Erin Go Bragh! The Best Irish Pubs in Los Angeles to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2016

Fiona Chandra

There’s more to a great Irish pub than a properly tapped Guinness. These bars boast delicious Irish comfort food and live music along with 60 Irish whiskeys. Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or just looking for a friendly bar to eat and drink like the Irish on any other day, here are our picks for the best Irish pubs in Los Angeles.

Rock and Reilly’s
Irish pub meets hip West Hollywood at Rock and Reilly’s. This celebrity hang out hosts one of the biggest St Paddy’s parties in town. Instead of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, Rock and Reilly’s will be throwing their fifth Reilly’s Block Party on Saturday, March 12 complete with 100+ kegs of beers, 8 full bars, food trucks, games and DJs. The party will go from 1-10 p.m. Tickets can be purchased using this link.

Tom Bergin’s
The home of the Irish coffee must be included in any Irish pub list in Los Angeles. This historic bar also boasts the second oldest liquor license in Los Angeles County. The Irish pub reopened in January of 2014 with a full craft cocktail program and a solid food menu, making it even more of a gem. Celebrating its 80th St. Patrick’s Day, Bergin’s will have an indoor and outdoor bash from 11 a.m. to midnight complete with a Guinness truck pouring Guinness, Guinness Blonde, Guinness IPA and Harp Lager on tap, in addition to plenty of other beers, ciders and Irish inspired cocktails from four satellite bars. There will be picnic table seating, two beer pong tables and a DJ to keep the event festive.

Casey’s Irish Pub
Originally built as a Turkish bath house, this spacious downtown spot is a favorite thanks to their whiskey selections, traditional Irish dishes alongside sports bar bites and a myriad of games like ping pong, billiards and darts. The 10,000-square-foot pub is already a great space to throw parties but every year Casey’s throws a big St. Patrick’s Day celebration with their street festival that includes food, drink specials, games and DJs. The events starts at 11 a.m. but the pub opens up at 6 a.m. in case you want your green beers earlier.

Molly Malone’s
Molly Malone’s has been attracting crowds for more than 40 years thanks to their traditional Irish vibes. On top of their low prices and their Irish coffees, Molly Malone’s is known to have some of the most talented live music guests. Their stage, The Snug, features some of the best local and Irish artists. The walls are covered with paintings of both notable Irish figures and Molly Malone’s longtime patrons. During live show nights, they serve food that blends Irish dishes with sports bar staples like hot corned beef sandwiches.

Jameson’s Irish Pub
Right in the heart of Hollywood lies Jameson’s Irish Pub, a laid-back neighborhood spot with 2-for-1 weekday happy hour specials, all-you-can-eat prime rib dinners and weekend brunches. Locals escape the Hollywood hype here with a pint or one of their Irish-themed cocktails. You may as well skip work on St. Paddy’s since the celebration at Jameson’s will start at 6 a.m. with green beers, shamrock shots, bagpipes, live entertainment and giveaways.

The Auld Dubliner
The Auld Dubliner is the place to watch rugby, soccer and football games or to just hang out for the night. This traditional Irish pub serves over 30 beers and traditional Irish comfort food like Irish ham and cabbage and full Irish breakfasts. Their live music begins at 10 p.m. every night and live Irish tunes happen on Thursdays from 4-8 p.m. The Auld Dubliner features over 60 Irish whiskeys and every Wednesday from 6-10 p.m. they are 50% off.

Finn McCool’s
Named after a mythical Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhail, this pub is decked out with Celtic wood carvings. The pub features 18 draft beers and over 200 whiskeys served alongside traditional Irish Boxty dishes, potato skins and housemade gravlax. There’s always something special going on at this place like traditional live Irish music to open mic and trivia nights. Live bands will be playing on St. Patrick’s Day.

O’Brien’s Irish Pub
The friendly and lively O’Brien’s is Santa Monica’s quintessential Irish pub. Like a proper neighborhood Irish pub, they serve Guinness and hold trivia and offer live music and comedy nights but the bar also features rotating craft brews including some rare finds like Stone’s Encore series. They also work with local (and national) breweries for tap takeover nights. Of course, you’ll also find corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie here alongside tasty burgers and other pub food.

Patrick Molloy’s
A hopping Irish sports pub near Hermosa Beach Pier, crowds gather here for their great happy hour and their 51 oz. “Pot O Gold.” Live music from local bands, DJs, and sports on 35 high definition flat screen TVs round up the experience. The food veers toward American pub grub like pizzas, tacos and burgers, but they serve shepherd’s pie and fish and chips. This year’s St. Patrick’s Day also falls on Patrick Molloy’s Thirsty Thursdays where you can get special pricing on beers and well drinks all night.

Joxer Daly’s
This Culver City hangout is known for their Irish breakfast consisting of bangers, Irish bacon, eggs, toast and white and black pudding alongside the $5 breakfast cocktails. There’s also live music on Fridays and Saturdays and karaoke on Wednesdays. Decked out in team flags, this is also the spot to watch major soccer games as the bar opens early for televised league games. Whichever game or event patrons are here for, the Irish nachos are the thing to get.

Here’s to a cold pint and another one! Sláinte!