To update that old saying, “Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, even if your 23andMe report says you haven’t got even a fifth cousin from the Emerald Isle.”
Yes, we Americans love any excuse for a cultural celebration. This year the holiday falls on a Sunday, giving us a reason to devote the whole weekend to festivals, music, parades, corned beef — and a pint or two.
Thanks to the Bay Area’s Irish history, there’s no shortage of pubs where Guinness and Smithwick’s mingle with IPAs and sours, and where millennial newcomers grab a bar stool next to longtime locals.
Here are 12 spots to check out.
Farrington’s, Pleasant Hill
You know you’re in a nice Irish bar when the bartender whips out a fiddle to entertain patrons on St. Patrick’s Day.
Farrington’s is your classic Irish sports bar plopped in a Contra Costa strip mall. The first thing you’ll notice is flat-screen TVs jutting at every angle – the place is quite serious about sports. What looks like an entire row of movie seats ripped from an AMC theater sits in front of a projection screen, where people enjoy major games like the Super Bowl. There are pool tables, shuffleboard and three lanes for darts next to first place trophies for intrepid teams like “Two Lucky Ladies.”
Bartender Angie Cashell, originally from Cork, Ireland, waits on customers at Farrington’s Bar in Pleasant Hill, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
The decor is an amusingly mixed homage to local landmarks such as the Pleasant Hill Motor Movies drive-in theater, which stood on this site before demolition in the 1970s. (Note the cheesy B-movie posters for “Day the World Ended” and Robert Mitchum’s “Blood on the Moon.”) Paying tribute to the former Sherman Army Airfield are artillery shells and artifacts from the aeronautical realm, including a plane’s entire back end that apparently crash-landed into the wall.
The huge horseshoe-shaped bar features more than two-dozen taps and is guarded by a replica of party animal Spuds MacKenzie. Guinness is poured with a perfect creamy head, and there’s a decent selection of scotch and Irish whiskeys.
One more thing: For non-sportos, the bar also has karaoke and occasional live music. That includes this St. Patrick’s Day, when Angie the bartender plans to play the fiddle, perhaps with a guest violinist. The crowd is “going to be pretty insane,” promises one staffer.
Details: Open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. weekdays and 11 a.m.-2 a.m. weekends at 1938 Contra Costa Blvd., Pleasant Hill; 925-687-2259
Fibbar MaGee’s, Sunnyvale
Fibbar MaGee’s in Sunnyvale is marking its 30th year in business. (Nhat Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
And then there was one.
In recent years, historic Murphy Avenue has been the most Irish of Bay Area restaurant rows, with three Irish pubs within walking distance of each other. An ideal spot for a pub crawl.
Alas, Lilly Mac’s closed early in 2023, followed by Murphy’s Law in the fall, leaving Fibbar’s to carry on the Irish traditions.
This stalwart was opened in 1994 by two Irishmen, Liam Balfe and Des Nolan, who moved here from County Carlow. After 30 years, a few things have changed. Craft beers have joined the Irish stouts, lagers and red ales, and Tuesday trivia nights have become wildly popular.
On the St. Patrick’s holiday weekend, look for a special menu of Irish favorites — Irish stew made with lamb and Guinness gravy, shepherd’s pie, corned beef sandwiches, fish and chips, and corned beef fries
Molly’s, a sister pub in Mountain View, offers just libations but welcomes outside food brought in by customers.
One more thing: Both Fibbar’s and Molly’s pubs are located near Caltrain stations, so you’ll get a safe ride home.
Details: Open until 2 a.m. daily (from 11 a.m. Tuesday-Sunday, from 3 p.m. Monday) at 156 S. Murphy Ave., Sunnyvale; http://fibbars.com.
Gallagher’s Dublin Pub, Dublin
Customers get to play pool for free on Mondays at Gallagher’s in Dublin. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group archives)
If you’re going to name your city after Ireland’s capital, you’d better have a decent Irish pub in town.
In this rapidly growing East Bay burg, Gallagher’s Dublin Pub has been filling that role for 40 years — and the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day weekend party will double as an anniversary celebration.
The late proprietor, Jim Gallagher, founded the pub in 1984 at the Shamrock Village shopping center. It’s a casual, cavernous spot with a wraparound bar, two pool tables, sports memorabilia (especially from the departed-to-Vegas Oakland Raiders and the nearly departed Oakland A’s), a collection of sweet leprechaun figurines and plenty of neon shamrock and beer signs.
This is a “hail fellow, well met” sort of place where out-of-towners will feel as comfortable as longtime regulars. And plenty of folks who are in Dublin on business do find their way here for a Guinness or a whiskey.
All are invited every St. Patrick’s Day, when Jim’s daughter, Sunshine Gallagher, sets up tents outside and hosts a bash with corned beef, live music and multiple bars. This year, the festivities will start a day early — on March 16.
One more thing: Pool tables are free all day and night Mondays, karaoke is on tap Tuesdays and Thursdays, Fridays are for live music, and on Saturdays, there’s a DJ.
Details: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. at 7821 Amador Valley Blvd., Dublin; 925-828-5996
Molly O’s, San Carlos
The newest Irish bar in the region is actually more of a restaurant with a bar, but we won’t quibble. Not at a place where the sidewalk board says: “Like so many things in life, a well-poured Guinness is worth the wait.”
Molly Mitchell, 90, the matriarch for whom the Molly O’s in San Carlos is named, pours a celebratory Guinness from the taps of the new San Carlos restaurant. (Photo by Carly Hackbarth/Molly O’s)
Molly O’s is an offshoot of the venerable Fiddler’s Green in Millbrae, and it’s named after 90-year-old matriarch Molly Mitchell. Since last fall, the restaurant has been serving traditional Irish fare plus American and Cal-Mex favorites daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bar is open nightly, until 2 a.m. on Friday-Saturday.
This place (and Fiddler’s) are among the few Bay Area eateries where you can celebrate the holiday — or start off any other morning — with a full Irish breakfast of Irish bacon, Irish sausage, black and white pudding, baked beans, grilled tomato, two eggs and home fries. (A mini version is also available.)
Customers rave on social media about the Irish stew and the appetizer plates of potato skins and onion rings, both popular during the NFL season, when Molly O’s fills with fans here to watch the games. Dessert options include a Chocolate Guinness Cake.
Details: Open from 10 a.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. weekends at 1163 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos; www.molly-os.com.
Slainte, Oakland
The cozy interior of Slainte Pub & Grub in Oakland’s Jack London Square district. (Dan Honda/Bay Area News Group archive)
After a short closure last autumn, Slainte is back in business and maintaining the standards set by original owner Jackie Gallanagh, a Donegal native who founded this cozy, atmospheric pub near Jack London Square in 2017.
Highlights here include pub grub that’s a cut above, intriguing bar offerings, live music, watch parties for rugby matches — and a rollicking good time on St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The new owners say this year will be “epic,” so keep checking their social media.
Creative daily specials in recent weeks have included an Irish moule frites, with mussels steamed with cider, shallots, butter and herbs; an Irish seafood chowder; and a marinated, grilled portobello sandwich. The full Irish “brekkie” is served till 3 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Besides pouring a proper pint of Guinness, the bartenders at Slainte specialize in craft cocktails. In honor of the Van Morrison concert at the nearby Fox, they created a Brown Eyed Girl drink that highlighted Jameson Orange and a refreshing Moondance cocktail. For Valentine’s Day, it was the Heart of Dublin, with whiskey, house-made raspberry shrub, bitters and grapefruit. And they always make a Slainte version of Irish cream to use in various drinks.
One more thing: The Irish Rebel Rockers, a Portland-based band, will return to Slainte for a gig April 6.
Details: Open from 3 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, noon to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday at 131 Broadway, Oakland; https://slainteoakland.com/
Danny Murry’s Irish Pub, San Leandro
First, let us count the variations of potato on the menu. There are bangers and mash, nachos with kettle potato chips, a brunch burrito with home-style potatoes and a simple-but-satisfying side of mashed spuds with Irish cheese. Not a bad showing for what might be one of only two bars in San Leandro flying the tricolor – just make sure to get a citrus wedge in your drink, to prevent scurvy.
Co-owner Jym Murry, right, socializes with customers at Danny Murry’s Irish Pub in San Leandro. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Danny Murry’s used to be the Tipsy Lounge, and it still gets patrons tipsy in an Erin-go-Bragh way. “Our establishment promises one of the SMOOTHEST Guinness on tap, along with the elusive Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale,” promises their menu. If you’ve never had the nitrogenated Kilkenny, it’s worth an order. It’s much like Guinness (and produced by the same company), but redder and without the bitter undertones. There are West Coast craft beers and a bunch of Irish whiskeys, which the bar sometimes mixes with local Zocalo coffee to get the perfect hometown Irish coffee.
The pub is a one-room affair with a pool table and small dance floor – room to cut exactly one rug – plus a back patio with heat lamps. Nevertheless, it packs in plenty of activity, from karaoke to pub trivia to sports events on several flat screens. Then there’s the food. If you’re not interested in potatoes, there are Buffalo wings with Tullamore D.E.W. whiskey sauce and miniature ham or corned-beef sandwiches called “Micksliders” (you can say it if you’re Irish). Naturally, the butter melting over everything is certified Kerrygold.
One more thing: For St. Patrick’s Day, the bar plans to have a live band and Irish dancing. For more entertainment, stop by for trivia nights every other Wednesday and karaoke nights on some Fridays.
Details: Open from 2 p.m. until late at 1680 Washington Ave., San Leandro; instagram.com/dannymurrysirishpub
O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub, San Jose
Look for O’Flaherty’s in downtown San Jose to be decked out as usual for the holiday weekend. (LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Group archives)
The late Ray O’Flaherty was 70 when he opened his eponymous pub at San Pedro Square in 2002, having had the furniture and memorabilia shipped from Ireland. “You’re a stranger here but once,” was the motto of this Irishman, who would greet customers from his spot at the end of the bar, a Smithwick’s in hand.
The O’Flaherty clan is still running the pub-restaurant, which reigns year-round as downtown San Jose’s Irish touchstone.
This month’s St. Patrick’s festivities will start early with a March 16 Shamrock Run, a flat, family-friendly 5K-10K with a Leprechaun Chase for the wee ones. The run ends at O’Flaherty’s, where a post-race party will feature Irish dancers and music. Participants receive a shirt and a medal to commemorate the day, and those 21-and-up get a Guinness too. All race proceeds benefit the San Jose-Dublin Sister City scholarship program.
From then through the holiday on Sunday, O’Flaherty’s and its nearby sister bars — Five Points and Dr. Funk — will all offer a menu of Irish fare such as corned beef, shepherd’s pie and perhaps a vegan Irish curry. Five Points pays tribute to the Irish immigrants of New York’s Five Points neighborhood with its Irish-themed craft cocktails like the Bowery Boy and Nell’s Wedding. As for Dr. Funk, the Demerara Dry Float at this tiki bar sounds appealing.
One more thing: You won’t want to miss the Irish entertainment. Check O’Flaherty’s schedule closer to the holiday.
Details: Open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily at 25 N. San Pedro St., San Jose; www.oflahertyspub.com.
The Starry Plough, Berkeley
Founded by ocean-crossing Irish revolutionaries, The Starry Plough stood for nearly 50 years before a force mightier than the British – the pandemic – shut it down in 2020.
But two years later, the pub was back (on St. Patrick’s Day, naturally, with corned beef and cabbage on offer), a boon for lovers of dancing, live music or just sitting in a pub having a good time, while the cells divide and decay and bring one ever closer to god.
People dance during Irish dance night at the The Starry Plough Pub on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Berkeley, Calif. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Entering the Plough is a bit like boarding an ancient ship, all creaking wood and dark corners and perhaps a fiddler playing a jig yonder. The bartender pours a classic Guinness or a cider Snakebite, and the friendly patrons – who range from students to artists to granola-crunchy Berkeleyites – will dutifully hear out your tales of daily joy or woe. If you’re hungry, it’s only a few steps to the in-house kitchen, where the chefs prepare hearty grub from shepherd’s pie to beer-battered fish and chips and even a Guinness float with vanilla ice cream.
But it’s the community events that make this pub deeply special. It’s home to the longest-running poetry slam on the West Coast. Some Fridays, you’ll hear live blues with neighborhood O.G.s who’ll knock your socks off. On Monday nights, there’s traditional Irish dancing, and Sunday Irish jam sessions. Walk into the bar with your old acoustic or violin under the arm, and you’ll likely be pulled into the circle, where you can play your tunes and nurse a beer and have a night to truly remember.
One more thing: For this St. Patrick’s Day, The Starry Plough is holding an entire block party starting around noon with live music and dancing and traditional Irish grub like corned beef and cabbage.
Details: Open 4 p.m. to late daily at 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley; thestarryplough.com.
Alhambra Irish House, Redwood City
The corned beef and cabbage rolls are among the menu items available at Alhambra Irish House in Redwood City. (Courtesy Alhambra Irish House)
If you’re looking to not just drink but fill up on hearty Irish pub fare — corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie and more — in a cozy, friendly atmosphere, Alhambra is the spot. The string lights were glowing, the hockey game was on and an excellent Guinness pour available on a recent Monday night at this tavern, owned by the same people behind Mountain View’s St. Stephen’s Green.
The Alhambra sits in historic digs. Built as a saloon and theater in 1896 — and favored as a hangout by Wyatt Earp — its booze-pouring days came to a close during Prohibition. More recently, the space housed the Martins West gastropub, Erik Barry, the Irish-born owner of St. Stephen’s Green, took over in 2019.
Pub events range from Motown Mondays to Trivia Thursdays, with a daily happy hour that offers $5 Guinness, Harp lager and Kilkenny pints, if you’re looking to get your Irish fix on a budget.
One more thing: The entirety of March is one big St. Patrick’s Day celebration, complete with Irish dancers, pub trivia and live music. And, of course, Guinness, Irish coffee and traditional Irish fare.
Details: Open from 4 until 10 p.m. or later weekdays (closed Tuesday), with weekend brunch starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday at 831 Main St. in Redwood City; alhambra-irish-house.com.
Dan’s Irish Sports Bar, Walnut Creek
This Irish watering hole is so popular, nearly every seat at the lengthy bar was already occupied by mid-afternoon on a recent Tuesday, and a crew of jolly old-timers was playing Liar’s Dice with the bartender.
The walls are lined with decades of sports memorabilia. Two pool tables keep the competitive vibe going. And weekends feature live music from local bands playing originals and covers. There’s no kitchen, but guests are welcome to bring in food from neighboring eateries — and the bar pulls out all the stops for a certain holiday.
One more thing: St. Patrick’s Day festivities include green beer, corned beef and cabbage, a visit from the Cousins Maine Lobster food truck — not Irish, but delicious — and tunes by Salvage Title. The band is set to take the stage at 9 p.m.
Details: Open daily 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. at 1524 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek; dansbar.com.
But wait, there’s more…
Rosie McCann’s, San Jose and Santa Cruz
The spacious Rosie McCann’s at Santana Row is big on big events. Already this year there’s been a Disco Dance Party on New Year’s Eve, a Super Bowl watch party and, for Valentine’s Day, a Couples Mixology Class one night followed by a four-course, prix-fixe dinner on the 14th with a live band.
So naturally, St. Patrick’s Day turns into a block party at this corner of the Row.
What if you’re marking the holiday with the grandparents and the kids? This is also a family-friendly, full-service restaurant, and if you snag a table, you’ll enjoy a daytime celebration with live music and a wandering bagpiper. Rosie’s will be offering a holiday menu that includes shepherd’s pie made with grass-fed beef, lamb stew, corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips with house-made tartar sauce, and green beer.
The Santa Cruz location, which is the original Rosie McCann’s, will offer a similar lineup of food, drinks and entertainment.
One more thing: An Irish sing-along with musician Jim Kelly will start at 5:30 p.m. March 17 at 1220 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.
Details: Open at 10 a.m. St. Patrick’s Day weekend at 355 Santana Row, San Jose; https://rosiemccanns.com/
Cullen’s Tannery Pub, Benicia
Tucked inside the historic Tannery building, this tiny bar oozes atmosphere, from the pressed tin ceiling to the nautical memorabilia and quirky steampunk objects. There’s a dog-friendly patio with stunning views of the Bay — including a shipwreck straight out of central casting. And, of course, a generous selection of whiskeys and Irish brews, as well as California craft beer and wine, so you can sip as you contemplate krakens and selkies.
Bartender Jordann Brun stands behind the bar after pouring a glass of Guinness beer at Cullen’s Pub in Benicia, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Consider this hidden Irish pub our little secret. “Only people who know about it know about it,” says bartender Jordann Brun, who notes St. Patrick’s Day plans are still underway.
One more thing: No kitchen, but guests are welcome to bring in outside food, and Char’s Hotdogs is right next door, offering a dozen variations on the genre. The pub sits along the Benicia waterfront, so after you wrap up your pint, take a stroll along the pier for sunset views.
Details: Open 1 to 10 p.m. or later Tuesday through Saturday at 131B First St. in Benicia; 707-637-5300.
Behan’s Irish Pub, Burlingame
Behan’s Irish Pub in Burlingame, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Dark wood finishes, string lights, shuffleboard and darts make this a comfortable destination for a weeknight pint with friends. Visitors praise the Irish bartenders, the welcoming patio and the hospitable atmosphere, as well as its proximity to SFO for a quick drink coming to or from the airport. As one Yelp reviewer put it, “Cold beer, good folk.”
They don’t serve food other than chips at their full bar, but you’re welcome to bring in food from nearby restaurants.
One more thing: The bar is cash only, with an ATM on the premises.
Details: Opens at noon daily at 1327 Broadway in Burlingame; 650-344-0265.
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