While the number of Irish bars in the metro area has dwindled in recent years (RIP the Irish Snug and Finley's Pub), the ones that remain beckon with promises of Irish egg rolls filled with corned beef and plenty of Jameson. Here are the best Irish bars to visit in the Mile High.
Sláinte!
The Abbey Tavern
5151 East Colfax Avenue
303-321-5151
The Abbey regularly hosts traditional Irish music on Sundays and all Liverpool games. There’s a full bar, as well as a whiskey flight with four pours, plus Guinness and Smithwick’s on tap. For eats, there’s a traditional Irish breakfast, Irish bread pudding, Guinness chocolate chip ice cream and Guinness BBQ wings, to name just a few options.
The Celtic Tavern
1400 Market Street
303-484-1066
After closing its original location on Blake Street in 2016, the Celtic made a comeback the next year on Market at a large, open, two-story location where soccer fans regularly flock to catch games. Along with a vast whiskey collection and food like its signature fish and chips, the Celtic is an official off-track betting facility that offers the chance to bet on games via its FanDuel Cash at Counter partnership.
Clancy’s Irish Pub
7000 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
720-456-7320
The longest-running Irish bar in the state, Clancy's maintains its well-worn appeal. The bar serves over thirty Irish whiskeys and has Breckenridge Irish Stout, Guinness, Harp and Smithwick’s on tap, and you can sate your appetite with options like Irish spring rolls with whiskey mustard sauce, a crock of Irish onion soup made with a Guinness broth, and classic bangers and mash.
Dougherty’s Neighborhood Pub
5 East Ellsworth Avenue
303-777-5210
You can consider Dougherty’s, which opened in 2007, a semi-Irish pub — one that caters to all. It’s also home to hammerschlagen, a game involving a tree stump, hammer and nails. (It may not be the safest bar game ever devised, but it's a damn fun one.) The drinks are strong, there are daily happy hour specials, and when the time comes for soaking up that firewater, Dougherty’s also has an excellent pub kitchen and a nice dining room separated from the bar.
The Fainting Goat is a popular spot to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Courtesy of the Fainting Goat
846 Broadway
303-945-2323
The Fainting Goat serves Irish-influenced dishes like shepherd’s pie, Reuben sandwiches and Irish nachos (made with tater tots instead of tortilla chips) alongside bar staples like burgers and wings. There’s plenty to keep you busy, from games and television to trivia nights and naughty bingo. The three-story bar also has a heated rooftop patio for year-round enjoyment, and it pours a damn good pint of Guinness.
The Irish Rover
54 South Broadway
303-282-4643
The Irish Rover has been a staple in the Baker neighborhood since 2005. Along with Guinness, Magners Irish Cider and Smithwick’s on draft, there are nearly twenty types of Irish whiskey (and a full bar) available for imbibing. The Irish coffee, served hot, is made with Jameson whiskey and topped with whipped cream. Sip one on either of two heated patios alongside a plate of fish and chips or shepherd’s pie. The Rover also offers brunch specials, trivia nights and open-mic comedy nights. Nallen’s Irish Pub
1429 Market Street
303-572-0667
Denver's oldest Irish pub, Nallen's was opened in 1992 by Ireland natives John and Una Nallen. Since then, it's established itself as a center of Irish culture in Denver; it's where the bi-weekly publication the Celtic Connection got its start. While it doesn't serve food, Nallen’s has a full bar and cocktail menu that includes a large selection of whiskey and Guinness and Smithwick's on tap. Happy hour specials are available every day starting at 4 p.m.
Scruffy Murphy's
2030 Larimer Street
303-291-6992
A Ballpark neighborhood mainstay for years, Scruffy Murphy's has the old-worldness of an authentic Irish pub with its authentic antique stained glass and the dark wood of its back bar and bar top. The weekends can get a little boisterous when there's live music. It also hosts open-mic comedy every Tuesday and karaoke every Wednesday and Sunday from 9 p.m. to close. The bar serves a number of Irish beers and ciders, and the kitchen serves a few pub mainstays like shepherd's pie and bangers and mash.
The name Sheabeen is a combination of the original owner's name and the word "shebeen" — an Irish speakeasy.
Danielle Lirette
2300 South Chambers Road, Aurora
303-696-6131
Not only is the Sheabeen, which opened in 1989, a destination for drinking Irish whiskey and downing Irish car bomb shots, but it's also known for its live music. There's an open stage every Thursday and rotating live music on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 8 p.m. The small kitchen serves up a simple menu of burgers, sandwiches and 12-inch pies from Rocky Mountain Pizza. Pints of Guinness, shots of whiskey and plates filled with corned beef and potatoes.
