2010-26 Panhandle of Florida
Hello All,
Out of Homosassa Springs we continued northwest on US-98 till we reached the Florida panhandle where the highway turned west. We followed US-98 across Florida into Alabama before stopping for a few days in Gulf Shores to visit with RV friends that winter in the area.
During our stay the weather was less than wonderful but we had a great time with our friends. On our last evening in the area we all decided to go out to dinner. Our choice for the evening is one of Florida’s top restaurants--McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola.
It first opened in 1977 as a small neighborhood pub in a shopping center. McGuire cooked and tended bar and Molly waited tables and greeted customers. When Molly made her first tip (one dollar) she tacked it to the back bar for good luck--a common practice for new business owners. Friends of the pub added to the collection and it soon became tradition. You can see well over $550,000 worth of bills hanging from the ceiling throughout the pub. The current estimate is a whopping 1.2 million dollars--and as they say, all of which have been signed by Irishmen of all nationalities!
In 1982 McGuire’s moved to its current location in the Old 1927 Firehouse of Pensacola. The old “firehouse” has become a true landmark, and inside the pub, a turn-of-the-century, New York Irish Saloon theme reigns. It is awe inspiring as you pass through the various theme-oriented rooms. Whether it’s the Pipers Den, Notre Dame Room, the Irish Links Room, or the Puprecht O’Tolf Wine Cellar, they are all uniquely appointed. Now don’t let us mislead you, this little pub is now a 20,000 square foot establishment that seats 400 and has a staff of over 200.
Out of Homosassa Springs we continued northwest on US-98 till we reached the Florida panhandle where the highway turned west. We followed US-98 across Florida into Alabama before stopping for a few days in Gulf Shores to visit with RV friends that winter in the area.
During our stay the weather was less than wonderful but we had a great time with our friends. On our last evening in the area we all decided to go out to dinner. Our choice for the evening is one of Florida’s top restaurants--McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola.
It first opened in 1977 as a small neighborhood pub in a shopping center. McGuire cooked and tended bar and Molly waited tables and greeted customers. When Molly made her first tip (one dollar) she tacked it to the back bar for good luck--a common practice for new business owners. Friends of the pub added to the collection and it soon became tradition. You can see well over $550,000 worth of bills hanging from the ceiling throughout the pub. The current estimate is a whopping 1.2 million dollars--and as they say, all of which have been signed by Irishmen of all nationalities!
In 1982 McGuire’s moved to its current location in the Old 1927 Firehouse of Pensacola. The old “firehouse” has become a true landmark, and inside the pub, a turn-of-the-century, New York Irish Saloon theme reigns. It is awe inspiring as you pass through the various theme-oriented rooms. Whether it’s the Pipers Den, Notre Dame Room, the Irish Links Room, or the Puprecht O’Tolf Wine Cellar, they are all uniquely appointed. Now don’t let us mislead you, this little pub is now a 20,000 square foot establishment that seats 400 and has a staff of over 200.
Here is some of the loot that
was attached to the ceiling.
Here is some of the loot that
was attached to the ceiling.
For you wine connoisseurs this
is where you can take a peek into their wine cellar. They certainly had a large
stash of the bubbly.
This is just a small sample of their collection.
Also offered are fine Ale’s,
Porters, and Stouts all brewed on premise in their traditional Oak and Copper
Brewery. Their line includes five regular beers and a rotating seasonal one.
They also make a very popular root beer served draft, right out of the keg.
One of our friends, Miss Marie, had been working
on her girlie figure so she ordered very conservatively from the menu. Making
sure that she didn’t overeat all she ordered was a cup of soup and a liverwurst
sandwich. It was a great plan. However, we all had a great laugh when they
served her sandwich--so much for her good intentions. And yes, she took at
least half of her sandwich home for later.
Since McGuire’s first opened
in Pensacola in 1977, their restroom signage has been playfully misleading. The
sign on the women’s restroom door states “Men’s” with the small text “To the”
above, as well as a hand pointing toward the adjacent men’s restroom, and
vice-versa on the men’s restroom door. The signs are widely recognized as a
long-running joke and tradition. Once you have erred and been literally “caught
with your pants down” you take great sport in watching other patrons making the
same mistake of walking into the wrong restroom. Here is a photo of the sign on
the women’s restroom door.
And, a shot of the sign on the
men’s restroom door below.
This experience was much more
than a mere evening of “dining out.” It became a real “event.” And, the food
was great too.
Since we were departing early the next morning we bid our farewells to our friends. On our drive back to Gulf Shores we were treated to an amazing brilliant fire red sunset. It was truly spectacular. What a beautiful conclusion to a great visit and a wonderful evening.
Since we were departing early the next morning we bid our farewells to our friends. On our drive back to Gulf Shores we were treated to an amazing brilliant fire red sunset. It was truly spectacular. What a beautiful conclusion to a great visit and a wonderful evening.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns