Start St. Patrick’s Day early with corned beef hash, pasties and Guinness stew
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, but the festivities begin this weekend at a few bars and restaurants in Pierce County.
Many feature live music and other traditional Irish food. Of course, Guinness plays a major role, too. Incline Cider House in the Brewery Blocks, for instance, will serve snakebites all weekend. Popular in the U.K., snakebites combine cider and a lager — in this case Guinness — in the same glass, with the heavier beer floated on top.
Narrows Brewing also tapped a small keg of a new red ale made with Irish yeast ahead of the weekend, and the Original House of Donuts teamed up with The Ram Restaurant and Brewery to make an Irish cream porter cake doughnut, available at both the Tacoma and Lakewood locations.
Looking for live music? The Spar will have bands playing “Irish rock’n’roll” and traditional Irish music on Saturday from 8-11 p.m.; Airport Tavern will add tacos from The Church Cantina to the mix ($5 cover).
Unfortunately, some larger events have shifted their plans due to the ban on large gatherings, but at TK Irish Pub in Puyallup, the show goes on.
For traditional Irish fare and festivities, read on for where to go this weekend through March 17.
SOUTH TACOMA EAGLES
The Fraternal Order of Eagles #2933 hosts a St. Patrick’s Day feast Friday with live music from The Littlefield 22 Band. From 5-7 p.m., dig into a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner for $12. This event is open to the public.
Eagles South Tacoma #2933
- 7037 S. Pine St., Tacoma, facebook.com/Eagles.South.Tacoma.2933
- Details: March 14, $12 dinner from 5-7 p.m., music until 11:30 p.m.
TK IRISH PUB
Now in its ninth year, TK Irish Pub hosts its annual outdoor St. Patrick’s Day party on Friday and Saturday and then again on March 17. Live music will start at 7 p.m. this weekend, with two sets on Tuesday. “It’s our usual setup with tents, bars, and food out back with service provided by our lovely staff,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook.
Enjoy classic dishes like Guinness Irish stew with beef, lamb, potatoes and vegetables ($10 cup, $15 bowl); shepherd’s pie brimming with ground lamb and vegetables simmered with Guinness ($10 to $15); and corned beef — braised in house — with cabbage and a potato medley ($15). The pub’s standard menu also includes plenty of sandwiches, like an Irish dip made with corned beef or St. Patrick’s pork, a pile of applewood smoked pork in a “twisted whiskey” sauce with homemade coleslaw (both $13).
TK Irish Pub
- 109 S. Meridian, Puyallup, 253-604-4791, tkirishpub.com
- Details: March 13-14, music at 7 p.m.; March 17, music at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
DOYLE’S PUBLIC HOUSE
The St. Helen’s pub usually hosts an outdoor party, too, but this year it will stay indoors. That means no cover, but you can still buy a Doyle’s t-shirt for $20 or sweatshirt for $40 to hop to the front of the line on Saturday and Tuesday.
On March 14, doors open at 6 a.m. — yes, that early! — for the “Workingman’s” rendition. A breakfast of corned beef hash will be served until 1 p.m., alongside standard menu items like Doyle’s Cristo with habanero blueberry jelly and biscuits and gravy (all $11). Keep on the Guinness theme with Irish clams, a pound of steamers simmered in the dark beer with roasted peppers, onions and garlic ($13), or try the corned beef with bacon balsamic jam ($16).
On St. Patrick’s Day, go for the “Everyman’s” version, where doors open at the same time but breakfast is only available until 11 a.m. Both days will feature “swag at the door” and live music from the Clan Gordon Pipe Band.
Doyle’s Public House
- 208 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-7468, doylespublichouse.com
- Details: March 14, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.; March 17, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
ODDFELLAS PUB
Only on March 17, Oddfellas will serve a special plate of Mama Jane’s corned beef and bacon fried cabbage ($14.99). The bar, with plenty of whiskey and Guinness on tap, will keep its happy hour from 3-6 p.m.
Oddfellas - Tacoma
- 5741 N. 26th St., Tacoma, 253-300-8966, oddfellaspubtacoma.com
- Details: March 17, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
SHAMROCK TAVERN
Pints of Guinness will run for $4 at this Parkland pub, and if beer dyed green is your thing, you’ll find that here, too. There will also be a photo booth and raffles.
Shamrock Tavern
- 11118 Pacific Ave. S., Tacoma, 253-536-6742
- Details: March 17, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
The Sixth Avenue pub will have live music starting at 7 p.m. Saturday for its Pre-St. Paddy’s Day Punk Bash featuring Offtrack, The Bitter Ex-Lovers, and the Super Sonic Battle Squad. In terms of traditional pipes, look no further than the Puget Sound Firefighters.
Corned beef and hash is on the menu here, too, alongside bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie with ground beef simmered in Guinness and Merlot (all $10.25). A plate of corned beef and cabbage, also cooked in Guinness, goes for $14.25.
O’Malley’s Irish Pub
- 2403 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-627-9403, facebook.com/allthewhisky
- Details: March 14, open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., music at 7 p.m., no cover
VASHON BREWING
The show will go on — with folk music and green beer— at Vashon Brewing. “This is meant to be a low-key event,” it wrote on Facebook.
Hop on the ferry for savory Irish stew and pasties, described as empanadas with cheese and potatoes or beef, potato and cabbage. To drink, try the cherrywood smoked porter or the Black Moon porter with chocolate and coffee notes.
Vashon Brewing Company
- 17205 Vashon Highway SW, Vashon Island, 206-408-7542, vashonbrewing.com
- Details: March 14, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 5:00 AM.