Ocala residents looking for sandwiches and soups made from scratch are keenly aware of a downtown eatery that never disappoints.
Molly Maguire’s of Ocala, which is located just across Silver Springs Boulevard from the Ocala/Marion County Visitor and Convention Bureau (17 SW 1st Ave), has been serving up delicious favorites to locals in a comfortable and homely atmosphere since its inception. According to their Facebook page, the restaurant will celebrate its fifth year in business this October.
The restaurant derives its names from an Irish 19th-century secret society that eventually made its way to America and became activists on behalf of Irish-Americans and Irish immigrant miners in Pennsylvania.
The menu is a hodgepodge of creatively crafted sandwiches, large salads, hearty soups, and a variety of drinks.
The restaurant’s most popular sandwich is the “dirty bird,” which is a chicken breast sandwich on Cuban bread topped with caramelized onions, provolone cheese, and mayonnaise. For just a little more, you can turn the ditty bird into a buffalo dirty bird and add buffalo sauce, and for $2 extra, you can make any sandwich “filthy” and add two slices of applewood smoked bacon.
All sandwiches at Molly’s can be served with gluten free flat bread, and all of the soups are gluten free and made fresh on a regular basis. The tomato bisque is a thick, hearty concoction that will paint the walls of your stomach and will pair well with any of the sandwiches on the menu.
If you aren’t full after your meal, which is highly unlikely considering the portion sizes are generous, the restaurant makes a couple of homemade desserts including their popular, rich and creamy banana pudding.
Molly’s offers a variety of drinks including regular soft drinks, coffees, teas, and various wines and beers.
Although the restaurant is open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, it stays open until 11 p.m. on Thursday and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, featuring live music from local musicians.
Have you had a chance to eat at Molly Maguire’s in downtown Ocala? Next time you visit, tell them we sent you and make sure to share your experience with us in a comment below, through a letter to the editor, or by visiting us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.