6 Pubs and Bars Fit for a St. Patrick’s Day Drink

Michigan brews, Irish cuisine, and live performances at these local staples will make the day a memorable one
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St. Patrick's Day
PHOTO COURTESY OF ISTOCK

It’s the one holiday of the year where drinking before noon is entirely acceptable: St. Patrick’s Day. Celebrating often means hitting your local bar, or if you’re so lucky, pub, to enjoy a few too many spirited libations. But if you’re looking for a St. Patrick’s Day (Mar. 17) to remember, we’ve rounded up a number of places to grab a beer, enjoy some traditional Irish plates, and maybe even hear some bagpipes.


Grand Trunk Pub: This spacious watering hole lives in a former 1900s railway station, and features more than 170 craft beers. Grand Trunk Pub was the first bar in Michigan to serve only Mitten State-made brews on tap. On Sundays, from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m., select drafts are $2.50, $1 shots are offered with your first beer, and shots of Tullamore Dew are $3. 612 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-961-3043; grandtrunk.pub

The Morrie: The casual bar is hosting its Saint Patrick’s Day Weekend Bash from Mar. 15 – 17. A list of live performances are scheduled for the event, with local rock band Jon Fett Quartet and a full Irish bagpipe group scheduled to perform on St. Patrick’s Day. 511 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-216-1112; themorrie.com

Nancy Whiskey Pub: Said to be one of the oldest bars in Detroit, if not the oldest, this Irish pub was established in 1902 and served as a speakeasy during prohibition. Every day, the joint offers their Irish-style fish fry and corned beef, and on St. Patrick’s Day, Taylor-based blues band Big Ray and the Motor City Kings will perform. 2644 Harrison St., Detroit; 313-962-4247; nancywhiskeydetroit.com

McShane’s Irish Pub: This Detroit bar is going all out for the occasion, $2 green beer drafts, $3 Guinness & Smythwicks, $4 Jameson & Tullamore Dew, and a $5 Car Bomb & Green Tea cocktail. And the green spirit doesn’t stop at the drinks. Some of the food menu items include Irish stew, featuring slow-simmered beef, vegetables and potatoes, and made with Guinness Irish stout, and their Irish tater tots, which are filled with a sharp Irish cheddar cheese blend and stout beer-braised onions. 1460 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-961-1960; mcshanespub.com

Woodbridge Pub: On Sundays, this neighborhood hangout offers $1 off of their Michigan-brewed beers and lists a traditional Irish dish, shepherd’s pie, which is layered with peas, carrots, corn, and tomatoes, and topped with mashed potatoes, on their snack menu. Woodbridge also offers gluten-free pub fish n’ chip, in which involves a pan-seared cod is served with crispy root vegetable chips, and pairs perfectly with any brew. 5169 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; 313-833-2701; woodbridgepub.com

The Old Shillelagh: This pub has been “doing Irish right” for so long it’s practically a Detroit institution. It’s fitting then, that their St. Patrick’s Day festivities last more than a week, starting March 10 with the aptly named St. Pat’s parade. Head back the following Friday, March 15, for an Irish lunch, followed by St. Practice Day on March 16 and a full-on St. Patrick’s Day celebration on March 17. Doors open at 7 a.m. 349 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-0007; oldshillelagh.com

How do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? We want to know in the comments below!


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