O’connell’s irish Pub & Grille
769 Asp Ave., Norman
oconnellsnorman.com
217-8454
Start
your day off right with a true commitment to St. Patrick’s Day. Don’t
skip the most important meal of the day on your way to the festivities.
The pub opens at 7 a.m. with green eggs and ham and serves green beer in
a souvenir mug all day. A local favorite for St. Pat’s festivities,
O’Connell’s also has traditional food specials like fish and chips.
McNellie’s the Abner Ale House
121 E. Main St., Norman
mcnelliesnorman.com
928-5801
On
this holiday, everyone celebrates what the Irish have always known: Any
day is good for a pint. Doors open at 10 a.m. with specials on Irish
favorites Guinness Extra Stout and Smithwick’s, and it serves its full
menu all day. Try the landlord’s cottage pie ($10.99) with chipped beef
and vegetables in a hearty brown gravy for some sustenance. If you
hanker for something slightly less heavy, potatoes are Irish, and
McNellie’s turns out fresh sweet potato fries.
WSKY Lounge
228 NE Second St.
wskylounge.com
606-7171
There
is no green beer here, and that’s a very good thing. WSKY is getting
started early with green eggs and ham for breakfast and special
Irish-inspired menu items throughout the day. Take this holiday to get
cozy with its wide selection of Irish whiskeys and let its knowledgeable
staff take you on a different kind of tour through the Emerald Isle,
starting with Connemara and working through to Redbreast.
Blackbird Gastropub
575 S. University Blvd., Norman
thegoodlifeok.com/blackbirdkitchen
928-5555
Blackbird
offers a wide selection of warm dishes long favored in pubs, including
chicken pot pie ($9), Irish bangers ($9) and a hearty Angus tenderloin
tip stew ($9). It also offers some dishes that stray from traditional
fare but keep with the Irish theme: pot roast sliders ($9) and pot roast
nachos ($10).
Pair any of them with a frosty pint of locally brewed Irish ale from the neighboring Brewhouse (formerly Coach’s).
Saints Irish Pub
1715 NW 16th St.
saintspubokc.com
602-6308
The
owner of Saints, with the nearly perfect name Patrick Ireland,
celebrates St. Patrick’s Day year-round. On the actual day, though, he
goes all out. Saints will feature Irish music and dancing on the street
outside, as well as a special menu that highlights an updated take on
Irish cuisine. There will be corned-beef sliders as well as Saints’ full
bar menu. What you won’t find is green-tinted booze. You’re also in the
right place for a signature cocktail — Irish Rickey anyone?
Sean Cummings’ irish Pub
7523 N. May Ave.
seancummingspub.com
755-2622
Sean
Cummings’ will feature live Irish music all day, as well as a smaller
menu of the superstars of Irish cuisine, including bangers and mash,
shepherd’s pie and fish and chips. Before you ask, they will serve
Guinness. Lots of it. Also adhering to the adage, “We’re all Irish
today,” Vito’s Ristorante next door will spread its arms wide to the
hooligans that come for a pint and a jig.
Pub W
3720 W. Robinson St., Norman
pubwnorman.com
701-5844
Pub
W boasts a wide selection of gastronomical delights, and you can stick
with the Irish theme of the day or order stick-to-your-ribs pub food to
soak up all that beer. The hot brown ($9) has smoked turkey smothered in
mashed potatoes and brown gravy. Feeling more traditional? The pot
roast ($13) is simple and sublime. Pair it with the famous artichoke
hearts with a balsamic bacon glaze. It also offers a broad selection of
beer and whiskey.
This article appears in Mar 5-11, 2014.