St. Patrick’s Day in Lansing: Your guide to Irish pubs and fare

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by indulging in some traditional Irish grub and adult beverages. Lansing is home to several traditional Irish pubs, as well as other bars and restaurants that serve up hearty stews, soda bread, and battered fried fish alongside pints of Guinness and pours of Irish whiskey.

From classic Irish pubs to other eateries and watering holes with Irish-inspired specials, keep reading to discover the best spots in Lansing to get Irish food and beverages this St. Patrick’s Day. Slainte!

Moriarty’s Pub

802 E. Michigan Ave.

For an authentic St. Patrick’s Day experience, head to Moriarty’s Pub. This traditional Irish-American pub has been serving the Lansing community comforting food in a casual environment since 1979.

Guinness and Smithwick’s are always available on tap, in addition to some non-Irish beers and seasonal microbrews. If you’re not a beer drinker, don’t worry. On St. Patrick’s Day, there will be other drink specials available all day long. There’s also plenty of Irish whiskey behind the bar, from Tullamore Dew and Jameson to Bushmills and Slane.

When it comes to food, don’t miss Moriarty’s famous corned beef and cabbage dinner or the Mulligan stew, a traditional beef stew. Fish and chips or the fish sandwich are also great options.

Kelly’s Downtown

220 S. Washington Sq.

Kelly’s Downtown is another old-school Lansing staple with authentic Irish flair. The family-owned-and-operated establishment opened in 1984 because, according to its website, “downtown needed a nice Irish Pub.” The ambiance is warm and inviting, and most of the items decorating the walls came straight from Ireland.

Featured Irish draughts include Guinness, Smithwick’s, Killian’s Irish Red Ale, and Harp Lager.
The deep-fried battered cod platter, corned beef sandwich on marble rye bread, and deep-fried fish submarine are all popular food orders.

Lansing Brewing Company

518 E. Shiawassee St.

If you’re after more of a party atmosphere this St. Patrick’s Day, consider stopping by Lansing Brewing Company, which has an entire weekend of events planned for the holiday. First, the brewery is participating in a pub crawl — The Official Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl — that begins at 4 p.m. on March 16 and goes until midnight. There will also be live music starting at 7 p.m.

On St. Patrick’s Day, start the party with Lansing Brewing Company’s Kegs & Eggs Brunch, which will feature an exclusive menu with special-edition dishes. Then, stick around for the No Damn Green Beer Party, featuring traditional Irish pub music, St. Patrick’s Day-themed cocktails, an exclusive themed beer flight, the release of a new Irish red beer, and more!

Some of the specialty drinks include Irish Mint Lemonade (Hard Nose Amber Cream Whiskey, ginger beer, lemonade, fresh mint leaves, and lime served on the rocks), Peppermint St. Paddy (Hard Nose Vodka, heavy whipping cream, house-made peppermint simple syrup, house-made butterscotch toffee coffee simple syrup, and Shipbuilders’ Milk Stout served on the rocks), and an Irish Margarita (Hard Nose Amber Cream Whiskey, orange juice, house-made sour mix, lime juice, and house-made blue curacao simple syrup with a sugar rim and lime garnish served on the rocks).

Photo courtesy of Lansing Brewing Company via Facebook

Lansing Shuffle

325 Riverfront Dr.

Lansing Shuffle is another stop on the aforementioned bar crawl, and it’s serving up a slew of special St. Patrick’s Day drinks.

Themed sips include an Irish Mule (Jameson, lime juice, and ginger beer), the Drunk Leprechaun (Parrot Bay, melon liqueur, and blue curacao topped with pineapple juice), the Luck of The Irish (Bailey’s Vanilla Mint Shake, vanilla vodka, and cream served in a glass with chocolate), and a Shamrock Shooter (Bailey’s Irish Cream, Jameson, and melon liqueur). These drink specials will also be available on March 17, and there will be live music from 6-9 p.m.

There are five different restaurants located within Lansing Shuffle, so there are plenty of choices when it comes to food too.

Old Bag of Nails

210 Cascade Blvd.

The folks behind Old Bag of Nails told us that St. Patrick’s Day is one of their favorite days of the year, so expect a fun and festive atmosphere if you spend the holiday here. Old Bag of Nails, an “Irish pub with British grub,” will be serving a corned beef and cabbage dish for St. Patrick’s Day only, in addition to a special cocktail menu.

The pub always has Guinness on draft, as well as plenty of other delicious food items that will get you into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit, including fish and chips, a fish sandwich, and a fish sandwich, reuben-style.

Photo courtesy of Old Bag of Nails Lansing via Facebook

Horrocks Farm Market

7420 W. Saginaw Hwy.

Horrocks is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party in its beer garden, beginning at noon. Sip on special St. Patrick’s Day drinks and indulge in fare from the Kilkenny’s Irish Fish N’ Chips food truck while you enjoy music by Roane, a Celtic-American folk band.

Irish brews on tap include Guinness, Odd Side Ales’ Irish Draught and Paddy’s Red, Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s Conway’s Irish Ale, Saugatuck Brewing Company’s Maggie’s Irish Ale, Austin Brothers Beer Co.’s O’donoghue’s Irish Ale, and more!

EagleMonk Pub and Brewery

4906 W. Mt. Hope Hwy.

EagleMonk Pub and Brewery is a no-frills, husband-and-wife-owned pub serving a rotating selection of craft beers. The Irish Red, made with British pale malt and a generous amount of caramel malt, is a perfect option for St. Patrick’s Day. While there isn’t any Irish food on the menu, EagleMonk is known for its pizzas, and nothing pairs better with a pint than a cheesy homemade pie.

According to its website, the establishment will be hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party, though no further details have been shared yet, so be sure to follow them on Facebook or give them a call for more information.

Bonus spot: Dublin Square

327 Abbot Rd., East Lansing

Step into Dublin Square, and you might forget you’re in Michigan — not Ireland. This upscale Irish pub is located just outside of Lansing (in East Lansing), and its entire interior was built in Dublin and then shipped and reassembled in East Lansing.

From Guinness Battered Brie and Irish Nachos to the Irish Beef Dip Sandwich and Bangers & Mash, the food menu has something for everyone. And of course, you’ll find Guinness on tap and tons of Irish whiskies behind the bar.

Keep in mind that East Lansing is a college town, and this is one of the more popular bars in the area, so if you’re looking for a low-key St. Patrick’s Day, you might want to consider one of the other options on our list.

Photo courtesy of Dublin Square East Lansing via Facebook

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.