Discover the Boston Area's Best Irish Pubs: A Food Tour Guide Part I

By Adam Branco

St Patrick's Day is quickly approaching, and given its importance in Boston, you're probably looking for a proper pub to celebrate the holiday. Don't worry, I'll help you out. Here's part I of some of the best Irish pubs in the Boston area:

A Little Piece of Ireland in Cambridge at The Druid

The Druid: Let's keep it close to the home base with this Inman Square, Cambridge favorite. The red walls, paper lantern-like figurines hanging from the ceilings, blaring live Irish music, proper pints of Guinness, and eclectic mix of students, professionals, hipsters, and old-timers make The Druid one of those spots that make you say "Yeah, this isn't my final visit" the instant you walk in. The only downside for the average tourist is that it's at least a half mile from any train stop, but that probably doesn't upset the locals much.

Sláinte at Mr. Dooley's

Mr. Dooley's:  One of the quintessential downtown Boston Irish pubs, Dooley's has been doing proper pours and featuring lots of fiddle sessions for over 30 years now. You will see a fun mix of clientele here, and this is a great starter if you're new to the area and haven't been to any Irish pubs yet.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Dooley's

Up the Rebels at The Tam

The Tam: The term "dive bar" gets thrown around quite a bit, and proper ones in the everchanging downtown Boston landscape are few and far between. The Tam, however, stands strong. Located mere steps from the Boston Common, the green awning with the old-school Michelob Budweiser sign is as recognizable of an entrance as any Boston institution. This spot will quickly suck you in, and it'll make for a rather fun few hours.

Photo courtesy of Time Out

An Empty Sack Does Not Stand at Biddy Early's

Biddy Early's:  Let's continue the theme of proper dives left in downtown Boston. Biddy's is like a couch that might not be the most aesthetically pleasing but is perfect for napping because of how broken in it is. Surrounded by corporate office buildings and 5-star hotels, this spot still has much utility in Boston's nightlife scene and hopefully remains for just a while longer.

Photo courtesy of Biddy Early's

Boston's Best Irish Coffee at Emmets

Emmets:  Just steps from the State House, Emmets is a cozy Irish pub/restaurant and is a perfect stop for a drink as you bounce around the Beacon Hill area.   While the Irish Coffee isn't on the level of The Dead Rabbit in NYC or Swift Soho in London, it's still quite good and a proper pick-me-up. Here, plus Roxanne's, 21st Amendment, and Carrie Nation would make for a pretty fantastic neighborhood bar crawl.

A Century Plus of Irish American Tradition of J.J. Foley's Cafe

J.J. Foley's Cafe:  If you close your eyes and imagine a Boston Irish cop dive bar, J.J. Foley's will almost certainly be the end result. First established in 1909, this is the oldest Irish bar in the city. if walls could talk, there'd be some pretty fun stories of what once was.

Photo courtesy of Imbibe Magazine

Old Reliable at Durty Nelly's

Durty Nelly's: It's been quite a while since all the guys and I met up here and lost track of the amount of Guinness and whatever else we consumed that night, but man, if it wasn't a lot of fun. If you're by the North End, it's worth stopping by for a quick drink.

Photo courtesy of Durty Nelly's

Join Up & Adam Food Tours

If you'd rather try some new food in the area instead of an Irish pub, come join one of my food tours! Check out upandamfoodtours.com, and email me at info@upandadamfoodtours.com or message me at (508) 271-7124 for more details.