Midtown Lunch

“First we drank some whiskey
then we had some gin
then we had tequila that’s what did me in”
-Boat Train by Shane MacGowan

A midweek St. Patrick’s Day can be a dubious proposition. Think about it, you can go balls out and join the parade and the eventual debauchery that ensues, and let’s not even mention the green beer society that ends up being the green puke society. You can opt to stay a little off the beaten path but most likely you’ll still heed the siren’s call of Paddy’s day specials and free corned beef. Come the next work day it’s all bloodshot eyes, trembling hands and throbbing temples. Your only hope is that your coworkers will be too busy nursing their own hangovers to notice yours.

Here some local bars to help in your travels and may the luck of the Irish preserve you!

The Granddaddy of all Events: New York City’s 249th Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade marches up Fifth Avenue at approximately 11am past St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 50th Street past the American Irish Historical Society at 83rd and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to 86th Street.

Luck of the Irish Bar Crawl
March, 12, 13, and 17th
3 days of wearing green and drinking cheap beer. Entry gives you $1 Buds, $3 well drinks and $4 Jameson shots, plus late night drink specials. Of course drink specials vary at each location and you have to buy a ticket online at www.saintpattys.com or 646-450-PUBS. May I suggest your money is better spent buying a bottle of Bushmills and watching the Silent Man with friends?

Rudy’s Bar, 627 9th Ave. (btw. 44+45th), 212-974-9169

Rudy’s already has dirt-cheap draft beers and free hot dogs, but for the 17th they’ll be serving free corned beef and cabbage. Anyone who is a regular knows how loud and raucous the crowd can get, just imagine that turned up to 11 on St Paddy’s, sounds like a good time to me.

Blue Ruin, 538 Ninth Ave. (btw. 39+40th)

Ruin is will be offering a free corned beef lunch plus drink specials and giveaways all day long! There is always the pool table in the back to pass away the time plus a jukebox loaded with rocking songs. Should you crave mementos of your Paddy’s Day debauch, the newly installed a photo booth is at your service. I fear this can only mean trouble for the scantly clad bartenders and rowdy delinquents that pull an all nighter.

Wharf Bar & Grill,  587 Third Ave. (btw. 38+39th St.) 212-490-7270

Wharf bar is one of my favorite $1 taco happy hours, plus they also have an outdoor deck that is perfect for the spring. For St Patrick’s they’ll offer traditional Irish fare, live bagpipes and other music, shot specials and free giveaways.

The Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street (between 6th Avenue & Broadway)

This might be my ideal St. Patrick’s day event. watching The Chieftains perform live! You really don’t get more Irish then this!

Smith’s Bar, 701 8th Avenue (W.44th Street) 212-246-3268

Smith’s Bar will be having drink specials plus they’ll be serving their Irish Breakfast starting at 8 am…the perfect start to our favorite day of the year. If you are a fan of memorabilia Smith will be selling their special edition Smith’s St. Patrick’s Day Shirt.

McFadden’s Saloon, 800 Second Ave. (at 42nd St.) (212) 986-1515

Open 10am-4am McFadden’s will have live pipebands all day and leprechauns (who doesn’t like little people?) Plus if you can’t wait, on Tueday they have $1 drafts and ½ priced appetizers. Might as well prep that liver early.

Galway Hooker , 7 East 36th Street, 212-725-2353

Happy hour is every weekday from 3-7pm with $5 beers, house wine and mixed drinks. They will be featuring a special St. Patrick’s Day menu featuring corned beef and cabbage as well as delicious imperial pints of Guinness and loads of Jameson.

Stags Head, 252 East 51st Street @ 2nd Avenue, 212-888-2453

Stag’s Head will be serving Harpoon Celtic Ale and Victory Donnybrook, among others, along with corned beef and cabbage, green wings (huh? this might be gross) and live bag-pipers throughout the day.

Redemption, 1003 Second Ave, 212-319-4545

Redemption will be whipping out their kegs and green eggs. Specials include: $4 bud light drafts, baby Guinness shooters, and $6 corned beef sandwiches. Feeling lucky? Try to beat their in-house leprechaun at limbo for a $300 bar tab, happy hour with 50 friends or gift cards. Yeah right like a midget won’t kick my ass at limbo, dammit. There’s going to be a whole lotta bruised booty’s after that competition.

Lansdowne Road, 599 Tenth Ave. (btw 43rd /44th st), 212-239-8020

Starting at 8pm there will be an event called Lip Sing-A-Long with Scott the Leprechaun. Be afraid, be very afraid…..

Manchester Pub, 920 2nd Ave., 212-935-8901

For Saint Patrick’s Day they we will be open from 10 AM to 4 am, serving $3 Bud Light, Budweiser, and Coors Light, $5 Well Drinks, $5 Heineken, Amstel Light, and Coronas. Manchester has lately updated their menu, so if you end up trying their new chicken and waffles let us know what you think.

Foley’s Pub, 18 W 33rd St (btw. 5+6th Ave), 212-290-0080

Foley’s will host a pre party on the 16th with a free sampling of Bushmills Whiskey and on the 18th they will offer a sure fire Irish Hangover Cure, the famed Breakfast Roll which they will offer at half price.

The Black Finn, 218 E. 53rd St. (btw. 2+3rd Ave.), 212-355-6607

Black Finn does know how to party on their list of attractions will be: Ice luges, Beer Tubs, Irish Music, Beer Specials ALL DAY, leprechauns, Irish Car bombs, clovers, prizes and giveaways.

Pig and Whistle, 922 3rd Avenue, 212-688-4646

The Pig will be having a special Irish menu on the 17th along with music all day, including bagpipes. There are many locations around midtown and all will be celebrating.

Turtle Bay, 987 2nd Ave, 212.223.4224

Turtle Bay will serve green beer, jello shots, Irish car bombs, a green bikini contest, bagpipers, fire eaters and a Luck Charms eating contest. The featured band is Celtic Cross.

And Finally, it doesn’t have to be all about bars and the late night scene. Midtown streets also come out in full swing!

CupcakeStop baker Heather Warren may not be serving up green beer but she will cook up a batch of alcoholic cupcake flavors, including Irish Soda Bread, Drunken Raisin, Stout, Bailey’s Cheesecake and Irish Coffee. – and some will be frosted with the colors of Ireland and some will be sprinkled with tiny shamrocks or green, white and yellow sprinkles. They’ll be on sale on the 16th and 17th at the truck – (locations announced daily at cupcakestop.com, plus check their Twitter feed at about 9 a.m.) Regular CupcakeStop flavors with the St. Patrick’s Day toppings will also be available — it’s $40 for a dozen full-sized and $15 for a dozen minis.

Street Sweets will have woopie pies with green icing, green cupcakes, and St. Pat’s day cookies.

Treats Truck is having green sugar cookies, rice crispy treats, and cupcakes with green icing, too. Nothing like a good sugar rush to start your evening off.

For the latest on locations of your favorite trucks and carts check out the ML Twitter Tracker

Have any other favorites for St. Patrick’s Day? Let us know in the comments.