Although Paddy Murphy’s Irish Pub launched on Marco Island last St. Patrick’s Day, the bar didn’t roll out its extensive food menu until this year.
“Just trying to bring a little piece of Ireland to Marco Island. It’s a lot different than anything else you’ll see around here,” said Paddy Murphy’s co-owner Mike O’Regan. “It’s kind of a typical Irish menu. We did a lot of research while I was in Ireland.”
While the menu might be typical for Ireland, it’s far from what one would expect at the average watering hole. The recently rolled out menu elevates the Irish pub to a full-service restaurant and has been well received by its patrons.
The authentic menu includes entrees such as shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, bangers and mash, and even an Irish breakfast with Irish bacon, sausage, eggs, traditional black and white pudding, baked beans, mushrooms and a grilled tomato. The menu also has starters, salads, handheld sandwiches and hot open-faced sandwiches served over brown bread.
“It’s not something you normally see around here, but everybody really likes it,” O’Regan said.
Appetizers include Paddy’s pretzels and pub cheese, a basket of fries topped with Irish curry sauce, potato pancakes, mac-and-cheese bites, tuna poke and Irish Nachos.
“Irish Nachos is homemade potato chips with the shepherd’s pie mix on top with some grated Irish cheese and onions,” O’Regan said. “Everybody really loves them.”
The most popular entrees include the fish and chips and shepherd’s pie, which is a recipe from O’Regan’s wife, Mary Jo, and features a classic mix of ground lamb and beef with onions, peas and carrots enriched with Irish brown gravy and topped with mashed potatoes.
Fan-favorite sandwiches include the corned beef sandwich, as well as Paddy’s Smashing Burger and Murphy’s Classic Reuben.
Paddy Murphy’s has a storied history in Collier County. Although the full bar launched only a year ago in the Publix-anchored Marco Town Center, the local business had a 22-year run in downtown Naples. Redevelopment in 2020 forced the closing of the original location, which had operated on Fifth Avenue South since 1998.
“We haven’t had food in a while so it’s kind of a new undertaking for us,” O’Regan said. “We kind of learn on the go. We’ve got a really good chef and we had some help from my sister-in-law, whose an executive chef at the Manor House in Galway. She helped us a lot.”
Paddy Murphy’s also features a 50-foot bar and two stages for live entertainment. The Marco Island venue at 1089 N. Collier Blvd., Suite 440, is open daily 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. On St. Patrick’s Day, happy hour is 3-6 p.m., followed by “Twisted Trivia” 6-8 p.m.
