Meg O'Malley's Irish Restaurant and Bar - A Wee Bit of Irish Flavor in Central Florida

I rarely find a restaurant or watering hole worthy of talking about, let alone writing about. But there is a cool little restaurant/bar in downtown Melbourne, Florida, in the heart of the "old" downtown that is definitely worth mentioning and most assuredly worth a visit. It is Meg O'Malley's Irish Bar and Restaurant.

Meg's, as all the locals call it, is the most successful occupant of the building on New Haven Avenue, in downtown Melbourne, Florida. Many entrepreneurs beforehand had little or limited success in capturing and maintaining a devout following for their business. There were other restaurants occupying this same space years earlier but Meg's is the one that has caught on.

There doesn't seem to be any real rhyme or reason as to why some establishments barely succeed (apart from the obvious; bad food, bad service, etc.) and some become wildly successful. All things being equal, the success or failure of some restaurants is still a mystery.

To me though, the popularity of Meg's is no mystery. Starting with its location in the middle of the re-energized downtown in Melbourne, Florida, to its friendly atmosphere and wait staff, to its superb casual food, Meg's is a fun place.

It's one of those odd combinations that pairs a sports bar atmosphere with a family -friendly setting. People of all ages, from infants to seniors and everyone in between, will feel right at home at Meg's. The enjoyable experience begins as soon as you walk in the front door. Friendly wait staff are there to greet you and if your table isn't ready right away (which more often than not it won't be due to its huge popularity) you can take a seat at the bar and converse with other patrons or watch a sports game on one of the two TV sets. For those who don't like sports I would suggest staying away from Meg's during any big game, otherwise the coverage of the games is not really intrusive and you don't have to shout to be heard by your companions.

Meg's restaurant is also the only bar that my wife and I have found that serves Harp's beer on draft. Harp's is a wonderful Irish beer and worth the trip to Meg's for that alone.

The food at Meg's is casual good food. Don't expect a gourmet meal. That's not what this restaurant is about. But if you're hungry for some tasty food, good beer, and a convivial atmosphere, Meg's is for you. Their meals all have an Irish theme to their names, such as the Vegetarian Jackeen sandwich, Emerald Isle Soup, O'Malley's Chips and Gravy (I heartily recommend these to nibble on, but beware, their portions are awesome), Fish and Chips and you can even get a cup of Irish Parliament Bean Soup for a mere 18 cents a serving! Everything on the ample menu is delicious and the portions are more than generous. You will not leave Meg's hungry. Their prices are par with other similar restaurants, not cheap, not expensive.

Meg's is famous for its holiday street parties particularly of course, the St. Pat's Day celebrations which will find patrons toasting each other both inside and outside the establishment with plenty of beer, or other libations. On St. Pat's Day, Meg's is the place to be.

Before dining at Meg's restaurant , to work up your appetite, you can take a stroll down New Haven Avenue and visit all the unusual boutiques and shops. Once you've shopped until you've dropped, then pop on into Meg's. It can be a perfect ending to a perfect day.