The best Irish pubs in Los Angeles

Even if you’ve never been to this divey-looking Downtown spot, you’re probably familiar with the sprawling wooden bar: It’s served as the set for just about every pub-focused scene on TV in the last 20 years. Given an old-meets-new reboot from the retro-furb fanatics at Pouring with Heart, Casey’s is still imbued with that faded-elegance vibe. The many rooms here are dotted with TVs—you’ll find both North American and European sports on the screens. In addition, there’s the occasional live band, plus darts, billiards and some quality shepherd’s pie and fish and chips. Throw in those killer happy hour specials—which run from noon on weekends—and you may never leave.

Here's what we love about this Long Beach bar: The menu doesn’t dabble in Irish dishes, it full-on embraces them. Bangers and champ, a plate of sausage and mash; Irish ham and cabbage; shepherd’s pie; boxty, a traditional Irish potato pancake; and an all-day full Irish breakfast are just a few of the plates that’ll have you breaking out in a jig. Their drink selection is nothing to scoff at, either: The Auld Dubliner is known for pouring the perfect pint of Guinness—and did we mention they have apple cider on tap, too? Stop by throughout the week for Monday night bar trivia and live music, dominated by Celtic “Shamrockabilly” artists.

With a plucky one-eyed toddler mascot named Reilly, the tone is really set before you even step inside this Sunset Strip watering hole with offshoots near USC and inside LAX’s Terminal 1. The bar’s original swanky West Hollywood location has maintained adult frat-house status thanks to epic St. Paddy’s Day parties and maxims like, “A new study shows that binge-drinking leads to a kick-ass good time.” If all the testosterone proves too much to handle, step outside onto Reilly’s outdoor patios (especially in WeHo) with an order of the Irish Nachos, a fan favorite. Comprised of house-made kettle chips and topped with peppered bacon, Irish cheddar and corn salsa, the snack provides just enough sustenance to refuel for another round of bro-tastic shots.

This rip-roaring Irish pub originally opened almost 60 years ago and boasts the friendliest bartenders in the Valley, a few TVs for watching sports, plus a wide range of Irish beers and ciders—and they won’t discriminate if you ask for your Magners on the rocks, either. As for entertainment, there’s live music most nights of the week, no cover required. You’ll also find a menu of pub favorites like bangers and mash and shepherd’s pie, plus your standard handheld bar fare, including wings, sliders and fries. Check their Instagram calendar for the latest events and head over on weekday afternoons for an extended happy hour (2–6pm) that nets you discounted draft beers and well drinks.

Since 1936, this Fairfax old-school haunt has served glasses of Irish coffee and plates of traditional pub grub to generations of beer-loving Angelenos. In recent years, it’s closed on and off, but new ownership seems to have gotten the swing of how to keep this neighborhood bar relevant for today’s Guiness-swilling crowds. On game days, Tom Bergin’s also functions as a neighborhood sports bar, with multiple large screen TVs pulled out for big football games. Names of regulars from over the years dot the ceilings on paper shamrocks, while a larger dining room and parking lot patio serves patrons who’d rather grab a table than a seat at the bar. The bar also serves as a venue for occasional comedy and live music nights—so check their Instagram for Tom Bergin’s latest events.

There are Irish pubs that feature music, and then there are music venues that happen to live in an Irish pub. Molly Malone’s has been brewing up its own little pint of Dublin in L.A. since 1969 and showcasing musical talent (and a great beer list) every step of the way. Rock, Irish folk, country: The lineup spans the genre gamut, and with Molly’s stellar acoustics, it’s one of L.A.’s better pubs for catching a show—dinner and a show, in fact. On nights with live music (generally Thursday to Saturday), the kitchen is open late. While most of the bar’s food menu skews less than traditionally Irish, you can still find a few pub favorites like fish and chips. In either case, you’ll quite likely need sustenance while you dance the night away by the main stage, also known as the Snug.

Just a few blocks from Casey's, this longtime Downtown sports bar is known for its all-green ceiling, large Irish whiskey collection and kitchen sink food menu that includes pub fare like bangers and mash, corned beef and shepherd's pie. If you need a spot to watch the game or celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Dublin's is a worthwhile place to go.

This more upscale Irish bar and restaurant in downtown Culver City offers all-day fare, including traditional Gaelic favorites like shepherd's pie, bangers and mash and corned beef and cabbage. The interior skews modern and the prices aren't cheap, but the old-timey touches, friendly service and weekday happy hour (3–5:30pm) keep local office workers coming back for a pint of Guinness or Aperol Spritz on the small outdoor patio. Most days of the week, the Auld Fella also hosts live music, which adds to the generally lively evening atmosphere.

Your eyes may need some adjusting once you enter the Irish Times, a divey, dimly-lit Irish pub, but give it some time and you’ll soon find yourself comfortably immersed in your surroundings, where Celtic music drifts throughout the room. That’s because comfort is key at this Culver City bar, where regulars gather for trivia on Tuesdays and Thursdays while noshing on bangers and mash or beef-and-Guinness pie—they even have traditional roasts on Sunday afternoons. There’s also karaoke on Wednesdays and live bands that perform on Fridays and Saturdays (no cover!)—but nothing tops the noise coming from tables of regulars who’ve camped out at the pub since noon. Not a regular yet? Order a pint of Strongbow Cider, pick up a pool cue and you’ll be sure to make friends in no time.

This modern gastropub chain with locations across Los Angeles and Orange County is known for its blend of Irish and American comfort foods and dozens of different beers on tap. Weekday food specials and a BOGO beer happy hour (3–7pm on weekdays, then 11pm–2am) have made Limericks popular with Alhambra locals, who also turn to it as a place to tune into NFL, NBA and UFC games. Be sure to try the Irish nachos made with housemade potato chips, corned beef and pastrami.

Starting your morning at a pub may bring the term “alcoholic” to mind, but at Joxer Daly’s, there’s no better time to sit down at the bar. That’s because the pub’s beloved weekend Irish breakfast is about to make a big comeback with bangers, Irish bacon, eggs, toast and white and black pudding. You can wash it down with $6 glasses of champagne or wine during breakfast—and is there a better reason to get out of bed than that? If you’re more of a night owl, pay a visit on Fridays and Saturdays when there’s live music to enjoy. The bar also offers live band karaoke on Thursdays, although with all of the quality beer on tap (Boddington’s! Guinness!) you just find yourself singing here every night of the week.

An Irish pub in the middle of Hollywood may seem like a boozy tourist trap, but we’re not complaining because Jameson’s Irish Pub has one of the best happy hours on the Walk of Fame: two-for-one drinks, Monday through Friday, noon to 8pm. For Westsiders, their Santa Monica location has a similar deal from 3 to 7pm. What’s more, their namesake liquor is featured in over half the drinks on the cocktail list, making this pub a whiskey-lover’s haven—and you know they’ve even got Jameson on tap. Try the classic Jame-O’ Rita, a Jameson-based bloody Mary, or the Irish Hooligan (featuring a little bit of everything, including Jameson, vodka and peach schnapps…heyo!). Both locations also offer Irish pub fare like beef and cabbage stew, fish and chips and even prime rib.

Check out this Irish pub in the South Bay for some after-beach drinks and a football game, or start your weekend mornings here with traditional Irish breakfast and some corned beef hash—either way, Patrick Molloy’s has plenty to offer. The rest of the bar’s food menu skews towards typical Angeleno bar fare like buffalo cauliflower, ahi poke wontons and even tacos, but the drink menu is still stacked with whiskeys, beer and cocktails, like the Irish Mule and Irish Ivy Gimlet. Check out their daily specials online, including $5 wine and $7 Jameson on Wednesdays and extended weekday happy hour (3–7pm) with $5 draft beer, house wine and well drinks.

​​There are 3,000 miles between Boston and Los Angeles, but that doesn’t keep Sonny McLean’s, an Irish pub in Santa Monica, from losing even an ounce of team spirit. Throughout the week, the Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox and Bruins can be found playing on one of the bar’s numerous TVs, while East Coasters in low-slung Sox caps reminisce about Dunkin’ Donuts and the T (the older-than-dirt metro system, for the uninitiated). The menu boasts New England and California fare, but the best dishes here are of British and Irish descent: The bangers and mash—pork sausages with mashed potatoes and house-made gravy—is a stick-to-your-bones revelation. When it comes to clinking glasses, choose from a list of highly curated ciders, stouts and IPAs.