Shamrocks and shenanigans
Our guide to St. Patrick's Day.

By Keith Axline, Elisa Jacobs, and Sarah Han

DON'T GET PINCHED or find yourself in a pinch for things to do this St. Patrick's Day. Take it from the Irish: get yourself to a pub, listen to some traditional music, eat some corned beef and cabbage, and get lucky! All events take place March 17 unless otherwise indicated; times and cover charges are given when available.

Bars and clubs

Abbey Tavern 4100 Geary; 221-7767, www.abbeytavern-sf.com. Noon. Show up at 2pm for complimentary corned beef and cabbage, then stay for the live Irish music of Bog Savages from 2:30 to 4pm and Martin Lacey from 5 to 7:30pm. The Euro disco feel takes over at 8pm with DJs playing Irish music and top 40 hits.

An Bodhran 688 Haight; 431-4724, www.anbodhran.com. 3pm. Beer and cocktail specials at this traditional Irish bar will help wash down the pub's offerings of fried goodness (be sure to try the fish-and-chips). And don't worry about the calories: DJ Majitope will give you a chance to dance it all off at 10pm.

Bitter End 441 Clement; 221-9538. 10am. With live music, traditional pub grub, and a bevy of drinks, the Bitter End's St. Patty's Day celebration is anything but bitter – it'll most likely leave you thinking how sweet it is!

Blackthorn Tavern 834 Irving; 564-6627, www.sfblackthorn.com. 9am. Enjoy complimentary corned beef and cabbage while Tony Ryan plays from 4 to 9pm, after which an Irish DJ takes over at 10pm.

Blarney Stone 5625 Geary; 386-9914. Noon. Featuring complimentary finger foods all day long, $2 shamrock shots, traditional harp music by Glen Allen in the early evening, and a hip-hopping DJ at 10pm, this Irish pub will make you forget about that pot of gold you were looking for.

Boom Boom Room 1601 Fillmore; 673-8000, www.boomboomblues.com. 9:20pm, $8. If you're feeling funky after the day's celebration, soul singer-songwriter Eric Lindell brings a New Orleans flavor to San Francisco.

Buena Vista Cafe 2765 Hyde; www.thebuenavista.com, 474-5044. 9am. With choices on the menu like Irish lamb stew, soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, and Irish coffee, and bagpipers playing throughout the day, the view from Buena Vista Café looks pretty green.

Chieftain 198 Fifth St; 615-0916, www.thechieftainirishpub.com. 9am. Live music by Frank O'Connor and Ken Louie, traditional Irish dancing, and a traditional Irish breakfast make this official Guinness headquarters the place to be this St. Patty's Day. Stick around for drink specials including Killian's and shamrock shots.

Clooney's 1401 Valencia; 826-4988, www.clooneyspub.com. 6am. Keeping it real with corned beef and cabbage and traditional music, Clooney's will be serving $2 pints of Miller and Pabst Blue Ribbon from the wee hours of the morn till, well, the wee hours of the morn.

Dovre Club 1498 Valencia; 285-4169. 2pm. Get your fill of free corned beef stew and Irish soda bread before enjoying live bagpipers at this favorite St Pat's spot.

Durty Nelly's 2528 Irving; 664-2555. 11am. Durty Nelly's guarantees good, "durty" fun, with lively Irish tunes, the musical stylings of DJ Steven starting at 6pm, and corned beef and cabbage, of course.

Fiddler's Green 1333 Columbus; 441-9758. 9am. With live music brought to you by Sabbath starting at 4pm, DJ Ken grooving at 8pm, and Irish food specials served all day long (including corned beef and cabbage, fish-and-chips, and much more), the Fiddler's will give you something to dance about. Don't miss out on the breakfast special, which includes Irish bacon and eggs and 16oz Bloody Marys.

Flanahan's Pub 3805 Noriega; 665-2424. 8am. A jukebox packed with Irish music and traditional Irish food bring the holiday spirit to the Outer Sunset.

Harry Harrington's Pub 460 Larkin; 775-1150. 7am. This pub will help you get an early start on St. Patrick's Day, filling your stomach with pints of green Guinness and corned beef sandwiches, and your ears with traditional Irish music.

Ireland's 32 3920 Geary; 386-6173, www.irelands32sanfrancisco.com. 3pm. The party starts with traditional Irish music, then Bog Savages come on at 5pm, and finally Ticket to Ride play Beatles covers starting at 9pm to herald the holiday.

Irish Bank Bar and Restaurant 10 Mark Lane; 788-7152, www.theirishbank.com. 7am. Alice Radio 97.3 FM broadcasts live starting at 10am and spreads the frothy love with Guinness giveaways. From 4pm to midnight, revelers can enjoy the sounds of three DJs, two bands, and a couple o' Irish fiddlers. Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage, and smoked salmon are served to soak up all that stout.

Kate O'Briens Irish Bar and Grill 579 Howard; 882-7240. 11am. Guaranteed to be wall-to-wall, parties at O'Briens are always one of a kind.

Keane's 3300 Club 3300 Mission; 826-6886, www.geocities.com/~newspixie. 10am. This historic landmark pub has been celebrating St. Patrick's for almost half a century in the Mission District. Food and drink specials, and the sounds of Ireland get "patty"-goers in the spirit.

Kells Irish Restaurant and Bar 530 Jackson; 955-1916, www.kellsirish.com. 11am. With locations up the West Coast, this popular Irish chain serves traditional Irish fare served 10:30am to 3:30pm and has live Irish music starting at 4pm. A $5 cover charge goes into effect at 9pm.

Kezar Pub 770 Stanyan; 386-9292. 6am. Sports lovers converge at this pub to watch the game, knock back some beers, and have some cheers – and you know St. Patrick's Day at this joint will be a rowdy good time.

Joxer Daly 46 West Portal; 564-1412. Noon. Named after a character from Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, Joxer Daly stays true to its drinking-buddy namesake, serving up regulars with complimentary corned beef and cabbage, $3 pints of Harp, and traditional boiled Irish bacon.

Last Day Saloon 406 Clement; 387-6343. 8pm, $10. U2 cover band Zoo Station rocks the saloon at this St Patrick's Day show.

Lefty O'Doul's 333 Geary; 982-8900. 7am. Featuring the traditional tunes of pianist Frank O'Connor and a guest bagpiper, Lefty's knows how to do St. Patrick's Day right, serving up corned beef and cabbage and green Jell-O shots.

Liberties 998 Guerrero; 282-6789, www.theliberties.com. 10am. You'll get your fill of bagpipers, corned beef and cabbage, traditional Irish refreshments, and more at this Mission-Noe haunt.

Martin Mack's 1568 Haight; 864-0124. 10am. This Haight Street hang-out makes a point of serving all its drinks in glasses – no plastic – and has Irish bacon and cabbage to munch on. Don't miss the piper who usually comes in around 8pm.

O'Reilly's Irish Pub and Restaurant 622 Green; 989-6222. 3pm. The 10th annual block party is expected to top last year's 8,000 attendees and features Irish music by Blue on Green, Colm O'Riain, and Oein Harrington.

Oxygen Bar, Sushi and Sake Lounge 795 Valencia; 255-2102. 8pm-midnight, free. The Oxygen Bar's "Shamrock Sake" is a night of hip-hop and rare groove with DJs Enrigado and ExtraLars.

Phoenix Bar 811 Valencia; 695-1811, www.phoenixirishbar.com. 9am. The usual mellow atmosphere of this Mission bar gets rowdy with an all-day party.

Pig and Whistle 2801 Geary; 885-477, www.pig-and-whistle.com. 11:30am. Promising "general mayhem," "good laughs," and "lots of fun," this pub brings revelers food specials and all-day promotions for beers and Irish whiskeys.

Plough and Stars 116 Clement; 751-1122. 9pm, $10. Accordionist Andrew MacNamara and guitarist-songwriter Brendan Hearty come all the way from Ireland to soothe you with their traditional Irish music.

Rite Spot Cafe 2099 Folsom; 552-6066. 9pm, free. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a performance by Ricky and a drunken Irish sing-along.

Royal Exchange 301 Sacramento; 956-1710. 11am. This traditional pub celebrates in royal style, closing off Front Street (between California and Sacramento) to ensure a rollicking good time. With a live performance by Jackson 5 cover band Wonderbread Five and a slew of Irish fare and bevvies, you'll be doing the leprechaun hustle in no time.

San Francisco Brewing Co. 155 Columbus; 434-3344, www.sfbrewing.com. 11:30am. A DJ spins Irish music while patrons enjoy a special Rainbow Stout on tap. Traditional Irish food is also available.

Bay Area

Albatross Pub 1822 San Pablo, Berk; (510) 843-2473, www.albatrosspub.com. 6:30pm, $4 cover, $5 food. Blind Duck serves up traditional Irish music while the kitchen serves up corned beef, potato salad, and soda bread.

Beckett's 2271 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 647-1790. Noon. Beef and Guinness stew, corned beef, and cabbage await those hungry for an Irish meal, and themed party favors await those bereft of Irish zeal. Irish folk bands Finnoula and Kin Sella play at 5pm.

Blakes 2367 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 848-0886, www.blakesontelegraph.com, 11:30am. Blakes St. Patrick's Day festivities include discounted Guinness, Baileys, and Irish whiskey to quench your thirst and corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew, and $1 corned beef sliders to tantalize your taste buds. The music lineup includes the weekly Spank club night with DJ Solarz ($2-$5).

Cafe Van Kleef 1621 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 763-7711, www.cafevankleef.com. 9pm, $5. Mary-Claire O'Brien and Patty Regan Celt and Irish Ensemble perform at this Celtic music concert.

Freight and Salvage Coffee House 1111 Addison, Berk; (510) 548-1761, www.thefreight.org. This East Bay coffee house celebrates St. Patrick's Day with a week's worth of traditional music and song. Be sure to catch "Ireland's first family of song," the Black Brothers (Wed/16, 8pm, $19.50), the beautiful melodies of Melanie O'Reilly and Aisling Ghear (Sat/19, 8pm, $19.50), and traditional Irish innovators Teada (Tues/22, 8pm, $17.50).

Little Fox 2209 Broadway, Redwood City; (650) 369-4119. 8pm, $20. Dervish perform to celebrate the green day.

McGees Bar and Grill 1645 Park, Alameda; (510) 522-3470, mcgeesgrill.com. 11am. While McGees is dishing up corned beef and cabbage and green beer, the bar's regular menu is also available just in case you've already had three to five servings of "greens" for the day. Festive giveaways are also in store for merrymakers.

McGrath's Irish Pub 1539 Lincoln, Alameda; (510) 522-6263. Noon. Tinker's Damn play from 6-9pm, after which Jim Parodi leads an open jam. Guinness is on tap, duh!

McNally's Downtown Irish Pub 5352 College, Oakl; (510) 654-9463, 10am. Aided by bagpipers and drummers, McNally's is throwing one big Irish party, complete with all the usual fixings.

19 Broadway 17 Broadway, Fairfax; (415) 459-1091, www.19broadway.com. 9pm. One part guitar virtuoso and one part nascent pop star, Justin King visits from Oregon to rock out on his acoustic guitar and tap on some wicked riffs.

O'Neill's Irish Pub 34 South B St, San Mateo; (650) 347-1544. 6pm, free. Pat Ryan's Celtic Junket perform Celtic ballads.

Starry Plough 3101 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 841-2082, www.starryploughpub.com. 11am (entertainment starts at 5pm), $7, $8 dinner. After an evening of Irish step-dancing, bagpipes, traditional Irish songs by Driving with Fergus (6:30pm-12:30am), and corned beef and cabbage, you'll be ready to give the Lord of the Dance a run for his money.

Triple Rock Brewery 1920 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 843-2739, www.triplerock.com. 11:30am. If you want to celebrate St. Patty's Day but don't want to give up the sports, you can gulp down this brewery's famous Monkey Head beer and watch the two plasma-screen TVs while feasting on corned beef and cabbage.

Events

Gala St. Patrick's Day Event Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon; 861-5016. 8pm, $40. O'Reilly's Irish Pub and Cafe du Nord present a night of traditional Irish music with Mary Black and special guests, plus traditional Irish dancing.

'Ire Pathways' 111 Minna Gallery, 111 Minna; 974-1719, www.111minnagallery.com. 7pm-1am, $6-10. Art into Industry Pathways presents this Irish-themed event featuring spoken word, visual arts, and acoustic music. Tuxedos, ball gowns, and costumes are encouraged.

'The Shamrock Shimmy' Endup, 401 Sixth St; www.greengorillalounge.com. 10:30-4:30am. Dance till you feel green at this party with DJs Digs, M3, Antonio, Peter Fraser, and Sharon Buck.

St. Patricks' Day Annual Lunch and Dinner United Irish Cultural Center of San Francisco, 2700 45th Ave; 661-2700. 11:30am, free. This Irish-community event focuses on food, but be sure to stick around for the music and the fun.

'St Patrick's Day Love' Mighty, 119 Utah; 626-7001, www.huckleberryyouth.org. 10pm-4am, $10. DJs Tung, Goldilox, Laird, Adnan, Kapn' Kirk, Ernie Trevino, Seven, Laron, Deep Eddy, Sol, Scott Carreilli, and ViaJay get the crowd moving at this benefit dance party for Huckleberry House, a shelter for homeless and runaway youths.

'St. Patty's Day Punk Bash V' Elbo Room, 647 Valencia; 552-7788. 7pm, $6. Deathtoll, the Lewd, the Nightcrawlers, Everything Must Go, Jesus Fucking Christ, and the Lincolns play.

'Tha St. Patrick's Day Shenanigan Shakedown' 12 Galaxies, 2565 Mission; 970-9777. 9pm, $8. Showcasing the acid-folk stylings of ThaMuseMeant and the jazzy bluegrass of Free Peoples, 12 Galaxies puts a new spin on old-school Irish music. For all you purists, there's no need to worry: there's enough corned beef and cabbage and Guinness to go around.

'Third Thursday Party' California Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard; 321-8000. 5-9pm, $5. Socialize with other science aficionados at this Irish-themed event featuring animal tours, a no-host bar with Irish beer, and Brazilian jazz performed by Boca do Rio (an Irish history professor will be on hand to explain the connection between Ireland and jazz).

'You Have the Right to Remain Loud' StudioZ.tv. 7pm-2am, $7. This St. Patrick's Day show features music by Tremolo, Austin Willacy, and Essence.

Bay Area

'Lord of the Dance' San Jose Center for Performing Arts, 255 Almaden, San Jose; (408) 453-7108, www.amtsj.org. Through Sun/20. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 1 and 6:30pm. $45-72. Michael Flatley and his troupe of traditional folk dancers return to the Bay Area with a dramatic program of fancy footwork.

'St. Patrick's Day Festival and Barbecue' Danace Palace Community Center, Fifth and B Sts, Point Reyes Station; (415) 663-1075, www.dancepalace.org. Noon-4pm, $5-10. Danace Palace Community Center celebrates St. Patrick's Day for the 49th year with games, booths, food and drinks, and much more.

'St. Patrick's Luncheon' Burlingame Sheraton Hotel on the Bay, 600 Airport, Burlingame; (650) 340-8500. Noon, $40. The Hibernian Club of San Mateo County presents its 56th annual luncheon with special guests including the lord mayor of Dublin, Ireland, Michael Conaghan; a scholarship raffle; a live Irish band and step dancers; and of course, corned beef, cabbage, Irish soda bread, and more traditional Irish foods.

'Shamrock Day' Habitot Children's Museum, 2065 Kittredge, Berk; (510) 647-1111. Sat/19, 11:30am-1:30pm. Take the lil' ones with you to this St. Patty's-themed event featuring art activities and a hunt for hidden pots of gold.