Where to Party for St. Patrick’s Day

Every year on March 17, a.k.a. St. Patrick’s Day, people come together to celebrate Irish culture, heritage and tradition with a little green beer and/or whiskey, live music and feasts of Irish delicacies like soda bread and corned beef with cabbage. 

If you’re still trying to decide where you’ll be toasting to all the fun this year, peruse this list of local pubs, restaurants and lounges where the parties, live music and cold beer (green and otherwise) will be plentiful day and night. 

1. Salty’s 

Photo courtesy of Lennon Curtin

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Salty’s (West Seattle, Redondo Beach), where the beer will be the same color that you’re encouraged to don: green. If you’re looking to sip on something a little stronger, bartenders will be serving up Irish car bombs (a dangerous combo of Irish stout, Irish cream and Irish whiskey) and Irish coffee. In addition to the restaurant’s regular menu, Salty’s is featuring a bar menu with Irish-inspired dishes, including Reuben sliders, lamb stew and traditional soda bread. Get there early: Seating in the bar is first come, first served.

2. Fado Irish Pub

Come bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for this early-morning party: the downtown pub opens at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, for its “Kegs and Eggs” brunch served until 11 a.m. Then rock out all day to live music from Seattle-based rock bands The Undercover Outlaws and The Kennedy Brothers. Note: The shamrock-loving shindig is free before 2 p.m. After that, expect to pay a $10 cover.

3. Murphy’s Pub

Photo courtsey of Upupa4me via Flickr

Murphy’s Pub in Wallingford bills itself as Seattle’s first Irish pub, so you can bet the longstanding haunt does St. Patrick’s Day celebrations right. The festivities begin on March 17 at 9 a.m., with live music starting at 11 a.m. and lasting through the wee hours. Nosh on corned beef and cabbage, stout beef stew, bangers and mash, and shepherd’s pie, then cheers your pals with a frosty pint or a strong shot of Jameson.

4. Suite Lounge

Hop across Lake Washington to Bellevue’s Suite Lounge for a St. Patrick’s Day bash brimming with green beer and other Irish favorites like Guinness, Tullamore Dew blended whiskey, corned beef and cabbage, Reuben sandwiches and Irish beef stew. The fun kicks off at 3 p.m. on Thursday, with music from Suite Lounge resident DJs starting at 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended and they can be made here. 

5. Irish Stroll Pub Crawl

On Thursday, March 17, Barcrawls.com will host its annual Irish Stroll, which commences at 6 p.m. at Sam’s Tavern on Capitol Hill, at which you’ll score your wristband and pub crawl map. Scamper along to the various crawl spots, including Linda’s Tavern, Purr Cocktail Lounge, Stout Pub, Grim’s Provisions & Spirits and Boom Noodle for cover-free admission, drink specials and plenty of dancing. Tickets are $10 a person, but if you can round up a group of five or more of your friends to dress in green and gold and join you for a night on the town, group tickets are $30.

6. Hard Rock Cafe 

Head to Hard Rock Cafe near Pike Place Market for a gratis St. Patrick’s Day fete with live Irish music from 5 to 7:30 p.m. by local Celtic folk band SeaStar. With those Irish tunes, there will be St. Patrick’s Day-themed sips and eats aplenty, including a Jameson Irish Mule served in HR’s signature mason jar, and Guinness and Jameson bacon cheeseburger topped with Jameson bacon jam, a Guinness cheese sauce, tomatoes and seasoned arugula.