Molly Malone's

When the far north of Johannesburg wants a Guinness and a screen, the answer for years has been the deck at Molly Malone's, and the deck still fills first.

Published Mar 11, 2026 · By Daniel Okafor

Molly Malone's holds a corner of Forest Road and Sunset Boulevard in Pineslopes, Fourways, the practical heart of Johannesburg's far northern suburbs. In Your Pocket calls it the popular option for anyone out this far, and the reason is simple. The biggest screen sits on the deck, the beer specials are constant, and the place fills to a full house on any big match day.

This is an Irish pub that means it. Dark wood, a long bar, Guinness pouring properly, and the kind of room that carries live music on most nights and live sport on all of them. People who want a quiet table should arrive early. People who want a crowd that sings will find their people on the deck. For the wider field of where to watch in the city, our guide to the best sports bars in Johannesburg sets the scene.

Order the steak and Guinness pie. It is the dish reviewers return to again and again, and on Tripadvisor and the pub's own pages it outranks almost everything else on the menu. The ribs are the other plate worth the order, and the Guinness is poured with the patience it needs. Prices sit in honest mid range territory, a $$ room rather than a special occasion splurge.

The crowd is a generous Fourways mix. Office workers from the surrounding parks arrive after five, families settle in for early kickoffs, and the dedicated supporters take the deck as the marquee fixture nears. Reviewers rate the atmosphere a clean five out of five, and the recurring praise is for a room that simply works on the days that count.

Go for a Springbok Test or a World Cup fixture and book ahead. The pub recommends reservations for big match days because the deck and its big screen fill long before kickoff. A weeknight with live music is the gentler way to meet the place. For the run of tournament fixtures, our roundup of where to watch the 2026 World Cup in Johannesburg is the companion read.

What regulars praise most is consistency. The Guinness is cold and correct, the kitchen keeps sending out pies and ribs through the second half, and the Fourways location saves the far north a long drive south for the same game. The common note is the obvious one. On a derby night the deck is full, so the booking matters.

The pub suits a few clear occasions. It is the easy answer for anyone living in Fourways, Lonehill or Sunninghill who wants the game without a drive south, for a group that treats a Springbok Test as a full afternoon of Guinness and pie, and for a midweek crowd that comes for the live music as much as the sport. It is less suited to a quiet conversation on a match night, when the deck is loud and full. Pick the night and Molly Malone's delivers exactly what it promises.

Molly Malone's pairs naturally with the rest of the northern circuit. If Fourways is packed, Benchwarmers in Rosebank brings louder American-style energy, while Founders at Giles in Craighall Park offers a calmer pub for the same fixture. Both sit inside the broader Johannesburg sports bar scene worth exploring across a season.

Sources: Molly Malone's official site and live sport page (2026); In Your Pocket Johannesburg sports bars guide; Tripadvisor and Foursquare Molly Malone's reviews; Molly Malone's Fourways social pages.