“It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play,” but it was 35 years ago McP’s Irish Pub appeared on our radar as the go-to spot in Coronado for locals and tourists alike. McP’s has also earned a reputation for hiring phenomenal musicians, who have an entire outdoor patio as their stage.
When McP’s opened in 1982, the little Irish pub was a novelty. Today, still under original ownership, it is a respected member of the restaurant community, off-duty home of the legendary Navy SEALs, and a place where celebrities and military heroes alike dine alongside guests in relative anonymity.
On Saturday, July 29th, McP’s Irish Pub celebrates its 35th anniversary. To honor this special occasion, McP’s is offering a whopping 35% discount off of all food and drink from 11 a.m. until closing time. The popular rock ‘n’ roll band, In Mid-Life Crisis, will perform on the outdoor patio from 2-6 p.m. Special commemorative T-shirts will also be available.
McP’s was the brainchild of former Navy SEAL Greg McPartlin. As a member of SEAL Team One, McPartlin did three deployments to Vietnam. “It was always my dream to create a restaurant where my SEAL Team friends could feel comfortable – someplace the community could also enjoy as their own,” said McPartlin.
When McP’s opened its doors 35 years ago, Coronado wasn’t sure what to make of it. Waiters and waitresses dressed in green, the aroma of corned beef and cabbage filled the air, Mulligan Stew was served in a bread bowl, and thick, dark Guinness Stout poured generously from the tap. To say that the tiny restaurant was an acquired taste would not be far off the mark.
Today McP’s is one of the most popular restaurants on the island, and one of the oldest. They’ve added outdoor patio dining, live entertainment, and created an exciting new chapter to this corner of Coronado’s commercial district. Prior to McP’s, the corner of Orange and C Avenues sported the Manhattan Room cocktail lounge/piano bar and a gas station.
Greg McPartlin, as the original owner, continues to be part of the restaurant’s day-to-day operations. Since publishing his book in 2005, “Combat Corpsman,” he has become as iconic as his fabled restaurant.
McP’s Irish Pub took on McPartlin’s daring and flamboyant, Irish/SEAL Team personality from day one. In those early years just about everyone going through basic underwater demolition training (BUDs training) made McP’s their off-duty home.
Over the years McP’s has matured into a pub where everyone feels comfortable, whether you’re a vacationing family or decorated war hero. The SEALs still drop by, but these days they do so inconspicuously, and often with their own families.
After Bin Laden’s death and the countless missions staged throughout the Middle East, SEALS found themselves in the headlines for the first time. While that has given the elite fighting team more exposure than it would like, it has only helped the small restaurant known as McP’s.
Today, McP’s remains a living tribute to this extraordinary and powerful unit of the US Navy. Not unlike a museum, the walls of the restaurant attest to what once were our country’s best-kept secrets, SEAL Team valor and honor.
Celebrities have gravitated to McP’s, finding it the ideal place to score a refreshingly good meal, a cold brew, and hear rock ‘n’ roll music; and do so without pressure from fans or paparazzi.
Among those who have visited McP’s over the years are Tiger Woods, Gary Sinise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Harbaugh, Philip Rivers, Toby Keith, Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage, Gerald McRaney, John Goodman, Rob Lowe and Army General Martin E. Dempsey (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), and even John Boehner (former Speaker of the House).
“Once Jimmy Buffett came in and sat at the bar,” said McPartlin. “He looked so crusty that the bartender made him pay cash after every drink until he realized who it was.”
Prince Harry, of England’s Royal Family, visited McP’s while completing helicopter training at nearby El Centro. “We sat him at our VIP table,” said McPartlin, “where he could see all the action but stay out of the way. Our staff made sure autograph seekers and photographers didn’t bother him. That’s standard procedure for our management and staff, because we want McP’s to be a place they can get away from it all. They come in, we serve them like any other customer, and they love it.”
The San Diego Old Town Trolley has an official stop located just outside McP’s front door. This has brought an entirely new breed of customer into the restaurant. Currently business breaks down as about 40% tourists, 40% military and the rest are made up of Coronado locals.
McP’s continues to win “Best Of” Awards, year after year. Those have included Best Restaurant, Best Bar Scene, Best Entertainment, Best Live Music, and Friendliest Food Server (Tracy Taylor). Tracy, along with her husband Ted, continues to manage the operation and somehow keep this three-ring circus performing on a daily basis.
Live entertainment takes place every Tuesday-Saturday night featuring the best music on the island. Many successful bands from the region got their start at McP’s – Rockola, the Mar Dels, Stilettos, the Cat-illacs.
Rock star Joey Harris (formerly of the Beat Farmers) plays often throughout the summer season. Most Sundays on the patio, however, you can experience classic rock ‘n’ roll as performed by Ron’s Garage Band – McP’s House Band, and one of the tightest cover bands in the county. It’s always standing room only for this amazing group of musicians.
The menu at McP’s is filled with traditional as well as Irish fare. There are numerous offerings of juicy burgers and healthy salads, and even an Irish menu just for the kids. Happy Hour is 4-6 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). It includes half priced, select appetizers, and all house wines by the glass, discounted beer and cocktails.
Numerous flat screen TVs keep the sports crowd entertained. McP’s carries the NFL Sunday Ticket and Major League Baseball Extra Innings packages, which allow customers to watch all the action, all the time, or any game that is being played. The dog-friendly outdoor patio can serve up to 100 guests. The patio is shaded by large ficus trees and warmed at night by numerous fire pits and heaters.
McP’s Irish Pub is located at 1107 Orange Avenue, at the corner of C Avenue, in Coronado, and continues to be a one-stop-shop for change of commands, wedding parties, rehearsal dinners, reunions and corporate events. For more information call (619) 435-5280 or visit their website at www.mcpspub.com.
