I’ve been reading a bit more about the best Irish pubs in America since it’s getting so close to St. Patrick’s Day! I‘ve read about a lot of really great-sounding pubs this week and I‘m sure all of them will be having special events for St. Patty‘s Day!

This year, Kell’s Irish Pub in Portland, Oregon is putting on a 4-day Irish Festival in honor of St. Patty’s Day. Kell’s is going all out with music, dancers, and traditional Irish food. Kell’s regular pub menu features a taste of Ireland, including Shepherd’s pie, fish and chips and Guinness.

If you happen to be in Atlanta, Georgia over St. Patrick’s Day, be sure to check out the St. Patty’s Day block party at Limerick Junction. For Irishmen at heart, this Irish pub offers year-round Irish charm with a selection of beer and lager, “pub grub” and Irish entertainment.

Cat’s Eye Pub in Baltimore, Maryland, is another truly authentic Irish pub in America. Located in the historical Fell’s Point area of Baltimore, this pub’s been sharing the luck of the Irish with Irishmen of all nationalities for more than 30 years. From the sounds of it Cat’s Eye is the best party in Baltimore whether it’s St. Patrick’s Day or not.

And, leave it to the Irish to create a true neighborhood pub smack in the middle of a coastal tourist town. The Poet and the Patriot opened in Santa Cruz, CA in 1982 and has been spreading Irish cheer ever since. Owner Chris Matthews makes an effort to educate his customers about the history of his beloved Ireland while pouring glasses of Guinness, Murphy’s and Smithwick.

I know I can’t visit all these pubs this St. Patty’s Day, but it sure would be fun to try. If you manage to pop into one of these or another great Irish pub this St. Patty’s Day, post a comment and let me know where you went and what you thought of it.

Since St. Patty’s Day is this month I thought I’d get together a list of some of the best pubs in America so we can all celebrate!

When thinking about the Irish in America, what better place to start out than Boston, with a pub on every corner and a leprechaun on its basketball team’s logo? It’s certainly hard to choose, but I’ve been told the best of the best in Boston is Doyle’s Café on Washington street. Doyle’s has hosted local Irish politicians for more than a century.

New York City is another bastion of Irish heritage. In a city the size of New York it may take more than one pub. Stop in at Paddy Reilly’s Music on the weekend for some Celtic rock and a pint of Guinness. If you’re looking to celebrate amidst a bit of history, check out McSorley’s Old Ale House, which just celebrated it’s 155^th birthday. New York City hosts annual St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl, so if you’re in the city for St. Patty’s day be sure to check it out!

In Chicago, where everyone is Irish on March 17, Emmitt’s Irish Pub and Eatery is the place to see and be seen. Featured in movies including ‘Backdraft’, ‘Uncle Buck’, ‘Ocean’s 11’ and ‘Ocean’s 12.’ Emmitt’s has overcome it’s location’s sordid past to become the most popular Irish pub in the windy city.

And Irish pubs aren’t a commodity limited to the East Coast. The Dubliner in San Francisco is a good old fashioned pub with friendly barkeeps and good Irish coffee and ale. It’s also one of the few places in the Bay Area that sells the West Coast’s Irish newspaper the Irish Herald.

Down south at McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola, Florida, Irishmen of all nationalities sign dollar bills and pin them to the ceiling in tribute to Molly, the waitress who pinned her first $1 tip to the back of the bar. McGuire’s is housed in an old firehouse and boasts a turn of the century New York City aura.