Irish bars, like dive bars, are supposed to be welcoming. Like a good dive bar, a good Irish pub is worn in, not worn out, and definitely not in a brand new building. You want your Irish bar like your leather jacket: broken in, with patina, not shiny with its price tag still attached.
Irish pubs are also the yin to rooftop bars’ yang: both are places where the food is less important than atmosphere. So what’s the criteria for a great Irish pub? It’s not enough to have Guinness on draft, an Irish flag above the bar, and the Pogues on the speakers. A great Irish pub will also have a convivial atmosphere, like it’s the neighborhood’s living room. If there’s food, it should be well-made and satisfying Irish-American classics, and never precious (you’re not going for a Celtic incarnation of nouvelle cuisine). There should be plenty of space for a group, but it should also be possible to go for an “okay, let’s see if this person can actually hang” date. Live Irish or Americana music is a good bonus. And oh yeah, at least one other Irish beer on draft besides Guinness.
As usual, this list is organized geographically, not ranked. Did we miss something? Email us at seattle@eater.com.
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