Irish Pubs in Yucatán (Mexico)

Hennessys Irish Pub

Our trip to Mexico began in Mérida. This city is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán. Here we found the Hennessys Irish Pub.

At first glance, Hennessys looks very inviting. It is located on a relatively large street on which many horse-drawn carriages were travelling. The great thing about Irish pubs in Mexico is that there is always an outdoor area and you can enjoy the beautiful weather at the same time.

Hennessys Irish Pub has many tables outside right in front of the entrance. If you walk through the pub, you will also find more tables in the backyard. The interior is very cosy. However, as it was so warm, we sat outside the whole time.

We visited Hennessys on an early Monday evening. It was therefore still relatively empty and there was no real Irish pub atmosphere.

The Hennessys also organises various events, such as sports broadcasts or live music. There is certainly a lot more going on at these events and the atmosphere is completely different to when we visited.

Hennessys Irish Pub has a relatively large menu. Here you can find everything from fish’n’chips and crab cakes to burgers and Irish classics such as shepherd’s pie. However, as we preferred to eat authentic Mexican food, we only focussed on the drinks.

According to the menu, there should be Guinness on tap. Unfortunately, this was no longer available during our visit. An Irish pub without Guinness … we had to get used to that.

However, there is a great selection of local beers straight from Mérida or from the Yucatán Peninsula.

As we were in the mood for a stout, we tried the local stouts: the Nicté Stout and the Ceiba – Imperial Stout. Both stouts were really tasty and therefore a good start to our Irish pub tour through Mexico.

St. Patrick’s Irish Pub

Our next stop was St Patrick’s Irish Pub in Valladolid. Even in this relatively small town in Mexico, we were able to enjoy a visit to an Irish pub.

St. Patrick’s Irish Pub has a beautifully designed indoor area where you can also sit comfortably at the bar. As well as a relatively large terrace in the backyard. As we had particularly nice weather here too, we sat down at a table on the terrace.

We had been craving a Guinness since the beginning of our trip to Mexico. But we hadn’t been able to get one anywhere yet. St Patrick’s Irish Pub was to be our salvation. Nico, at least, was very pleased that Guinness was on the menu and that it was actually available this time. Unfortunately not on tap, but only in a can, but at least it was better than no Guinness at all.

As Christiane was worried that the Guinness would taste the same here as it does in the USA, she decided against it. Unfounded, as it turned out. In Nico’s opinion, the Guinness wasn’t as tasty as ours, but it was still far better than the US version.

Christiane was so impressed by the local stout that she tried it again here. The local Mexican stouts are definitely a great change from the typical Guinness.

St Patrick’s Irish Pub in Valladolid also has a relatively large menu. On it you will find typical pub food such as chips, onion rings or burgers through to Mexican tacos y tostadas. However, we didn’t try the food here either.

We were almost the only guests here during our visit. Again, we were in the pub relatively early on a weekday evening.

If you are looking for a quiet terrace for a cosy beer in the centre of Valladolid, St. Patrick’s Irish Pub is definitely worth a visit.

McCarthy’s Irish Pub

McCarthy’s Irish Pub in Playa del Carmen in the state of Quintana Roo was the last Irish pub on the list for our trip to Mexico. Anyone who has ever been to Playa del Carmen knows that this city has nothing to do with Mexico proper. We were therefore particularly keen to see how an Irish pub would fit into the hustle and bustle of Playa del Carmen.

McCarthy’s Irish Pub really didn’t make our visit easy. On the first evening we wanted to visit the pub at around 8pm on a Saturday and were simply faced with closed doors. We couldn’t find a reason for this either online or on site. The next day, we arrived sometime after 1pm (the pub’s opening time according to Google) and it still looked very dark inside.

When we happened to pass the pub again in the evening, it was suddenly really busy. All the tables outside were taken and there was hardly any room left even inside. So we finally took our chance and got one last small table in the inside area next to the bar.

McCarthy’s Irish Pub in Playa del Carmen shines green from everywhere and is decorated with little leprechauns. There are also slogans from famous rock musicians on the walls and NFL flags hanging from the ceilings.

Although Guinness is also on the menu here, there was no Guinness on site. Instead, there was a completely different local stout, which we hadn’t tried before. So we both ordered the Minerva Stout to round off our Irish pub tour in Mexico. This stout was actually particularly tasty, as it had a stronger coffee flavour than other stouts.

As in all Irish pubs in Mexico, there is also a wide range of food on offer here. This mainly includes pub snacks and food such as fries, wings and burgers. As we were so surprised that the pub was suddenly open, we didn’t include the food in our plans for our visit.

When McCarthy’s Irish Pub is open, there is definitely a lot going on here. You can also play billiards in the upper part of the pub. However, it’s very hot and stuffy inside, especially when it’s so full. That’s why it’s best to find a seat in the outdoor area.

Don’t rely on the opening times here! It’s best to just go by and, with a bit of luck, McCarthy’s Irish Pub in Playa del Carmen will be open.