Since The Walking Dead began filming in Senoia, many amazing new shops and restaurants have opened their doors. Maguire’s, an Irish pub and restaurant located below the Redneck Gourmet, predates the zombie invasion of Senoia.
The menu is a mixture of traditional Irish dishes and more contemporary American pub fare.
The Maguire’s experience begins with a steep descent down a narrow brick staircase and through a heavy wooden door into the dark, richly decorated pub.
The dark wooden furniture, deep red exposed brick and beefy hewed ceiling beams magnify the darkness of the basement restaurant. The natural plank floors and the bronze colored stamped tin ceiling tiles add a touch of warmth to the darkness.
The dim lighting and dark décor do not combine to make Maguire’s in any way gloomy. Instead, the atmosphere is lively and patrons always seem to be having a great time.
The walls are decorated with beautifully photographed black and white prints. There are also a few Irish artifacts and architectural drawings scattered throughout the restaurant.
We arrived on a hot day with giant appetites after walking around the downtown shops. We were extremely happy to be immediately served pretzel sticks with mustard. The crunchy pretzels tasted amazing with the tangy mustard.
We loved the pretzel sticks so much that we decided to try the pretzel appetizer. These were a more traditional soft pretzel served with a sharp cheese sauce. The yeasty pretzels came out hot and salty and were so delicious when dipped into the sharp cheddar cheese sauce.
We ordered three entrees from our friendly waitress. The Asian chicken sandwich was a grilled chicken breast on a fresh bun with buffalo sauce, cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. It made a delicious sandwich with the vegetables nicely complimenting the sharp cheese and tangy sauce.
The bangers and mash, the United Kingdom name for sausage and mashed potatoes, was a satisfyingly simple dish. The potatoes were mashed with the skins on and were buttery and extremely flavorful. The bangers were spiced with traditional sausage flavors and were a savory addition to the meal. It came with fresh, buttery sautéed spinach on the side.
Our third entrée was from the seafood section of the menu. The salmon cakes with roasted potatoes were delicious. The cakes were made with ground salmon mixed with a variety of fresh vegetables. The salmon flavor was not overwhelming and blended perfectly with the carrots, onions and peppers. They came with a tart horseradish based sauce that went very well with the salmon cakes. The roasted potatoes were done to perfection. They were not over seasoned and the simple potato flavor was allowed to shine through. This entrée was served with a side of buttery broccoli.
The menu seems to be composed of simple palatable foods. The true flavors of the basic ingredients are emphasized, instead of covered. Maguire’s is an excellent restaurant to get plain, simple food with few frills.
They offer an excellent wine list as well as specialty mixed drinks and desserts. They have a large selection of dessert drinks and espresso based coffees.
Maguire’s contributes extensively to the community through charitable donations. Since they opened, they have given around thirty thousand dollars to local charities.
They offer a private dining experience for those wishing to host events at the restaurant. They also have a rewards program that offers deals and discounts to loyal customers.
We had a great time at Maguire’s and were very impressed with the friendliness of the entire staff. We highly recommend giving this restaurant a try! Follow Maguire's on Facebook to learn about upcoming events and special menu items.