The Irish pub is one of the Emerald Isle’s great gifts to drinking culture. The brew houses are beloved by many, but they can get a bad rap. Many people think of them as tourist traps with a million knick-knacks and an overdose of green beer.
But in reality, there are plenty of good Irish bars that are worth a visit. The crowdsourced review site Yelp has compiled a list of the best. They ranked the top watering holes by evaluating a variety of factors, including overall volume and ratings of reviews. They also limited the number of bars listed to two per metro to ensure geographic diversity.
In the United States, New York dominated with two spots in the top 25. But the country had 28 total winners, including the city of New Orleans, which landed at No. 5. Other American cities include Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles.
New York’s The Burren is a popular Irish spot that checks all the right boxes. It’s filled with Irish knick-knacks (there’s even a phone booth for leprechauns) and features live Irish music every night. It’s tucked into the old Irish neighborhood of Tipperary Hill, which has a historic traffic light with green on top and red on bottom thanks to Irish kids who broke the lights when they were young.
In the 2023 Readers Choice Awards, USA Today crowned Telluride’s Stronghouse Brewpub the country’s best brewery. The brewery occupies a historic building and has a long list of taps, along with a menu filled with alpine comfort foods. It’s the perfect spot to hit up after a day on the slopes.
