To get everyone in the St. Patrick's Day spirit, here's an Irish poem about drinking:
Some Guinness was spilled on the barroom floor when the pub was shut for the night. Out of his hole crept a wee brown mouse and stood in the pale moonlight. He lapped up the frothy brew from the floor, then back on his haunches he sat. And all night long you could hear him roar, "Bring on the goddamn cat!"
We don't know who wrote it or when it was written, but we can relate. Celebrating Irishness with Guinness and Jameson makes us feel mighty, too. And when Gut Check needs a drop of liquid courage or when we feel like tapping our toes to an Irish jig, we know that St. Louis' Irish pubs will be there to whisk us away to the Emerald Isle.
Here are our picks for the best Irish pubs in town:
See also: - St. Patrick's Day Poll: Downtown vs. Dogtown - Five Irish Drinks to Sip on St. Patrick's Day
The Dubliner (1025 Washington Avenue; 314-421-4300) The Dubliner calls itself a "European gastropub," but the food and drink menus are totally Irish. The décor is all dark wood, but there's a nice mix of open space and intimate booths to suit any level of privacy. There's also a loft overlooking the first floor for your people-watching pleasure. Perhaps the best thing about the Dubliner, though, is what it often advertises as the soup of the day: whiskey.
Helen Fitzgerald's (3650 South Lindbergh Boulevard, Sunset Hills; 314-984-0026) Helen Fitzgerald's is not merely an Irish bar: It also houses a trivia night, beer-pong tournament, karaoke, open-mic night, DJs and live music. The menu features a variety of Irish favorites including corned beef and cabbage, and Irish stew, but the bar also offers pizza, wings and quesadillas. With flat-screen TVs, dartboards and banquet rooms, it's less an Irish bar than it is a playground. And we're definitely OK with that.
