Food & Drink

Where To Toast To St. Patrick’s Day in NoVA

From a hearty breakfast to a boxty, dig into the underrated cuisine of Ireland, no green beer required.

By Alice Levitt March 10, 2022 at 7:00 am

The Irish aren’t exactly known as culinary superstars the way, say, the French and Chinese are. But gastronomy on the Emerald Isle has picked up in recent decades. The cuisine’s classics served in this country, too, are standards for a reason. This month, as we celebrate Irish heritage, perhaps it’s time to reappraise that corned beef and cabbage. Here are the places to do it.

The Auld Shebeen

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, no matter what time you eat it. That’s especially true of a full Irish breakfast. At Mick Boyle and Dominic Keane’s beloved pub, named for the classic Irish speakeasies, you can find exactly that. The heaping plate includes sausage, thick-cut rashers of bacon, and both black and white pudding, so there’s no chance you’ll feel shortchanged as you dig into your eggs, potatoes, and grilled tomatoes. 3971 Chain Bridge Rd., Fairfax

Ire land’s Four Provinces

Owner Colm Dillon, a native of County Cork, has a long background in hospitality that shows in the warm welcome he gives to each guest at his pub. Not every dish is Irish here, but the greatest hits are all prepared with gusto, including a wavy-topped shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and bangers and mash with baked beans. 105 W. Broad St., Falls Church

Old Brogue Irish Pub

Since 1981, the Kearney family has been turning out Irish fare from this tiny kitchen. This is one of the only places in NoVA we’ve found to get a boxty. The potato pancake is a classic dish that can wrap practically anything. Here, it’s beef Bourguignon, made with slow-braised beef tenderloin, pearl onions, and mushrooms. 760 Walker Rd., Great Falls

Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub

What earns this spot in Shirlington its title of “gastropub?” The care applied to the food, which includes sourcing the best ingredients from near and far. Intensely Irish dishes like bacon and cabbage with Jameson mashed potatoes prove owner Mark Kirwan’s worth as a County Tipperary native, but we also love the nod to England in the form of Beef Wellington. 2800 S. Randolph St., Ste. 110, Arlington

Feature image by Rey Lopez

This story originally appeared in our March issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.

Alice Levitt

Contributing Food Critic/Editor

Alice Levitt has been writing for Northern Virginia Magazine since 2020. She began her restaurant critic journey at Seven Days in Vermont in 2007 before moving on to Houstonia Magazine in Texas. Her food, travel, and health innovation stories have appeared in Vox, EatingWell, Simply Recipes, Allrecipes, and many other national publications.