The cold and snowy city of Buffalo, New York has five Irish pubs that provide natives and visitors alike a warm and friendly place to raise a pint.
In many ways, a city like Buffalo needs Irish pubs more than anywhere. The economy in Buffalo often struggles and the weather can force people inside. The best Irish pubs provide a welcoming, affordable and fun experience where you can go to forget the elements outside and realities of everyday life and just enjoy great food, beer and the company of friends and strangers.
Of course, the ultimate day for most Irish pubs is St. Patrick’s Day and Buffalo’s Irish pubs are no exception. Each of the Irish pubs in Buffalo offer great St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and specials.
The following are the five best Irish pubs in Buffalo, New York.
D’Arcy McGee’s
257 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York
http://darcymcgeesonline.com/darcy/index.php
D’Arcy McGee’s is a warm, friendly place that is laid back and fun, but still pays attention to the detail that makes some Irish pubs special. For example, the bar was made in Ireland and shipped to Buffalo. The decorations around D’Arcy McGee’s are antiques straight from Ireland as well. The fireplace is well situated and really puts a stamp on D’Arcy McGee’s from an Irish pub ambiance perspective.
While the decor and woodwork help set the scene, what makes D’Arcy’s a good place is the beer (a great pour on the Guinness) and the very affordable Irish food. While the food is not particularly adventurous, it includes good Irish staples such as Bangers and Mash, Shepherd’s Pie and Fish ‘n Chips for entrees and affordable sandwiches and wraps as well.
D’Arcy McGee’s features live music (check its website for schedules) and is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday. It’s annual St. Patrick’s Day party is probably the biggest in Buffalo and it pays to get there early if you want to get a good place to sit with friends (if you can get in at all).
JP Fitzgerald’s
4236 Clark Street
Hamburg, New York
http://www.jpfitzgeralds.com/
JP Fitzgerald’s is a tale of three pubs. It’s a great restaurant, sports bar and Irish pub sports rolled into one.
JP Fitzgerald’s places a heavy emphasis on food and could stand on its own as a casual restaurant. They claim to have the ‘best Reuben sandwich in Western New York’. Located in the Southtown part of the Buffalo area (it’s actually in Hamburg, New York), JP Fitzgerald’s attracts a fun and upscale crowd lunch and dinner crowd.
In addition to its great food, JP Fitzgerald’s is a bit of a sports bar as well. It offers 15 television screens and has all the major sports packages. As Buffalo is primarily a hockey and football town, those sports have the greatest emphasis, but others, such as the NBA, Major League Baseball and even the MLS are shown as well.
While the good food and plenty of sports are great, at its core, JP Fitzgerald’s is an Irish pub. The bar area features great Irish beers and whiskey, along with a lively and friendly crowd and bartenders with the requisite brogues.
Shannon Pub
2250 Niagara Falls Boulevard
Buffalo, New York
http://www.shannonpub.com/
While D’Arcy McGee’s is a pub in Buffalo that makes every effort to be an Irish pub (and succeeds) and JP Fitzgerald’s is a restaurant, sports bar and Irish pub combined, the Shannon Pub is authentically Irish.
In many ways, the Shannon Pub could be considered the headquarters for Irish culture in Buffalo. It organizes trips to Ireland, hosts Irish themed radio shows, and an Irish singalong every Sunday afternoon. As you’d expect, the food here is deeply Irish (you know what that means if you like Irish food). Gaelic Steak, Irish Lamb Stew and Corned Beef and Cabbage are the highlights on the menu. Finally, the beer selection is awesome, with a heavy Irish influence, ranging from Guinness, to Murphy’s Irish Stout, to Smithwick’s Irish Red Ale and more.
This is the place where the Irish would go if going to an Irish pub in Buffalo. And it is definitely the place to be on St. Patrick’s Day in Buffalo each year.
WJ Morrissey Irish Pub
30 Mississippi Street
Buffalo, New York
http://www.wjmorrissey.com/
Located close to the HSBC Arena (where the Buffalo Sabres play) and Coca Cola Field (where the minor league baseball Buffalo Bisons play), WJ Morrissey Irish Pub attracts many pre and post game fans looking for a beer and solid food. In fact, before Bisons games kids eat for free.
This pub was designed by a leading pub designer in Ireland and the wood, signage and general layout is gorgeous. The Sunday morning Irish brunch is a popular draw as is the Wednesday night Stew and Stout night, with low prices on both, well, stout and Irish stew. There is also a large and attractive patio where patrons can sit outside during the warm months and enjoy the weather while also enjoying a cold Guinness.
Griffin’s Irish Pub
81 Abbott Road
Buffalo, New York
http://www.griffinsirishpub.com/
If you are looking for a high energy, no frills, rock and roll type of Irish Pub where you don’t go to eat (there is no food), but do go for great Irish beer and live music that even attracts some big names from time to time, Griffin’s Irish Pub is exactly where you want to go.
This is a very hip, yet not trendy, type of place with a great beer selection. It also attracts some Sabres’ fans before and after games, but the main draws are the entertainment, the friendly bartenders and the great bar selections.
So if you live in Buffalo, New York and want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or enjoy an Irish pub anytime of the year, these are five options which are all good but also all distinct from one another.
