Dishin’ with the Diva

Favorite Stateside Irish Pubs

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d share some info on my favorite Irish pubs here in the U.S.

• McGuire’s Irish Pub, Pensacola, FL: Fantastic atmosphere, with live music and thousands of dollar bills signed by patrons tacked to the walls. Their steak is fabulous, and the rest of the food is darned tasty, too. Weird as it sounds, they make some wonderful root beer, if you decide you can make it past the Guinness.
• Pat Troy’s Ireland’s Own, Alexandria, VA: In the historic Old Town district of Alexandria, the pub’s decor is a mix of military tribute and Irish pride. When he’s available, Pat makes a point of greeting his customers, and he’s simply a hoot to talk to. Ronald Reagan visited the pub for St. Patrick’s Day in 1988, and his table (as well as his tab and several other mementos) have been preserved for patrons’ enjoyment.
• McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, Houston, TX: Ah, my hometown pub. Though for my waistline, it’s probably a good thing that it’s not all that close to my house. They have a huge shindig every St. Patrick’s Day, with traditional music going inside and more modern Irish sounds going under the big tents outside. And the rest of the year, they provide a fantastic, intimate music venue for a range of music acts. I can’t say anything about most of their menu, since I have yet to get past the Shepherd’s Pie, which is to die for.

Those are my favorites. Anyone else have any other suggestions of places I should visit while on the road?