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Review McP's shows different side to special ops By Larry Knowles October 31, 2005 Coronado--Warrior Elite, a work of nonfiction by former Navy SEAL Dick Couch, chronicles BUD/s class 228 as it progresses through the twenty-six week SEAL training course at the Naval Amphibious Base on Coronado. Couch mentions a couple of establishments on Coronado that SEALs and SEALs-in-the-making like to go to. I decided to visit one of the places, McP’s Irish Pub. McP’s, owned by former Navy SEAL Greg McPartlin, sits a few hundred yards from the Amphib base and two blocks from the Hotel del Coronado. The place is funky-looking from the outside. A disproportionately large cupola sits atop a Tudor-style exterior, while the entrance, with a faux modern arch, appears to lead to an entirely different establishment. But funky is what this place is—at once sincere and irreverent.
Wander around inside and you find a heart-felt, wood-carved ode to the SEALs. Step outside, into the courtyard, and you find a whimsical mural of carousing frogs, painted to commemorate BUD/s class 47. Peruse the menu and you see some very serious Irish food (corned beef and cabbage, Mulligan stew). Look at any page and you also see “McMex” Mexican food and “McBurgers” American pub food. Tough to figure these SEALs out—tougher still to figure out their restaurants. I couldn’t bring myself to order the corned beef and cabbage just because I was at an Irish Pub. Instead, I ordered the cheese quesadillas with sour cream and guacamole ($5.95) for an appetizer. For an entrée, I chose the Tuesday lunch special, lemon pepper chicken with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables ($9.95). The quesadillas were fine—Hey, it’s pub food. Have you ever had bad quesadillas? Ever? As for ambience, the courtyard was the place to be.
The lemon pepper chicken proved to be spicy and succulent. The meat was cooked to perfection and easily came off the bone. The vegetables, steamed broccoli and carrots, tasted lightly salted, and the mashed—well, it’s tough to screw up mashed. It’s important to note that I ordered a Guinness, and our waitress delivered the brew within three minutes of my order. It arrived with a small head and a bit too chilled for a Guinness. Nonetheless, it went down smooth, and the prompt service was appreciated. After lunch, I strolled around the dimly lit interior. It’s run-of-the-mill pub. The wall decorations, though, give the place character. There are two maps of the SEAL training grounds on Coronado and in Virginia, as well as SEAL mementos and artwork. I found one item utterly mesmerizing: A black and white photo of McPartlin in Vietnam, posing next to a skinny Vietnamese kid with a rifle in his hand. McPartlin wears a headband, ragged fatigues; he has the steely-eyed look of a man who’s seen some bad days. Our waitress, a young woman, was friendly and responsive. Though she forgot to deliver our silverware, no offense was taken. I’d never take offense in a restaurant owned by a former SEAL. McP's Irish Pub 1107 Orange Ave. Coronado Island 619.435.5280 More Vyuz restaurant reviews... Go to Casa de Reyes with a significant other, a date, or your parents | By Larry Knowles Lively cadence beats at El Rincon Del Taco | By Larry Knowles Hit Harar for authentic Ethiopian food, hamburgers | By Larry Knowles At Fugu's, good sushi comes on the cheap | By Larry Knowles |
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