Best Bars And Pubs In Utica For Drinking On St. Patrick’s Day
You can drink by yourself on St. Patrick's Day (totally not fun) or at a house party (marginally fun) but what about mixing it up with friends and strangers alike at a bar DEDICATED to all things Irish and GREEN? You can go anywhere in and around Utica to celebrate, but here's our Top 7 pubs and bars that you simply MUST visit and knock back a Guinness or two or... !!
The Brewery District: Varick Street...
If you're looking for Irish food, music and drinks all rolled into one then the Harp is the place to be... They feature wo floors of St. Patrick's Day revelry packed wall-to-wall with like-minded people that have one (or maybe two) things on their minds! Even their menu items have Irish names like their Dublin Dippers and famous Shepherd's Pie. This place is BIG and should be your first stop as you make your way up Varick... Oh, and you can go outside their fenced in (or is it fenced out?) area to catch a band and some fresh air too!
Stumble across the street from the Harp and into the Nail Creek and you'll forget you're in Utica because it feels like Dublin from the get-go. What sets this pub apart besides the "classy but not fancy" atmosphere is that these guys brew their own beers not to mention the extensive list of microbeers on tap that you can only find here. It'll be packed on St. Patrick's Day so grab your bar stool early!
Zig-zagging further down Varick and it hits you that you wanna watch a sports game on TV, chow on a cheeseburger and knock back a few, then this is the place to do it! If the quaint size of the bar makes it impossible to move, head on out to their dedicated deck and outdoor bar for some fresh air and watch the post-parade hustle and bustle on Varick street over the top of your glass of Guinness.
Beyond Varick: Genesee Street...
If Varick is too packed for you, then Genesee Street is the other street to get green-clad butt to. First stop is this little bar that you might miss if you're driving but find a place to park and roll into a place where the Guinness flows and the bartenders know your name. Their Bloody Marys are to die for and you can try your hand at a round of billiards on on one of their two pool tables if you can still see straight!
Walk 5 minutes west on Genesee, cross the street and right next to the Stanley theater is Swifty's where their mug club makes you feel right at home. This will be the place to be if you're looking for a sit down meal to soak up all of the green goodness already in your belly. Don't forget this place will be hopping the day before St. Patty's Day with our Townsquare Kickoff Party (why wait for the 17th??) Find out more details and get tickets here.
Assuming you're safe to drive at this point, Shorty's is situated in the Price Chopper plaza a five minute drive down Genny from the heart of Utica. You can foot it too but if it's chilly it could take you awhile! The bartenders are energetic and there are four-leaf clovers everywhere you look but of course you'll be wanting to looking for the bottom of your glass here, and when you're done drinking, don't forget to check a few things off your St. Patty's Day shopping list at Price Chopper... or maybe not!
Neighboring Utica...
If Washington Mills is your party town then Packy's is the place where you'll want to start AND finish your celebration. While the alcohol and food and familiar faces are bound to be there as well, the singing will ensue as well with some Karaoke! Get loose and do your best rendition of Oh Danny Boy or what you THOUGHT was the song and entertain yourself and your friends for a St. Patrick's Day to not soon be forgotten!
Of course these aren't the ONLY places to be drinking, eating, chatting and singing on St. Patrick's Day, so if we missed your favorite Irish watering hole, we'd be happy to add it to the list! Otherwise, we'll see you out and don't forget, all is forgiven on this holiday so get some liquid courage and live it up like there's no tomorrow. I'll be right there with you... "Taxi???"
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