Did you know McKinney is one of a handful of cities in Texas certified as “Music Friendly Communities?” If we’ve learned anything in the past year and a half, bolstering our local communities will help us all move forward. That’s why we’d like to share this list of restaurants with live music in the McKinney area to celebrate McKinney’s Music Friendly Community accolade.
Supporting the local community continues to be one of the most important pillars of our business at Huffines Kia McKinney. Take a look at the following venues. After that, contact us to let us know what you think!
The Pub McKinney
The Pub McKinney billed as the “center of social life” in Historic Downtown McKinney, is where you and your friends can gather for food, drink, and live music. Their website is the place to check out the event schedule for the month, which usually ranges from classic rock to country beats. You can also find them on Facebook to get event reminders.
The Pub McKinney serves traditional pub food, including burgers, sandwiches, and fish and chips. It also has a few items for leaner or greener meals. Expect to spend an average of $20 or less per person per meal, including a starter for yourself or to share. Try the Whiskey BLT or the Triple Whiskey Burger, which we hear is “to die for.” It’s considered a family-friendly atmosphere until 9 p.m. when the remaining crowd must be 21 or older.
The menu includes beer on tap, by the bottle, a selection of whiskey on rotation, and several cocktails. Find The Pub McKinney at 204 W. Virginia St. It’s open until 8 p.m. on Sunday, 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, midnight on Thursday, and 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. For the full hours of operation and more information, visit their website or call 972-369-1800.
Cadillac Pizza Pub
This pizza pub is inspired by New York-style pizzerias, but it describes the ambiance as a mix of Memphis, Austin, and New Orleans, which draws musicians of all styles. Aside from supporting dozens of Texas musicians who perform live every weekend at Cadillac Pizza Pub, we love that eating our favorite pizza slice means supporting Texas farmers! This pizza kitchen makes its dough and sauce fresh daily and tops the pies with locally sourced vegetables and herbs.
If you can handle spice, many reviewers on Google recommend The Bee’s Knees — a pizza with spicy red sauce and hot soppressata. Find Cadillac at 112 S. South Kentucky St., also in Historic Downtown McKinney. Check out the Cadillac Pizza Pub site for hours of operation, schedules for happy hour and other specials, as well as the live music calendar.
E.J. Wills Gastropub
Open Mic Night every Tuesday and live music guests on Wednesdays and Fridays are what E.J. Wills Gastropub contributes to McKinney’s music scene. The Gastropub boasts an extensive menu of delicious gourmet and pub-style food. We recommend that you check out the $10 daily lunch specials. The burgers are award-winning, but if you’re not into beef, we suggest you try the Peach & Jalapeno Glazed Pork Chop or any seafood items, like fish and chips or shrimp ravioli.
All food is made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients, and the menu changes roughly every three months to match the seasonal ingredient offerings. Regular customers describe the Gastropub as having a relaxed vibe and pleasant staff. The E.J. Willis Gastropub opened in Dallas in 2016 and moved to McKinney in 2018. We especially love that the founders focus on supporting the community through their business. This goes beyond live music in the McKinney area to build stronger partnerships among community members and organizations. For example, they have hosted weekly guest bartenders from several organizations to help raise funds.
You can find this American cuisine restaurant at 1910 N. Stonebridge Drive in McKinney. Call 214-592-0145 if you have any questions.
Guitars and Growlers
We just love that Guitars & Growlers have a mailing list you can subscribe to for updates about their weekly events. This venue calls itself a “one-stop-shop for hand-built guitars and craft beer.” Tuesdays are Singer-Songwriter Nights, where the pub showcases local singers and songwriters with open signup and the artists taking the stage from 7-10 p.m.
Guitars & Growlers offers a pub-style variety of food items, including sandwiches, appetizers to share like nachos, quesadillas, and wings, and more gourmet items like handcrafted charcuterie board and hummus that round out the menu.
Find Guitars & Growlers at 2741 Virginia Parkway Suite 500 in McKinney. Check out their website for the full menu.
Bonus: Barley by Rye Gastrovan at Tupps Brewery
Barley by Rye is a food truck that serves locally sourced food at Tupps Brewery. We’ve included it in the list as a bonus because technically, Tupps Brewery is the live music venue. That said, we know you’ll love this unique collaborative venture where you can grab delicious food from the gastrovan and a brew from Tupps before you enjoy the show. The creators of Barley, Rye, believe in slow food and focus on highlighting fresh products coming from Texas farmers and ranchers in their creations.
You just have to try the Honey Chicken Biscuit and The D.A.D. Gourmet hotdog on the main menu. Barley also has several items to share, like battered fries or the cheese curds, both served with your choice of two sauces. See the full menu at the Barley by Rye website and visit Tupps Brewery at 721 Anderson St. in McKinney.
McKinney, that’s our list of eateries in your community where you can find live music. What did you think? Let us know! To learn more about your local community, check out our best outdoor activities in the McKinney article or these exciting food and garden tours.