MacDinton's Brings the Irish to Soho

Martin Langan would like everyone to know that real, live Irish people work at MacDinton’s Irish Pub on South Howard.

Langan is one of the managers at MacDinton’s and, like the rest of the staff, is about as Irish as they come. He and his colleagues have worked hard to make the pub one of the more successful drinking - and eating - establishments in South Tampa.

“You have to bend not break,” Langan said, as he geared up one afternoon for a happy hour crowd. “The key for us has been understanding our faults and what’s going to work - but not straying too far from our roots.” 

Irish sayings scribbled on walls throughout the bar, and an ornate crest, painted on the wall behind a stage, keep those roots front and center. Langan knows the allure of the bar lies in their attention to detail. Many of the bartenders refer to their customers by name and memorize their drink of choice.

“It’s about the little things that people may not notice during a happy hour,” Langan said. “But if you come in during the day, it can be a bit of a history lesson.”

On the walls, intricate murals depict moments in Irish history - like the zoo escape of the early 1900’s. And near the outdoor bar is a humorous depiction of the “Irish last supper,” with drawings of such iconic Irish figures as Van Morrison and Roy Keane sitting alongside Bono.

Keeping true to their heritage, the bar shows Gaelic football and other Irish sports on television, as well a ton of soccer matches. For the Champions League Final in May, they drew more than 700 people. They also offer special events for other soccer games, as when the U.S. took on Panama this month at Raymond James Stadium. 

There’s also that hearty Irish grub on the menu. MacDinton’s serves up traditional fare like shepherd’s pie, beer battered fish n’ chips, and bangers and mash. For the thirsty, Irish standards like Guinness and Magners are on tap. Langan notes that it’s not enough to merely serve Guinness, you have to master the two-part pour - a technique that’s crucial for the perfect pint.

MacDinton's was established in 2002 as a result of owner Barry O'Connor's love for South Tampa. In their time on SoHo's Howard Avenue, they have adapted to their clientele and expanded into one of the most popular bars in the area.

Essential to their bend-not-break mantra has been their adapting to their patrons’ likes. For the Tampa Bay Lightning’s deep run into the play-offs, Langan and his staff installed more televisions around the bar in anticipation of overflow crowds. They also have popular drink specials – like Friday’s $10 happy hour – that have become neighborhood staples.

“We have a lot of the same people come in here,” Langan said. “When they have friends from out of town, they feel inclined to bring (those friends) in. For a lot of them, there is a ‘this is my bar’ kind of thing, and they want their friends to experience it too.”

MacDinton's Irish Pub & Restaurant, 405 South Howard Ave, Tampa. 813-251-8999. http://macdintons.com