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On the list of the greatest-additions-ever to the bar scene, Irish bars rank pretty close to the top. Hands down, no other bars manage to so seamlessly blend the easy, cozy sense of home with the wild, playful atmosphere St. Patrick’s Day. Irish pubs in Houston are popular hangouts for just about everyone, young and old. Aside from the always-impressive selection of beers and good ole whiskey, Irish pub grub is as good as it gets. There’s nothing quite like washing down a mouthwatering Guinness stew or a shepherds pie with an ice-cold beer. One of the most entertaining things about Irish bars is what happens to the crowd when they start drinking hard: they go Irish. All it takes is one Irish bartender, or someone who can speak in an Irish accent really well, to get the entire crowd trying to speak like they hail from the Emerald Isle.
Brian O'Neill's Traditional Irish Pub
5555 Morningside, Houston, Texas; Tel. 713.522.2603
Talking from experience, Irish bars are the best joints to drink in and Brian O'Neill's Traditional Irish Pub in Houston is right up there on our liver destroying list. This bar is vintage—it was actually built in Ireland and shipped to Houston piece by piece—from the décor to the booze to the pub food menu that has your traditional heart clogging Irish fare with some distinctly southwest favorites. Also, Thursday through Saturday, Brian O'Neill's hosts awesome live musical entertainment or a bevy of rotating DJs. Brian O'Neill's Traditional Irish Pub is packed nearly every night and day because this local Houston Bar is just a great place to get your drink on.
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Kenneally's Irish Pub
2111 S. Shepherd Dr., Houston, Texas; Tel. 713.630.0486
Kenneally's Irish Pub, a true Houston neighborhood bar institution, has been around so long that the new offspring of regulars from when it first opened are now of legal drinking age and having their inaugural pint at their parents watering hole. Of course Kenneally's offers all the Irish pub food you'd expect and they also serve some killer pizza, some say the best in Houston and you may think that's not in character, but no one cares because the stuff is so darn good. If you want a real, homey Houston neighborhood bar experience, hit Kenneally's Irish Pub.
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McElroy's Pub
3607 S. Sandman St., Houston, Texas; Tel. 713.524.2444
An authentic Irish pub in the middle of Houston, McElroy's Pub is owned and operated by Irish ex-pats whose true spirit of the bar really shows through—and not just on St. Patrick's Day, although McElroy's does host one of the biggest and busiest in Houston. This Houston Irish bar is seriously packed from opening till closing with a diverse crowd that enjoy sipping Guinness and other Isle brews in McElroy's more than affable digs.
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McGonigel's Mucky Duck
2425 Norfolk St., Houston, Texas; Tel. 713.528.5999
Live music in the folk, blues and Celtic veins are the main draw at Houston's premier venue for personal, intimate shows. McGonigel's Mucky Duck is also a killer Irish pub that offers a full menu of all your emerald Isle favorites, made from scratch and so authentically good you're likely to start speaking with an Irish brogue. This bar is truly one of Houston's best for drinking, eating and music that gets wall to wall with music lovers whether there's a live show or not. National touring acts and local faves set up and start riffing at McGonigel's Mucky Duck nearly every night, they're always excellent and this Houston bar is always a good time.
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Rock Neutney's Irish Pub and Café
18301 Egret Bay Blvd., Houston, Texas; Tel. 281.333.1785
An awesome bar anytime, but especially on game days, Rock Neutney's in Houston has just an insane amount of TVs—three are 60-inch HDTV's and one could cause serious myopia 'cause it's like 70-square feet projection—and sports are the dominant force behind these electronic marvels. Also, this Houston sports bar has drink specials daily, further lessening their already wallet friendly prices and, as one of the best added bar bonuses we've seen because not many establishments do this, the full service kitchen at Rock Neutney's Irish Pub serves until 2am, making that sobering bite blessedly within arm's reach.
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Shay McElroy's
909 Texas Street, Houston, Texas; Tel. 713.223.2444
The authenticity of Shay McElroy's, from décor to staff, screams old school Irish and this Houston bar doesn't just stop there because all of the liver destroying fare that makes Irish bars some of the best places to get sauced in are well stocked and perpetually flowing here. Shay McElroy's is cozy and classic; regulars start flowing in early in the afternoon for a quiet pint before the nightly droves of partiers come waltzing through the doors.
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Slainte Irish Pub
509 Main Street, Houston, Texas; Tel. 713.222.1033
Set among the endless parade of Main Street bars, Slainte Irish Pub could get lost in the shuffle, but the young and hip drinking crowd still pack its two story depths for some traditional liver destroying booze selections from the Emerald Isle and Slainte's Irish inspired food fare. Upstairs from Slainte Irish Pub is the Ruby Room which carries a completely different vibe from the sports on TV and heavy drinking of its downstairs sibling with DJs spinning chill tunes and a great balcony that overlooks Main Street.
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The Harp
1625 Richmond Ave., Houston, Texas; Tel. 713.528.7827
The Harp is the Irish pub of choice for Houston hipsters and neighborhood drinkers serving all of your heart clogging and liver destroying favorites from the Emerald Isle. The Harp caters well to the neighborhood bar image by being a relaxing place to congregate over some Guinness and whiskey and a raucous shot downing party bar. Also, The Harp in Houston nabs local live music acts on Fridays and hosts dart tournaments on Wednesdays, both of which go perfectly with drinking.
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—Houston Irish bar reviews by Ryan Osterbeck
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