Raise a (green) glass: St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have begun at suburban bars and restaurants

St. Patrick’s Day may not be until Tuesday, but most bars and restaurants are getting a head start with specials and events that start this weekend. So as they say on the Emerald Isle, “may the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back.” Sláinte!

120 Live Bartlett is hosting a five-day celebration Friday through Tuesday, March 13-17, with a special limited-time St. Patrick’s Day menu alongside a lineup of live music, entertainment, festive drinks and family-friendly fun. Weekend wristbands are $25 and include an official 120 Live St. Patrick’s Day T-shirt, prizes and giveaways, plus access to the unlimited music and entertainment all weekend long. The St. Patrick’s menu includes corned beef dinners, Reuben bites and corned beef egg rolls. Drink specials include Shamrock Jello shots and green and Irish beers on tap. Beyond the menu, 120 Live is packing the weekend with entertainment and activities for all ages. The celebration kicks off with Kegs & Eggs from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday and continues through Tuesday night with daily performances and themed activities for all ages.

Ballydoyle Irish Pub and Restaurant in Downers Grove is celebrating all weekend with music and dancers scheduled from noon until midnight Saturday. On Tuesday, doors open at 8 a.m. for kegs and eggs. There will be live entertainment throughout the day and night with Irish dancers, bagpipers and more.

Beatrix in Oak Brook offers specials Thursday through Tuesday, March 12-17, including the turkey pastrami Reuben for $18.95 and St. Patrick’s Day-decorated sugar cookies for $5.95 each. Wash it down with an Irish coffee or Irish cold brew.

Bennigan’s is celebrating its 50th anniversary just in time for St. Patrick’s Day with its monthlong Blarney Blast 2026, running through April 1 at the Elgin location. Limited-time cocktails include the Angry Caramel Apple with hard cider and salty caramel whiskey, the Emerald Isle Margarita (available in original, granny smith apple, peach, mango, strawberry, passion fruit, watermelon, stone fruit, elderflower, blackberry or lavender lemon), and the Blarney Stone Kiss with Irish and peach whiskeys. There’s also tableside Irish coffee and more. Limited-time dishes included the Blarney Blast quesadillas, Guinness-glazed pub shrimp, Reuben burger, cottage pie and Irish cream cheesecake. There’s also a new two for $50 Lucky Bundle including one shared appetizer, two entrées and one shared dessert from a select menu.

Broken Oar’s Shamrockers Ball started last week in the heated “Broken Barn” and continues until the big event starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Port Barrington. There will be Irish food and beer as well as multiple bands each day, with The Irish Messengers headlining at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The daily pass is $10 and you can buy tickets in advance at ticketleap.

Buffalo Creek Brewing in Long Grove goes green for its annual St. Paddy’s Shindig Saturday, March 14. There will be green beer flowing all day, with the party kicking off at 9 a.m. with authentic Full Irish Bunnies (a Pullman loaf filled with bangers, bacon, mushrooms and English beans and topped with an egg). Irish folk dancing from McNulty’s School of Irish Dance and live music from New Vintage Irish Strings will keep you entertained.

Cooper’s Hawk locations will be serving up Irish classics including slow-braised corned beef and cabbage and corned beef sliders on Tuesday, March 17, available only in the dining room.

For a mellow St. Patrick’s Day vibe, head to Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace where Lucille Restaurant will be hosting brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 15. Dine on smoked salmon on blinis, soda bread and all things Irish while The Galway Gals sing tunes old and true. It’s $80 for adults and $30 for kids 12 and younger.

Join in the shenanigans at the 14th annual Durty Nellie’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Saturday, March 14, in Palatine. It begins with a traditional Irish breakfast from 8:30-10:30 a.m., followed at 11 a.m. by the annual Durty St. Pat’s Parade, which steps off at Wood and Oak Streets and ends at Durty Nellie’s. The after party will kick off at noon featuring traditional Irish fare, music, dancing and more.

Finn’s Fest 2026 at Finn McCool’s Irish Sports Pub locations in Schaumburg and Wheeling will feature plenty of music, beer and whiskey Friday through Tuesday, March 13-17. Features and events vary by location, so check the website for details.

The Graceful Ordinary in St. Charles is rolling out St. Patrick’s Day drinks and dishes with rustic twists on Saturday, March 14, and Tuesday, March 17. Grab a specialty drink and catch the St. Charles St. Paddy’s Day parade Saturday, with offerings that include baby beer shots with Licor 43 and green cream, Irish coffee and the Greenhorn, a mix of tequila, Midori and Suze. When it’s time for dinner on Saturday and Tuesday, dine on Irish-inspired comfort food including shepherds pie with braised lamb and champ potatoes; smoked salt cod brandade with toast, and grilled Atlantic oysters finished with charred leeks, parsley butter, bacon and lemon.

The Greggory in South Barrington will be serving up Irish flavors Tuesday, March 17, adding Guinness stew and a hearty corned beef sandwich to the mix, in addition to the signature corned beef bites from the bar bites menu. They’ll also be pouring green beer, Irish coffee, Guinness cans and Bushmills Irish whiskey flights. A local bagpiper will perform Irish tunes starting at 6 p.m.

The Hampton Social is starting St. Patrick’s Day weekend with daytime drink specials until 5 p.m. Saturday, March 14. Specials include half off well drinks, $6 Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra and $10 Jameson shots. They have suburban locations in South Barrington, Burr Ridge and Skokie.

You may not associate pizza with St. Patrick’s Day, but Jet’s Pizza is offering its signature one-topping 4 Corner Pizza for $3.17 from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday. It’s pickup only with a limit of one per person.

Have your St. Patrick’s Day meal catered by Katie’s Kitchen in Des Plaines. The dinner for two ($60) includes corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and horseradish cream sauce. You can also order corned beef and cabbage by the half tray ($175) and full tray ($350), as well as corned beef sandwich kits ($26 a pound; minimum order is 5 pounds, which yields 10-15 sandwiches).

Bowling and green beer are on tap at Kings in Rosemont. Drink specials include green tea shots for $7 (which you can load up on a shotski for four) and $8 Guinness. Those bowling on randomly selected “lucky lanes” who roll a strike can win an hour of free bowling Sunday through Tuesday, March 15-17.

L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge in Lincolnwood is serving St. Patrick’s Day specials now through Tuesday, March 17, including a classic Reuben sandwich, corned beef and cabbage and Bailey’s chocolate mousse. Wash it down with a Guinness draft, Key lime pie martini or an aptly colored grasshopper.

Mickey Finn’s Brewery in Libertyville offers a full slate of entertainment Saturday through Tuesday, along with Irish food specials.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Weekend at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle with whiskey and traditional Irish music at the Winter Whiskey Tasting Saturday, March 14. Taste a selection of whiskeys curated by a team of experts from Binny’s Beverage Depot and warm up at the cozy fire pits on the open-air patio of the Arboretum’s Firefly Pavilion. Tickets include a commemorative 6-ounce snifter glass, unlimited samples and are $50 for members, $60 for nonmembers and discounted for designated drivers. Tasting sessions are from 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

Enjoy classic Irish pub fare, live music, bagpipers and Irish dancers through St. Patrick’s Day at Peggy Kinnane’s in Arlington Heights. Don’t miss Colleen’s Irish soda bread, too.

After a long day of celebrating, you can get a to-go package of elevated classic Irish fare from Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook. The Corned Beef & Cabbage meal with carrots and boiled potatoes and Irish soda bread is $31; split pea soup is offered by the pint ($12) or quart ($22); crispy Irish Reuben rolls with homemade Thousand Island dipping sauce is $14; Irish Mashed Potatoes are $32 for a quart; a loaf of Irish soda bread from Bennison’s Bakery is $15; and Guinness Cake with cream cheese icing is $13. Call (847) 205-4433 to place an order by Friday for pickup from 4-5:30 p.m. Tuesday. They’ll be open for dine in starting at 5 p.m. March 17.

Quigley’s Irish Pub in Naperville offers traditional Irish fare on the menu all year long, but they’ll dial up the entertainment this weekend, opening at 10 a.m. Saturday so the Highland Guard Bagpipers can march through the pub once they finish marching in the West Suburban Irish parade. The pub opens at 10 a.m. Tuesday and will feature two sets throughout the day and evening by Celtic Roots, as well as a 5 p.m. visit by the bagpipers.

Real Urban BBQ in Vernon Hills will be smoking up plenty of corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day. A platter is $20, a sandwich is $14, the Reuben is $17 or you can get smoked corned beef for $28 a pound.

Stan’s Donuts is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a limited-time lineup of festive flavors, available at all locations through March 17. Flavors include Shamrock Sprinkles, Irish Cream Bismark, Green River Glazed and Emerald Chocolate Dipped.

Tokio Pub’s Endless Sushi & Nacho Experience will be offered on Tuesday, March 17, just for St. Patrick’s Day. Start with bottomless pork nachos, then head to the Maki Bar for 10 types of sushi being rolled live, including holiday-themed rolls. It’s $35 per guest, but if you wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, the sushi and nacho experience is 15% off.