Patch Picks: St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

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Places to Party for St. Paddy’s Day: This is one of the biggest party days of the year in Santa Cruz, and you can get your fill of beer, your corned beef cabbage fix and an earful of Irish music at these five restaurants and pubs.

This popular pub in downtown Santa Cruz has a full line-up for St. Patrick’s Day. Irish music starts at noon with Irish folk band Innisfree playing until 2: p.m. And from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., enjoy traditional Celtic music. Dig into corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, Irish Guinness stew and bangers and mash.

This is a real “people’s pub,” a favorite gathering place for those who enjoy a good beer along with their political, artistic, philosophical or other pertinent debate. And for one day only--St. Paddy’s Day to be exact—the pub will be serving up special meals of corned beef and cabbage and Irish stew.

If you’re looking for some great Irish food this St. Patrick’s Day, check out this popular West Side pub and restaurant. They boast a long list of craft beers as well as a great menu, which includes Irish Wolfhound—an Irish sausage, grilled onions and peppers on a grilled hoagie, shepherd’s pie and beer-battered salmon fish and chips.

Just off the mall in downtown Santa Cruz, 99 Bottles serves up world-class beers and a menu of delicious bar food, including fish and chips, chili, beer-battered fried calamari and potato skins with bacon and a combination of cheeses. Add to that St. Paddy’s Day specials of corned beef and cabbage and Irish stew, and your eyes—Irish or not—will be smiling.

Don Quixote’s International Music Hall If you miss the party Thursday, head up to Don Quixote’s on Friday and catch The Black Brothers. This entertaining band plays old Dublin street songs, ballads, traditional Irish, English and Scottish songs as well as contemporary music. They also throw in some jigs, stories and jokes to really liven things up.