Maginns Pub — Restaurant in Santa Clarita

I loved just about everything about my experience at Maginn's...The food, the atmosphere, the entrance even! It brought me back to the fantastic experience my wife and I had on a trip to Ireland a few years ago...one of the greenest places you'll see (I mean seriously, I think they invented the color green there and what we have here that we call "green" is sort of a cheap knock-off.)

We were a little concerned about seating...party of 3 and no hostess. They bill themselves as a traditional Irish pub and seating is kind of fend-for-yourself...they actually ended up accommodating us rather quickly, but there's clearly a desire from the local community to be able to get on a list and get a table with the right amount of chairs when it's their turn so Maginns might consider adjusting a little bit in that direction, at least to fend off some of the feedback of frustrated folks who aren't so cut-throat in their ability to get a seat, which then can taint the whole experience.

That having been said, we ended up seated rather quickly on a Friday night and the food came out fast too. We're vegetarians and so much to choose from. I started with a Kilkenny Cream Ale (I mean I had to embrace that I was in a pub and thought it would be cool to try something that wasn't Guiness...it was creamy and tasty!)

Then we overdid a bit...the Irish Cheese board (really tasty), Irish Soda Bread (I mean, fresh baked bread in house, come on man! I'd come back just for the bread.) My wife thought her Beet and Goat Cheese salad was super fresh (again reminding us of how fresh and local the food was in Ireland). They also do a pub burger with a Beyond Patty which made our 13 year old quite happy.

The Salt Potatoes were a little bland...For me, it's hard to be at a restaurant that has a unique potato dish and not order it...but it was not all that spectacular.

Everyone was incredibly friendly...from the person who helped us get seated (who I think was one of the proprietors) to the chef who made the rounds and made sure everything was okay with us.

We felt well taken care of and had plenty to it. We'll definitely be back!

March 2023 Update - They've transitioned to a more traditional put your name on a list and they'll seat you model which takes a lot of pressure off when you're going to eat! Bummer though, they've taken they Irish Cheese Board off the menu. 1 less delicious and unique option for...

This place has a great atmosphere. It looks and feels like very classy with great theming. The location is great, right next to easy parking. The prices were reasonable and the menu selection was good. Unfortunately seating is a bit confusing. There is no hostess stand or a deadicated person to seat you and it is not self seating. Most of the staff didn't acknowledge we were there for some time. The waiter attentiveness was good once you were sat. We were served other people's meals a couple times. They are definitely still learning where tables are. Once we got the food it was a mixed bag. My wife's Irish stew had great flavor but it is quite a stretch to call that stew. It was more of a roast than a stew. The cottage pie looked fantastic but there just wasn't much flavor. I would expect sort of a gravyish consistency in the meat with some rich meaty flavors but it was just ground beef with potatoes on top. Small tweaks to both dishes I think could really make a huge difference. It was probably our mistake. The fish and chips looked amazing on other tables and smelled great and we both considered getting them and didn't. That would be my recommendation to try. We also ordered the Irish soda bread. I would recommend against that one. It was extremely salty. Both the bread and the butter were way too intensely salted. That needs an overhaul. Maybe some honey butter, way less salt. Overall, it was very close to being great. I'll have to check back in a few months and see if things change...

Just had a chance to try this place out. It's a really cool spot, super friendly staff, great food, and seems to have a pretty deep bar. They are not currently able to stay open very late, but they are in the process of trying to obtain a new permit to open later. Hopefully SCV doesn't make it too difficult. I tried the fish and chips, with a black and tan beer. Everything was excellent and again the bar staff was really friendly and attentive. They are really wanting you to enjoy your time and come back

My only criticism if I have one is there was a lady (not the normal staff) maybe a manager or even the owner that seemed super pushy to clear us out way before closing time. They state the kitchen closes at 9:00 and the Pub closes at 10:00 which would seemly give you enough time to finish your food and drinks, but at 9:20 or so the lights came on and she tried to clear my plate multiple times while I was still eating. She even went so far as to take my plate with some food on it at about 9:30. I paid my bill and left around 9:40 feeling pushed out, but I was trying to be understanding at that time. If they read reviews maybe, they can be more patient with people that come in late and want to still enjoy their meals. This is not a deal breaker for me but more of an...