When ordering a Guinness at Maggie’s Place in Manhattan, you have to be patient. The bartenders here practice the art of the pour as diligently as they serve up friendly service, artisan cocktails and international fare, all led by an Irish-American pub owner who has a knack for the restaurant business.
“You pour it up to the top at that level, you let it settle and you top it off,” Martin Whelan, owner of Maggie’s Place, explained as a lovely bartender poured a Guinness stout for customers. “Guinness is about patience and teaching you patience. Many of the Irish are patient people.”
If you haven’t guessed by now, Maggie’s Place is an Irish bar and restaurant, and it is located on East 47th Street in Midtown. Open since 1974, this family-owned and operated dining locale offers traditional Irish food, including shepherd’s pie (with or without cheddar), fish and chips, and chicken pot pie.
An Irish bar with a dash of global cuisine
Adding some hints of international flavor to the menu has helped Maggie’s stay so successful. As delicious as classic Irish eats are, Whelan, who comes from a family of foodies, including a brother who graduated from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., successfully stays on trend by offering popular international fare.
“The demographics of New York are changing. It’s not as Irish as it used to be,” Whelan said, explaining that Ireland’s economy has been doing well, so citizens don’t leave as often as they used to. “We still offer good service, good food, good hospitality. We were always open to everybody. Some of my best customers weren’t always necessarily Irish.”
Global cuisine at Maggie’s includes branzino caponata (a delicious eggplant dish), a honey jalapeño turkey burger and sticky gochujang wings with kimchi ranch, sesame and green onion.
‘A cocktail was a scotch and soda‘
New Yorkers can enjoy a traditional Irish coffee at the bar, or choose from an array of fun and festive cocktails, including an espresso martini starring Grey Goose vodka, espresso and Kahlua. The purple rain is a sweet delight mixing Tito’s, Malibu Coconut, lychee, hibiscus, lime juice and a shot of prosecco.
“There are more Irish bars in New York than us, to be honest,” Whelan explained. “We’re buying into the cocktail craze that’s going on. 15 years ago you wouldn’t get a cocktail. A cocktail was a scotch and soda.”
But still, drinks like the Teddy’s old fashioned and spicy Maggie pay tribute to traditional bar drinks and Whelan’s parents, who ran the business until he took over in the mid-1990s.
“We were one of the original Guinness accounts in this country and we still serve a lot of Guinness. It’s very popular,” Whelan said as he spoke of the iconic Irish stout that is beloved by so many generations.
Tradition and modernism: a recipe for success
Whelan’s parents Teddy and Maggie immigrated from Dublin in 1958. Teddy first worked as a shoe salesman, and later in a theater bar. Always a storyteller, the younger Whelan said about his father, he has shared many stories over the year about his job leading him to interesting encounters with celebrities (including the Beatles!)
Maggie worked at Elizabeth Arden cosmetics in Manhattan. Both Whelans even worked at the Irish Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair in Flushing before opening Maggie’s Place (which was named after the late Mrs. Whelan).
Maggie’s Place keeps tradition and family history alive while evolving with today’s popular culture.
While customers are greeted with colorful flowers and hanging lights upon entrance, the bar still resonates a classic dark-wood pub atmosphere.
Diners can order a plate of shepard’s pie, or try Maggie’s crispy falafel.
“We’re not McSorely’s or Old Town where you have a sense of history. While 50 years is a long time, it’s not 100 years, it’s not 80 years,” Whelan said. “So we’ve renovated over the years. We did a cosmetic change during the pandemic.”
Whelan, who is also a founding partner of Stout NYC Hospitality Group, said it is important to him as a business owner to give back to communities in need and causes he holds close to his heart.
During the summer, Maggie’s Place teams up with Brooklyn Brewery to support the New York Foundling, an organization that provides programs that help kids, adults and families gain stability and independence. Proceeds from every pint of Brooklyn lager sold support the 155-year-old organization.
Come September, Maggie’s teams with the Flagship Brewery on Staten Island to give part of the proceeds from pints of its “Bravest” beer to the Tunnel 2 Towers Foundation, which supports military and first-responder families.
Other causes Maggie’s Place supports include breast cancer and pancreatic cancer research and awareness.
And year-round, any New Yorker who donates blood can get a free drink at Maggie’s, an initiative started during the COVID-19 pandemic that continues today.
“We started the Pint for a Pint program, where you get a drink every time you donate blood. If you come in with your voucher that shows you donated blood, we’ll give you a free drink.”
Outsiders credit Maggie’s Place’s 50-year legacy to smart business moves.
“You do what you have to to survive,” Whelan said.
What you need to know about visiting Maggie’s Place
Where is Maggie’s Place located?
The restaurant and pub is located at 21 E. 47 St. in Midtown Manhattan (at Madison Avenue).
When is it open?
Maggie’s Place is open seven days a week. Bar hours: Monday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-midnight; Saturday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Kitchen hours: Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
What does Maggie’s Place serve?
Traditional Irish fare as well as several international dishes. A variety of beers, wines and cocktails are available.
For more information visit maggiesnyc.com.
