Carmen’s Lunch Bar Cafe

Carmen's Lunch Box Cafe Sidewalk Dining Pensacola Florida

Carmen’s is rated among the Best Pensacola Restaurants Carmen’s is located on historic Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola, Florida. We’ve been by Carmen’s many times and noted there’s always a few people enjoying food, beverages, and conversation at one of the tables set up outside the entrance to the cafe. So we made a note … Read more

More Best Restaurants in Pensacola

Carmen's Lunch Box Cafe Sidewalk Dining Pensacola Florida

In this post oF Best Places to eat in Pensacola, we review: Triggers Seafood, The Ruby Slipper cafe, and Another Broken Egg Cafe. Following those reviews are links to four more Top Places to Eat in Pensacola.


Dining Review: Triggers Seafood Restaurant. (now Wolf Bay

When we are in Pensacola in our motor home, we generally spend some time staying at Big Lagoon State Park near Perdido Key. A few blocks west from the entrance to the park is Triggers Restaurant.

Triggers Seafood Restaurant, Pensacola Florida

Viewed from the outside, Triggers isn’t going win any architectural awards. You wouldn’t guess it is one of the best restaurants in Pensacola. A plain-looking box that years ago was a convenience store and bait shop. But in 1987 Glenn and Carol Ard bought the building to house their dream of starting a seafood restaurant. Glenn and Carol, their daughter and son-in-law plus an array of other relatives have created a successful authentic seafood restaurant, with friendly staff and a comfortable dining atmosphere. The interior has a nautical theme with comfortable tables and chairs, adequately spaced from one another so your dinner conversations aren’t easily shared with neighboring tables.

Our most recent visit was in March of 2017. Jo had their Seafood Platter and I chose the Mahi-Mahi Taco basket. Your entre’ includes a choice of two sides. Our fish was served hot, moist, and was flakey – easily cut with your fork. The veggies were crunchy, not overly cooked. Portion sizes were generous. Overall rating: excellent service, top-notch food, comfortable seating. We are not alone in loving Triggers; they also get some good reviews on Urban Spoon and Google Plus. It would get stronger reviews on other lists of best restaurants if it weren’t so far off the beaten path.

Note March 11, 2020: After more than 30 years in business, the Ard family closed Triggers Restaurant and sold the building. The structure was bought by the owners of Wolf Bay Lodge, a family owned restaurant chain, and significantly remodeled and re-opened as Wolf Bay at Perdido in the same location as Triggers. Like Triggers, the menu features seafood. Recent reviews are generally favorable, but we’ll have to visit them to see if we would rank them among the top 10 places to eat in Pensacola.


Dining Review: The Ruby Slipper Cafe.

Ruby’s is located next to the al Fresco outdoor cafe near the corner of Main Street and Palafox. The Cafe gets good reviews on Trip Advisor and it is convenient to the historic district and public parking areas. So during our visit in 2016 we thought it would be a good spot for a hearty breakfast out. When we are Rving, breakfast is usually something simple like cereal and fruit so we were looking forward to something more substantial like my favorite: eggs-over-easy, a slice of ham, whole wheat toast and hashbrown potatoes.

The Slipper’s breakfast menu featured a number of more exotic, fancy food dishes at prices we usually pay for dinner fare. But after a little searching, we did find some more traditional breakfast choices. Jo went with a build-your-own 3 egg omelete that offered a large number of alternative add-ons. Her choice was tomatoes, onions, and swiss cheese and a side of fruit. It also came with a large biscuit. She was happy with her meal. I should have followed her plan but I had my mouth fixed for eggs-over-easy with toast, ham and hashbrowns. The closest I could come to that was their Southern Fried Breakfast. Not a good choice. Chicken sausage, a heavily breaded deep-fried green tomato, grits, and a gooey biscuit just didn’t cut it with my eggs-over-easy . . . that were done a little too hard. And getting served lukewarm coffee didn’t help matters.

Our postage stamp sized table for two was crammed in very close to other diners and was in a very noisy part of the café, making conversation difficult. The tiny table with no spare space, noise, and being smack against our fellow diners plus average to below average attentiveness of our server lowered our review rating substantially. And compared to the price of our meal, we have to give the Ruby poor marks overall.

Based on our experience, we cannot verify Ruby Slippers best restaurant rating. In fairness, while other reviewers have also complained about the noise level, comfort, and less attentive service, many customers have found the more exotic menu and specialty drinks just what they wanted. However for our upper Midwestern palates, we are still searching for a decent place for breakfast in Pensacola.



Dining Review: Another Broken Egg Cafe 

Upon reading the above comment on our search for a decent breakfast spot in Pensacola, a manager at Another Broken Egg Cafe on Gregory Street who urged us to try them next time. We took her advice in March of 2017.

Another Broken Egg Cafe Pensacola Florida
Lots of space and comfortable seating in 3 different dining areas.

We were not disappointed. Broken Egg has a very spacious interior with dining rooms, good spacing between tables, and large comfortable booths for those who prefer this kind of seating. Pleasant background music at the right volume level. Exceptional service from a team of wait staff each with different roles, although they also overlap to better serve the customer. The team included an order taker, a server, coffee and water servers, and two different managers or hosts who stopped by to check how we were doing. Water and coffee was refilled frequently and we had staff stop by five times to ask if we needed anything. We felt like visiting royalty.

We had scrambled eggs, hash browns, and toast with our coffee. You could tell the scrambled eggs were made fresh – not manufactured in large quantities and then reheated like you find in most motel breakfast offerings. The prices were reasonable and the menu offered a wide variety of breakfast options from all sorts of traditional to more exotic and heart healthy versions. Price was reasonable and portion sizes decent. (See pix, also do a TripAdvisor review)

Another Broken Egg Café is the #4 rated Best Pensacola Restaurant in Trip Advisor and we agree with their top rating, at least for breakfast but I imagine their top-notch service carries through to lunch and dinner.

More Reviews of Best Restaurants in Pensacola.

Other Pensacola Restaurant Best Places to Eat in Pensacola.

We still have a number of Pensacola pubs and restaurants we need to sample and review. On Palafox Place Street on our to-visit list is Carmen’s Lunch Bar Restaurant  (shown at the top of this page) It has attractive sidewalk dining and also dining indoors in the restaurant itself. As the name suggests its focus is on lunch (serving 11 am to 4 pm) but also offers a nighttime Tapas menu (as well as beer and wine) from 4 pm to 8 pm. Gets good reviews on Yelp, Urban Spoon, and other restaurant review websites, so it is another top-rated dining places in Pensacola we have to try.

Within the downtown and nearby historic districts, there are lots of other unique and interesting places to eat and entertain. We enjoyed the outdoor patio and craft brews at Pensacola Bay Brewery, however unfortunately they offer no food service.

Pensacola Bay Brewery
Good brews, nice patio, but no food service.

Three other Pensacola dining and entertainment places that get good reviews are also located along Palafox Street: the Global Grill a tapas bar, Jackson’s Steakhouse, and Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grill – see our review.  You can see profiles of other restaurants at the Pensacola Visitor Center website.

Happy to hear recommendations from other Pensacola visitors. Make your Comments below.

Visiting Pensacola Florida

Pensacola: Things to See and Do
Pensacola Restaurants & Pubs
Pensacola Golf Courses
Smokin’ on the Square
Naval Aviation Museum
Historical Pensacola Forts
Fort Pickens Campground
Pensacola Beach
Gulf Coast Scenic Drive, Part 1
Gulf Coast Scenic Drive, Part 2

Roscoe

Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grill | Pensacola, FL

jacos grill pensacola

Restaurant Review: Jaco’s Bayfront Grill, Pensacola, Florida

One of Pensacola’s Best places to eat, Jaco’s is upscale casual dining, overlooking Pensacola Bay and the Palafox Pier Marina. Spacious, comfortable tables and seating with cloth napkins, lemon-slice in the water, and more substantial eating utensils give it a touch of class.

Jaco's Bayfront Grill
Jo getting ready to dig into her tasty Pesto Flatbread.

The overhead heaters and transparent wind screens allow customers to enjoy dining outside even in cooler weather.

Jaco's Bayfront Bar and Grille Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Service was also classy. Competent, friendly and attentive wait staff. Refilling my water glass and stopping by frequently to check in during the meal is one of my service check marks and Jaco’s staff did well hitting these marks. My glass of Yuengling tap was served in a frosted glass and had a decent head of foam on it, another mark of quality service. Finally it was not a long wait for our meal to be delivered and it arrived hot so it had not been sitting under heat lamps for long. We give 5 stars for Jaco’s service.

I had their blackened Mahi-Mahi Taco, a dish I often use as a benchmark to compare restaurants. Jaco’s offering was a little different from many others in that it was served in a hard shell taco vs. a soft shell. I found the hard shell easier to consume without a mess of ingredients squeezing out. My previous Mahi-Taco at another dining establishment necessitated lots of finger-licking! Jaco’s Taco is nicely prepared and presented, as good tasting as I’ve had in the past. Instead of fries, chips, or hush puppies, Jaco’s Taco came with an ample combination of brown rice and beans as a side dish plus a mango salsa relish serving. Nice change of pace from the usual side I get.

Jo had their Pesto Flat Bread that came with Kalamata olives, Italian sausage, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, fresh basil, spinach and Pesto Spread. She found it very tasty and filing.

Jaco’s outside dining deck had overhead heaters which allowed us to be comfortable eating outdoors on a very nice sunny day that otherwise would have been too cold and windy to eat out on the deck.

Decent quality food, top service, pleasing dining atmosphere, all for a relatively modest price. Jaco’s is an excellent value; we rate it among the best restaurants we’ve experienced in Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. And reviewers on Zomato also rate it among the top 5 restaurants in Pensacola.

Links:

Blue Angels Air Show

Blue Angels Air Show Practices

The world-famous Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron is based at the Pensacola Naval Air Station adjacent to the National Naval Aviation Museum. While the Blue Angels perform air shows all across the country their practice sessions for these shows occur most Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (March to November) at the Naval Air Station and the public can watch these practices at the Museum Flight Line north of the Museum. Admission is free.

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Fat Albert, the C130 Hercules Transport, provides transport of support crew and materials for the Blue Angels shows.
Fat Albert, the C130 Hercules Transport, provides transport of support crew and materials for the Blue Angels shows.

The Mitchell B-25 fighter-bomber was my favorite WWII aircraft when I was a kid.
The Mitchell B-25 fighter-bomber was my favorite WWII aircraft when I was a kid.

We caught one of these practice sessions in March. It was a great show. I wish that we had arrived early enough to get a seat in the bleachers (room for 1000) as they had the best views of the action plus could better hear the announcer who provided “background color” for the demonstrations. Practices typically begin at 11:30 a.m.(Central Time), and last about 55 minutes. But if you’d like to catch one of those bleacher seats, consider arriving at least an hour earlier.

Backpacks are not allowed, nor are daypacks or luggage items. Small purses, small bags for medication or diaper bags are allowed, however they are subject to search at the entrance. Visitors over the age of 16 also need some identification. If you aren’t in the bleachers you can bring your own folding chairs or can rent one for $3 at the concession area. Concessions also offer bottled water, sport drinks, light food/treats and souvenir merchandise. I don’t recall seeing any porta-potties in the exhibition area so take care of your “bathroom needs” before you arrive.

One surprise bonus of attending the Blue Angels practice was seeing a number of other vintage aircraft located on the Flight Line field.

The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet flown by the Blue Angels has served them since 1987. It is a naval strike fighter introduced in the mid-1980s. “Equally at home in air-to-air or air-to-ground missions, the aircraft is highly maneuverable and instrumented to optimize single pilot control of numerous weapons systems.” Although the F/A-18 can reach speeds of 1400 mph, the fastest speed flown during an air show is about 700 mph and the slowest is about 120 mph.

Attending the Air Show practice is neat experience, one I’d recommend to any visitor to Pensacola. On our next visit, I’ll plan to arrive early in the hope of getting a bleacher seat. If I do get one I can take some better pictures and video than I have here.
 



 
Video from the Air Show Practice

Links:

Our article with photos and links on the National Naval Air Museum

Information on the Blue Angels Practice Sessions

Our article with photos and links on visiting Pensacola

Our article with photos and links on visiting Pensacola Beach

Our series of articles on the Gulf Scenic Drive

Ross
January 2017

Pensacola Beach Florida

Pensacola Beach by Red Fish Blue Fish Restaurant

Visitor Attractions Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island Pensacola Beach is a beach community located near the western end of  Santa Rosa Island, a thirty mile long, narrow barrier island strip of dunes and grass lands that protects Pensacola Florida from the hurricanes and storms that roll across the Gulf of Mexico. To the east … Read more

Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola Florida

aviation museum

Visiting the US National Naval Air Museum

The Navy Air Museum in Pensacola Florida is the largest Naval Aviation Museum in the world and Pensacola’s top visitor attractions. It’s exhibit space covers more than 350,000 square feet and includes over 150 restored Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard 150 aircraft plus numerous multi-media exhibits and exhibits from space exploration. Jo and I have visited the museum on two occasions and still there remains much more to see and experience.

Pensacola Aviation Museum
Over 150 historical aircraft are on display at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida

In addition to exhibiting the history of Naval Aviation, the museum does an impressive job in education on the history of war time combat from World Wars I and II to the Korean Conflict. Exhibits on the World War II era are particularly impressive and educational. Aviation and history buffs could spend hours and days here absorbing all that the Museum has to offer. And just about anyone will be fascinated by being able to get up close to inspect these fantastic flying machines. Kids, big and small, will enjoy the hands-on exhibits like sitting in the cockpit of one of the aviation cockpit trainers or engaging with one of the Flight Simulators to more fully experience what it is like flying one of these aircraft.

Main Street USA
Diorama of Main Street USA, 1943. Oh for the good old days.

“Continuing the story of Naval Aviation, the Museum’s exhibits provide a closer look at the people and events that shaped our history. From vintage uniforms and historic documents displayed in brilliant mahogany display cases, to dioramas that transport visitors to the World War I Western Front, Main Street U.S.A. in 1943, and the depths of Lake Michigan, the exhibits of the National Naval Aviation Museum seek to capture the human element of the enduring history of Naval air power.” (Naval Aviation Museum website)

One of the special exhibits Jo and I enjoyed was the eVirtual Flight Deck, an intimate surround screen and sound theater that re-enacts the experience of being on board the US Stennis aircraft carrier during take-off and landings. Wind, vibration and and odors facilitate the experience of being there. In the past we’ve been too busy taking in all the various experiences to catch any of the performances in the museum’s huge IMAX theater complex. There are generally four to six different films shown throughout the day. So on my wish list for our next visit is to take in at least one of the IMAX films.

Blue Angels
The F/A 18 Hornets flown by the famous Blue Angels Acrobatic Flight Team

Adjacent to the museum is Naval Air Station and Training Facility, covering 37 acres. So practically any day of the week, you can see sleek fighter jets streaking across the sky over Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. And on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from March to November, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, you can see the famous Blue Angels Flight Team flying over the museum in their practice runs for their unique, acrobatic air shows. Kids and other aviation fans can also get signatures from the Blue Angels Flight Crew. Attending a Blue Angels performance is another item on our next visit wish list.

Other interesting attractions of the museum include the Blue Angels X4D Flight Theater, the Cubi Bar Café, Kidde Hawk Children’s Play Area, and the Flight Deck Museum Store.

Fokker D7
Fokker D VII World War I biplane – Snoppy’s Red Baron aircraft!

Here’s a few slide shows of some of the exhibits and attractions.

Some Famous WW II & Korean Conflict Aircraft


AF GuardianMesserschmidt JetP40-tomahawkSBD Dauntless Dive BomberPBY Catalina


Links to Museum and other attractions in the Pensacola Area:

Pensacola Forts & Military History

Historic Fort Pickens, Pensacola

The military history of Pensacola began with a Spanish settlement and fort in 1698. Later to be named Fort San Carlos de Austria, its early military history involved defending the community against constant attacks from Indians. Later as both France and Spain competed for occupation of Pensacola Bay, the fort was destroyed and Spain moved the settlement and fort first to Santa Rosa Island and later to the present site of Pensacola. In 1763 Great Britain took control of the Florida and Pensacola and proceeded to build several forts and military installations between 1771 and 1781. In 1781 Spain re-captured Pensacola Bay and all the British military installations, some of which were re-built to Spanish Forts. One of these was Fort San Carlos de Barrancas and its water battery San Antonio built in 1789 on a bluff overlooking the entrance to Pensacola Bay.

In 1814, Fort San Carlos was blown up during the War of 1812, but the water battery San Antonio survives to this day and is located immediately below Fort Barrancas.


More Articles on Visiting Pensacola Florida:


In 1821 Spain ceded Florida and the Pensacola area to the United States and the Pensacola area became an important US military location when it was selected as the site for the US Navy Yard, an operation that protected US interests in the Gulf of Mexico.

Between 1829 and 1859, the Army Corps of Engineers would build four forts around Pensacola Bay to protect the Navy Yard: Fort Barrancas and the Advanced Redoubt on the mainland, and Fort McRee and Fort Pickens on the barrier islands at the entrance to the bay.

Fort McRee was heavily damaged during the Civil War in 1861 and was not re-built. All that remains today of Fort McRee is the foundation of the one of the coastal batteries. But the other three installations continued to be used until mid-way through World War II and have been restored and preserved for present day tours.

Fort Barrancas & Advanced Redoubt

Constructed on the site of the old Fort San Carlos between 1839 and 1844, the only military action ever seen by Fort Barrancas was during the Civil War when it and the Advanced Redoubt was occupied by the Confederate Army. Union forces occupied Fort Pickens across the bay on Santa Rosa Island. Cannons were fired at one another across the bay and gunfire was exchanged with the Union ships Niagara and Richmond. Damaged during the Revolutionary War was repaired and the facility continued to be used for defense of the Naval Yard into World War II.

Slide Show Touring Fort Barrancas



Fort Barrancas, Pensacola FloridaFort Baranncas Aerial View, PensacolaFort Baranncas Inner Passageway, PensacolaFort Baranncas Canon, PensacolaFort Baranncas Fort Pickens


Retired from active use after World War II, Fort Barrancas, the Advanced Redoubt, and the old Spanish Water Battery San Antonio are now part of the US National Park Service and are open for tours, both self-guided and guided.

There is also a visitor center with a bookstore and interesting multi-media exhibits on the fort’s history.

Historic Fort Pickens

See our article on Historic Fort Pickens.

Fort Pickens, built on the western end of Santa Rosa Island, was the largest of the four forts built to protect the US Navy Yard. It was completed in 1834 and remained in active duty until 1947. Over its active duty period the fort and supportive military structures on the western end of the island underwent many changes and enhancements. Originally defended by cannons firing cannon balls, as military technology increased huge rifled gun batteries were added within the fort and in numerous concrete bunkers along the gulf-side shoreline. The fort facilities were also modified to support a network of defensive mines in Pensacola Bay during World War II. Here is a map and information on this extensive network of coastal artillery.

Slide Show: Historic Fort Pickens


Fort Pickens MapHistoric Fort PickensFort Pickens Gun PortFort Pickens CanonFort Pickens Gun BatteryRange Finder Exhibit

Visitors will be impressed with size and extent of military preparedness of the Fort and its related installations. Interestingly, the only actual armed conflict experienced at the fort was in 1861 during the Civil War. While the Confederate Army occupied Fort McRee and Fort Barrancas, the Union Army held Fort Pickens. Guns from the Fort, along with those from the Union warships Niagara and Richmond, bombarded Forts McRee and Barrancas as well as the Navy Yard occupied by the Confederates. An attempted night attack and invasion on Fort Pickens by Confederate Troops led to an extensive battle that involved over 1800 men and 150 casualties.

The main fort and all of the 10 associated gun batteries are able to be toured. Guided tours are also available at certain times. A few of the original cannon ball cannons and some rifled guns remain. The largest of the rifled guns were capable of firing shells over 8 miles. Many of the gun batteries have educational exhibits showing how the particular battery was used. Hiking trails or park roads connect most all of the gun batteries surrounding the fort.

Gulf Islands Seashore Museum on the grounds of the Fort Pickens encampment
Gulf Islands Seashore Museum on the grounds of the Fort Pickens encampment

Also on the grounds of the former military installation is the Gulf Islands National Seashore Museum.

See our Google Map for locations of these historic forts.

References:

Pensacola Bay, A Military History, Dale Manuel, 2004
Arcadia Publishing Co, Chicago, IL

http://www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/fort-pickens.htm


Top Pensacola Restaurants and Pubs

Pensacola Dining Reviews:

Below are our reviews of some of the top places to eat in Pensacola: Fish House Restaurant, Hub Staceys, McGuire’s Irish Pub, and Jo Patti’s Seafood. Below those reviews are links to our reviews of five more Best Restaurants in Pensacola. But first a slide show of some of these famous places to dine.


Slide Show of featured Pensacola restaurants

Top Places to eat in Pensacola: Joe Patti’s Fish Market, Hub Stacey’s Tavern, McGuire’s Pub, The Fish House Restaurant, Carmen’s Lunch Box Cafe

  • Fish House Restaurant Pensacola
    The Fish House Restaurant is on Pensacola Bay. A huge aquarium separates the two dining rooms.
  • Joe Patti's Fish Market
    Joe Patti's Fish Market busy fresh seafood service counter stretches for about a hundred feet. In the far right side of the picture is their Sushi Bar.
  • Joe Patti's Deli Market
    Joe Patti's Deli Market. In addition to Joe Patti's huge seafood Market they also have a large deli area with meats, sausages, cheeses, and loads of special condiments.
  • Hub Staceys Tavern
    The popular Hub Staceys Tavern is across the street from the Seville Square Park. In addition to inside dining, they have a covered sidewalk dining area.
  • McGuire's Pub Pensacola
    McGuires Pub is one Pensacola's most popular places to eat and drink. Fun atmosphere and good service.
  • McGuire's Pub Money Ceiling
    The Money Ceiling at McGuire's Pub. Many thousands of dollars, some say a million, hang from the ceiling.
  • Carmen's Lunch Bar Restaurant
    Carmen's Lunch Bar Restaurant also has a sidewalk cafe that is the perfect place for dining on a nice day.

Dining Review: the Fish House Restaurant – Pensacola

Offering, in our experience, some of the best dining in Pensacola, the Fish House Restaurant is on an inlet of Pensacola Bay and is walking distance from the downtown historic district. There is an outside dining and entertainment deck (The Deck Bar) overlooking the docks but the weather was too chilly for that so we ate indoors. It is a comfortable dining atmosphere with skilled and friendly wait and service staff. The beer was served in ice cold steins, a touch I appreciate. For me one mark of an attentive wait staff is having my water glass refilled without asking, this happened three times.

The food was excellent. We ordered the crab and lobster cake appetizer, which at first I thought was a modest size for the price ($13) but we were surprised how filling it was, and it was tasty – worth the 13 bucks. Both Jo and I ordered the Grilled Salmon. While not from the local Pensacola fishery, it must be flown in daily because it is advertised as “fresh.” It certainly tasted fresh, moist and served hot. Our sides were a grilled medley of veggies, plus cole slaw and black-eyed peas. All very tasty and good portion sizes.

I’d rate the pricing structure as mid-size yet a very good value considering the quality of food, service, and comfortable ambience of the restaurant. We will certainly dine here again.

Fish House Website: The Fish House Restaurant


Dining Review: Hub Staceys Pensacola

While walking around Pensacola’s Historic District, we happened to stumble upon a neighborhood pub called Hub Staceys , which is across the street from Seville Square. That day the park was hosting the annual “Smokin in the Square” BBQ competition and festival. Wonderful aromas were wafting in the air as competitors were beginning to smoke their entries. Unfortunately we were a day early to sample the “contestants” but Hubs sidewalk signboard advertised BBQ pork sandwich on a pretzel bun. So that plus the aroma’s from the Square was enough to bring us in. Hubs is an old wood-sided corner building that looks like it has been a neighborhood bar for a long time. Inside it has a funky and friendly atmosphere befitting its neighborhood bar location. The BBQ sandwich was good but on our visit Hubs won’t win awards for attentive service. Staff was friendly but they are content to wait for you to flag them down to place your order or get a refill. In their defense, the place was reasonably busy due to the festival in the park, but I suspect that local tradition is that you speak up when you want something!

Website: Hub Staceys


Dining Review: McGuire’s Irish Pub – Pensacola

McGuires is routinely voted one of the top 10 Florida restaurants. It is noted for its steaks and burgers as well as a few Irish specialties. The pub atmosphere is olde english, dark oak paneling and pictures, plaques, and memorbilia covering all the walls. The pub is large but broken up into several small, intimate dining areas. But its ceiling (and some walls) is most distinctive. Hanging from the ceiling (and pinned to some walls) are dollar bills, an estimated 1 million of them! Rumor is the practice was started by the first waitress who celebrated the opening of McGuires by pinning her first dollar tip to the ceiling. Jo had her usual mushroom and swiss burger; I had the Reuben on Rye recommended by our waitress. Both were top notch, served hot and moist in a reasonable amount of time. The portion sizes were extremely generous, so much that we took half our sandwiches home with us. Host and wait service was prompt, friendly, and attentive. The parking lot was quite full for a Thursday afternoon about 3pm, testifying to the quality of their food and service. Bonus – McGuires brews their own line of ales. After doing the sampler I chose their stout. Four and half stars.

Website: McGuire’s Irish Pub


Jo Patti’s Fish MarketCaptain Joey Patti’s Seafood Restaurant

Jo Patti’s Fish Market is Pensacola’s large and busy ocean-side fish market carrying an amazing variety and quantity of seafood as well as a decent selection of condiments to accompany a seafood dinner. If you have never been to a large busy fish market before, it is worth a stop just for the experience – even if you aren’t shopping. If you are shopping, you take a number and get served when your number is called. In addition to seafood, they have a decent sized deli area with a good selection of cheeses and sausage. Next door is Anna’s Wine Shop. The Fish Market did offer a Sushi Bar, but neither Jo nor I are fans of raw fish, so this wasn’t an option.

We stopped at Joe Patti’s Fish Market with the intention of having lunch there as we had heard good things about their seafood offering. The Fish Market is a large building along the water front and hard to miss. What we didn’t know at the time and did not discover until we got home was that Joey’s Restaurant is not in the extensive Fish Market complex, but located a block and half away west of the Fish Market among several nondescript industrial-commercial buildings. So Joey’s Restaurant is another review we have to do in the future.

AL Fresco Outdoor Cafe

The Al Fresco outdoor dining patio, is pictured at the top of this page. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you about the food quality or service since we came upon it between meal times . . . but the ambiance is really cool. An outdoor cafe with umbrellas, palm trees, potted plants, and surrounded by 4 vintage Airstream Travel Trailers turned into Restaurant-Food Carts. Each of the Airstream Restaurants offers a different style menu. A fifth restaurant, the Shux Oyster Bar, also offers indoor dining options. Located at the intersection of Palafox and Main Streets, Al Fresco is near the waterfront, on the way to the Plaza De Luna pier. It is only a few blocks from the Historic Pensacola Village, and near downtown Pensacola as well. Next time we are in Pensacola on a nice afternoon, we have to catch a bite to eat here.

More Reviews Top Pensacola Restaurants

Roscoe