The Irish Have Taken the Emerald Coast by Storm!

Our next review may seem out of place for a coastal dining destination, but I assure you it is a must-visit dining experience.  McGuire’s Irish Pub is a highly popular restaurant amongst locals and visitors alike.  According to their website, they have received numerous awards and accolades such as Best Brewpub, Best Burger, Best Steakhouse and Best All-Around Restaurant just to name a few.  They have even garnered attention from NBC’s Today Show and various well-respected magazines.  In addition to their great tasting food, they are known for their huge portions, super friendly staff, and an out of the ordinary dining setting.  The first restaurant opened in 1977 in Pensacola.  It was followed by the Destin location in 1996 and their newest addition in Panama City Beach was just opened on St. Patrick’s Day 2025.  McGuire’s boasts a butcher shop, an onsite brewery in both Pensacola and Destin, an onsite wine cellar in Pensacola and the coolest Irish Gift Shop you ever did see at the Destin location.  If that wasn’t enough, each location also offers frequent entertainment performances of live traditional Irish music.  The vibe of the Destin location is your classic dark tavern pub feel with a large bar, heavy wood trim throughout, Irish memorabilia, along with quirky décor.  There is a maze of separated dining areas with surprises around every corner.  In addition to the main floor dining, there is an upper deck overlooking the Destin Harbor.  The most talked about feature is the massive amount of dollar bills lining the walls and hanging from the ceiling.  But now let’s talk about the food.  The menu is quite extensive with all the expected Irish classics plus a host of new fan favorites.  I was quite overwhelmed by the options as everything looked so delectable.  In the end, I had to get our waitress to help me make a final decision.   She was super helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable about the food.  Our meal started off with a delicious loaf of Irish Honey Black Bread covered with honey butter.  It was freshly made, soft and slightly sweet.  Our complimentary bread was followed by our chosen appetizer, Spinach, Artichoke and Cream Cheese Dip.  The portion was enormous.  It was served with tortilla chips that were surprisingly dense in texture but tasted light with the perfect crisp.  The dip itself wasn’t the best I ever had, but it certainly hit the spot and I enjoyed it nonetheless. For my entrée, I went with the classic Reuben sandwich as we were there for lunch time service.  It had a thick layer of corned beef, a perfect amount of sauerkraut topped with Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing on the traditional rye bread.  The sides were homemade potato chips and creamy potato salad.  The entire dish was outstanding.  While there was no room left for dessert that day, we did make a 2^nd trip back to try their Homemade Bread Pudding with Irish Whiskey Sauce.  I would love to say that it was outstanding after I had two waitresses rave about it, but it was an epic fail for me.  There was nothing special to the flavor of the bread pudding itself.  There were so many raisins it was overkill.  The Irish Whiskey Sauce had no chance of saving the dish in my opinion.  Despite my disappointment in the Homemade Bread Pudding, I still absolutely love the restaurant overall.  The vibe was fun.  The staff were all smiles in their cute pub uniforms.  There were so many great options on the menu to try, I am anxious to get the opportunity to taste them when we next visit Pensacola or Panama City Beach.  Without a doubt, this will be an establishment we will visit over and over again.

Summary

Restaurant Name: McGuire’s Irish Pub

Address: 33 US-98, Destin, FL 32541

Service – Very Good

Food – Very Good

Portion Size – Large

Menu Selection – Extensive.  (Wide variety of American and Irish classics. Brunch Offered on Sundays.)

Dietary Options – Kosher Sandwiches, Approximately 70% Biblically Clean

Cost/Value – Moderate

Ambiance – Dark Pub, Cozy, Playful

Parking – Free.  Limited Availability.

Reservations/Waitlist – Waitlist

Suited Type of Patron – Social Adult

Signature Dishes – 18 cent bean soup, Irish Steak and Mushroom Pie, Fish and Chips, Ruben Egg Rolls, Buffalo Chicken Thighs, Authentic Irish Lamb Stew, McGuire’s Irish Red Beer Cheeseburger, McGuire’s Steak Sauce & Onion Ring Burger, Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich, Irish Coffee

Special Features – Live Performances of Traditional Irish Music, Seasonal Special Events like St Patrick’s Day, Gift Shop, Brewery, Butcher Shop