Jenny Chang
If there’s one thing Irish people love, it’s Irish bars. And talking about Irish bars.
I should know. I’m Irish, I worked in
Irish bars in high school and in college, and I spend a lot of time in
them today — so I know that a good Irish bar isn’t just a bar. It’s home. It’s a place where you can walk in, look around, and immediately feel at ease, even if it’s your first time there.
The wood’s gotta be dark, the beer’s gotta be cold, there should be
some sort of warm pot pie on the menu, and the vibe should be even
warmer. The spirits should be strong, too — but the spirit of the
~place~ should be strongest of all.With that in mind, I asked the people over at Yelp for the top-rated Irish spots in every state — so you know the best place to go when you need your dose.
Tommaso Tagliaferri / Getty Images
They combed through all of the
reviews tagged with both “Irish pubs” and “Irish restaurants” to come up
with a definitive list of the best Irish bars across America. (“Best”
was measured using an algorithm that looked at the number of reviews
plus the star rating for every business on Yelp.)
So here are the top places in each state where the good vibes and the
Guinness never stop flowing — straight from the Yelp reviewers
themselves.1. Lucky Irish Pub & Grill, Mobile, Alabama
“Great service, neat atmosphere, but
the food … damn it’s good. Chefs were featured on a local morning talk
show. I love this place, whether for a quick delicious lunch or for a
night listening to music and drinking. It’s also a great place to watch
football games!”
“Awesome burgers, beyond any burger I have had in many years.”2. Lucky Lady Pub, Juneau, Alaska
“Laid back dark local’s bar with TVs,
pool table, friendly vibe … and the bartender kept putting snacks in
front of us. She made us some stiff drinks!”
3. Tim Finnegan’s Irish Restaurant & Pub, Phoenix, Arizona
“Best authentic Irish pub in town.
Great environment, very friendly staff, and the food is out of this
world. Everything is made fresh, and tastes excellent. I recommend the
wings for sure. Curry chips are another favorite of mine as well.”
“Bleu cheese burger and in-house fresh cut fries is hands down the best burger/fries combo I’ve had in Phoenix.”4. Cregreen’s Irish Pub, North Little Rock, Arkansas
“The pretzel fondue app was perfect,
and my husband ordered another (different) cheeseburger after his first.
I had the veggie wrap with chips, and it was delicious, too, as was the
potato salad. Nice selection of beers on tap, and great service both
times!”
“Always my first stop when I get off the plane and into Little Rock. Nice, chill place.”5. The Shamrock Irish Pub & Eatery, Murrieta, California
“This place definitely captures the Irish charm of a classic Irish pub.”
“The food is great; the whiskey beer burger with beer batter bacon
MUST be tried, if only once (or pick your own outrageous explicative).”6. Wee Katie’s Irish Restaurant & Pub, Denver, Colorado
“The best food I’ve ever had at an
Irish pub. Try the dry rub chicken tenders and the potato cake trio; you
won’t be disappointed. The lamb is amazing as well, raised locally from
Colorado. You can’t go wrong with this place.”
“The layout includes two bar areas, cozy booths, couches, an elevated
patio in the back, and even a gas fireplace to warm yourself.”7. Inishmor Pub, Colchester, Connecticut
” Being a guy whose surname begins
with Mc, I felt right at home — really enjoyed this place. It’s a great
little Irish pub. It deserves five stars for the beer selection alone.”
“I live down the road, and have been a regular ever since they
opened; my boyfriend and I come here every time I don’t feel like
cooking. Draft and whiskey list is stellar, too. Keep up the momentum,
guys … taking over the town of Colchester in year number one.”8. Sheridan’s Irish Pub, Smyrna, Delaware
“Best corn beef and cabbage. I suggest everyone to get their Jameson cream sauce — it’s amazing.”
“Love this place. Great food; everyone must try the cajun shrimp
boxty or go on Monday night for 1/2 price burger night and free Texas
hold ‘em poker.”9. Celtic Ray Irish Pub, Punta Gorda, Florida
“This place is for real. The owner’s a
hoot — he tells the best jokes — and they also have great food. Be sure
to check out the fish and chips. They have music on occasion, too. A
must!”
10. Shenanigan’s, Dahlonega, Georgia
“Great food, service and atmosphere. The sausage crack dip and the fish and chips were amazing.”
“We split the fried grouper sandwich, and their version of a club sandwich — and both were incredible.”11. Murphy’s Bar & Grill, Honolulu, Hawaii
“Wow. Best fish and chips I’ve had
since moving stateside from the UK, and the Shepherd’s pie that my wife
had was also top notch.”
“For dinner I recommend the Irish dip. Ask them for the horseradish on the side; it can be a little overbearing.”12. MickDuff’s Brewing Company, Sandpoint, Idaho
“The gorgonzola fries are worth the extra money if you can eat them fresh out of the fryer.”
“MickDuff’s is a favorite of the locals, for obvious reasons — great
food, great service, reasonable prices, friendly staff and patrons, and
did I mention REALLY GREAT BEER? It’s very popular with visitors as
well.”13. Mollie’s Public House, Riverside, Illinois
“The menu is not big, but my friend
and I both had what we agreed were the best burgers in the world. I also
thought the onion rings were fantastic. The owner told me they cut the
onions and make their own beer batter right there. They tasted great,
sort of like hot donuts.”
14. O’Bryan’s Nine Irish Brothers, West Lafayette, Indiana
“What makes the place special is the
live music on Thursdays through Saturdays; they always have great bands
or musicians, and you might be tempted to sing along. The atmosphere is
great, and this is one of our go-to places in West Lafayette.”
“And here it is: BEST … REUBEN … EVER.”15. Dublin Bay Irish Pub & Grill, Ames, Iowa
“This is a really cool Irish
restaurant/pub … the inside area really captures the Irish pub feeling.
There are a few TVs in the area to look at if you are looking for some
sports to watch.”
“The Shepherd’s pie has a very rich homey feeling to it. It is one of
those dishes you want on a cold Friday night. And the cheese balls are
out of world.”16. O’Neill’s Restaurant & Bar, Leawood, Kansas
“This is a great place for quality
comfort food. Experienced servers provide good service, and the menu has
familiar options to satisfy most tastes.”
“This is the best chicken fried chicken. The mashed potatoes are to
die for, homemade salad dressing’s amazing, and it’s got awesome
service. We love this place!”17. Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, Covington, Kentucky
“Easily the best and most authentic
Irish pub in the Cincinnati area. Great atmosphere, good pub grub, and
knowledgeable bar staff who know the proper way to draw a pint.”
“Guys, I have been on a quest to find great buffalo chicken wings
since I moved to Cincinnati, and I finally found them at Molly
Malone’s.”18. Erin Rose, New Orleans, Louisiana
“Who can resist their frozen Irish
coffee? Not me, and every person I’ve taken here agrees. The service is
also top-notch. Once inside, you almost forget that you’re half a block
from Bourbon Street. I kind of like that the tourist crowd seems to stay
away.”
“My husband and I had the shrimp po boy and it was amazing. Had an Asian twist to it with the slaw, and was not overly greasy. “19. Féile Restaurant & Pub, Wells, Maine
“For what it is, it’s as good as it
gets. The burger, cooked to order, is as good a burger as you’re going
to get anywhere. The fries are perfection; just like the very best
homemade fries, they’re cut to the perfect thickness, fried to the
perfect crispness, and seasoned perfectly. I’m sure this has to be the
best burger and fries in southern Maine.”
20. Galway Bay Irish Pub, Annapolis, Maryland
“The food was wonderful,
specifically: the corned beef poppers app, the potato leek soup, the
shepherd’s pie, the lobster roll, the rueben, and the corned
beef/cabbage. And the service was impeccable. I would plan on going back
to Annapolis JUST to eat here again.”
“We had the corned beef poppers as an appetizer and I think whoever created that recipe should be given a reward.”21. Keltic Kitchen, West Yarmouth, Massachusetts
“This is a five-star breakfast spot
solely because of what it is: traditional Irish breakfasts, with immense
American portions. Everything is deliciously unhealthy.”
22. Sullivan’s Public House, Oxford, Michigan
“I ordered the chicken pot pie and my husband had the Irish dip, and we both just devoured our meals.”
“Sullivan burger, potato leek soup, and the fish and chips were all very good. Same goes for service and ambiance.”23. Pub 112, Stillwater, Minnesota
“I’ve always loved the original old
lead glass and chandeliers and exposed stone walls. Perfect lighting,
adequate comfortable seating, and not too loud.”
“Great little treasure in Stillwater. Vast beer selection, friendly
wait staff, and amazing food! Live sports on four screens, and live
music on the weekends!”24. Irish Coast Pub, Gulfport, Mississippi
“This place is amazing. Friend of
mine and I were looking for a local watering hole that played live
music, had a sports bar feel, and also had a Gulf Coast attitude and
swanky-ness about it. We found it with the Irish Coast Pub.”
“Cool Irish bar with lots of drink options. We came here and enjoyed
some good beers … try the German Shepard, which is Guinness with
Hefeweizen.”25. John D. McGurk’s Irish Pub, Saint Louis, Missouri
“The outdoor patio is five-star.”
“Great ambiance and excellent music that would appeal to many different age groups. Very pleasant place to spend an evening.”26. Celtic Cowboy, Great Falls, Montana
“This place is such a gem downtown.
They have a HUGE selection of craft beers, and their menu has recently
been upgraded with a lot more options. We always get the Irish nachos,
which are soooooo good with the gorgonzola dressing.”
“It is absolutely gorgeous inside. A lot of wood with the traditional Irish pub feel.”27. Brazen Head Irish Pub, Omaha, Nebraska
“Favorites for our group include the
baked onion soup, Kilkenny chicken salad (this thing is huge), and the
Diablo chicken sandwich.”
“There’s a great atmosphere, and the woodwork is lovely. Be sure to try one of their many Irish coffees as well.”28. McMullan’s Irish Pub, Las Vegas, Nevada
“Good food in big portions, live
Irish music, game nights, drinks, and a friendly staff. Seriously, how
much more can you say about a bar that does all the bar things right?”
29. May Kelly’s, North Conway, New Hampshire
“I highly recommend the Taste of Ireland, which gives you sample sizes of shepherd’s pie, chicken pot pie, and beef stew.”
“The decor in the restaurant is awesome…it’s eclectic, charming, and
left us wanting to look at all the nooks and crannies in the
restaurant.”30. Anglesea Pub, North Wildwood, New Jersey
“Great service, great food. Have to come on Tuesdays for wing night — 49 cent wings! Everyone should try the sweet chili.”
“By far the best wings in Cape May County. They make a really good
tuna melt, too. Beer is always cold, and there’s always a little
something different with the soups, too, in a good way. Try them!”
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