Award-Winning Irish Food & Drink Coming To Neponset Ave. will open Monday, December 9th!
The Dubliner Team is Looking to Bring their Modern, Authentic Irish Bar Experience to the Neighborhood with Unique Offerings
BOSTON: (October 2024): McGonagle’s Pub & Restaurant aims to give Dorchester, a neighborhood steeped in Irish history where Irish bars are well known, a modern authentic Irish pub. Oran McGonagle, William Mc Carthy, and Chef Aidan Mc Gee, the team behind critically acclaimed The Dubliner, winner of Boston Magazine’s “Best Irish Bar” two years in a row, will open McGonagle’s Pub & Restaurant later this fall, at 367 Neponset Avenue in Dorchester.
“We want McGonagle’s to be your go-to for all things friends and family, a proper neighborhood Irish Pub. An impromptu meal two or three times a week, a special occasion such as a rehearsal dinner, birthdays, anniversaries, and more, says owner Oran McGonagle. “We want to be the go-to place for the neighborhood, we’ve got the space. Whether you’re dining solo or pulling up with a group, we’ve got you.”
In addition to offering some of the best Irish bites and drinks around, McGonagle’s will also offer some of the city’s best music and entertainment on their new live music stage–from local and national talent to musicians, bands, and singers directly from Ireland. McGonagle’s will also be showing all local and international sports on two 20 ft projector screens. This will be the perfect place to catch all your favorite teams, including Premier League, GAA, and Rugby.
ABOUT THE SPACE
The space at 367 Neponset Avenue is going through a million-dollar construction. “We put a lot of effort into creating an authentic Irish bar experience which meant stripping everything down and starting again,” says Oran McGonagle. The space will feature all new bars, bathrooms, a new kitchen as well as a whole new furniture package. The first floor will consist of a classic neighborhood Irish pub and the lower level will feature a large bar and restaurant with a stage for live music performances and plenty of space for dancing.
ABOUT THE MENU
The McGonagle’s menu will bring you a true taste of Ireland with time-honored recipes passed down through generations. From a classic Shepherd’s Pie, made with a blend of seasoned minced lamb topped with creamy mashed potatoes to award-winning seafood chowder and golden Fish and Chips, made with hand-cut chips. Additionally, McGonagle’s will offer a traditional Sunday lunch, for which Chef Mc Gee is a leading figure.
McGonagle’s will feature weekend brunch featuring a classic Irish breakfast and other brunch staples. The lunch menu will feature some unique, popular dishes in Ireland such as the “spiced bag”, a dish made famous by local Chinese restaurants, which includes deep-fried salt and chili chips, salt and chili chicken red and green peppers, sliced chili peppers, fried onions and with a variety of spices. It will also feature Irish classics such as steak sandwiches, a warm tuna melt, and other Irish and American sandwiches. The dinner menu will include a selection of grilled pork chops, savory chicken pie, renowned Fish and Chips, and delicious steak tips. McGonagle’s will also offer a Sunday roast consisting of roasted meat and traditional Irish sides.
What do the Irish know about pizza? You’d be surprised. “The Pizza game is very strong in Ireland today, with my brother owning one of Ireland’s best pizza shops, Mani Pizza,” says Oran McGonagle. McGonagle’s plans to bring an exciting Irish twist to the Boston pizza scene. The menu will offer crispy bread flour pizzas made in a wood burning oven custom-built in New Jersey. Highlights from the pizza menu include a rosemary roast potato pizza and a ricotta cream and confit garlic pizza.
ABOUT THE BEVERAGE PROGRAM
The beverage program, supervised by Bar Manager Deirdre Doherty, who hails from Donegal, Ireland but now lives two blocks from McGonagle’s, is not your average pub menu. McGonagle’s will be the first bar on the East Coast or possibly USA to have installed proper Guinness draft lines which are used on installs in Ireland. The line will have its own glycol chiller separate to the beer lines which will allow the team to set the Guinness temperature separately. The Guinness will pair perfectly with McGonagle’s custom 20 oz nucleated tulip glassware. “After studying beer line installation in Ireland and working with Guinness USA we decided to install our beer lines to match the Irish standards. In Ireland a Guinness is poured with a ½ inch beer line while in the USA they use ¼ inch beer lines. The thicker lines will help perfect the flow of gas and pressure to the glass. We have also changed our gas mix for our regular beers which will be similar to Irish standards,” says owner Oran McGonagle.
McGonagle’s also features a whiskey club where customers will be able to have their own whiskey locker. Customers will be able to purchase sought-after whiskeys from around the world and will have access to them when they visit the pub. “Whiskeys are very popular these days and sometimes it’s hard to find the ones you like at certain bars. We will offer customers the chance to stop in with friends and have a drink out of their very own bottle” says Oran McGonagle.
ABOUT CHEF AIDAN MC GEE
McGonagle’s Pub & Restaurant Chef/Partner Aidan Mc Gee has worked at multiple Michelin-starred restaurants including the renowned Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and Foliage at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, and Launceston Place in Kensington. In 2016, Tatler Magazine named him “Up and Coming Chef of the Year” for Truscott Arms, his critically acclaimed reinvention of London pub dining. Most recently Aidan was the Executive Chef at the Corrigan Collection, a group of four restaurants in the UK and Ireland headed up by one Michelin star Irish chef Richard Corrigan. Aidan currently serves as the Executive Chef at The Dubliner.
McGonagle’s Pub & Restaurant will be open Monday to Friday 11 am-2 am, Saturday and Sunday 10 am-2 am, and will seat 235 people.
Follow McGonagle’s Pub and Restaurant on all socials @mcgonaglespub or visit www.mcgonaglespub.com to learn more.
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
Looking forward to visiting and eating and try beer and whisky.
It’s Neponset Ave fakrissakes. Give me a well-done burger and I’ll take a Guinness in a bottle.
Terrific food and ambience.
Very young somewhat inexperienced staff but the heart is there and the more seasoned staff will guide them
Through the early months
Terrific addition to the greater Dorchester community welcome back