We stopped in here for lunch while up doing some boat tours on Caddo Lake and RV camping at the state park. Jefferson is a quaint little town and oddly enough almost every restaurant is closed on Monday as they seem to cater to the late week and weekends when most tourists probably visit. But the online menu looked good and overall the restaurant had good reviews. We arrived around noon, it was pretty quiet with only one other customer sitting at the bar. I guess this is why most other places were closed! We were greeted by the fellow behind the bar who suggested we sit anywhere we liked. We found a table and had a look around. The decorations were great, lots of old photos on the walls as well as vintage signs from old stores and brands from long ago. My wife and I both needed to use the restrooms before ordering and we both agreed they were nice; they were clean but also had lots of framed vintage photos on the walls, photos of women in fashions from long ago in the women's restroom and the same of men on my side. We ordered some drinks, iced tea sounded great what with the hot weather but they do have a full bar and serve a large assortment of craft beers and nice wines as well as signature cocktails. We ordered some calamari to start with. After it arrived my wife ordered the fish and chips and I got the crab cakes that came with some fried green tomatoes and a remoulade sauce drizzled over it. The food was all very good. And our server who tended bar as well was very nice, he kept our glasses filled and delivered our meals with a smile. I only took one star off because for lunch they are a bit on the expensive side. It looks like they only have one menu, not a lunch menu or lunch specials but just what they charge for dinner. Now, that being said, the portions are large and we took enough back to our RV for dinner on another night! Since Halloween was in a few days they were decorated to the hilt with great spooky and funny holiday decorations. We would dine here again and I highly recommend it. read more

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Love this place and already wanted to go back after leaving with a full happy stomach! Walking in is kinda awkward for a first timer, like ourselves, we open the door and everyone looks at you (customers) but no staff greeted us and there were no signs of we seat ourselves or wait , so I go up to the bartender and ask... SEAT YOURSELF is the verdict. I ordered their 'Irish Gold' cocktail, and oh my goodness is that delicious, I don't even like whiskey but you truly can't taste it with all the other flavors in it, highly recommend trying! Then we ordered the Irish Chedder Pub Cheese (pretzels) holy crap those pretzels were PERFECTION. I will say I did not love the cheese (very stringy and not able to just dip your pretzel in it, you'll need a fork to wrap the cheese around it so that's the only part that wasn't good but I'd still order it again.. or maybe sneak my own beer cheese in ) I truly was not hungry after the pretzels but I still wanted to try more so I ordered the chicken wrap, that was just okay, nothing to write home about; I'll definitely try something else on their menu next time but they had so many delicious things on the menu that that won't be hard to find something new and better on their menu. They also serve brunch which I usually go for and might have to do next time! Can't wait to come back here though! Fantastic restaurant inside with so much to look at on their walls let alone menu ! read more

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This is my 2nd visit to this restaurant and I can't say I was disappointed but I will certainly not crave the food in the future. Outside I asked someone who just left the restaurant, how the food was. They said they had been here several times but this time they were disappointed. They had cheeseburgers which they described as dry and flavorless. Now to our experience. The restaurant is very nice and the staff were very nice and helpful. We took seats at the bar since the restaurant was full and we didn't have a reservation. Where they sat me was quite a bottleneck, so every time people moved to and from the kitchen they literally spun me around in my chair. This was not a very pleasant feeling. My friend ordered the Reuben egg rolls. They were ok, but again not something I will ever crave. I got the shepherds pie. It was flavorless, it looked good and the potatoes with shaved Parmesan was a nice touch, but salt was required. Now I grew up in England , so my taste expectations are not those of the locals. I'm used to bland Irish food, I know what shepherds pie should taste like. Finally my friend ordered a cheeseburger despite the report from the previous customers. His cheeseburger was actually pretty tasty he said. He did order it with pepper jack cheese, so that might have been the reason. There was live music which wasn't too loud and was very nice. All in all I didn't hate this restaurant but I would be happy to explore other options if I come back to Jefferson. read more

Update: tried again and still would say average. Love that they have vegan options. But the fries tasted like bad oil. Kinda fishy. I assume they're fried in the same oil. The vegan jackfruit sandwiches were just blocks of jackfruit on a bun. So much potential if they just put some time into seasoning and shredding it. Once again they would not honor the check in discount. read more

The decor in this Irish pub is stellar. A lot of collecting put to good use Now the food and drink. Best Lemon drop EVER EVER. I am Not kidding, I had 2. The food was great and the humble cabbage was the star of the plate. Seriously good Stuff Shrimp and grits With a fried green tomato on top Lovely read more

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Move on by McGarity's Saloon While in Jefferson during the middle of the week, we visited all of downtown and decided to stick around and have lunch. The reviews seemed good for this place, so, we decided to give it a try. We arrived shortly after noon and there were quite a few people in the restaurant. However, there were a couple of two-tops and two four-top tables available. Seating at the bar was empty. There was one couple already in the restaurant waiting to be seated. A server from behind the bar area acknowledged us an told us it would be just a moment to be seated. We waited, along with the other couple for ten or fifteen minutes with the vacant tables still available with no further contact by any of the staff. The first couple decided to leave. We waited another ten to fifteen minutes before someone finally decided to come out to us and seat us. Our server assigned to our table took our orders - chicken fried steak dinner and hamburger with fries dinner - fairly quickly and then brought us a small basked of chips. I also ordered a side salad, which was brought out quickly and was fresh and tasty. However, it went downhill from there. We waited forever for them to bring our main entrees. When they finally arrived, the only thing that was hot and tasty was the mashed potatoes on my plate. The chicken fried steak was pretty hot, although it had been nearly burnt to a crisp. The meat was tasteless, and the batter had a burnt taste. The hamburger was cold and tasteless. The bun was dry and very hard. The onion rings were basically room temperature and were just OK. Maybe they were just having a bad day, but, overall, it definitely was not what we expected and definitely worth the price paid. read more

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Two visits; same day in fact. Our group was in for a weekend event and picked McGarity's over last years lunch destination Auntie Skinner's. Lots to choose from on the menu. Service was friendly; drink refills were provided in a timely manner. Being a weekend we did appreciate that both regular and brunch menu were offered. The food had highs and lows across the group. I ordered the Guinness fish, shrimp, and chips. The fish was over fried while the shrimp were better texture. GF's corned beef and cabbage had temperature issues; was barely warm. My side of mushrooms weren't cooked all the way through either. Other dishes (chimi chicken pasta, french dip, ala carte eggs with bacon) got OK marks across the experience. So, tallying now we're about 3 stars. Later that evening our group was supposed to have drinks at the nearby Haywood place. An hour into waiting for our drinks; getting served a mint julep that sat so long the ice melted..we bailed and came back. I barged in the door and looked at the bar staff, screamed grab your ordering devices and get out here on the patio NOW! We had drinks in MINUTES! All my group got served; where there competitor lacked organization.... YALL KICKED ASS! read more

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Stop for a light dinner and a drink before a ghost walk in Jefferson. At the edge of the town square area, a block from the Jefferson hotel. We all had salads and soup. Very fresh food, good service and fun live music. Would absolutely return, for the music alone. Highly recommend! read more

McGarity's Restaurant & Saloon - House salad, asparagus and bean soup. All were excellent! - American Near Me - Jefferson, Texas

McGarity's all the way, if you are trying to decide between it and Haywood House!!!!! Brittany took amazing care of us! She made a terrific lemon drop, and the previous review was NOT about her b/c she's only been there for 5 days. Terrific atmosphere, great service, and amazing food! We shared the spicy cheese curds (on rec from Christi at the Hive). Amazing without ranch, but with ranch lord help me! Then Brittany asked if we wanted to try the Cajun ranch. Of course! Even better!!! We also shared the quail medallions. Honestly, I expected 2. Maybe 3. There were 5! And they were amazing. Had a little spice thanks to the jalapeño. Then, we shared the corned beef and cabbage. OMG!!!! Best I've ever had! I can't wait for our next trip to Jefferson! This is going to become a regular stop when we are in town!!! read more

Very great experience while visiting one of my favorite towns. This was my first time to eat at this restaurant and it did not disappoint. We came here on a Tuesday and it was still a little bit busy. The patio is dog friendly and a decent size to be cozy. The food was actually really really good! My only complaint is the freakishly expensive prices for a lot of the dishes. Like, woah! The Irish nachos have sweet potato waffle fries instead of chips and come out in a freaking baking dish. Very generous portion that 4 people could share. The spinach and artichoke dip was so so so good! I just wish I had the option to choose if I wanted little toast for dipping or chips. I would have much rather had chips. Our sever was a sweetheart. Very personable and attentive. That's important! Yet another great restaurant that I will be returning to when I visit Jefferson. read more

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Mcgarity's is located in a cool old building on the south edge of the Jefferson downtown area. The decor is a vintage the matches the building well and gives you lots of interesting things to ponder as you wait. And unfortunately, wait we did! The restaurant was not busy around 2pm on Saturday but our waitress did not take our drink order for 5 to 7 minutes. This is quite a small dining area with a large full service bar (also devoid of customers). When she returned with the drinks we ordered our meal. Both of us got the wedge salad hubby had some modifications. Again it took what seemed to be a long time for our food to come. The waitress made sure hubby's salad was as he ordered it and it was but mine had chicken on it that I had not ordered. The salads were deconstructed wedges and delicious! I did eat some of the grilled chicken mistakenly placed on mine but it was pretty dry so the dog got about half of what was served. We knocked 2 stars off because of the seemingly unnecessarily long waits, the chicken not ordered on my salad but we were still charged for it (and yes, we did mention it to the server) and after another seemingly unnecessarily long wait, we had to ask for our check. The food was good and we recommend McGarity's just be prepared for some waiting. read more

Excellent Food! Excellent Ambience! Excellent Service! Excellent Entertainment! Simply Excellent!!! read more

What a great restaurant! I had my heart set on Kitt's Kornbread Sandwiches, but we heard great things about this place, so we gave it a try. I think it's an Irish Pub, and it sure looks the part. The decor is absolutely incredible. You'll be just as impressed as I was. They start you with free kettle chips, which were great. There's lots of options on the menu. Glenda got their chicken fry with mashed and Brussel sprouts. Delicious. I had my mind set on the shrimp pasta, but she talked me into the fish, shrimp, and chips. The fish was delicious, but kind of small for the price. The shrimp was great, and enough fries for 4 people. The staff was friendly, and we talked for a bit. We definitely enjoyed our meal, and both had leftovers. If your ever in Jefferson, you will enjoy McGarity's! read more

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It is a very lively atmosphere with great music and the portions were huge. The wait staff was attentive even though they were very busy. Hidden gem read more

McGarity's Restaurant & Saloon - awesome service good food and live entertainment. - American Near Me - Jefferson, Texas

After shopping in antique stores we were ready to sit for a drink and something yummy to eat. The antiques hanging from the ceiling and the antique bar make for nice ambiance that compliments the town's attractions of antique shops. Our server was very friendly and helpful with menus suggestions! We ordered the shepherds pie and a chicken salad sandwich. The food came quickly and it was delicious. The chicken salad was served on a New Orleans French poboy baguette. It was a very different chicken salad but it was seasoned well! The serving sizes were great and the prices weren't crazy high! read more

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Really neat little place, cool decor and atmosphere.. overpriced! Food is "good" not great.. not outstanding. Tried for dinner and then for brunch.. dinner was good the "prime rib" French dip was shredded roast beef on hoagie roll with Aujus.. and melted cheese. The Marsala chicken with cheese grits .. was good a rich Marsala cream sauce was but rich but good. They were out of potatoes.. so had to order fries..they were nothing special ans very greasy and soggy. Dessert: blueberry cobbler white chocolate cheesecake tasted like basic blueberry cheesecake from a box and was $9.95 Next morning for breakfast... NOTE: they are the only breakfast establishment open in Jefferson at 11:00 am Ordered the two eggs with meat - it does not come with a bread and the only option we were told is an English muffin- it was brought with black grill grime :( Very greasy potatoes and bacon. Cheeseburger $10.99 no lettuce no pickle no onion no tomato - a plain burger a plate and fries. Not so exciting. Needless to say I love the environment that they have created and it seems they are really trying to give it an upscale flair.. the food just does not warrant the pricing. read more

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We went in on a Saturday for lunch. It wasn't very crowded, but it took quite some time for anyone to come to our table. They may have been short staffed. We eventually got our food. It wasn't terrible, but what I would consider bar food. I would imagine this place is popular as a bar more than a restaurant. Not our kind of place, so we'll be trying some other places next time. read more

A MUST go in Jefferson! The feel of saloon and Irish Pub makes you feel you are strolling in 1800s. Inside was pretty and quirky. Our server was nice and quick. Food was great, toilets were clean and pretty from inside too. Yelp check in got us 10% off so it was a win that they honored. Parking is on side of the restaurant and it's a nice walk from downtown. read more

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I almost never give a rating this High but McGarrity's just does everything right! I have eaten at some of the most amazing restaurants all over the world and I'm even an owner of an upscale restaurant but this place just gets everything right! The calamari the meeting right now is just done perfectly and I've had about 10 other dishes here over the last couple of years and everything is just done perfectly and their wine selection is very nice and their bartenders do everything perfectly! Nothing to complain about at all and their ambience in this cute little place is awesome! read more

McGarity's Restaurant & Saloon - Crispy calamari & crunchy potato chips they put out as an appetizer and the House Oyster Bay Chardonnay which is one of two awesome choices! - American Near Me - Jefferson, Texas

The two women working the bar the evening of Sunday Sept 1 deserve to be commended for their customer service and grace under pressure when they were clearly understaffed and guests kept pouring in one after the other right before close. Despite the rush I still received my meal in a timely fashion. It was my first time eating here on a road trip taking back roads through cute towns and I will definitely be back the next time I stop in Jefferson! read more

The food is delicious and the ambiance is great, but a little over priced. But, I would definitely recommend this place for a very special occasion. read more

Cute Irish pub hidden in scenic Jefferson Tx. The food is amazing and authentically Irish!!! Staff is friendly! Give it a try!

We visited Jefferson last summer and we enjoyed McGarity's! It was such a cute spot with the best vibe! Not a huge place so seating is limited but we came around 6 so it was less busy. By 8pm it was crowded and there was a line! We ordered the Irish bangers and shepherd pie! Really authentic but would've wished the portions were bigger! read more

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My Happy Place in Jefferson. I love this place! On Friday and Saturday nights there is live music that is amazing! read more

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We went for brunch on a Saturday. There was only one person running the front of the house and Kim could not have been nicer. She recommended the blueberry and cream cheese French toast and she was right on. It was fantastic. Kim was friendly and very attentive. Even though she was short handed, she handled everything very well. I highly recommend this place and I hope Kim is still there to serve you! read more

The place to go when in Jefferson. Wonderful food, comforting, lively environment. Amelia on the guitar is an added gem.

Outstanding service keeping in mind this is a pub. The quail appetizer was great and Kim the bartender was great!

Looking for a local restaurant to support that is veteran owned this is the place. We went on a Wed and it didn't look like much on the outside but after going inside we were very pleased. The place has an Irish style theme and the owner has his Navy love me wall up which is cool to see especially being a 20 year veteran myself. We were greeted by Tony our server slash bartender.. He had the most friendly positive attitude that we've seen in a while. We started off with the nacho's which immediately came out and we asked for a box because the portion was so big. Next I ordered the fish and chips and my wife had the Shepard pie. The food was fresh, hot and very tasty. Nothing but goodness for our stomach. We live in Hughes Springs and definitely will be making this place a frequent stop.. Thanks for the good experience read more

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Everyone talks about how great this restaurant is and it's good, but not amazing. It's honestly between a 3 and 4 star restaurant, but it's hard to define. First, they have a ton of potential. For example, they have gorgeous ahi tuna with sesame seeds. But they overcooked it. It should be medium rare to at the most medium, and they cooked it medium-well. Their salmon is simply hacking with a cream curry sauce and spinach with yummy fried onion-rings. Very good though. The lemon drop was perfect. read more

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Atmosphere I like that it's an old building the rest is okay. Service Our waitress was nice. I think overall the service was fine, it did seem like we waited qyi Food Cheese curds - we got the regular (not spicy) with regular ranch and Cajun ranch. They give you PLENTY to share with probably 4 people. Fish and chips - way over cooked and no flavor Crab cakes - the sauce on the top was good the rest no thanks. It was all cake and sort of mushy. All in all I don't think I would go back. The price of the food for what you are actually getting leaves A LOT to be desired. read more

We actually found this place by accident. We thought we were at a different restaurant ‍. But the place is so cool AND they serve brunch so we decided to stay. So glad we did! I had the seafood Benedict(pictured) which was amazing. The omelette was fluffy and fresh. The breakfast potatoes were slightly under cooked but the pancakes were great. We also ordered mimosas which were delicious. Related to drinks, we loved that they brought out water in mason jars plus a carafe for refills. The sound tract was all the best oldies you know the words to .... well, if you're a certain age. . Finally, you have to spend some time looking at all the knicknacks including stuff hanging from the ceiling. read more

McGarity's Restaurant & Saloon - Inside - American Near Me - Jefferson, Texas

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Food and service were both very good. We came early on a Tues eve and were seated with no problem. My wife had a salad and I had the creole shrimp and grits. Because they only use fresh ingredients the strawberry salad she ordered was not available as no fresh strawberries could be found and she was offered an apple salad in its place. The salad was ok but nothing special . The shrimp was perfectly cooked but the grits were a bit lumpy and the creole sauce was a bit spicy. All in all a solid 4 of 5. read more

Stopped in on a Monday for lunch while in Jefferson. Initially not impressed with the menu. However, after our food arrived our attitudes changed. I got the beef stew and it was phenomenal! Rich, zesty gravy loaded with potatoes, carrots and large chunks of melt-in-your-mouth beef. My daughter got the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and white gravy. The steak was hand breaded and fall-apart tender. The mashed potatoes were excellently seasoned even without the gravy. All served piping hot. We will definitely return when we are next in Jefferson. read more

Ordered Mac and Cheese that menu said had baked breadcrumbs. Was told it was great. Expect baked Mac and cheese to be great since it was $16. No breadcrumbs and it wasn't baked. Ate less than a quarter of it. Told waitress I didn't like it and pointed out that it wasn't baked and no breadcrumbs crumbs. She said all she could do was give me a $1.50 discount. I have had better Mac and cheese from Walmart. Stay away from this place. read more

Burger was very good, wife had French Dip. It was served with brisket which was exceptional. Dip could have fed us both.. lots of decent beers , though none on tap, all bottles. Not really an inexpensive place. read more

Saw this place on an old episode of Daytripper. We traveled over 2 hours to get to Jefferson and this restaurant. We chose this place for Valentines Day. Started with fried mac and cheese. It was very bland. Seasoned breading would have made a huge difference. Still hopeful, we ordered $25 Guinness, fish, and shrimp. The fish was basically large fish sticks. They tasted like they came from a box in the freezer section. The fries were adequate and the 3 shrimp were very good. Also got a "Brisket French dip" sandwich that came with Au jus, but no need as the meat and the bread were already saturated in juice. The beef seemed more like pot roast than brisket. Expensive. Left and got a burger at a nearby bistro. read more

The charcuterie board is a thing of magic! Never fails to hit a home run!!! Just look at it! read more

McGarity's Restaurant & Saloon - American Near Me - Jefferson, Texas

The food was ok, I liked the ambiance, and they have a vegan menu. But they do NOT honor the 10% Yelp discount.

This is not a cheap place to eat but the food is really good. We were staying at a bed and breakfast in Jefferson for our 40th anniversary and went here for supper. We both had a really good cheese burger that was more than we could eat. read more

We spent one night in Jefferson and stayed within easy walking distance of McGarity's on a rainy night. Food was just okay. Ordered the vegetarian cakes which probably would have been better with the menu-listed garlic aolli, but instead was topped with mustard which didn't work at all. Didn't love it and would try another place next time we're in the area. read more

McGarity's Restaurant & Saloon - American Near Me - Jefferson, Texas