Top Philadelphia Irish Pubs For St. Patrick's Day
Everyone might be Irish on St. Patrick's Day, but not every bar in Philadelphia is! For those looking to celebrate St. Paddy's Day, here are the best local Irish pubs to celebrate your right to drink green beer and get lucky.
Date: March 17, 2012
Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
McGillin's is so Irish, it gets a head start celebrating St. Patrick's Day. With events leading up to St. Paddy's like live Irish music shows and the St. Patrick's Day Parade, you'll feel totally authentic as you drink O'Hara's Irish Stout from Ireland or O'Reilly's Stout from Sly Fox. For those wanting more than green beer though, they'll find it here as well: McGillin's has a special recipe, the Chocolate Leprechaun, which is a creamy concoction of half & half, vanilla vodka, mint jelly and chocolate syrup. The Ale House opens an hour early at 10 a.m. to welcome in the thirsty and the hungry for real Irish food and brews.
If you're looking for some local beers instead, check out the best Philadelphia breweries.
Date: March 17, 2012
Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Time: Kegs & Eggs - 7 a.m.
Since it's Irish owned, operated, and partially staffed, this pub has a reputation for all the good things from Ireland--like food, beer and whiskey. The Bards pulls out all the stops, starting early on St. Paddy's Day, beginning at 7 a.m. with "Kegs & Eggs," $4 Guinness until 9 a.m. and a firkin of Weyerbacher for as long as it lasts. There will be a special Irish food menu for the day, and if the weather is nice, the outside seating makes this bar a great stop during the daytime.
Date: March 17, 2012
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Inside a building dating back to the 1830's, this establishment has been dishing out pub fare and Irish beverages to Philadelphia for more than 77 years. That being said, Moriarty's knows how to celebrate St. Paddy's Day after so many years of practice. Green beer specials, authentic Irish pub cuisine and the all-night Shamrock Showdown full of green contests, live Irish dancing and bagpipe playing awaits you at Moriarty's. If you weren't Irish when you got there, you'll be full of something Irish by the time you leave!
Date: March 17, 2012
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Fergie's throws a St. Patrick's Day themed party every March in time honored fashion: drink specials, traditional Irish pub fare, and bagpipes. Also, it offers the crowd something a little different with some Irish-American flavor – BBQ. You can get your Irish on at this pub with some strong Irish brews if you're feeling green. To the Fergie's regulars, however, the only difference is that everyone is wearing green on St. Patrick's Day – because everyone always feels Irish at Fergie's.
Date: March 17, 2012
Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
With two levels of Irish, they'll be serving up the usual traditional Irish favorites and pub fare, and there's sure to be quite a few specials. This may be a more conservative option for St. Patrick's Day celebrators, though at an Irish pub as authentic as this one, the night will become rowdy as the crowd gets greener.
Looking for somewhere less crowded to celebrate St. Patty's Day? Try one of the best dive bars in Philadelphia.
Lindsay Lewis is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
