Pat O'Briens Tavern
by Bridgett Davenport
Everyone loves a good Irish bar. They're cozy, the food is hearty, the drinks flow freely and the stories are almost as interesting as the regulars. Add a patio near the water, and you have Pat O'Brien's in St. Clair Shores. Located in the famed Nautical Mile section of town, this is an Irish bar you'll want to visit all year, not just St. Patrick's Day.
Enjoy a Guinness from the tap or have one of the friendly bartenders mix up your favorite cocktail from their well-stocked bar and you'll feel like a regular in no time! Get in on their happy hour that runs Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and grab domestic bottles for $1.50, or the cheeseburger and fries meal for $3.95 (dine-in only). The specials continue from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. with $1 off all bottles and mixed drinks.
Those of you ready for a good meal will be pleasantly surprised by the fare on the menu. Sit in the wood-paneled dining room and try one of the Irish standards like the shepherd's pie or the bangers and mash, or sample some lamb stew in an authentic Guinness gravy. Build your own burger from the ground up, choosing from a large selection of toppings, or try one of the many hefty sandwich or appetizer plates.
No place near the water should be without a variety of seafood dishes. Try the shrimp pasta, for instance. Jumbo shrimp with artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, garlic and extra virgin olive oil tossed with angel hair noodles – it's incredible! The classic fish 'n' chips is a red lager-battered cod filet served with sweet potato fries. We also recommend the calamari fritti. Fried calamari with kalamata olives, banana peppers, tomatoes and garlic with a tzatziki sauce. The kitchen serves food until 1 a.m. for the night owls out there searching for a good late night meal.
This is the Nautical Mile, so the boating crowd will be happy to know that they can savor their drinks with the breeze coming off the water on Pat O'Brien's spacious patio. It features a long bar and several TVs, so you can enjoy the weather and not miss the big game. On Sundays the patio even has live music from 3-7 p.m. (weather permitting).
Mondays are great, too. For families, there's a magician entertaining from 6-8 p.m., and kids 10 years and under eat free. Those of you in the service industry get a break on Tuesdays, with half off your bill with proof of employment. Wednesdays feature a half-off deal as well – this time on bottles of wine. Come in to play Quizzo on Thursdays from 9 until 11:30 p.m., or try the fish fry every Friday. Whew!
Whatever you're looking for–a friendly bar to have drinks with friends, a great meal to eat with the family, a spot to catch a game or a place to have a cocktail outside after docking the boat–Pat O'Brien's is the place. They have a little something for everyone. No Irish luck needed. | RDW
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