Celebrate St. Paddy's In Alsip-Crestwood: Irish Food, Music, Beer

ALSIP-CRESTWOOD, IL — With the South Side Irish Parade behind us, there are still plenty of shenanigans left for St. Patrick’s Day, which falls on a Friday this year. Bars and restaurants will be swimming in Kelly green, and perhaps flashing red and blue lights if people don’t behave themselves.

And devout Catholics may have to consult their parish priest before they dig into a plate of corned beef and cabbage.

Devout Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, a sacrifice that recognizes Jesus’ death on the cross on a Friday. Catholics in several suburban Chicago towns can eat the traditional fare without guilt, but the Archdiocese of Chicago is holding firm.

Whether revelers in cities like heavily Catholic Chicago, one of the most St. Patrick-y cities in the country, go all in with the holiday staple corned beef and cabbage could come down to whether they get special dispensation from the archdiocese.

There are several Lenten fish fries going on for Catholics who want to play it by the rules. South Suburban Fish Fry Roundup for Lent 2023.

And rather than wipe the green beer mustache off your upper before you get behind the wheel, order a ride-share, call a taxi, or have a sober friend drive you home. Many area police departments are ramping up patrols looking for impaired drivers and seat belt scofflaws.

Some of the places in the Alsip-Crestwood area to celebrate the March 17 holiday (unless noted) are:

Durbin’s, 14735 S. Cicero Ave. Midlothian – Durbin’s is offering shamrock-shaped pizzas through March 17 that can be ordered online at its Evergreen Park, Midlothian, Palos and Burbank locations. The Guinness and green beer will be flowing all day, along with corned beef and cabbage specials. Live bands, bagpipers and Irish dancers will appear at Durbin’s various locations.

‘At the Office’ Sports Bar and Grill, 4901 Cal Sag Rd, Crestwood – Come early for drinks and dinner, and bring your friends. Soul Karma gets St. Paddy’s Day party going starting at 8 p.m.

Reilly’s Daughter, 4010 W. 111th St., Oak Lawn – Come get shamrocked at Reilly’s Daughter, a South Side tradition since 1976. Doors open Friday at 10 a.m. The Guinness will flow and Irish music will play all weekend.

The Irish Legend, 8933 Archer Ave., Willow Springs – Grab your best green garb and head to the haunted Irish Legend, a scratch kitchen tradition Irish pub with ties to the Prohibition Era and Al Capone. The pub has 29 beers on tap and craft cocktails. The Hurling School of Irish Dance will make an appearance at 11 a.m. The Tossers and Avondale Ramblers will be strumming Irish tunes from noon to 4 p.m. Friday, March 17.