Maguire's Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Cookout

By Louis Stewart

The aroma and smoke from fresh grilled hamburgers and hot dogs wafted through the air On Saturday as one of Easton’s most successful restaurants, Maguire’s Bar and Grill celebrated their twentieth anniversary with an old fashioned cookout.  A picture perfect day, with crystal blue skies, greeted customers as they were treated to complimentary burgers, dogs and all the fixings.  Donations were accepted on behalf of the Easton Food Pantry.  $542.00 dollars was collected from patrons.  The restaurant’s owners, Neil Levine, Michael O’Sullivan and Patrick Connell added in another $448.00 to bring the total donation to $1000.00.

Back in December, Maguire’s held a similar fundraising effort.  At their annual holiday party, they raised $2000.00 dollars for the local charity.  “It’s a natural for us” said Levine.  “We are blessed to have a successful business that serves food to people.  Those people have the means to pay for it.  It only makes sense to help those that struggle with a basic need that many of us take for granted.  The Easton Food Pantry does a tremendous job” he added.

Maguire’s opened to the public on June 6, 1993.  Prior to that, the space at 503 Foundry Street was closed for two years before the three owners, who ran pubs in Quincy, completed a remodel of the property. 

The first restaurant to occupy the space was the highly successful Sub Coral.  “The Coral” served pizza and sandwiches in a western themed motif.  After the Sub Coral closed, a restaurant called the Village Station had a limited run before going out of business.

In 1992, local real estate and construction legend Jimmy Antosca bought the Maguire’s plaza at a foreclosure Auction.  Along with the plaza, he purchased the restaurant and adjacent liquor store.  He sold the liquor store to the Carney Family (who has since sold the property) and sold the restaurant to the three friends from Quincy. “I knew those three boys would make a go of it” said Antosca.  “You could just tell they would work it” he added.   And work it they did. Eight years ago Levine, O’Sullivan and Connell bought the plaza from Antosca.

“Back in 1993 we could have never envisioned how far we would come” said O’Sullivan, a native of County Cork Ireland.  The restaurant serving lunch and dinner is full every day and has become a staple in the community.  A generation of young people from Easton has grown up eating the Honey Hot, the restaurant’s most popular item.  “We serve over 400 pounds of Honey Hots every week” said Connell. 

The dish is a cross between a chicken finger and a boneless buffalo wing.  It was invented by Levine who runs the kitchen at Maguire’s, with the help of one of their bartenders. “We took our traditional chicken tenderloin and adjusted our homemade Buffalo wing sauce.  When we brought up the level of sweetness it mellowed out the spicy notes” said Levine.   What resulted was the perfect blend of spicy and sweet.

“It’s not just the Honey Hots” said Stephen Marcus, a loyal patron, local attorney and philanthropist. “Maguire’s exceeds expectations.  You go in expecting one thing and they deliver so much more. The service is incredible.  The food is great. Plus, they give back to the community.   What more could you ask for?” added Marcus.  Not a thing.  Happy Birthday Maguire’s, here’s to another twenty years.