy in the dark room. It was very very soothing. Good for a nice laid back Sunday morning. :)
I lived in Destin but this is one of the touristy places that even locals love.
One plate is big enough for 2 people so if you aren't that hungry I would suggest sharing. The burgers are top notch here. Hand crafted with lots of variations on this classic.
They do make their own beer here along with their own root beer which is AMAZING. I am drooling right now thinking of it. One of my favorite things here is their Senate bean soup for .10 cents if you order it with an entree and their brown bread with a honey butter glaze.
If you are a local or even a tourist you will love this place. I suggest sitting on the upper deck at sunset.
I LOVE MCGUIRES! :)
I'm not from the area but I enjoy coming here often. Â
First off, very friendly atmosphere and service. They start off the meal with a bread course thats glazed with..some sweet glaze and its DELICIOUS. Theres a huge selection of craft beer but i definitely recommend trying an Irish Wake if you're in the mood to actually get drunk. Cause I was buzzed half way through my first one...granted I quit drinking regularly about a year ago so I'm a lightweight now. I've tried both their salmon and their irish stew to date and both were delicious. The Irish stew especially is just such a large serving of yumminess. Give this place a shot, don't feed into the fact that people think it's a tourist trap. Yeah it sort of is, but it's definitely worth trying out.
Also check out their gift shop for great deals on a huge selection of wine.
Place is an obvious tourist trap. Â Parking sucks! Â It's a restaurant that tries to act like a dark pub. Â There's $1.3 million dollars worth of $1 bills all over the ceiling. Â But I love the food!
Waitstaff was very friendly and helpful.  It is dark so you need to watch your step.  Since I took my family, I was worried children wouldn't be allowed, but quite the contrary!  We started off with some Reuben eggrolls.  Usually I'm skeptical about fusion eggrolls, but this tasted so good!  Basically a Reuben sandwich rolled up and deep fried.  Packed full of corned beef, Swiss, and sauerkraut.  It'll clog your arteries, but so worth it hen you're going through your second heart attack.  I ordered their Food Network (Big Daddy) burger.  Party was moist, juicy, and flavorful.  Everything goes well with bacon.  Cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, I think we have a winner!  My wife's dish takes the cake.  Her lamb stew epitomizes comfort food.  The braised lamb shanks were super tender fall-off-the-bone and flavorful with onions, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, carrots, and celery.  Drank that stew as a soup.  Best dish of the night!  We'll definitely be back next time we're in Destin.
I gave it five stars because of the overall experience. Their nachos, it is absolutely amazing. I promise you will remember their nachos for the rest of your life. Their burgers are also very good. Very meaty and hearty. Many burgers to choose from. McGuire's burgers and nachos WILL NOT disappoint you! Service is also good! The restaurant has a good vibe. Must try, if you haven't tried then you haven't lived!
Review Source:There are a lot of people that complain about tourists.....GET OVER IT! It's Destin! I personally like the one in Pensacola. As for people that just moved here and write bad reviews and complain about 98, guess what your not a local so shut up! For everyone else If you want to have a good meal or get some drinks try it.
Review Source:We tried McGuire's seafood platter after a horrible experience at Dewey's (not the Harborside). Â It made McGuire's seafood platter taste like the last meal on earth. Â First, the crowded lot was crazy. Â Hubby raced in to see how long the wait was and was overjoyed to find that he could get a table IMMEDIATELY. Â So he parked while I went upstairs and waited. Â The waitress was nice and asked if we wanted to place an order for our 2 year old immediately so he wouldn't be hungry. Â How awesome is that??? Â He had the corndog kids meal. Â I ordered the seafood platter with bean soup and creamed spinach. Â The bean soup was surprisingly good - I like soup. Â The platter was pretty good and the creamed spinach was a bit undersalted but I could add my own. Â Hubby had steak that was touted as the world's best steak for 3 years in a row. Â He said that they may have to rethink their voting methods because it wasn't. Â It was good. Â I tasted some, it was kind of salty. Â Not the best in the world. Â Atmosphere was cool and the wait was great. Â The food was ok. Â I would probably come again but it wouldn't be tops on my list.
Review Source:Excellent restaurant in Destin which has a lot of less than stellar tourist traps. Â This place might be kind of a tourist trap as there's always a crowd, but it really delivers when it comes to service and food quality. Â The prices aren't bad at all for the amount and quality of food. Â We mostly wound up getting various burgers and a couple of appetizers and everything was exceptional! Â Loved it!
Review Source:Let me say this first, I moved into the area not to long ago and everyone old me that I gotta go to McGuire's. I tried to like this place. I really did. A lot of my co-workers like it here and I really saw some potential. Sadly that never really happened.
Boy howdy, What a dump
McGuires is the "place to go to" in Destin. AKA, it's the only place that's a little bit better than Olive garden and it makes tourists feel cool that they're at an "authentic" Irish "pub" and it's the only place where locals think they can bring their kids for some "culture" and food other than McDonalds. It's the first thing you see driving in from Okaloosa island, this big green glowing eyesore, with a tacky double decor """"British"""" green bus in front. Hork. Makes me flinch just to drive by it.
Parking is, and will always be, terrible. I normally got lucky and found something, but  finding a spot is near impossible. There's always taxies everywhere to pick up the drunk fratboys, sluts and military members who get too embarrassingly blasted to drive home. And if you're lucky enough, if you come or leave around 8pm, you can see them falling out of the restaurant yelling and sometimes even fighting. There's always a rowdy group of rednecks or bros outside smoking, trying to act more tough than they actually are.
The inside is a messssss. They tried to decorate it in a eclectic way, with dollar bills and fake posters, but it passed the line into tacky. It's also tinted this red color that makes it feel more like a photo dark room than a restaurant. It's also really claustrophobic. The place seems smaller than the people it accommodates in it. Â On that note, this is NOT, I repeat, NOT a pub. It's a restaurant with three bars. Calling it a pub is incorrect and an insult to actual pubs.
You need to have the patience of a saint. There's 6 tables to every one waitress. You can bet that at least 2 of those tables will have screaming children that will grab the server's attention to shut them up, before you. And it's so, so sooooooo loud in here, you can't even hear the person sitting right across from you.
The beer is, well beer. You can't screw up beer. The mixed drinks are really watered down and expensive. I felt robbed when I saw the bartender make their famous "Irish Wake". It's 3/4 orange juice, less than two shots of vodka and some grenadine. So like a sex on the beach, but this will cost you 15$. But you do get to keep your glass. One thing they did get right about Irish pubs, is the food is average to poor. The pizza is fine, but boring and my hamburgers were soggy and bland. It's also very heavy. Like everything is covered in butter and oil. The portions are really huge though. Overall, very forgettable and not a place where you want to be if you're on a diet. It is inexpensive though, 29$ for two isn't that bad. I mean, for average food it is, but...
If you're into places like Osaka, you'll LOVE McGuire's. However, if you're looking for good drinks, go to the red door and if you're looking for food... well, if you want something just a little better than Mc, just go to AJ's. Honestly, try anything other than this place. Just go once if you're a local and if you're a tourist, screw you for clogging up 98, I hope you enjoy your Sheppard's pie heat attack.
The only time I would ever go back is during St. Patrick's Day.
Definitely a tourist restaurant. After reading reviews, I fell for the trap!
I wouldn't say anything here is awful or bad, but I had high expectations before visiting because of the great reviews. My boyfriend and I dined here for a late lunch / early dinner and we had the following:
-House-brewed Ale
-House-made root beer
-Boxtys
-Bean Soup
-Crab Cake Platter (with salad and mashed potatoes)
If you're a fan of buttery, fried, and heavy food, this is your place. Their portions are huge...even the bowl of butter that comes on the side of your black bread topped with honey butter is a mega-portion. We had trouble finishing the boxtys because they were so big and filling, and we struggled with finishing the crab cakes. My boyfriend and I were both disappointed in the ale and root beer...maybe it was the wrong day, but they both were flat. It's not terribly disappointing food, but it's definitely not the best Irish food I have ever had. The best thing in our meal was the bean soup-- at $.18 it's worth a try!
We went here for St. Patrick's Day, and it was CRAZY! Â Like the kind of crazy that you need a drink (or two) to deal with. Â Thankfully, they had an Irish Wake bar set up right outside. Â Plus you can keep the mason jar it comes in. Â Kitschy and delicious.
They don't have a ton of vegetarian options, but the few are really good. Â The boxtys were superbly fried balls of mashed potatoes. Â REALLY YUMMY! Â The spinach artichoke dip was also amazing... even the accompanying chip were good. Â Both items were very sizable portions-- don't be afraid to share. Â They have a side salad which could be a meal itself. Â AND if you managed to save any room for dessert, try the bread pudding. Â I thought it was pretty standard as bread puddings go, but the whiskey sauce really made it special. Â
I tried not to think about how dirty money really is as I was surrounded by dollar bills, but that all melted away once the food came. Â And the boxtys were so good, we had to stop here a second time before leaving Destin.
The atmosphere alone gives this place 5-stars. Â Where else can you go where literally the entire interior of the restaurant is COVERED in dollar bills? Â Supposedly over a million dollars worth. Â
This place is awesome. A definite must-stop if you're in the Destin area. Â The food is great, good beer selection, quick service, and the atmosphere is unbeatable. Â A great place to grab a bite to eat or just have a beer on the patio.
Bread is amazing. Soft warm and super good. If you order the Nacos be prepared to not be eat them all. They are huge! 2 people couldn't finish them. I had these fried potato balls and they were very good. The side of sour cream, salsa, and quamolie paired very nice with em. Service was good and timely. Gotta try the bread
Review Source:McGuire's taught me how to love a woman  and scold a child. Â
Like anyplace else in Destin, you have to pick the right times -- avoiding touristy times if you want to relax, focusing on touristy times if you want overcrowded craziness. Â Either way, however, the brews will flow, the food will taste great (the pre-meal bread, buffalo o'toole thighs, bean soup, calamari, burgers and the NY strip are among the highlights), and you'll leave as a better person. Â
I have spoken.
As a local, I want to love this place, but every time I return I wonder why. Â The service is OK, the food is OK, it is loud and dark. Â The burgers and the bar are its best assets.
Locals know to come for Mug Club, and the burger has been voted best on the emerald coast.
Aside from those two redeeming qualities, this is mostly a place for tourists who get a kick out of looking at all the dollar bills hanging everywhere and shopping in the gift shop.
A big glitzy tourist trap. If you like "a bunch of crazy crap on the walls" and lots of non-sequitur tchotchkes floating around, this place is for you. The ceiling and walls are plastered with thousands of dollar bills, which is kind of cool. There is also a big moose theme going on, because apparently the moose is native to Ireland. The things you learn.
Atmosphere, loud. On this particular night crowd skewed old, so imagine a bunch of drunken 50-60 year old vacationers from parts unknown talking loudly and bunching around the stairwell.
They have a line of house brews which are perfectly fine but not a great excuse to not offer anything else. Food seemed pretty standard and there's nothing wrong with getting something hearty like a burger or shepherd's pie, it all seemed perfectly edible. While there were lots of "customizable" options on the menu, it was all the same base dish (burger, sandwich, steak, fish & chips) with the option to pay extra for a few toppings. Not anything distinguishing this place from all the other Taj Mahals that you can find for 50 miles in either direction. This one has an Irish theme, the one down the street will have a scurvy fisherman theme, etc. etc.
Long wait for party of 7. Went here twice on our trip. Loved the Mahi Mahi - Irish Wake is awesome drink. Take caution when deciding which restroom to use (especially if you drink too much) Millions of dollars on the ceiling. Fun for the whole family. Just get there early if you have a large party as you will have to wait at least an hour.
Review Source:I grew up in Destin, and I think that McGuire's is overrated. When I started dating my husband, he told me that the only restaurant he'd been to in Destin was McGuire's...I've since changed that. Their burgers are good, but I don't really drink (so maybe that's why it loses it's appeal to me), so to me, there are much better places to go in Destin for a good burger.
Review Source:I went here for a bachelorette party. Â There was a very large group of us and they accommodated us at this huge round table with a big lazy susan in the middle which was a really nice touch.
The drinks were ridiculously tasty. First of all during happy hour I was able to get a legit red bull (not fake red bull disguised as real red bull) and vodka for $3. Then I had some cheesecake martini which tasted like dessert. So good.
Let me start off by saying the portions are HUGE. More than enough to feed two people. The food was also ridiculously delicious and we each got something different. Â The bread was so good and it had honey drizzled on it. YUMMMMM.
For my entree I got the Tuna Steak with Sesame Seeds. Â It was the second best tuna steak I've ever had in my life (#1 was in New Orleans) but man they came real close. Â Since I had noshed on so much food before hand, including sampling my friends entrees (all of which were amazing), I took my dinner home. Â I ate it as hangover food later that night after we returned from our night out with the bride. :)
You'll read a lot of reviews about the dollars on the ceiling. This was really special as our bride got to commemorate her day by stapling one to the ceiling.
Such a fun place and the service was hilarious and very attentive for all of us.
Loved it.
McGuires's is like the mother of all Irish pubs/restaurants that ever was, is, and will be.
If the Philip J. Fry of Irish pubs went back in time and did the nasty with his Irish pub grandmother, McGuire's would be the awesome end product. Take anything that remotely resembles Ireland or Irish culture and stick it into a massive commercial plot filled with Notre Dame memorabilia and you pretty much have the gist of what McGuire's is.
To be more specific, McGuire's is an Irish pub/steakhouse/frat bar/souvenir shop/microbrewery all rolled into one. There's definitely something here for everyone irregardless of age and culture, which makes it an easy choice when you're driving in from the Creestview area and everyone wants to eat something different and you're given the task of making the executive decision. Although I wouldn't quite recommend those of the younger populace to frequent here past eight o'clock, this place is quite family friendly, and rightfully so, for all the tourists that freqent the Destin/FWB area.
One caveat with McGuire's is that everything they serve comes out in humongous portions; I ordered their steamed mussels which came piled atop a plate about the size of a regular-sized pizza pan. The calamari that my coworker ordered also seemed too burdensome to be labelled as "appetizers." Don't get me wrong--it may sound like I'm bitching, but this was actually a huge plus, if you disregard the fact that I couldn't finish my amazing lamb stew because I was so full.
It's really hard to recommend any one thing out of the menu since they seem to offer a buffet's variety in food. I wouldn't recommend their microbrew since it really isn't anything special; I tried their Red (Amber) Ale and their Porter and didn't really think two much of either.
All in all, a great place for family fun--an Irish "pub" without the lingering smell of piss and blood.
Let's just say I would come to Destin just to hangout at McGuire's. This place is Great. The atmosphere of an authentic pub, the million dollar bills stapled to the walls and ceiling, the in-house crafted beer (porter,my favorite), the HUGE portions of delicious food, the music....I could go on and on. I Love this Place, I've never had less than a great experience here. I love bringing people here because unless you've experienced it words can't do it justice.
Review Source:I have never seen so many $1 bills in my life! Â They literally have over a million stapled to the walls and clearly running out of room for more. Â I really hope this place never burns down because all of that money would be toast!
This place has lots of seating and a decent size menu. Â They make their own brews which were pretty delicious. Ordered the Texas chili burger which was way too big and I could only eat half. Â Their fries were really tasty! Â The service was great!
P.s the bathrooms are confusing on purpose so be careful you're entering the correct side!
Wow, do I love this place. Whenever I am in Destin for business, I try to hit them up a few times.
The steaks.. The steaks.. The Steaks.
I have eaten steaks at almost every high end steak establishment in the USA, and while McGuires isn't high end, or nice .. Â I often think about how much I love the ribeye at McGuires. They are always cooked perfectly (medium rare), with a smoky, savory flavor. McGuires is a constant reminder that price doesn't equal taste ,or quality.
The burgers are also good, and the chef salad is gigantic and amazing.
This place is great. Â The microbrewed beer is awesome. Â I loved the porter and stout. Â The old-fashioned is a great session beer. Â
They have huge portions of food. Â I'm a big eater, and I was unable to finish my meal. Â We had the potato skins for an appetizer. Â They were cheesy and had great flavor. Â
I ordered the Big Daddy burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, and jalapenos (the one featured on the food network), and it was delicious. Â It was perfectly cooked. Â My husband had the Reuben and was only able to finish half of it. Â All in all, we had another full meal from our leftovers. Â Don't miss this place!
The night we were there, they had a cute, super funny Irish singer. Â The service was quick, too, even though it was pretty crowded.
Truth be told, I judge a place by its burger menu. And when I see the "classic lineup", I lose interest.
So when I turned to the burger section at McGuire's and saw the chart of burgers they offer, like the Sundae Burger, I called their bluff and ordered something off-the-wall, expecting...well, I don't know what I was expecting when I ordered the peanut butter burger.
But I got exactly what I ordered. Peanut butter, on a beef patty, in a bun. Fries and lettuce and tomatoes and all that on the side.
Didn't need it.
It was the best thing I've ever tasted.
The rest of my table got different things, the Reuben, the Pizza Burger, someone got a ribeye, and nobody had any complaints. In fact, I think everyone was too excited to be there to really think about the food.
So if that says anything, then there's your review.
I have been to McGuires on a few trips to Destin but this is my first review for them. Â Try and get there early to avoid a long wait. Â Last week we went around 5:00 pm and it was not crazy busy. Â Keep in mind this was not peak season either.
Parking can be a bit of a nightmare. Â Really tight spots in a somewhat small lot makes it hard to see when backing out of the space. Â Getting out of the parking lot makes me nervous too. Â Tip: Â drive through the gas station on the south end of the building to catch the light.
Atmosphere is cool if you like really dim and dark places. Â Honestly, it doesn't bother me much and the kids love it. Â The wait staff is dressed in "Irish-like" apparel that looks to be a bit uncomfortable but definitely goes with the theme here. Â Another review mentioned a horrid smell so I made sure to pay attention. Â I wouldn't necessarily call it horrid but I did notice a slight odor of maybe something a bit stale. Â
Food is overall pretty good. Â I'm somewhat of a disabled Yelper when it comes to food choices but I give you what I got. Â We had the bleu cheese crisps (chips) as an appetizer - which the serving size is HUGE (need to share with about 10 people). Â I had the french onion soup which was just average. Â My daughter thinks their signature bean soup is fantastic. Â
Gift shop is pretty cool and offers a wide variety of Irish themed shirts. Â Considering my last name is Murphy my daughter just had to have a shirt. Â Wide variety of wines sold there too in the back of the store. Â It has a different vibe than other seaside shops in the area so worth checking out. Â It is located on the south end of the restaurant.
I visited Destin for the first time this past August and decided to take a trip here since it was recommended by a friend. I was thoroughly pleased! The wait took a little while but since it was just my friend and I, it wasn't unbearable. We decided to take a seat at the bar to wait.
Best night to come since they had their martinis on special! My friend and I decided to try different ones, I had the key lime pie and it was delish! Prices were amazing, only $3 per a good sized martini! We then decided to try the s'mores martinis. BEST IDEA EVER! They were sooo good and I think by the end of our dinner we had each had 3 of those. They are the perfect blend of chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker. They each come with a few floating baby marshmallows and a graham cracker lined rim. I don't know what liquor they used, but you could faintly taste the alcohol. It was perfect.
For dinner, my friend had the salmon, which she loved. I tried a bite and it was perfectly smoky and the glaze was super savory. I had the Irish Steak and Mushroom Pie. The flavors were so rich and flavorful. The steak tips were perfectly tender and the mushrooms had a great flavor. It was a tad bit salty at times but eating a carrot or two to tone down the salty was the trick for me. The house-made crust was super flaky and soft. I was in heaven the whole time eating it!
The service was very attentive and great. Our server was easy to chat with and she seemed on top of things considering it was pretty busy when we got there.
The atmosphere is very loud and fun. You can tell by the decorations that it is a very "pub-like" setting. The ceiling is covered with dollar bills, I have yet to figure out the story behind that. My friend and I thought it would be hilarious to sign the swordfish decoration on top of the bar, so we did. Hopefully it will be there forever. Several other people had signed the fish too!
Overall, great atmosphere, great food, and awesome martini specials! I would definitely go back if I am in Destin again!
Being the number one recommended restaurant on Yelp for Destin, I was expecting good things. Also, with it being the number one recommended location it was packed. Waited an hour for a table, however, McGuire's has a really good outside patio area where you can start off your meal with drinks and appetizers/pizza.
The two beers we tried were good (Porter and Fruit). My favorite item on the menu was the spinach and artichoke dip. It's a huge portion with homemade tortilla chips. Very yummy and very filling. After finishing our pre-dinner I was not all that hungry, so I only ordered a Caesar salad for my entree. The salad was average with a little too much dressing for my taste.
Given the giant size of all the dishes here I would bring an appetite or recommend sharing. Definitely worth a visit for dinner.
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