Great Bar, Forgettable Wine List
Historic Downtown · Pensacola · Irish Pub Fare · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 5, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into McGuire's is a genuinely great time — dollar bills on the ceiling, a historic firehouse vibe, and enough energy to keep a table going all night. But crack open the wine list and the magic fades fast. It reads like someone photocopied the shelf at a mid-tier grocery store and called it a program.
The list clocks in at 20-40 bottles pulling from California, France, and Italy — which sounds reasonable until you realize it's almost entirely grocery-store staples: Josh Cellars, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, La Crema. There's no real regional depth here, no interesting producers, no sense that anyone put thought into what goes beyond the obvious. France and Italy get a token nod, but California crowd-pleasers clearly run the show. If you're hoping to find something to talk about beyond the dollar bills on the ceiling, the wine list won't help you.
Six to ten pours by the glass, which is a reasonable count, but the selection mirrors the bottle list — expect the usual suspects like Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc and Meiomi Pinot Noir. There's no visible rotation or program behind the glass pours, and nothing here suggests anyone's tasting through options to curate something worth your attention.
Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 — $85
Relative to the rest of this list, Duckhorn is the only bottle where the markup doesn't feel like a shakedown — 55% over retail is still steep, but it's the closest thing to fair pricing here, and the wine itself is actually worth ordering if you're having the filet.
La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2022
Nobody comes to an Irish pub for Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, which means the table next to you isn't ordering it — and honestly, it's the most food-friendly white on the list if you're eating anything rich. Still overpriced, but at least the wine has something to say.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
A $15 retail bottle at $36 on the menu is a 140% markup on one of the most mass-produced Cabs in America. There is absolutely no world in which this is the right call. Order a Guinness and move on.
Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 + Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon
A big Napa Cab with a bacon-wrapped filet is not a creative choice, but it's a correct one — the wine's dark fruit and structure hold up to the beef, and if you're already spending on the filet, splurging on the one bottle that's actually worth it makes sense.
Tuesday — Half-price bottles of wine every Tuesday night — the one legitimate reason to engage with this wine list. Even at full price the markup is hard to justify; at half price, you're suddenly in reasonable territory.
❌ The Bottom Line
McGuire's is a legitimately fun night out, and we'd send a friend here without hesitation — just not for the wine. Drink the beer, skip most of the list, and if it's Tuesday, the half-price bottle deal is the only reason to think about wine at all.
Downtown · Pensacola · Gastropub / Cocktail & Wine Bar
The Burrow is a Wild Card because the wine list itself is flawed — anchored by overpriced grocery-store bottles at full price — but the weekly deal structure genuinely rescues it. Hit it on Tuesday for half-price bottles or Friday for the tasting flight, and you're having a good night in Pensacola for very little money.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Pensacola · Mediterranean and Contemporary American Seafood
Skopelos at New World is doing more with wine than any other white-tablecloth spot on the Pensacola waterfront, and the Greek wine section alone earns it a second look. Markups keep it from being a true destination for wine lovers, but as a reliable partner to a legitimately good dinner, it delivers.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Seville Historic District · Pensacola · Upscale Steakhouse & Seafood
The District is a reliable steakhouse wine list in a market that doesn't have a ton of competition — it gets the job done, leans hard on Napa names people trust, and charges for the privilege. Send a friend here for the steak and the Gulf seafood; just go in knowing you're paying restaurant prices for wines you could identify from across the room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
West Hill · Pensacola · Latin / Tapas
El Coqui isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a neighborhood tapas spot with a list that actually thinks about what you're eating. That's more than most places in this category bother to do, and it earns a genuine recommendation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Pensacola · Coastal Italian
Angelena's isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing more than the room requires — fair prices, real Italian producers, and a list that rewards the curious diner who looks past the Pinot Grigio. Send a friend here for the Tuesday wine special and the Nero d'Avola.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Perdido Key · Pensacola · Creole
Fisherman's Corner is a genuine wild card: a Gulf Coast shack that takes California wine seriously enough to earn a decade-plus of Wine Spectator recognition. The markups could be kinder and the list could use some personality beyond Napa, but Wednesday half-price night and a waterfront sunset make a strong argument for showing up anyway.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.