Neighborhood Nibbles — New Tampa’s Best St. Patrick’s Day Parties!

By Gary Nager

When I lived in New York City in the 1980s & ‘90s, you literally had to go to a Mexican restaurant on St. Patrick’s Day because (unless you arrived before noon) you simply couldn’t even get inside any of the city’s Irish bars that day when you wanted to wear your green that day.

But, while Tampa has plenty of packed festivals and events — from Gasparilla to Guavaween, but it seems that there are very few big St. Patrick’s Day parties in the Tampa Bay area and, until recently, almost none hereat all in New Tampa.

This year, however, there are at least three great places to go in our area if you want to wear your “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” T-shirts and stay close to home. We hope you’ll visit these outstanding St. Patty’s Day events to be held on Saturday, March 17 — and please enjoy them responsibly!

 

P.J. Dolan’s Irish Pub

If you’ve lived in our area for any period of time, you probably remember both Remington’s Steakhouse and Cody’s Roadhouse as places that previously occupied the anchor tenant location in the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave., just west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

Well, that location has since become P.J. Dolan’s Irish Pub & Grille, which is hosting what its management calls “The Biggest & Best St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in New Tampa.”

The event, which begins when the doors open at 9 a.m., in true St. Patrick’s Day fashion, will be held inside the restaurant and out on its covered patio, and will continue until the “wee” hours of the morning (3 a.m.). There will be four bands playing, great food and drink specials and fun door prizes given away all day.

P.J. Dolan’s already has many of your Irish and English food favorites on its unique menu — including corned beef & cabbage, Shepherd’s pie and fish & chips — but will also offer green beer, bangers & mash and even Guinness brats (bratwursts) for this most Irish of days. And, best of all, you can get free admission (the regular price is $10 per person) to the party if you bring in the ad in this issue with you when you check in.

P.J. Dolan’s Irish Pub & Grille is located at 2836 E. Bearss Ave. For more info, call 374-2338 or visit PJDolans.com.

 

Mulligans Irish Pub

The longest-running St. Patrick’s Day bash in our area, however, is probably the party now being held for the fifth year at Mulligans Irish Pub inside the Pebble Creek Golf Club (PCGC) located across BBD from New Tampa’s WalMart Supercenter.

Mulligans, which will be open 11 a.m.-1 a.m. and will have live bands playing 4 p.m. until close, also will feature green beer, great drink specials and an Irish buffet featuring corned beef & cabbage, Shepherd’s pie and bangers & mash at what its management also calls “New Tampa’s Best St. Patty’s Party.”

Promising that the event will be family friendly and featuring, for the first time, Mulligans beautiful new outdoor veranda and its recently revamped ballroom, you can rest assured that lads and lassies and even the “wee bairns” will enjoy St. Patty’s at Mulligans! And, with the ad in this issue, you’ll get $2 off the cover charge per person!

Mulligans Irish Pub is located at 10550 Regents Park Dr. N., inside PCGC. For more information, visit PebbleCreekClub.com or call 973-3870, x225.

 

Ciccio’s Lodge

Unfortunately, we didn’t yet have the details about the St. Patrick’s Day party at Ciccio’s Lodge in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center, although we do know it will feature live music, great food and drink specials and will definitely be fun for everyone.

Ciccio’s Lodge is located at 16023 Tampa Palms Blvd. W. For more information, call 975-1222 or visit CicciosLodge.com.

 

And, please don’t forget to drink responsibly on St. Patty’s Day and every day! If you know you’re going out to party that day, we hope you’ll call our friends at Tampa Bay Limousine (474-1111) or WC Cab & Car Service (598-2430) and please tell them we sent you!