St. Paddy’s Day is around the corner, and it’s time to eat, drink, and be merry. Don your best green attire and head to these Irish bars and restaurants to fill up on classics like corned beef, shepherd’s pie, and, of course, a Guinness to wash it all down.
Irish Breakfast
Ned’s Irish Gastro Pub & Restaurant
Ned’s does brunch every Sunday, so expect the brunch the day before St. Patrick’s Day to be over the top. Enjoy a traditional Irish breakfast with banger sausage and bacon rasher or an omelet with ground lamb and Irish cheddar. Or veer off the brunch menu for some traditional fare. Try the Guinness beef stew or the Irish lamb stew the restaurant prides itself on. 2465 Centreville Rd., Herndon
Irish Shepherd’s Pie
Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant & Bar
You’ll feel the luck of the Irish as you dine at this King Street restaurant that’s owned by an Irish-born entrepreneur. The braised ground beef, carrots, peas, and onions come in a deep brown gravy and with mashed potatoes and housemade Irish brown bread. This hearty shepherd’s pie is available family-style. 112 King St., Alexandria
Beer
The Auld Shebeen Irish Pub & Restaurant
For eight years in a row, our readers have named this NoVA’s best Irish bar. On the draught list, you’ll find Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale, Harp Lager, Guinness Draught, Smithwick’s Irish Ale, and Magners Irish Cider (made with 17 apple varieties). For non-alcoholic beer drinkers, the pub offers Kaliber, Guinness 0, and Heineken 0.0. Sample a little traditional potato leek soup and other house specialties, including seafood pie and braised short ribs, and finish things off with an Irish coffee. 3971 Chain Bridge Rd., Fairfax
Cocktails
Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub
Celebrate the holiday with a few cocktails made with Bushmills. Samuel Beckett’s offers up a Dublin Manhattan, an Irishman’s martini, and a frozen Irish coffee, all made with the Irish whiskey. Its Crabbie Irishman combines Bushmills, lime juice, and Crabbie’s ginger beer. And the Bushmills Smash features house-infused honey whiskey and honey syrup, along with lemon and mint. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the beer selection and mixed pints. 2800 S. Randolph St., Ste. 110, Arlington
Irish Music
Murphy’s: A Grand Irish Pub
Enjoy a little authentic Irish music in Old Town while you have a meal. There’s no cover charge. Through March 17, there are plenty of entertainment options, including live Irish music, Irish dancers, and an open mic night on March 13. While you’re there, try some Back Creek Beauties. These oysters are grown on the pub’s own oyster farm on the Eastern Shore. 713 King St., Alexandria
Corned Beef and Cabbage
O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Restaurant
At this casual, farm-to-table restaurant, the corned beef brisket on the dinner menu is brined in-house and comes with cabbage, baby carrots, and parsley sauce. On the lunch menu, try the hand-held Reuben on thick marbled bread topped with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Marie Rose sauce. The dinner menu also has beef and Guinness stew and bangers and mash. 380 Broadview Ave., Warrenton
Feature image courtesy The Auld Shebeen
This story originally ran in our March 2024 issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
