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Crystal and I both went to college in Pensacola, Florida and one of the places we frequented often was McGuire’s Irish Pub. McGuire’s is a local favorite and it was always a great place for us to start our Thursday college nights with some cocktails, craft beer, and light bites. After we graduated college, we both left Pensacola and have so many fond memories from this Irish Pub. We recently visited Pensacola and the first place we wanted to revisit was McGuire’s. Since it had been over ten years since we last visited, we were eager to see if it was just like we remembered it.

Over One Million in Dollar Bills

One of the first things that you will notice when you step inside of McGuire’s are all the dollar bills. We’re not talking one or two walls, but the entire place from wall to ceiling is covered with dollar bills. It’s quite the site to see and even though we’ve seen it before we were in awe again of just how much money there was. Rumor has always been that there is over a million dollars on these ceilings and that it is also taxed every year. We’ve never really got to the bottom of this rumor, but there are some articles floating around the web about it.

Authentic Entertainment

Not only is the dollar bill atmosphere impressive but so is the entertainment. The live traditional Irish entertainment is always a crowd pleaser here. They have their own Pipe Band and you definitely can’t miss the man on a guitar telling you to, “Kiss the Moose!”. Kissing the Moose (giant stuffed moose head on the wall) was one of the highlights when we were college students because it was so much fun having a room full of people singing and cheering along for someone to kiss the moose.

Drink Menu

As college students, we always enjoyed their craft beer (McGuire’s has their own brewery) and the classic “Irish Wake”. The Irish Wake comes in a collectable mason jar and that one drink pretty much had enough alcohol to keep you buzzing all night. Because this drink is so potent, they limit it to three per person, but one was always enough for us. They also have a fun double-shot Martini menu and other intoxicating beverages.

Food

Ten years has gone by and one thing that we never really got a chance to fully experience at McGuires was the food. Back in the day, we were students on a budget, so we didn’t have the luxury of ordering what we really wanted to eat. Instead, we typically ordered items from the Happy Hour menu or appetizers. McGuires is famous for their aged steaks and angus steak burgers, so now that we were back, with a bigger budget, we finally had our moment to order whatever our bellies desired.

16 oz. Ribeye Steak

When it comes to steak, Crystal always orders the ribeye and McGuire’s offers an outstanding 16 oz. Ribeye Steak. This is one of our favorite ribeye steaks. It’s already full of flavor but the herb butter on top adds an extra special flavor to it. We usually can’t finish a 16-oz steak, so there’s plenty of leftovers to take home as well.

Jameson Pork Chops

I was expecting a big piece of grilled pork chop, but was slightly shocked (in a good way) that my plate presented two huge chops of pork. I was very pleased with my chargrilled pork chops and the Whiskey Glaze really elevated the flavors. I was worried that the glaze would be too sweet for my taste, but it actually paired really well with the pork chops. Since the portions were so generous, I had enough to take home with me for another meal.

18¢ Senate Bean Soup

We saw the 18-cent Senate Bean Soup on the menu and decided for that price we should go ahead and order it. We vaguely remember having tried it when we were in college and wanted to see if the price reflected the flavors. Crystal and I aren’t huge fans of bean soup so we really weren’t expecting much, but we were pleasantly surprised at how tasty the dish was. We would gladly pay more than 18 cents for that bowl of bean soup. We also love the humorous menu description for the Senate Bean Soup:

Same recipe as was served in the U.S. Senate for 18¢ in 1977. We’ve been selling this wonderful Homemade Soup at this price since 1977. The Senate cafeteria has raised their price to $6.00, but we all know Washington can’t control costs. ($18.00 if it’s your only purchase.).

Homemade Bread Pudding with Bushmills Irish Whiskey Sauce

Their dessert menu is fairly small, so it didn’t take long for us to decide on their homemade bread pudding. Crystal is a huge fan of bread pudding, but this one was a tad too sweet for her liking. The flavors were delicious but due to the overwhelming sweetness, we were only able to enjoy a few bites. This dessert is definitely for those with a major sweet tooth.

Final Thoughts

We had such a wonderful time at McGuire’s and we couldn’t have asked for a better dining experience. The fun-loving atmosphere was just like we had remembered it and so much more. The food was delightful, both the drink and food portions were VERY generous, the entertainment was fun and authentic, and the staff were all super friendly and welcoming.

Tips

• You can’t make reservations, but you can put your name on the waiting list using the Yelp or call ahead

• McGuire’s Craft Brewery is the oldest in Florida and they offer tours. You can request a tour by phone at (850) 433-6789.

• Ladies drink free from 10PM on Thursday Nights.

• If you use their bathroom, make sure to read the signs VERY carefully.

• Stop by their gift shop if you want to take home souvenirs.