It's hard to get people to agree on the perfect St. Patrick's Day agenda. Some want the full-on pub experience. Some would be happier with delicious Irish food or cocktails. And others just see the holiday as an excuse to party with beer or whiskey. Thankfully, the Washington area can help everyone have a great St. Patrick's Day, no matter how Irish you are.
Jump to: Classic pubs | Classy whiskey and beer | Happy hours | What to eat
Looking for the classic Irish pub experience?
If you've taken the day off, or your boss won't notice some beer on your breath, the Dubliner is offering 42-cent beers from 8:30 to 9 a.m. to celebrate its 42nd St. Patrick's Day, with Irish music all day long. (4 F St. NW)
Doors at Fado open at 8 a.m. for pre-work breakfast and pints. There's a $10 cover from noon on. Bands, bagpipers and Irish dancers will be featured throughout the day. (808 Seventh St. NW)
Ireland's Four Courts celebrates by setting up a wedding-style party tent in the rear parking lot. Doors open at 9 a.m. with live music all afternoon and evening. (Pro tip: The celebration starts Wednesday when the pub celebrates its 20th birthday by rolling prices back to 1996, which means $4.50 Guinness all night. (2051 Arlington Blvd., Arlington)
Ireland's Four Provinces hosts a "K'Eggs" breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. After that, the dining room has three-course lunches with seatings at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for $29.99 per person, and three-course dinners with seatings at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. for $39.99 per person. (The pub itself will be open with no reservations required.) One important note: The bar will be cash only. (105 W. Broad St., Falls Church)
Kegs and Eggs come out of Ri-Ra's kitchen from 10 a.m. to noon, with $5 imperial pints of Guinness and a $10 Irish breakfast buffet. Bagpipers and Irish dancers perform throughout the day, and there's no cover charge. (3125 M St. NW)
Would you rather celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a fine Irish whiskey or a glass of craft beer?
The Jack Rose rooftop deck has happy hour with $5 pints and $7 Irish whiskeys from 5 to 9 p.m. The main level has hand-picked Irish whiskey flights with vintage and cask-strength selections for $35 to $45. And in the basement-level Dram and Grain, which opens at 7 p.m., there are Irish-inspired cocktails ($10) and $9 Guinness-and-Irish whiskey combos, without the need for reservations. (2007 18th St. NW)
Over at City Tap House, drink specials include $5 glass of Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout, $5 shots of Tullamore Dew whiskey, $10 flights of four Irish-style beers, and, during all March Madness games, $5 Flying Dog beers. The kitchen's special menu includes corned beef sandwiches and shepherd's pie. (901 Ninth St. NW)
Cocktail expert Dan Searing – the author of "The Punch Bowl" and a co-owner of Room 11 – is hosting a special edition of his Punch and Barrel series in Petworth Citizen's Reading Room from 7 p.m. to midnight. Expect whiskey flights featuring small distilleries Kinahan and Teeling and a menu of classic cocktails that are built around Irish whiskey and beer. (829 Upshur St. NW)
Sure, you've tried shots of Jameson and Bushmills whiskeys, but what about Connemara, Greenore, Tyrconnell or Kilbeggan? Smoke and Barrel sells pours of these smaller Irish whiskeys for $5 each from 5 to 8 p.m., while the kitchen's Irish BBQ specials include smoked salmon and corned beef with colcannon. (2471 18th St. NW)
In Alexandria, Port City's Blarney Blast features live music, trivia contests, performances by the Boyle School of Irish Dance and the Maple School of Irish Dance, and prizes for the "most spirited" St. Patrick's Day outfits. (3950 Wheeler Ave., Alexandria)
Just want to drink discounted beer or shots?
The Red Derby has $4 Guinness cans and $2 shots of Tullamore Dew whiskey all night. (3718 14th St. NW)
Irish Whiskey's beat-the-clock deals start at 11 a.m. with $3 Guinness and $2 green beer until 1 p.m. and increasing from there. (1207 19th St. NW)
Duffy's is offering a $30 Cut Work VIP pass, which includes all the beer you can drink from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., a corned beef sandwich and a commemorative St. Patrick's Day T-shirt. For everyone who's not a VIP, there's a $5 cover charge, $2 green Jello shots, $5 pints of green beer and performances by the Culkin School of Irish Dance and the D.C. Fire Department's Emerald Society Pipe and Drum Corps. (2106 Vermont Ave. NW)
The Star and Shamrock opens at 8 a.m. for an Irish breakfast, but you'll want to be back for happy hour. From 3 to 7 p.m. there are $5 Jameson shots and $5 glasses of wine, plus $1 off all Irish drafts. Glasses of the Irish Mule punch are $5 all day. (1341 H St. NE)
Happy hour starts at 4 p.m. at Sauf Haus, with $2 off all drinks and a free buffet of Irish nachos and potato cakes sponsored by Sloppy Mama's. (Drink specials run until 7; food is free until it runs out.) At 7 and 9 p.m., the bar is bringing back its Oktoberfest stein-hoisting challenge, which requires competitors to hold full liters of beer for as long as possible. There's no cover charge all night. (1216-B 18th St. NW)
You'll need something to eat with those drinks
Through Sunday, Taylor Gourmet and the Dubliner are offering the Dubliner sandwich, designed by chef Kyle Bailey (formerly of Birch & Barley), with Guinness-braised corned beef, eggs, potato hash, peppadew mayo and pickled cabbage. (The Dubliner, 4 F St. NW, and multiple Taylor Gourmet locations)
Daikaya's late-night food and drink menu (11 p.m. to close) goes Irish, with specials such as lamb stew, Mark Furstenberg's Irish soda bread and an "Irish coffee" of vanilla soft serve with coffee gelato and a shot of Bailey's. (705 Sixth St. NW)
Mintwood Place's one-night Irish menu features corned lamb tongue, stout-braised oxtail and fish and chips. To drink: the Tipperary cocktail (made with Tullamore Dew) and Guinness. Expect live music from an Irish fiddler, too. (1813 Columbia Rd. NW)
All three Pizzeria Paradiso locations will offer a specialty pizza with house-made corned beef, roasted cabbage, roasted potatoes, onions and Dubliner cheese. The pie will be paired with a special Irish stout. (Locations in Georgetown, Alexandria and Dupont Circle)
