Chicago Gets a Second St. Patrick’s Day in 2023!

What’s more fun than celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago? Being able to celebrate it twice!

By Dave Lifton (@daveeatschicago)

The Chicago area has traditionally held its parades on the Saturday before March 17^th, which, in 2023, was March 11^th. That means that St. Patrick’s Day proper falls on a Friday, giving Chicagoans who don’t work on Saturdays the opportunity to keep the party going and have a few more rounds.

Even if the Chicago River won’t be dyed green until next year (and you can read our history of that here), you can still catch a pint or several at one of the many Irish pubs in the city. Here are our recommendations.

Chief O’Neill’s Pub

Avondale staple Chief O’Neill’s is consistently rated as one of Chicago’s best Irish pubs. Their festival runs all weekend, starting at 10:00AM on March 17^th, with traditional Irish food, music, and dance until midnight (a $10 cover charge starts at 4:00PM). In Mrs. O’Neill’s Parlor on the second floor, they’re hosting a Grand Emerald Isle Buffet, with fish & chips, corned beef & cabbage, shepherd’s pie, and Irish chicken curry, plus salads and dessert. The cost is $40 for a two-hour seating window. The merriment continues on Saturday with Irish music and dance from 6:30-9:30PM with no cover charge.

Bar Pendry

The Loop’s famously green skyscraper is a natural place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The Bar Pendry inside the Carbide & Carbon Building will offer a flight of Irish whiskeys, pastrami poutine made with Irish cheddar, and more.

Cork & Kerry

Named after two of Ireland’s counties, Cork & Kerry can be found in Beverly. They have more than 60 beers to choose from, and an outdoor beer garden that can hold up to 300 people (weather permitting). There is no kitchen, however their second location, in Bridgeport only a few blocks away from Guaranteed Rate Field, serves pub food with an Irish slant.

D4 Irish Pub & Cafe

Streeterville’s D4 brings a slightly more upscale flavor of Dublin to Chicago, with a modern take on Irish favorites. They’ll be open at 10:00 on March 17^th, with a menu consisting of fish & chips, corned beef & cabbage, bangers & mash, Irish lamb stew, Colcannon croquettes, and shepherd’s pie, and it can all be washed down with Guinness or green Miller Lite.

Chicago Firehouse

Housed in a former South Loop fire station that was built in 1905, Chicago Firehouse will have live Irish music in its bar from 6:00-9:00PM. In addition to the regular menu, they’ll have soda bread, colcannon, corned beef & cabbage, fish & chips, and, for dessert, Irish coffee cheesecake.

Durty Nellie’s

Durty Nellie’s, a gastropub and music venue in suburban Palatine, is throwing their “Durty St. Pat’s,” with a $5 cover charge granting access to two stages of live music that will be running from noon until 12:30AM. They’ve created eight Irish cocktails, including takes on the old fashioned and cosmopolitan, which are available for $10. 

Lady Gregory’s

Lady Gregory’s celebrations started on March 2^nd and will run through St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The Andersonville bar is featuring live music, with many food and drink specials, including a hamburger with an Irish whiskey bacon jam and Guinness cheese sauce, Bailey’s mint chocolate pie, and Irish cocktails. DJ Jonathan O’Sullivan will spin Irish music on Friday, beginning at 5:00PM.

Old Time Tap

Down on the Far South Side in Hegwisch, Old Time Tap has drink specials throughout March, including $4 shamrock shooters, $4.50 Guinness pints, $5 rum martinis, and $6 Irish Moscow mules. 

The Green Post

A Lincoln Square throwback to a traditional public house, The Green Post has more than 30 Irish whiskeys, a corned beef dinner, gluten-free fish & chips, and a selection of savory pies. Representatives from Magners Cider will be on-site from 3:00-5:00PM on March 17^th to give away glassware.

Timothy O’Toole’s

Timothy O’Toole’s started celebrating St. Paddy’s on March 10^th and it’s going all week. They’ve got food and drink specials, bagpipers, and a pop-up bar in the back that they’re calling “Timmy’s Leprechaun Lounge.” There are locations in Streeterville, Libertyville, Gurnee, and Lake Villa that have the same specials, but only the downtown Chicago bar has the pop-up.

O’Shaughnessy’s Public House

Located in Ravenswood, O’Shaughnessy’s represents the very best of what an original Irish pub could’ve looked like, complete with a custom-built wooden bar. With a friendly staff, plenty of beer, sausage rolls, and curry chips, this is a must-visit pub.