clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Daily Life In Dublin Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

D.C.’s Essential Irish Pubs

Where to down a creamy pint of Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day — or all year long

View as Map

It’s not hard to stumble onto a bar in D.C. serving corned beef and cabbage or Guinness. But some Irish pubs take that extra step, whether it be importing rare decorations straight from the Emerald Isle or putting a particular emphasis on traditional Irish recipes.

Sadly, D.C. bid adieu to a few Irish standbys over the past few years: Georgetown’s Ri Ra, Alexandria’s Fiona’s Irish Pub, James Hoban’s Irish Restaurant in Dupont Circle, and most recently, Chinatown’s Fado.

Here’s a map of the D.C. area’s 16 standout Irish bars, which will likely be more crowded than usual for St. Patrick’s Day (Friday, March 17) but are worth a visit any day of the year. The Baltimore region is home to Guinness Open Gate Brewery, the Irish stout’s massive U.S. headquarters that keeps St. Patrick’s Day festivities going all month.

And to curb a craving for a proper (or nontraditional) order of fish and chips, go here.

For all the latest Washington D.C. dining intel, subscribe to Eater DC’s newsletter.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

McGinty's Public House

Copy Link

A local favorite since 2006, Silver Spring’s resident Irish pub slings Guinness on tap, a popular brunch spread, and traditional classics like a cabbage and potato casserole with leeks and Irish cheddar. A special pickup menu for St. Patrick’s Day includes orders of bangers and mash, beef stew, shepherd’s pie, and corned beef and cabbage for families of four to six.

Irish Inn At Glen Echo

Copy Link

This property has been a tavern since 1931 — it was rebranded by new owners as the Irish Inn back in 2003. The charming looking, park-adjacent restaurant serves Guinness stroganoff, bangers and mash, and more.

Facade for the Irish Inn surrounded by trees
The Irish Inn is nestled up in Glen Echo, Maryland.
The Irish Inn [official site]

Boundary Stone

Copy Link

Bloomingdale’s beloved neighborhood pub and whiskey bar is co-owned by Ireland native Gareth Croke. St. Paddy’s Day specials, available through Monday, March 20, include a full Irish breakfast for brunch, homemade soda bread, bangers and mash, and more. Its catch-all menu carves out room for year-round Irish favorites like fish and chips and corned beef hash. Boundary Stone opens at 10 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day for brunch and live music all day.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Boundary Stone with Guinness chocolate cake featuring green Bailey’s buttercream.
Boundary Stone

Across the Pond

Copy Link

Dupont Circle’s no-frills destination for across-the-pond classics is all about battered sausages, car bombs, and Irish coffees. Rugby, soccer, and (European) football watch parties are also huge here. There’s also game-day specials and happy hour (Tuesday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.). Doors swing open on St. Patrick’s Day at 7 a.m. For an Irish pub crawl, walk north to stumble upon two Guinness-fueled standbys in Adams Morgan: the Blaguard and Shenanigan’s.

Duffy's Irish Pub (Dupont Circle NW)

Copy Link

Duffy’s is known in D.C. for its popular wings. But it’s also an Irish bar with an “Irish fusion” section of the menu, which includes beer-battered fish and chips and a corn beef-topped Cobb salad. The long-running bar jumped all over the city as of late, relocating from U Street to H Street in 2018. The bar now resides in Dupont digs, with another on the way to Capitol Hill. Opening at 11 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day.

Irish Channel Restaurant & Pub

Copy Link

This pub, located within an unassuming hotel in Chinatown, has an Irish chef (Tom Stack) and hosts live music Wednesdays through Saturdays featuring local musicians and Irish singers.

The Irish Channel’s facade
The Irish Channel pub
The Irish Channel [official photo]

The Dubliner Restaurant

Copy Link

Opened in 1974, the Dubliner is the patriarch of D.C.’s Irish bar community. Its epic St. Patrick’s Day party prices morning Guinness pours by its age (they’re 49 cents this year from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.). There’s also live music on two stages all day, with an Irish menu starting at 11 a.m. The reliable hangout recently introduced a newly enclosed sidewalk cafe.

A mahogany bar decorated with bottles
The well-stocked bar at The Dubliner in D.C.
Rey Lopez/Eater

Kelly's Irish Times

Copy Link

Decorations on the wall at this D.C. institution pull from more than 100 years of Irish history. There’s also a separate Irish whiskey-themed bar that opened a few years ago. Around since 1978, its mashup menu swings from Guinness Irish stew to New England clam chowder.

Kelly’s Irish Times
Kelly’s Irish Times [official photo]

Ireland's Four Provinces

Copy Link

Owner Colm Dillon is a native of Ireland. He and Ciara Collins purchased the pub, which has been around since 1997, in 2004. Cottage pie and and an Irish breakfast fry are among the classic dishes at the bar nicknamed 4P’s. Sunday brunch also draws lots of post-mass crowds. On St. Patrick’s Day, “K’eggs” breakfast fare from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. is followed by three-course menus with reserved seatings from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Kirwan’s on the Wharf

Copy Link

This relatively new addition to the D.C. Irish pub scene is one of the more laid-back, casual options in the Wharf development. The owners also run Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub In Arlington. Kirwan’s is the centerpiece of this weekend’s Ireland at The Wharf festival (Saturday, March 18), complete with bagpipers, Irish dance performances, Irish coffee from Praline Bakery, a Jameson rugby lounge, and Guinness beer garden on District Pier from noon to 6 p.m.

Kirwan’s on The Wharf
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

Mattie and Eddie’s Irish Bar and Restaurant

Copy Link

D.C. restaurateur Cathal Armstrong (KaliwaHummingbird) brought Arlington a proper “farm-to-table” taste of his native Dublin in 2021. Named after his grandparents, Mattie and Eddie’s serves Mid-Atlantic oysters, black pudding, sausage rolls, all-day Irish breakfasts, cured corned beef many ways, and potato and leek soup, plus all sorts of Irish ales, stouts, ciders, and lagers. St. Patrick’s Day festivities run all the way from Wednesday, March 15 to Sunday, March 19.

The Celtic House Irish Pub & Restaurant

Copy Link

Planted right on Columbia Pike’s traffic-heavy strip, the Celtic House is known for its deep whiskey selection, Wednesday night trivia, and orders of shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and Guinness stew. There’s also a 24-seat outdoor patio. St. Patrick’s Day festivities start at 9 a.m. with a full Irish breakfast, and the party continues with traditional music and dancers all weekend.

The Auld Shebeen

Copy Link

Walk into this Fairfax institution, and there’s a good chance you’ll find a cluster of Irish musicians jamming in the corner. The menu features dishes lightly fried Scotch eggs, a gravy-smothered Irish stout burger, Guinness beef stew, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie. The atmosphere gets rowdier in the basement area, named Jackie O’Shea’s, where George Mason University students party.

Mashed potatoes and a Guinness
Mashed potatoes at The Auld Shebeen
The Auld Shebeen [official photo]

Samuel Beckett's Irish Gastro Pub

Copy Link

One of the better overall options for drinking in Shirlington, Samuel Beckett’s attracts whiskey buffs, rugby fans, and dog-lovers (courtesy of their dog-friendly patio). Anyone can stop by for whiskey, lamb burgers, chicken curry, fish cakes, or bacon with cabbage.

Green-wearing patrons in a bar
Samuel Beckett’s St. Patrick’s Day crowds
Samuel Beckett’s [official site]

Murphy's Grand Irish Pub

Copy Link

Live Irish music is a staple at Murphy’s Old Town, which serves dishes like shrimp Killarney, Irish smoked salmon, meat and potato pie, daily discounts on Jameson and Irish beers (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.), and more.

A bread bowl on a plate
Dip in a bread bowl at Murphy’s
Muphy’s [official site]

Daniel O'Connell's Irish Restaurant & Bar

Copy Link

Ireland natives John Brennan and Billy O’Sullivan purchased this space back in 2004 and outfitted it with historic Irish antiques. The bar now hosts rugby viewing parties, St. Patrick’s Day events, and pub nights, all while serving up dishes like corned beef, fish and chips, and cabbage and Irish egg rolls.

An stone-framed dining room and bar
Inside Daniel O’Connell’s in Alexandria
Daniel O’Connell’s [official site]

McGinty's Public House

A local favorite since 2006, Silver Spring’s resident Irish pub slings Guinness on tap, a popular brunch spread, and traditional classics like a cabbage and potato casserole with leeks and Irish cheddar. A special pickup menu for St. Patrick’s Day includes orders of bangers and mash, beef stew, shepherd’s pie, and corned beef and cabbage for families of four to six.

Irish Inn At Glen Echo

This property has been a tavern since 1931 — it was rebranded by new owners as the Irish Inn back in 2003. The charming looking, park-adjacent restaurant serves Guinness stroganoff, bangers and mash, and more.

Facade for the Irish Inn surrounded by trees
The Irish Inn is nestled up in Glen Echo, Maryland.
The Irish Inn [official site]

Boundary Stone

Bloomingdale’s beloved neighborhood pub and whiskey bar is co-owned by Ireland native Gareth Croke. St. Paddy’s Day specials, available through Monday, March 20, include a full Irish breakfast for brunch, homemade soda bread, bangers and mash, and more. Its catch-all menu carves out room for year-round Irish favorites like fish and chips and corned beef hash. Boundary Stone opens at 10 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day for brunch and live music all day.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Boundary Stone with Guinness chocolate cake featuring green Bailey’s buttercream.
Boundary Stone

Across the Pond

Dupont Circle’s no-frills destination for across-the-pond classics is all about battered sausages, car bombs, and Irish coffees. Rugby, soccer, and (European) football watch parties are also huge here. There’s also game-day specials and happy hour (Tuesday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.). Doors swing open on St. Patrick’s Day at 7 a.m. For an Irish pub crawl, walk north to stumble upon two Guinness-fueled standbys in Adams Morgan: the Blaguard and Shenanigan’s.

Duffy's Irish Pub (Dupont Circle NW)

Duffy’s is known in D.C. for its popular wings. But it’s also an Irish bar with an “Irish fusion” section of the menu, which includes beer-battered fish and chips and a corn beef-topped Cobb salad. The long-running bar jumped all over the city as of late, relocating from U Street to H Street in 2018. The bar now resides in Dupont digs, with another on the way to Capitol Hill. Opening at 11 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day.

Irish Channel Restaurant & Pub

This pub, located within an unassuming hotel in Chinatown, has an Irish chef (Tom Stack) and hosts live music Wednesdays through Saturdays featuring local musicians and Irish singers.

The Irish Channel’s facade
The Irish Channel pub
The Irish Channel [official photo]

The Dubliner Restaurant

Opened in 1974, the Dubliner is the patriarch of D.C.’s Irish bar community. Its epic St. Patrick’s Day party prices morning Guinness pours by its age (they’re 49 cents this year from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.). There’s also live music on two stages all day, with an Irish menu starting at 11 a.m. The reliable hangout recently introduced a newly enclosed sidewalk cafe.

A mahogany bar decorated with bottles
The well-stocked bar at The Dubliner in D.C.
Rey Lopez/Eater

Kelly's Irish Times

Decorations on the wall at this D.C. institution pull from more than 100 years of Irish history. There’s also a separate Irish whiskey-themed bar that opened a few years ago. Around since 1978, its mashup menu swings from Guinness Irish stew to New England clam chowder.

Kelly’s Irish Times
Kelly’s Irish Times [official photo]

Ireland's Four Provinces

Owner Colm Dillon is a native of Ireland. He and Ciara Collins purchased the pub, which has been around since 1997, in 2004. Cottage pie and and an Irish breakfast fry are among the classic dishes at the bar nicknamed 4P’s. Sunday brunch also draws lots of post-mass crowds. On St. Patrick’s Day, “K’eggs” breakfast fare from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. is followed by three-course menus with reserved seatings from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Kirwan’s on the Wharf

This relatively new addition to the D.C. Irish pub scene is one of the more laid-back, casual options in the Wharf development. The owners also run Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub In Arlington. Kirwan’s is the centerpiece of this weekend’s Ireland at The Wharf festival (Saturday, March 18), complete with bagpipers, Irish dance performances, Irish coffee from Praline Bakery, a Jameson rugby lounge, and Guinness beer garden on District Pier from noon to 6 p.m.

Kirwan’s on The Wharf
Warren Rojas/Eater DC

Mattie and Eddie’s Irish Bar and Restaurant

D.C. restaurateur Cathal Armstrong (KaliwaHummingbird) brought Arlington a proper “farm-to-table” taste of his native Dublin in 2021. Named after his grandparents, Mattie and Eddie’s serves Mid-Atlantic oysters, black pudding, sausage rolls, all-day Irish breakfasts, cured corned beef many ways, and potato and leek soup, plus all sorts of Irish ales, stouts, ciders, and lagers. St. Patrick’s Day festivities run all the way from Wednesday, March 15 to Sunday, March 19.

The Celtic House Irish Pub & Restaurant

Planted right on Columbia Pike’s traffic-heavy strip, the Celtic House is known for its deep whiskey selection, Wednesday night trivia, and orders of shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and Guinness stew. There’s also a 24-seat outdoor patio. St. Patrick’s Day festivities start at 9 a.m. with a full Irish breakfast, and the party continues with traditional music and dancers all weekend.

The Auld Shebeen

Walk into this Fairfax institution, and there’s a good chance you’ll find a cluster of Irish musicians jamming in the corner. The menu features dishes lightly fried Scotch eggs, a gravy-smothered Irish stout burger, Guinness beef stew, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie. The atmosphere gets rowdier in the basement area, named Jackie O’Shea’s, where George Mason University students party.

Mashed potatoes and a Guinness
Mashed potatoes at The Auld Shebeen
The Auld Shebeen [official photo]

Samuel Beckett's Irish Gastro Pub

One of the better overall options for drinking in Shirlington, Samuel Beckett’s attracts whiskey buffs, rugby fans, and dog-lovers (courtesy of their dog-friendly patio). Anyone can stop by for whiskey, lamb burgers, chicken curry, fish cakes, or bacon with cabbage.

Green-wearing patrons in a bar
Samuel Beckett’s St. Patrick’s Day crowds
Samuel Beckett’s [official site]

Murphy's Grand Irish Pub

Live Irish music is a staple at Murphy’s Old Town, which serves dishes like shrimp Killarney, Irish smoked salmon, meat and potato pie, daily discounts on Jameson and Irish beers (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.), and more.

A bread bowl on a plate
Dip in a bread bowl at Murphy’s
Muphy’s [official site]

Related Maps

Daniel O'Connell's Irish Restaurant & Bar

Ireland natives John Brennan and Billy O’Sullivan purchased this space back in 2004 and outfitted it with historic Irish antiques. The bar now hosts rugby viewing parties, St. Patrick’s Day events, and pub nights, all while serving up dishes like corned beef, fish and chips, and cabbage and Irish egg rolls.

An stone-framed dining room and bar
Inside Daniel O’Connell’s in Alexandria
Daniel O’Connell’s [official site]

Related Maps