Celebrate St. Patrick's Day In Oak Lawn: Green Beer, Irish Food, Music

OAK LAWN, 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. Oak Lawn police, like many other communities, are ramping up patrols looking for impaired drivers and seat belt scofflaws.

Some of the places in the Oak Lawn area to celebrate the March 17 holiday (unless noted) are:

Clancy’s on 103rd, 4024 W. 103rd St. (103rd and Cicero, in Jewel-anchored shopping center) – Kevin O’Kennedy has a full day of Irish entertainment planned at both of his venues. Doors open at 7 a.m. Friday, with Richie Z playing at 10 a.m., Joe Sheehan at 1 p.m., Kieran Byrne at 4 p.m., and Oak Lawn’s own Tommy Joe at 8 p.m., along with Irish dancers and pipers.

Clancy’s 95th Irish Tavern, 5763 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn – Kevin O’Kennedy has a full day of Irish entertainment planned at both of his venues. Doors open at 11 a.m. The music starts at 2 p.m. with John Devlin, and Kieren Byrne playing at 7:30 p.m., plus pipers and dancers.

Deja Brew Bar and Grille, 5219 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn – St. Patrick’s Day specials will be served all day starting at 11 a.m., featuring Reuben Rolls, Corned Beef Sandwiches, and corned beef and cabbage, along with a wide selection of craft beers and seasonal cocktails.

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 Pub and Grill, 9953 Southwest Highway, Oak Lawn – DJ Mary will be spinning Irish tunes from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday. Starting at 5 p.m., come up with your original toast and the Guinness girls will record you for a chance to win cash prizes. Free shots of Guinness for your toast. At 7 p.m., the band Meltdown takes the stage.

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.

Porter Cullens Irish Pub and Restaurant, 3541 W. 99th St., Evergreen Park – Eat, drink and be Irish, starting with an Ireland-inspired libation, featuring Tis Herself Bailey’s Mint Martini, Shenanigans cocktails (vodka, apple pucker, ginger ale) and Irish Mule plus Guinness and domestic buckets. See the full menu. After 5 p.m., enjoy a traditional boiled dinner, corned beef and cabbage dinner.

Durbin’s, 10240 S. Kedzie Ave., Evergreen – Durbin’s is offering shamrock-shaped pizzas through March 17 that can be ordered online at its Evergreen 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.