I was visiting Coronado Island in California when I started getting hungry for lunch. After walking around to see what my options were, I noticed a huge crowd on the outside patio of McP’s an Irish pub. I decided this would be the perfect spot for me.
This pub was founded by a Navy Seal, Greg McPartlin in 1982. Since then it has been a local hang out for all the Navy men and women who are stationed in near by San Diego.
What I learned while I was there is that this was the bar featured in the movie American Sniper. This was where Navy Seal Chris Kyle met his wife. I thought that was pretty cool.
I sat outside on the patio. It was pretty crowded so some locals were generous enough to share their table with me. It was a really sunny and hot day but all the trees surrounding the patio area kept the temperature cool.
To stay refreshed I ordered a Moscow Mule. They were served in copper mugs so they stayed cold.
There were several things on their menu that I wanted to try. It started with a bowl of their clam chowder. It was extremely creamy. It was loaded with large, fresh clams that were extremely tender. They also added huge pieces of potato. They were soft and paired well with the creamy broth.
I could no go to an Irish pub without getting Sheppard’s Pie. It was loaded with fresh vegetables and ground meat. The gravy they used added a lot of robust flavor. They had really creamy mashed potatoes on top. They were good but I wish I had told my waitress to have them cooked to be crispier on top. That was totally my fault. But even without that, the Sheppard’s Pie was fantastic.
While I was there, a local band started playing on the patio. They had a huge following there. I asked the locals I was sitting with about the band. Their name is WCIW. It turns out this band has been together for 50 years, since their days at Coronado High School. I thought that was pretty remarkable. They played a nice array of music that I really enjoyed.
Since I was staying and listening to the band for a while, I ended up getting the munchies. I ordered the Irish fries. They were cheese fries and brown gravy. Rather than pouring the gravy all over the fries, they served it in a bowl. This was perfect because I could dip my fries as I ate them. This also prevented the fries from getting soggy.
The gravy was amazing. It was not overly salty. It had great beef flavor. They used lots of cheddar cheese that melted over every single fry. It was the perfect dish to share with my new friends at the table.
If you are visiting San Diego, I would recommend you drive or take a ferry over to Coronado Island. There are wonderful shops and restaurants to visit. You must make one of your stops to be McP’s. You will have a blast.
Visit their website at http://www.mcpspub.com/
Enjoy!
T
