Advertisement

arts entertainmentHolidays

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at 5 Irish bars in Dallas-Fort Worth

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect new information for 2018 St. Patrick's Day festivities. 

Prepare your best green outfit and beer drinking attitude, St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner.

D-FW's biggest party, the 39th annual Dallas St. Patrick's Parade and Festival, invades Lower Greenville on March 17, but if you're simply looking for a cozy bar stool where you can showcase your Guinness-hoisting muscles, consider one of the following five pubs. With any luck, you'll leave an honorary Irishman.

Advertisement

The Dubliner

{"type":"Restaurant","title":"The Dubliner","_id":464,"html":"

News Roundups

Catch up on the day's news you need to know.

Or with:

","providerType":"guidelive","providerLink":"http://www.guidelive.com/oembed"}

Advertisement

Opened in 1994, this Lower Greenville stalwart is one of the longest-running Irish pubs in Dallas. Owner Peter Kenny is a native of Dublin, Ireland and brings traditional pub flair and fare to the trendy Dallas neighborhood. It's a cozy space with warm wood accents and plenty of nooks where patrons can get personal with a pint of Guinness, dram of Jameson or a flight of scotch, but the Dubliner also has an enclosed patio for more social types. The bar has a healthy selection of craft beers, too.

On St. Paddy's Day, expect the usually mellow vibe to be cranked up. On Saturday, March 17, the Dubliner will be at the center of the action at the St. Patrick's Day Block Party on Lower Greenville, so you can expect live music during the day and power-punk group The Mumbles at 6 p.m. The block party costs $12 to attend.

Trinity Hall Irish Pub

{"type":"Restaurant","title":"Trinity Hall","_id":207,"html":"

Advertisement

","providerType":"guidelive","providerLink":"http://www.guidelive.com/oembed"}

Consider Trinity Hall a sports bar with Irish roots. Fans flock to the pub in Dallas' Mockingbird Station on game days to watch their favorite rugby and soccer teams on the venue's numerous TVs and projection screens. There's plenty to love even if you're not into sports, such as the bar's roughly 200 beers and 100-plus whiskeys to choose from, brunch plates and a spacious wrap-around patio that overlooks the trendy shopping center where it resides.

On St. Paddy's Day, Trinity Hall will keep the party rolling all day long. On March 17, doors open at 7 a.m. to offer patrons a "pre-parade breakfast" -- the bar is near the parade route -- and will begin showing soccer and rugby games at 7:15 a.m. Live music kicks off at noon and runs all evening. (There's a $5 cover after 1 p.m.) The kitchen will be serving inside tables as well on the patio, but due to the volume of patrons, it will offer a limited menu of Irish classics like Corned Beef and Shepard's Pie.

O'Sheas Irish Pub

{"type":"Location","title":"O'Sheas Irish Pub","_id":384794,"html":"

","providerType":"guidelive","providerLink":"http://www.guidelive.com/oembed"}

Advertisement

Located in Hurst, O'Sheas is a hot spot for suburbanites looking for pub grub and live music. The stage flanks one side of the sprawling seating area with views from almost every table. The bar sells a variety of craft beers, domestics and spirits. The food is less traditional than other spots on this list -- expect a mix of Tex-Mex favorites like fajitas and bar grub, such as burgers, salads and pizza.

On St. Paddy's weekend, patrons can still expect live music Friday and Saturday, as well as O'Sheas regular weekly specials. On Friday, March 16, happy hour runs 3 to 7 p.m., with a free food buffet from 5 to 7 p.m. On Saturday, March 17, the bar serves beers for $2-$3 until 7 p.m., plus 59-cent wings, half-price pizza, and half-price burgers. There will also be an Irish food buffet on Saturday.

Houlihan's

With five restaurants in North Texas, Houlihan's has become one of the more well-known Irish bars among its communities in Fort Worth, Garland, Arlington and Far North Dallas. The food menu isn't terribly traditional -- think guacamole, steaks, Korean chicken and flatbreads -- though there are usually Irish specials served on St. Patrick's Day. Yelpers laud the happy hour specials as some of the best in town and the bars are big on music.

Advertisement

On St. Paddy's weekend, all local Houlihan's will be serving a special menu of Irish eats, including Irish nachos, Reuben sliders, and corned beef and cabbage. Drinks will also be on special: Green beers ($2), Jameson shots ($5), Guinness ($5), Irish Car Bombs ($5) and Irish Mules ($6). Each location hosts live music Friday and Saturday.

The Celt Irish Pub

The Celt Irish Pub resides in an old a storied building in downtown McKinney. It was reportedly a brothel in the 1800s, and the modern era hasn't extinguished the space's charm with its low-hanging ceilings and built-in fireplace. Want to play a game? Go upstairs to the dart boards or pool tables. Hungry? The menu has traditional pub fare, like fish and chips, Shepard's Pie, and bangers and mash, alongside some sandwiches, pastas and salads. The Celt serves breakfast on Saturday and Sundays from 8 to 11:30 a.m., as well as a late-night menu.

Advertisement

On St. Paddy's Day, The Celt will open early (7:30 a.m.) to serve its full breakfast menu (except for omelets). There's a free Guinness glass etching from 9 to 11 a.m., and music begins at 9 a.m. The tunes continue throughout the weekend as well.