Sunday 17th of March 2013 03:05:18 PM

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For over 35 years McGuire's Irish Pub has been a west Florida institution, offering excellent food and craft brews in a distinctively charming atmosphere which celebrates all things Irish. There are two McGuire's locations, Pensacola and Destin, and either could be counted as one of the top ten Irish pubs to visit in the US. McGuire's is renowned for deliciously succulent steaks, and their expansive food menu includes great appetizers, pasta, varied seafood, huge 3/4lb burgers, and traditional English / Irish fare. The servers are super friendly and very proud of their popular restaurant. The Destin location is an Irish themed two-story mall trimmed in bright green neon lights. The pub has an outdoor front patio and an enclosed second floor patio. The parking lot has double-decker bus and historic telephone booth repurposed as an ATM. Their copper and stainless steel brewhouse is easily visible through large windows on the front of the restaurant. Downstairs is an 18 chair wooden bar surrounded by a few high top tables. Upstairs is a 20 chair marble top bar. There are many spacious dining rooms with plenty of tables. There is a large gift shop with all kinds of Irish paraphernalia, including a variety of Irish attire both serious and comical. There is also an adjacent liquor and wine store. The intentionally confusing restroom door labels are comical and potentially embarrassing.

McGuire's offers 6 draft house beers, available by sampler flight, which includes 5 standards (Old Fashioned Ale, Red, Porter, Stout, and Raspberry Wheat), plus a seasonal. These are relatively tame but each is well made and true to style. I found that the Destin beers are a little lighter than in Pensacola, but the Destin crowd is a bit more lively. The atmosphere is inviting with enticing steakhouse aromas. Irish music plays over speakers and at night there is live music both in the downstairs dining room and at their upstairs patio. The public house decor features wooden floors and walls, and warm red and green lighting. The ceilings and walls are decorated with thousands of patrons' dollar bills which dangle and wave like kelp in the ocean. Numerous celebrities and politicians have contributed to the tremendous collection. Between their two locations, they claim to now have over one million dollars strewn throughout the restaurants. McGuire's is a must visit location which I count myself lucky to have experienced!