All right: St. Paddy’s Day in New York. I know, I know. You hate it. But you— you over there in the shirt! Yeah, you! You like it, don’t you? Sure you do. You do a little bit.
Why not? It’s a fine, annual reason for us otherwise drab apes to go out there in bright green, scramble our brains, and blow the stink off. Good. Long as nobody gets hurt. Knock ourselves out. (Gently.)
Okay, I’ve got a short list of NYC bars, taverns, and dives suitable for some o’ that St. Patrick Day revelry, which falls on a Sunday this year, so you don’t even have to skip work to go tie one on in honor of the patron saint of the Old Country.
In alphabetical order, here are some wonderful places that do it up on St. Paddy’s Day in NYC:
An Beal Bocht (Riverdale, Bronx): Not your typical Irish pub, but Irish through-and-through. ABB opened in ’91 as a café and performance space, tucked on a hillside in the Bronx. Now it’s a full-service pub, with live music and a helluva fine menu (including brunch), so arrive early and stay late!
Cronin and Phelan’s (Astoria, Queens): A quintessentially Queensy Irish pub that opened in 1905, C&P serves gallons of proper Guinness and a sprawling, affordable food menu to soak it up. The separate side dining area makes this pub a particularly good option for the whole family.
Farrell’s Bar & Grill (Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn): You’ve heard about it, you want to go, and you’d better have your big-boy pants on when you do, Jack. It’ll be a sea of men: firemen, policemen, men-men, so leave your sensitive inclinations at home, grab a container of Bud, and get down.
Harlem Tavern (Uptown, Manhattan): Yep, a lively St. Patrick’s Day celebration right in the heart of Harlem, with bands, Irish music, dancing, the works. (Hey, there was, after all, a strong Irish perspective up there at one time.)
Joyce’s Tavern (Eltingville, Staten Island): The beating heart of Staten Island’s Irish population, right off the Eltingville SIR railway station. And if you miss the St. Paddy’s Day party on Sunday, don’t worry; they celebrate the halfway mark on September 17.
McSorley’s (East Village, Manhattan): The grandaddy of New York’s Irish pubs, and a delightfully historic place to knock back two or four beers (they sell them only in pairs, laddie) with 750 of your new best friends. It’ll be touristy, crowded and bloody wonderful.
Neary’s (Midtown East, Manhattan): The most genteel of Irish taverns, this Midtown East stalwart celebrates 52 years of Jimmy Neary’s elegant hosting on March 17, 2019. Collared shirts, no jeans, clean shoes, and may I recommend a blazer, gentlemen?
Old Town Bar (Union Square, Manhattan): Ah, you can never go wrong celebrating anything here, and St. Patrick’s day is no exception, as the Old Town’s Hibernian bona fides are well in order. The Meagher family keeps it Irish — subtly — 24/7 at this 18th Street institution.
