Always jamming at McDonagh's Pub! The band is awesome! Nice crowd and great food and really cold drinks. Service is on point Ari our server was so nice she made our day. I've been here a few times and I always enjoy the small town feel of this place. Always friendly people and service is always great. They have a great outdoor area as well as nice indoor seating areas. They even offer a smoking area for those of us who enjoy a smoke with our drinks. read more

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Just stop by for few beers and an appetizer had their loaded potatoes which were yummy. Arrie our server was fantastic very accommodating. Love their outdoor seating and they had a fantastic band playing all the right music. Do fun night for sure. read more

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This was my first time at McDonagh's in so long! The renovations done to it are so nice and make it brighter. The French Onion Soup is always the best go to for a starter! It is so delicious! For an entree, I got the Gyro. The ratios were perfect and the pita wrap was amazing. The meatloaf was also very tasty! The meatloaf is gluten free and there are plenty of gluten free options, which is always a plus! I am looking forward to going back and trying a different menu option! read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - Gyro - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

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Came here for a quick lunch after church on Easter Sunday. Shepherds pie and chicken Milanese was delicious and service was awesome! Overall great experience. Would recommend! read more

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The atmosphere had great potential--music playing, corn hole in the back, both outdoor and indoor seating, plus an inside-outside bar setup that felt inviting. Unfortunately, the service didn't match the vibe. While the staff was friendly, they weren't attentive. It wasn't even that busy, yet we had to wait until after we'd nearly finished our appetizers to receive utensils and napkins. We were left without something to drink - only initial water served, our waitress didn't even come over to refill - we were dying. As for the food, the shrimp tacos were underwhelming and lacked flavor--I wouldn't order them again. The pub fries were decent but not memorable. Overall, this spot might work if you're looking to catch a game or grab a drink with some snacks on the side. But if you're hoping for solid service and a great meal, there are better options nearby. read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - Pub fries - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

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The service was ok and food took forever to come out, but I can look past that considering I understand the place may be understaffed. I ended up ordering the Smokehouse Chicken and was not fairly impressed. The top bun was bigger than the chicken cutlet itself, but the fries and BBQ sauce were good. The cutlet itself did not have much flavor other than the sauce and for the potato sticks, they had a strange texture and taste. My girlfriend ordered the chicken wrap and was not fairly impressed as well. It was also extremely warm in the place with barely any fans on...when it was nearly 90 outside. Maybe I'll give this place a second chance and order something else but for now it needs improvement. read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - Smokehouse Chicken Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

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Came here to listen to live music and the band, The Upside did not disappoint. It was a great time sitting outside listening to them sing to cover music. The wings with the sauces on the side were the best. The calamari was also good! The McDonagh burger was okay according to my husband. I also really appreciated the variety of nonalcoholic beer they have! Service was good, food and drinks came out pretty quick! read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - The Upside band - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

Absolutely love this place! I've been ordering here for years and the food is always good. With the nicer weather coming I've been making the rounds of local joints and this is always tops. I especially love the Short Ribs and egg rolls but everything here is delicious. read more

Great burgers and prime rib dip!!!! We love it here! Our server Mike was super nice. Fun atmosphere, great Irish Pub. Love to walk the boardwalk head up after . read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

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Came here to join some friends for drinks, not sure if the bar tender had an off day but the drinks were not so much on the good side. I had to return my drink twice, on the last try I just asked for a shot. The server could've been more attentive to our table and tried to make things right. The wings were under cooked but everything else that came out was ok. They had a dj playing that night, music was pretty good. If you're into pub's then this is definitely the spot for you. read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

Happy day Adventurers! I've been here a few times with a guy friend and each time its been pretty good. Large bar and a smaller outdoor bar scene with a cover charge on weekends for I believe more of a club scene. There are two different menus--one for til 10 and then one for midnight. Parking isn't too bad, there is a huge lot on the marina and off the Main Street; there is also street parking. It's an average beer priced bar and foodage. I will say that during the summer you'll be pressed to find parking. read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - Late night snacks (12 is when the kitchen closes) | #intenselypassionatephotography - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

Simple bar food at its best!!! Service was great as well as the food!! Somewhat loud but hey it's a bar..it's supposed to be!! Great place to catch up with friends or catch a game on their TVs. read more

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Stopped by for a quick bite to eat after meeting up with a friend. The place is huge with seemed like endless seating everywhere. We were looking forward to happy hour but was sad to find out it was only at the bar which was full. We ordered our food and a to go meal. The pizza came out hot and was good. The calamari was just any other average calamari that was frozen then fried up to order. The fries were eh. I thought they would be fresh from seeing photos online but they were not. It also seemed like they used bacon bites on top instead of fresh bacon. Finally ready to go and I looked at the recipe and they got our to go order wrong. They had no problem fixing the issue but took another ten minutes of waiting. read more

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Came back here to actually sit down and have a meal since we weren't able to last time. Waiter was very friendly and food was delivered quickly. We had the pub fries which had a lot of beer cheese, we enjoyed that since most places skimp on that. I had the corned beef sandwich which was very good, I only ate half and it came with fries so we put the cheese that was left on it and brought it home. Fiancé had the mango chicken. Now let me say, he doesn't mind spice but this was unbelievably spicy. He said it was good but too much heat and he wouldn't order again. Place was clean and fairly quiet for a Saturday afternoon read more

I've tried Mcdonaughs a few times. It's gotten worse each time. The last time was over the top as THE WORST. Too bad it's so local. read more

We visited Mcdonaghs on a Friday evening for a live music event with the Nine Deez Nite band (which is great by the way) and had a positive experience. Please note that I had made a reservation through the Open Table site for a high top table for the latest available time slot of 9pm but when we arrived there all tables had already been removed. The only available tables were low/regular tables at a different dining area away from the band. The positive side is that by removing the tables near the band the dance floor was more spacious but they shouldn't allow reservations if they are going to remove tables. We ended up seating at the bar. They have some beer specials after 9pm ($12 domestic pitcher) which is a good deal. Domestic pints are $4 which is also a good deal. Food is also decent. I had the buffalo wings which were tasty and we also had a margherita pizza which was very thin but tasty as well. Keep in mind that after 10pm they only offer the late night menu with limited choices and I believe this goes until midnight. The bartenders, especially the blonde lady, are helpful and friendly. Also there's plenty of street parking and a public parking lot in the back so if you go during the evening like we did I don't think you will have trouble finding parking especially because it's a quiet area and not so much going on around McDonaghs. read more

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Decent pizza...damn good calamari! We were in the area for a yelp event at 3BR distillary and decided to drop in for a quick bite. We order a pie and the deep fried calamari. The pizza was good. Definitely greasy, but good flavor and a nice crust! The calamari, though, it came with fried jalapeño and red peppers. I've never had it served this way! It was such a nice surprise. The place itself is quite large. Indoor + outdoor seating, with firepits. We went quite late on a weeknight, so it wasn't packed at all, and service was super quick. All in all, it's definitely worth checking out if you're in the area and looking for a quick bite/drink! read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

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It's a beautiful restaurant. We got outdoor seating and I loved being surrounded by the palm trees. My friend and I ordered the chicken penne vodka and it was delicious. Service was also good, but I would say getting a table and finding a host was a bit confusing based on coming in from that entrance near the bar. read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

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I recently stopped by this place on a Friday after work. My girlfriend and I sat at the bar area and had a few drinks. They have a great selection of beers on tap here. After a bit, we ordered the nachos platter to share. This was a perfect appetizer choice, as nachos go great with beers. I enjoyed adding the chicken pieces to it as well. The staff were very friendly too. After another round of drinks, we ordered the Spicy Uncle pizza to try out. This one had all my favorite pizza toppings on it and just sounded great. We enjoyed the taste of this pizza. It hit the spot. They give you alot of toppings on it, which is the way to go! Overall, this was a fun hangout spot. I will be coming back for some more food and drinks. Recommended! read more

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Decided to try the place. Used to go there all the time....big changes. Bottom line..$5.50 for Miller Lite is a disgrace!!!! Ordered the pizza...the sauce they use is GROSS AND TASTELESS!! They can keep their pizza oven because that's not impressive!!! Service at the bar was "just ok" ..:: no more! read more

Terrible food and martini too! We wanted to try it out , my husband had a sheppards pie and I had a buttermilk chicken sandwich! The Sheppards pie had potatoes on top, ( not mashed ), and my sandwich had a stale roll all flaking ! Ordered buffalo cauliflower for an appetizer and the cauliflower was not cooked correctly !! The $18 espresso martini had no alcohol in it ! Stay away from!!! read more

Had a good time New Year Eve wait time wasn't bad staff was polite and friendly enjoyed

Drove 45 min for the st patty mega bowl festivities that was advertised to go until "sometime sunday" only to be told at 8pm that they were closing the bar at 9pm and were not allowing anyone in. False advertisement !! We were extremely disappointed to say the least !! Dont believe their advertisement !!"go elsewhere if you want to enjoy your evening!! read more

I went to this spot for a class reunion. When I arrived I found parking on the street nearby. I walked in, and the hostess led me to the area where the reunion was. It was a cash bar, so I had Pinot nior, and it was good. They also gave us pizza and other finger foods. The pizza was tasty! It was a good time and good experience. read more

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First time visiting and was surprisingly surprised. We arrived early on a Saturday for lunch and were the first table to be seated. The interior was dark wood and very clean, plenty of tables, decent bar area and they have outside covered seating as well. Parking is on the street. Our waiter was Dan, he was very attentive, friendly and fast service. We ordered a Stella (and it was served in a new stemmed glass lol) and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. For lunch, I ordered the McDonaghs Steak, which was an 8 oz filet mignon and my husband ordered the short ribs. BOTH the filet mignon and short ribs were served with broccoli and mashed potatoes. The filet was absolutely delicious!! Cooked perfectly. The short ribs were so tender, they were eaten with a fork, they just fell apart. The mashed potatoes were very creamy. Instead of dessert, we ordered Irish coffees. YUMMY!!! We will definitely be returning to this restaurant. Excellent experience!! read more

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Stumbled upon this place after building up an appetite at a nearby distillery. It was pretty empty so we took a seat at the bar. There was a special for a pie so we ordered the pizza with sausage and pepperoni. For starters we got the calamari which exceeded our expectations. It wasn't chewy and the fried banana peppers that accompanied it were a unique touch, they were so flavorful in fact that I didn't even need the marinara. The pizza was what you'd expect from a bar pie. read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

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Another Keyport classic haunt a block from Raritan Bay. Housed in an old firehouse, the four story brick building dominates the main intersection in town with red and black sign and window shutters, and a large first floor bar and dining area capable of holding a rowdy sports bar crowd. I drove there to meet with friends from Staten Island and selected McDonagh's Pub for a drink and lunch over conversation. We sat across the room from the rectangular bar, and ordered a pitcher of sangria and two pizzas (Burrata & Bar Pie). It took us more than 90 minutes to work through our free flowing talk and consume the refilled pitcher and most of the pizza. The sangria was good and cold. It had been a long time since I last drank wine in that fashion. I was glad my friends suggested it. Both pies were also pretty good, but would have benefited from crisper crust. The greens and cheese on the burrata were fresh though and the bar pie a decent standard red & white. Service was friendly, efficient and unobtrusive. The dark high ceiling ambiance of the hall was the secret sauce that made it all interesting and worthwhile. read more

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I came in for lunch yesterday and ordered a chicken wrap. Outside of it being one of the most average/FAKE tasting chicken wraps I have eaten, it also gave me the worst food poisoning I have had in years. Still in the recovery process. Save yourself what I just experienced and avoid this restaurant at all costs!!! read more

The Shepard's Pie is the best!!! We look forward to the live band performance under the outside tent from 5pm-9pm in the summer.

I love this place and have been here quite a bit. My personal favorites are the corned beef egg rolls, grotto pie, french onion soup, and butternut beet salad (and I'm not a fan of beets!). On Mondays, they have specials on the large pizza for $9.99, and during the week they have happy hour starting at 5pm. The beers on tap are always rotating, so it's nice to get your seasonal favorites like the Carton Pearl (I love me a good IPA) and Sam Addams (Octoberfest and Summer Shandy), but they also have the Mango Cart from time to time, and that's a good one too. I personally like to sit on the outside patio to watch the games like hockey and soccer, but the inside is a good choice too. It has that Irish pub charm, and, overall a great place to hangout or wait for your dog to get groomed, like I had to . Also, there's a dispensary (Premo) that just opened up this year, and an incredible "witchy" store (The Parlor) that has been around for a couple of years around the block -- both are highly recommended. If you're in this part of time, I'd definitely check them out. read more

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Had a great dinner out on the patio at McDonagh's. The food was awesome and the vibe outside with the band playing was just what we were looking for. Service was quick and friendly, and everything stayed clean and comfortable the whole time. Shoutout to Axel the bus boy for keeping our table clear without us even noticing. little things like that really make the night more enjoyable. Definitely will be back soon especially for that buffalo chicken dip. read more

Came here on a Tuesday for Trivia night! It was packed at the bar and tables so we were happy there was room for our group. We got the burrata pie and pulled pork nachos. It was absolutely delicious. Trivia was very fun and we made many friends with the trivia regulars! I definitely recommend going to Mcdonagh's with your friends on Tuesday!! read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - burrata pie HH Mini Nachos Pork - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

I put 5 stars because the service is so great, especially Mike at the bar, however I hesitate coming because of how hot both the indoor and outdoor areas are. The air is stagnant and far too hot to be enjoyable. There should be air co inside, outside is not at all ventilated. read more

This was a restaurant my friend and I stumbled upon while looking for a place to eat while in Keyport. It has a very laid-back vibe, which is consistent with other pubs. But the menu seems a bit more elevated than other pubs I've been to. I ordered off the special's menu and got the chicken penne vodka, which was delicious. It was packed, so this pub seems to be a crowd favorite. I was confused by the layout because my friend and I entered through the entrance that I took a picture of, but the hostess table was on a completely different side where the outdoor seating and bar was. It took a little bit of while before a hostess came and seated us, but like I said, it was packed, so the staff might've been swamped. My friend and I sat outside, which was nice. They have a lot of seating outside, which is good for large groups. Overall the staff was nice. The music they played wasn't bad either. It seemed like music you'd here at a lounge. The demographic of the patrons at this pub isn't really diverse, but i think that has more to do with location. If you're not comfortable sticking out of the crowd, then it may not be for you. But to me the food was good and it's right by water so I wouldn't mind going back. read more

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After sitting at our table for 10 minutes having not received any silverware or visit from the waitstaff, my chum and I decided we'd get up and leave if no one showed up in the next four minutes. The waiter appeared with two minutes to spare. Given how the experience went after that, I honestly wish he hadn't and that we'd gone somewhere else. I came here this past Saturday with my Millennial Chum for a late lunch around 2, 2:30pm. Initially it looked fairly busy with the remnants of the lunch crowd, but the place got progressively emptier as the meal went on. McDonagh's is centrally located in downtown Keyport and the restaurant interior is very spacious - the main room with the bar island was large, and it looked like they had a slightly smaller dining room off to the side, along with an outdoor area for warmer weather. The decor reminded me a little of a Thatcher McGee's, though instead of recreating an Irish cottage, the walls were decorated with what looked like spiffy NYC bar storefronts, if that makes sense. And it's clearly a popular spot with the locals, which certainly counts for something. Food-wise, I wasn't impressed. I ordered a plain hamburger medium rare, and my chum got the brick oven wings with Thai sauce. The hamburger was cooked medium well instead and was super greasy - every time I picked it up and slightly squeezed, drops of grease would fall down next to the fries. Not particularly appetizing. When I would put the burger down between bites, I had to carefully maneuver it so the grease didn't get soaked back into the bun. I tried the wings and didn't like them very much. I'm not a huge wing person, but they were super dry and pretty bland - the Thai sauce was fine but sparingly distributed, so I barely tasted it, even when I was intentionally trying to get a saucier bite. For what it's worth, the Millennial Chum liked them more than I did, though admitted toward the end of the adventure that they were indeed pretty dry. The portion for them was pretty decent, especially for an app - it easily could (and was for her) a full meal. Beyond the mediocre food, the service was super uneven. When we came in, the greeter brought us to a table right up front and said she'd be back shortly with silverware. We never saw her again. As mentioned before, the waiter belatedly showed up almost 15 minutes after we sat down and was very hot and cold demeanor-wise. He seemed utterly miserable and tired when he came to take our orders, but in subsequent visits was apologetic over the wait and friendlier, thanking my friend for stacking up the empty/unused plates for easy pickup. Like Forrest Gump's chocolates, you never knew what you were going to get. To be fair, it looked like he was covering a lot of tables throughout the giant main bar room, so he was racking up the mileage and spread pretty thin. This may have been a situation where they figured they didn't need as much coverage mid-afternoon and underestimated the turnout from an unseasonably warm February day. The prices seemed pretty reasonable for the area - I think the bill came to around $32 or so (it helped that we moistened our palates with water and nothing else). It's a shame - this is probably the best real estate you could hope to have in Keyport for a restaurant in terms of square footage and location, and it feels like they're squandering it. read more

McDonagh’s Pub & Restaurant - Mediocre bovine. - Bars Near Me - Keyport, New Jersey

My daughter and her girlfriend sat down to dinner Saturday night and were refused bar service because they had out of state driver's licenses. These two young ladies are both 26. They were also threatened with having their licenses shredded. They decided not to dine there and moved on to Old Glory where they had no issues and a better meal IMO. I have no desire to ever again dine at this pub and will make sure to spread the word to everyone I know. read more

I been here a few times in the past and it wasn't bad, but last night was absolutely horrible... I was with 2 friends and we stopped in for dinner... We were told about a 45 min wait for a table.... But there were empty tables inside. We went outside to the bar to wait where there were even more tables empty with no one sitting, even dirty tables not cleaned off. We waited an hour and still nothing. When we talk to the hostess about a table, she said that they are all taken, meanwhile. there was a table for 4 right near where we were standing waiting for over 35 minutes... Then we are told by the manager that we have two other parties waiting on front of us.. So we wait another 25 minutes and nothing... We go back up to the front and are told again by the manager that there are two parties ahead of us... The place is an absolute mess. The hostess was clueless and had no idea what was going on, place appeared to be understaffed and had no communication, the manager also appeared to have no idea what he was doing, then wants to sit us as we decide to go elsewhere... There was even a guy literally out cold at the bar where we were waiting, completeIy intoxicated... I had to tell the bartender that this was definitely not a good look having a guy over served slumping over the bar drooling on himself before they asked him to leave... I will never go back to this place. We went to a Steak & Seafood place right up the block which was 100% better, service was excellent and food was great.... read more

We popped in here today for a quick lunch. My wife had been here before and said I would like it. Busy and spacious bar environment. Our server was kind and accommodating. We actually shared 3 appetizers, including nachos with pulled pork, which was my favorite. A huge portion of delicious pulled pork on our nachos, I was impressed. We will definitely be back again when in the area. read more

Still a go to spot for me and the family. The changes that have been made really stepped this place up. The staff is very nice and the place is well-kept beers are cold. I've had a lot of the food here and I have to say I've loved it all. The fish and chips is fresh not frozen. And the burgers are delicious. I had a buffalo chicken pizza this time and it was great. I know I'll be back it's never let me down. read more

My family went here on the Sunday before saint patties day. Surprisingly not super packed. The pub fries were delicious and were a great appetizer. We have a diverse order of pastas, burgers, sandwiches. The burger was pretty good. Corn Beef sandwich was a solid order. The sauce on the side tasted homemade. The Long island ice tea was extremely delicious. Our waiter was also great and gave us some recommendations on his favorites! This place is just like a traditional irish pub....Will definitely be coming back here! read more