St. Patrick’s Day in Phoenix: 9 places to enjoy an Irish feast
St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner! Whether you are of Irish heritage or just a fun-loving person, this holiday will surely elicit some excitement for the upbeat festivities.
For some background, St. Paddy’s Day marks the presumed death date of Saint Patrick, the man who brought Christianity to Ireland and chased out the serpents (a literal meaning or a metaphor for the Pagans — you decide). He famously used the three-leaf clover to explain the Christian Trinity (father, son, holy ghost; not the person writing this article).
For centuries, the occasion has been celebrated with church service, feasts, and family festivities in Ireland. In America, you will find the celebration to include feasting on corned beef and cabbage, drinking Guinness and Jameson in copious amounts, and wearing green — lots and lots of green.
According to legend, green makes a person invisible to leprechauns, who are mischievous and love to pinch people while snagging their gold. So bear in mind if you decide to pinch someone this year, you are doing the leprechauns’ bidding and that is naughty!
Naughty or not, put on your best green attire, work up an appetite, and check out one of these 9 places in Phoenix to have fun in a pinch — pun intended. If you see a strawberry blonde woman wearing old green hightops with striped laces, be sure to say hi!
St. Patrick’s Day Faire
For a family-friendly celebration, check out the St. Patrick’s Day Faire on March 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Margaret T. Hance Park. Watch the parade and then join the festivities in the park. Entry is $15 for adults and free for children 12 and under. It is dog-friendly, too, so bring the whole family!
Festivities here include music, dancing, bounce houses, and various vendors. There is beer, Irish whiskey, and corned beef and cabbage. For those interested in a less traditional meal, there are several other options available from local Arizona vendors.
Don’t miss out on what is called “The Greenest Day in the Desert.”
Seamus McCaffrey’s Irish Pub
Located on Monroe and Central in downtown Phoenix, this pub is a go-to spot for many locals craving traditional Irish eats. While it boasts a traditional menu complete with Shepherd’s Pie, fried fish and chips, and corned beef and cabbage, it is the Reuben that has folks coming back for more.
With many beers and whiskeys to choose from, this might be the spot for you to show off your green! Leave the littles at home, though.
Dubliner Irish Pub
Winner of the Best Irish Pub in 2022 and 2023, this Irish pub is sure to delight with a weekend-long St. Patrick’s Day celebration. It begins on Saturday the 16th at 3 p.m. with a $5 cover charge to watch live music while eating a traditional meal. Join Sunday the 17th for a traditional breakfast beginning at 9 a.m. After 10 a.m., there is a $10 cover to watch live music and Irish dancing!
The food menu is limited to a specialty menu for the celebration, but if you have the choice, locals rave about the cheese-covered Shepherd’s pie.
Note that this place is family-friendly until 9 pm and has a cash-only policy during St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Murphy’s Law
Located just east of Phoenix in Chandler, this pub‘s motto is “traditional not trendy,” meaning you can go for the traditionalist decor and stay for affordable Jameson shots and cauldron Shepherd’s pie. Yes, cauldron Shepherd’s pie: This cheesy traditional delight is brought to the table molten in a mini cauldron with a crisp-top layer for added texture and flavor.
If that is not enough to draw you in, their St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans include live music all day (from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.), featuring seven different bands. Leave the kids at home and have fun sham-rocking out.
Tim Finnegan’s
Northwest of Phoenix, this pub is located in Glendale. Tim Finnegan’s Irish Restaurant and Pub has people raving about their fish n chips, pasties, and bread pudding. With a giant outdoor space and vast menu complete with traditional mussels, their St. Patrick’s Day event is certain to be a hit.
Fun fact: many of their events boast bagpipes! This can be a fun choice for the whole family.
The Kettle Black
This downtown Phoenix Irish pub located on 1st and Washington offers something that many other pubs and bars do not: happy hour on the weekends! As if their prices aren’t fair enough, the happy hours give steep discounts on drinks, appetizers, and salads.
The menu offers a variety of options, there are a few traditional meals, and the fish and chips are all the buzz among the reviewers. Plus, the kid-friendly service means you can all sit down for a St. Patty’s Day meal! You won’t be calling the kettle black after indulging here.
Irish Cowboy
About an hour’s drive Southeast of Phoenix in the town of Florence, this pub is worth the trip. Its menu beholds vintage recipes for true Irish fare delight. Not only that, but the traditional meat-centric Shepherd’s pie is also available as vegetarian–unheard of! This choice comes recommended by patrons, but so does the soda bread and Irish stew. Something tells me you cannot go wrong when selecting a meal off of this menu.
St. Paddy’s Day week here is sure to please with a four-day lineup of live music entertainment beginning on Thursday, March 14. Go ahead and bring the kids and make a day out of celebrating the Saint while exploring this nearby rural town. (I’m lacing up my hightops right now.)
Thirsty Lion
This gastropub may not have decor that screams traditional Irish, but the four locations across Maricopa County make a St. Patrick’s Day celebration within close reach.
Beginning on Friday, March 15, the Thirsty Lion will have an Irish specialty menu, specialty drinks, bagpipers, Irish dancers, and more! And since it is a chain, the food and drinks will have a comfortable, tried and true consistency. Be sure to try their pretzels!
Fibber Magees
With nitro stouts and Shepherd’s pie made with real lamb, this Chandler pub is worthy of a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Starting at 11 a.m. on March 17, a $15 cover charge will grant entrance to what Fibber Magees calls their block party (fitting day for an Irish pub!).
Authentic food, four bands, a beer garden, and what patrons call a wonderful ambiance, this is a fantastic place to proudly display your green while partying the Irish way!
Cheers to Saint Paddy!
While I will spend St. Patrick’s Day making Shepherd’s Pie from scratch for my Irish-heritage husband (if he doesn’t eat all of the mashed potatoes first, that is), the 9 places above are worthy of a stop for a pre-festivities warm-up or post-dinner after party. St. Patrick’s Day is a day meant to be a celebration of joy, good food, and camaraderie, so pick a place to cheers with new friends and take a shot in honor of the saint who brought the Biblical teachings to Ireland. What hearty fun.
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