A Very Warren St. Paddy’s Pub Crawl

Saddled in between not fancy Barrington and postcard-perfect Bristol, Warren is the redheaded stepchild of the East Bay. But since we’re all redheaded Irishmen during the month of March, what better town to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Here’s your guide to a Warren Irish pub-crawl.

St. Patrick’s Day falls on Monday the 17, but at Tinker’s Nest the festivities start on Friday the 14th with a four-day extravaganza of Irish drink, food and music. Irish bands from all over New England will grace the stage throughout the weekend, with Monday’s lineup including five indoor performances and six acoustic outdoor performances in a large heated tent. More importantly, the outdoor tent will also house an additional bar and port-a-johns. Monday kicks off at 9am with an Irish breakfast available, and Irish favorites like corned beef and cabbage will supplement the regular menu all day (and all weekend). If you arrive at 9am, you may find yourself in line waiting to get in.

Expect another large crowd at Fat Belly’s Pub, a statewide Irish pub chain that may be the largest bar in town. There’s no shortage of entertainment here with live music on weekends throughout the year, flat-screen TVs at every turn for prime game-day spectating and even a game room that offers video games, foosball and billiards. If you need a break from your Guinness, Harp or Smithwick’s, try Mil Pil – a honey pilsner exclusive to Fat Belly’s Pubs brewed by Gloucester’s Cape Ann Brewing Company.

For a somewhat cozier vibe, check out Crossroads Restaurant. The front bar is small but rich in character and whimsy – where else can you find cannons, musical cherubs, glowing lava rocks, massive rhino heads, suits of armor and snowmen bearing breath mints all sharing the same space? The Irish accessories peppered throughout, however, remind you where this place’s roots lie. If the front bar is full, continue past the fireplace and the Garden room (complete with trees and skylight), for a spot in the way back Victorian Lounge. The large menu makes Crossroads a great spot to re-fuel if you’ve worked up an appetite, but before you’re tempted to wash it all down with a Killian’s Irish Red, know that this Irish original is now brewed by Colorado-based Molson Coors.

The last stop is The Admiral English Pub, down on Water Street’s “Restaurant Row” nestled next to Tav-Vino, Trafford and Wharf Tavern. As the name would indicate, The Admiral actually has a British motif but we’ll allow it on St. Patrick’s Day - first, the Queen’s sun sets on Northern Ireland, and second, you may very well be tired of all things Irish by the end of the day. The beer menu includes English natives Bass, Hobgoblin and Monty Python on draft as well as an array of Samuel Smith bottles. Another cozy spot with a lodge-like feel, this menu is also a standout with its monster-sized nachos and house-special “zippy” sauce.

A Gaelic, St. Patrick’s Day toast to all the redheads - Slainte!