Representing 2018 in alphabet series, M is for McGinty's Public House. I went here twice, once in March 2018 & the other February 2023. In March 2018, my girlfriend at the time wanted to go here as there was a group of people going for St. Patrick's Day. We went here along with her young pre-teen daughter. They almost weren't going to let us in, but my g/f assured we just needed to eat, and they said since it was before 9 PM, it'd be ok. I enjoyed my Shepherd's Pie, a solid option here. After eating, there was dancing on the dance floor and a couple of people I knew. Then, my g/f went out to the dance floor. I'm sitting at the table with my g/f's pre-teen daughter who fell asleep. It was awkward for me especially since someone asked me if she was ok, and I said she's just tired. We left sometime in the midnight hour. But the fact of the matter was that my g/f shouldn't have put her daughter in that situation. On a positive, her daughter graduated high school & is still alive today in 2025, so her mom did something right. The other time I was here was in February 2023. I decided to have my birthday party at Copper Canyon in downtown Silver Spring. Then, a few of us were willing to hang longer asking what I wanted to do. I said I remember McGinty's was a good Irish pub. So, I had a couple of more drinks here. Staff was nice and helpful getting me drinks. Overall, I like McGinty's as it's a cute Irish pub with live entertainment, dance floor, & good Shepherd's Pie. read more

McGinty's Public House - Fun on the dance floor in 2018 - Irish Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

The best thing about McGinty's was the service. Our host proactively reconfigured a table for three to more comfortably accommodate the four of us. The servers were friendly and prompt, and cheerfully gave us separate checks when it was time to pay. But, unless you like your beer warm, the drinks may disappoint you. My beet salad with goat cheese and grapefruit was beautifully described on the menu - enough to seduce me to order something that was not an Irish classic - but was not enjoyable enough to finish. The fries were good though, and the fried fish that others ordered looked to be perfectly done. So perhaps I'll come back when I'm in the mood for some classical fare. Too bad about the beer though.,, read more

Hosted a baby shower here and it was awesome. They have a great modern room with event space. Amazing logistics and service and they really work with you to make an amazing event. My friend loved her baby shower and was happy we used them! Loved it. read more

Love the Happy Hour Menu for some quick bites after a little shopping The Old Bay Wings & The Fish & Chips was a very tasty combo! read more

Their menu offered a regular 2 patty burger and a 2 patty smash burger. My receipt showed my order properly: I ordered a smash burger. This is what they presented me. Not a smash burger. Nearly 2 inches of beef, no crispy latticework, no texture. The staff seemed committedly disinterested in why I didn't eat my meal. read more

McGinty's Public House - Not a smash burger. - Irish Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Having a pretty poor experience. Waitress totally dismissive. I asked about the amount of drink and she basically shrugged and walked away. Asked the bartender who equally shrugged and said that that is how it comes. I have a hard time accepting a mixed drink that comes full of ice and as if they forgot to fill it. Guess this is what happens at a place that fills its seats through "events" rather than quality. This review might have been very different if there actually been responsive service. ‍ read more

McGinty's Public House - A drink that arrived this way. Full of ice, pretty empty, and even missing some of the rim. - Irish Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

pped by McGinty's in Silver Spring and sat at the bar downstairs -- the bartenders were really nice and welcoming. We ordered the happy hour fish and chips, which were delicious -- crispy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. I also tried a side of curry, and it was so good -- full of flavor and definitely worth adding on. Overall, great food, friendly service, and a comfortable atmosphere. I'm already planning to come back to try the Sunday roast -- everything we had was really good! read more

McGinty's is a nice Irish pub vibe in downtown Silver Spring. Big space with 2 levels, good drinks, and the live music (Wendy & Steve were amazing) really made the night. Food was mixed--the calamari and my sandwich were great, but fries were meh and the stew bread was stiff. Still, fun spot with good drinks and cozy atmosphere. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food at this spot... Me and a friend were walking around the metro, looking for something to eat and hang out at as it got later into the evening during the weekday. I'm happy to report the drinks or strong and flavorful, and the food was portioned nicely and made with care. I would recommend as a casual hangout spot for anyone in the area looking for good eats and a good drink. read more

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Good service and decent menu, however this place suffers from a fatal flaw--cooking 101 dictates you season your food. I swear they didn't use a grain of salt in their shepherd's pie or on their hamburger (which by the way tastes and looks like a frozen patty). Onion rings were very good, but nothing else that I tried deserves praise. read more

McGinty's Public House - Burger and onion rings - Irish Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Came for comedy night.. staff was so rude! The waiter in the comedy room was totally stressed out and snappy. We waited 20 min for him to get us a drink order. Finally another girl came and got our order. She didn't even know what kind of salad dressing they had! So we ordered and got our food 10 min before our drinks came out. We needed plates to share the appetizer, napkins and silverware . When we finally flagged her down she seemed annoyed at us. Bad bad vibe when we were here to have fun and see comedians! read more

Service at the bar sucks, five bartenders and I have had an empty glass for over 30 minutes, I've asked for a menu and no response. Sorry I will not be back. read more

McGinty's Public House - Empty beer for 30+ minutes. Pitiful. - Irish Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Unfortunately, this was one of the worst restaurant experiences ever. We understand that St. Paddy's Day will and should be very busy at any good Irish pub. We expected slightly longer ticket times on a holiday night. Our ticket time was 63 minutes when we decided to cancel our food order, pay for our beers (yes we paid but could have easily justified walking out on the entire ticket) and grab fast food for our starving kids. The staff were not managed well and obviously completely overwhelmed. This was evidenced by our server taking our order and never once checking on us until we asked for the drink check so we could leave without eating. That's 63 minutes of no service and 63 minutes without a single food item arriving (including a soup!). Finally, the most frustrating thing was that the restaurant kept delivering online orders to awaiting food delivery pickup people while the in-house patrons starved. This is a terrible business model and management should be ashamed. I've been to several other good restaurants that make the decision to pause online ordering on high traffic nights (like say an Irish pub on St. Paddy's Day). At any point, the manager could have paused online orders as he/she watched the kitchen tickets backing up. This was a complete failure of management. They have 364 days to plan for this day. I would love for someone to follow up on this review. Thanks for listening. read more

McGinty's Public House - 63 minute ticket time with no food ever delivered. - Irish Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Stopped in for lunch after being in the area for 4 days for a work event. There were a few folks at the bar and we (party of 5) were seated in area adjacent to the bar. Our server was great and answered questions for those of us were having trouble deciding what to order. I had the Greenbird Burger (turkey patty, crushed avocado, Brie, cilantro aioli) on a brioche bun and it was delicious. I had the fries, but once I saw the onion rings I wished I'd ordered those. I thought I'd taken some photos, but I can't find them. We had a great experience and I'd love to go back and try more dishes. read more

I only had the fries in terms of food, but it was good and came out insanely fast. Atmosphere wise it was a loud trivia night but it's been fun to play trivia and interact! The service is also great! read more

McGinty's Public House - Dinner menu - Irish Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Wouldn't go to this place if someone paid me to. Entire staff is rude and act like they are doing customers a favor by serving them. Cannot handle the crowds they have....why people frequent this establishment is beyond me. Service is beyond poor but I had to give at least one star. Tried to speak with manager about our visit but he wasn't interested and when I told him that we would never be back he said, "okay, bye". Who is the owner of this place? What a disgrace! read more

If you did not know this was an Irish bar, you definitely will know within seconds upon entering McGinty's. The two level bar/restaurant is HUGE and has all of the typical pub food that everyone will enjoy. Also, McGinty's has a half off burger deal on Tuesdays. Be aware that the deal is only available in the upstairs portion of the pub. Overall, I thought my cheeseburger was pretty delicious. Also, the food came out very fast and hot, which was great because I had another engagement right after dinner. From my one-time experience with the burger deal, you might want to order your burger a bit rarer than normal. While I requested a medium burger, it arrived well done; however, it was not too big of a deal at the time. *A regular at the bar informed me that the fish n chips are pretty amazing.* I guess I should put that on the list for my next visit. The part of the review that might not be so pleasant. While the bartender in the downstairs bar was pretty nice (she is the one who told me about the half off burger deal upstairs), the bartender upstairs was not the friendliest. I found him to be short (but not outright rude) with several customers. At times, he seemed to be annoyed when folks requested things from him (e.g., drinks, condiments, and silverware). Perhaps, the bartender was having a bad day or maybe that's just his personality. read more

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It's been way too long since I've been here for happy hour. Still have the great deals, only $1.00 more now ($6). Still a great deal for the best fish & chips in the area. I especially love the dipping sauce and the malt vinegar on the table. We also had shishito peppers ($6.50) with a dipping sauce. First time for my friend and she loved them. I liked theirs, but they are a bit oily. I do mine in the air fryer. At least they are cheaper here than other places and you get a lot. I had a cosmo (also $6), and my pal had a Smithwicks draft ($5). She enjoyed it. I need to come back more often. Montgomery County's new parking regulations stink. It costs so much more, especially when you are required to prepay in the nearby garages ($1.25/hr). read more

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After an afternoon movie at the AFI, we wandered over to McGinty's because it was on the way to the garage where we'd parked our car. We were in time for Happy Hour which had super inexpensive drinks and a special Happy Hour Menu that offered ample servings for a song. Our meals plus two drinks -- all excellent -- came to a total of under $25. A great deal! It was quiet at our off-the-beaten-path booth on the ground floor. And we were helped by an entire TEAM of eager-to-please servers. read more

the servers/bartenders were nice and welcoming, the food was great, nice atmosphere. Group of 6 co-workers and were able to have a nice conversation without the place being too loud. Would definitely go again. read more

McGinty's is an authentic Irish bar and restaurant with the BEST hamburgers I have ever had in my life, anywhere, including high end steakhouses. Absolute perfection. Really enough for 2 meals. The traditional Irish food is good too--bangers and mash, boxty, shepherd's pie, English/Irish breakfast, fish and chips, corned beef and cabbage. Restaurant is 2 levels, lower level has mostly high tables and bar seats, more regular tables on 2nd level. However, on weekends upper level doesn't open until 5 PM. This is not posted, the host or hostess tells you. 2nd floor has live music on Saturday nights, other nights have trivia and open mic. 1st Saturday of the month has standup comedy, shows at 7 and 9, 1 1/2 hours, $20. So good deal. Comedy is in private room same time as live music so it is somewhat noisy but manageable. No minimum food order for comedy but you can order during the show. Ordering during the show requires running a tab and they will automatically add 20% gratuity, so it is better to eat beforehand in regular part of restaurant or elsewhere in the area. It is in Ellsworth Place Mall, which has an attached garage and has an Outback and several other restaurants including Thai, Creole, sushi, Burger Fi, Chipotle, Don Pollo, Dog Haus, Copper Canyon, and Nandos. read more

Really solid Irish pub in downtown silver spring in Ellsworth place. Came here with a few friends for happy hour right around 430 on a Monday. The prices are great, with options for $6 or $7 and drinks for $3.50 to $5. I got the buffalo wings (mild not volcanic) with ranch, and the mini fish and chips. Both were $7 each and well worth the price in my opinion. You got 6 wings which were your standard wings but I enjoyed them. The fish and chips was served with a homemade aioli which was pretty good too. The fish was a good size and cooked nicely and the chips were a good texture not too mushy nor too hard. My friend had the beef sliders which she said were really good as well as a side of mushrooms and sweet potato fries. i definitely want to come back to try more of their Irish menu. Normal menu prices will run about $16-$20 but the waiter told me on Wednesdays they have 20% off the Irish menu. Only downside is they don't open until 4. . read more

Update 8 years later. Still five stars and super tasty. Everything is alway quite fresh and high quality.

Our group arrived buzzing after a concert nearby at The Fillmore. They were within an hour of closing, as they don't stay open very late on weeknights, but we had time for one round. I ordered the blueberry lemonade. It was tasty! I just couldn't finish it. I ended up giving my boyfriend the muddled blueberries and shared the rest with others in the group. This is a typical pub environment. Nothing fancy, nothing grimy. Bathroom was clean. A good stop for sure in Silver Spring. read more

McGinty's Public House - Irish Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Standard pub with a bit of a dive bar feel. They have a great happy hour (3-6) with a decent sized fish and chips or chicken fingers among other options. It's good comfort food with a standard beer selection. Y There's a downstairs with two small booths and a large upstairs. Plenty of TVS to watch and enjoy. They have public Wi-Fi but didn't work for me. read more

McGinty's Public House - Happy hour fish and chips. Great deal. - Irish Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

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One day they will break these reviews down by category. Until then I will. Food "Surprisingly good" lol. That was my thought as I walked out. I went here for a networking meetup and ended up eating at the bar with two other ladies. I ordered the tuna tartar from the appetizer menu and then the Reuben and fries and the tiramisu to go. Tuna tartar was delicious. Nice and fresh and it had a balsamic sauce or reduction that was delicious. Garlic for the crostini would go a long way but I cleaned my plate it was so good. This item was on the weekly specials menu so if it's not there when you go I'm so sorry! The Reuben and fries was again a healthy portion. Fries were crunchy outside soft inside. Haven't tried the Reuben yet (will edit) but it's a nice big sandwich with plenty of sauce. Acquaintances ordered the bean burger and tots. She finished it so it mush have been good! Burger was also a healthy portion so it had to have been filling. Other lady ordered the fish and chips and sweet potatoe fries. Also a healthy portion or fish and fries. She needed to add quite a bit of seasoning. I took the tiramisu home because as greedy as I was ordering, I was so so full. Chilled the tiramisu before trying it and one bite in Im not a fan. I like authentic tiramisu flavors but this was just not that. Not a good dessert at all. Will try again tomorrow and edit if needed. Service was great. The place was EMPTY but I've been in empty spots where the service was still bad. The bartender was super nice and made nice conversation and everyone on the way in was also pretty friendly. Ambiance. . didn't I say the place was EMPTY? Well damn near anyway...more tables were empty that full. I mean it is very Irish pub-ish and they have a great open space upstairs but all that space for so few people. A few more people were hanging out downstairs and in the outdoor dining area. If you made it this far I have to mention a note on the location. McGinty's is on the blocked off street in Downtown Silver Spring. Park in the Wayne Street garage and when you come out the tunnel it is on you right across from Nike, so it's not IN the mall. You're welcome. The two ladies that joined had trouble locating it and one of them was born and raised in the DMV! read more

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I've been a loyal customer of McGintys for 10+ years. The food and service never disappoint for the price. The staff is friendly and attentive. My favorites are the Corned Beef Burger, Wings, and Tater Tot's. Great portion size and food quality. A perfectly poured Guinness is always a must when I visit. read more

We took a walk through Rock Creek Park and ended up near Silver Spring in early evening so decided to go a bit further towards the center and find a place for dinner. MacGinty's is located in the middle of the pedestrian section of downtown. It's a small pub and the inside bar/dining room is dimly lit in classic pub fashion and has an assortment of a few high, low and booth tables. There is a very nice outdoor section partitioned with high clear plastic panels from the sidewalk so it feels well shielded but airy and open. We were craving for some fish and chips and had definitely come to the right place. It was a very generous portion of chunky crispy fish with an even more generous pile of tasty fries. I got to take almost half of mine home and had the leftovers for lunch the next day (great value for $19.99). read more

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McGinty's has a lot of space and has been great for hosting socials. I appreciate that they try to keep events throughout the week. The food has overall been good and better than expected from a seemingly pub bar. The wait staff have been attentive and pleasant. read more

I love, love, love McGinty's! I have been coming here for 15 years and have always enjoyed it! The Irish pub ambiance is really legitimate and it takes me right back to my ancestral motherland. Their cuisine is outstanding as they have the best Irish food, and also some other dishes with an adventurous twist. Their Irish Breakfast is top notch, especially with their Irish rashers/bacon and dinner options are delectable! read more

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The management of this restaurant refused to sell me a meal because it was going to go to someone who couldn't afford it. My friend and I went in the other week to buy a burger for someone who needed a meal that night. Once the manager realized the food was not for me (the one paying for the food) he said he couldn't sell it to me. I'm not sure if this manager's ideals reflect on the whole establishment, or if this particular manager just has an awful personality and heart, but no one else who worked there stepped in to offer a solution. We left the restaurant but before I walked out I told the manager I was disappointed in his choice and that he could have just as easily gone through with the transaction and we would have been on our way. He said "I don't want other people coming in begging for free food". Of course that was not what was happening. He confirmed he didn't know the person I was with. Refusing to sell me a burger on the bases of a future hypothetical situation is absurd. I would've had more respect for an honest response; that you don't care about people who are less fortunate and abuse your power to hurt rather than solve a problem that shouldn't exist. The manager abruptly ended the conversation with me by childishly saying "I gave you my reason." He is about 5'10, 20-30s, white guy. Me and all my close family and friends will never come back here. Shame on you. Be a better person, there is still time. read more

I've gone several times and it's always tasty and way more food than you can eat! Sometimes it's quick service; sometimes it's a little slower, as they only have a few servers during busy windows. But it's a pub feel, close to downtown, and somewhere I've brought friends before. read more

Bad Anye for not reviewing before. I must have just thought I'd done it and then not even considered it any of the metric gazillion** times I've been here. **numbers may be exaggerated. So I'm really boring, because the first time I came here for an actual meal, I found something I really like and I have ordered it every time I have come. I love the Irish club. And I don't usually get excited about sandwiches, but I love this sandwich. When I'm being good (usually) I get it with caesar salad and take half the sandwich home for leftovers. When I'm not being good (sometimes) I order it with fries and I eat the whole thing and waddle back to the bus. What has varied on my copious number of visits is what I've had to drink and what I've had for dessert. Unfortunately, since dessert comes after drinks, and I'm a lightweight, I'm not sure I remember EVERYTHING I've ever had for dessert. But the first time I came here we'd had dinner somewhere else and I ordered a cocktail and a piece of cake that was amazing, I think it was either flourless chocolate or lava or something really intense that way. I feel like I've had other desserts as well but see aforementioned booze-inhibited memory. As far as the booze goes, I've generally liked all the cocktails I've gotten. They have a handful that are sweet enough for me. They had a special last time that had kahlua and baileys and other things that tasted pretty much like I expected and made me warm on the inside like I needed. That visit was actually the first time I dined inside here, usually we eat on the patio but Winter Came. I can't wait for patio season again. And now I want an Irish club, which is inconvenient because hubby is making me some sous vide steak with Old Bay tonight, which Guga said was amazing... so I'll have to wait for the Irish club. Anyway, I'm not sure why the reviews here are mediocre. We've always had at least decent service and great food. One of my favorite date night places in DTSS. My husband is a huge fan of their fish and chips and I believe also enjoyed the shepherd's pie which may or may not have been actual shepherd's pie because I can't remember if they make it with lamb or not. read more

Customer Review: The worst experience in a very long time. I meet some friend for a night out with drinks and appetizers. When I arrived the bartender never greeted me. He walked past me for 10 minutes as if I didn't exist. Once I got his attention I order my drink. Again the bartender never ask if I was okay so I need anything else. Each time I had to order I had to request his attention. As my friends were playing trivia game and I was on my phone playing a game another employee approached us and stated we couldn't use our phone for the answer. However when I look around the entire restaurant was using there phone . The service was horrible from the staff. I would NEVER patronize this establishment again! Managment/Owner review: McGinty's Public House (Owner) 2 days ago Good evening, Tanya. At McGinty's we strive to meet customers expectations be it food, service or drinks. However, we also respect our trivia host and their rules. You were openly caught googling answers multiple times during trivia night. You simply got caught cheating. On your way out you were banned for screaming profane statements. It is unfortunate things ended up this way. Better luck at your next spot! Good evening McGinty, I have wonderful experience at many establishments through DC/MD/VA. The service was one of the worst from your establishment. And I see why. Reminder reviews are based on a person experience not the staff assumption. The rules to Trivia were NEVER explained! As for the cheating statement that's a far reach. As I shared in the above review I looked around and saw many people openly on there phone. Winning a $20 gift card was certainly not going to make or break us. Especially when we spent over $100 in your business No one left this establishment using profane statement and clearly NO ONE WAS BANNED. I-CHOOSE NOT TO PATRONIZE YOUR BUSINESS! Word of advice have some training on Customer Service you and your Staff could benefit from it! Good Luck! read more

McGinty's is a very cozy pub with menu choices, delicious food and great service. Convenient location.

Great brunch for a lil Irish pub, the menu always has some creative food and drink options, service has always been great too

McGinty's remains one of my favorite restaurants in Silver Spring. In my recent visit I ordered a rosemary flat bread special and fish and chips. The bread arrived hot and was tasty. The fish and chips is still the generous portion that I remember from my last visit. It also arrived piping hot and the sauces were excellent. The only slight negative was that the service was not that attentive, but this is a pub and it was a weeknight read more

We have come here for weekend brunch and for dinner with family. They have good food, great service, and a good whiskey selection Brunch: Hubby got eggs, corned beef hash, potatoes, and rye toast. He enjoyed everything on the plate! I had the fried chicken sandwich, which was good but not the best. The "pickles" weren't picked enough, and the chicken was a bit too big for the bun, but yummy. Dinner: My dad got the fish and chips and said both were really good. I had the corned beef burger, and it was so unique and unctuous! It sits a little heavy, but I'd definitely get it again. read more

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We went here for brunch and it was delicious! The service was prompt and polite and the food came out quickly. The traditional Irish food was good, I had never had Irish bacon but it came on my eggs Benedict and I enjoyed it. The coffee was good as well. read more

McGinty's is a local watering hole in downtown silver springs. Big enough for large groups of friends yet still feels intimate. Excellent and attentive bartender and a pretty gnarly beer selection. They also opened late at night, which is perfect for Any schedule. I love there's wings, and I will definitely come back. read more

McGinty's Public House - Irish Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland