The summer heat has arrived in St. Pete, which means it’s the season for cooling off indoors (and dodging those late afternoon rainstorms). To help stay cool, downtown’s only Irish pub has unveiled a slew of summer specials running Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Mary Margaret’s Olde Irish Tavern, located at 29 3rd Street North, has gone the refreshing route and created a full menu of classic gin cocktails for only $10 each all summer long, alongside a revamped food menu, live music six nights a week, and a packed lineup of live sports to look forward to – from Wimbledon and the Women’s World Cup to all the big Champions League postseason matches.
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All together, St. Pete’s quintessential Irish pub is the downtown destination for summer vibes and cool AC. The highlights begin behind the bar, where Mary Margaret’s has one of (if not the) biggest gin collections in town.
We got a taste of their new gin cocktail menu this week, full of easy-drinking, tasty and refreshing twists on the classics. Our favorites were the cucumber gimlet and the bees knees (made with some incredible local honey), but you can’t wrong with the old school aviation or the smooth Irish Negroni. All summer long, each of these craft cocktails are available for only $10 no matter the time of day or night.
Fresh catch fish and chips highlight a loaded food menu
Meanwhile, Chef Andy Dolan, who took over earlier this year as the new culinary director, has unveiled the new Mary Margaret’s food menu. The Irish pub has long been a favorite of ours for “Florida-Irish” eats and classic Irish fare, but this new rendition takes it to the next level.
Many of our favorites still remain, such the Reuben egg rolls, the Guinness burger, and the full Irish breakfast. But two newcomers in particular are ready to shine. The Day Boat Fish n Chips is a new star on the menu, made every day with rotating fresh catch (it’s black grouper right now) beer battered and fried then served over crispy fries with house tartar.
Another newcomer to the menu is one the Irish members of the staff have been dreaming of for some time, the “Curried Chicken Chips,” crispy chips (fries) and cheese curds topped with housemade curry and pulled chicken. Sign us up.
Another fresh addition: the Florida Fish Fritters, made with hearty chunks of the daily fresh catch and served with housemade tartar sauce.
In addition to being open late every night, Mary Margaret’s is also opening up early this summer for the big sporting events. So if you like your bangers and mash with a side of Wimbledon and a pint of Guinness, you know where to go.
Catch live music six nights per week at Mary’s
And don’t forget: St. Pete’s Saturday Morning Market takes place right across the street at Williams Park every Saturday all summer long, and Mary Margaret’s will open at 10 am each Saturday to welcome market-goers before or after their shopping to cool down with a nice drink or grab something tasty to eat.
Mary Margaret’s has been a go-to for us since opening three years ago, and their commitment to being a part of the local music scene on a block that has quickly become a bit of a Music Row makes any night in their cool bar or on their breezy patio that much more enjoyable.
And now, with the recent closings of Courigan’s and MacDinton’s, Mary Margaret’s is the only Irish pub left standing downtown. But instead of calling it the last Irish pub in the neighborhood, we’ll just call it the best – and it truly is one of the best you’ll find anywhere in the Tampa Bay Area.
“We want to raise the bar as downtown’s Irish pub,” owner Pete Boland said. “We want to be the best in class and be the quintessential Irish pub.”
“And,” he added in a nod to St. Pete’s summer season, “all those rainy days will be great for Guinness.”
Mary Margaret’s is located at 29 3rd Street North and is open 11 am – 2 am Monday-Thursday, 11 am – 2:30 am Friday, 10 am – 2:30 am Saturday, and 10 am – 12:30 am Sunday. Follow them on Instagram for more updates.
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