From wine bars and speakeasies to craft breweries and rooftop bars, the drinks scene in Oklahoma City is as diverse as our globe-trotting restaurants. And that includes pubs, quintessentially cozy and overflowing with Guinness. With St. Patrick’s Day afoot, let’s take a look at some of the best in town, from a pint-sized Bricktown bar to a beloved Irish cornerstone pairing live Celtic music with shepherd’s pie.
Sean Cummings’ Irish Restaurant
On a stretch of North May Avenue lined with international restaurants, Sean Cummings’ Irish Restaurant is the definitive pub in OKC. The only one in the city to feature live Celtic music, including spirited pipe bands sure to enliven a round of beers, the restaurant ticks all the right boxes for a laudable pub. The cozy space eschews windows in favor of Irish flags and artwork, with musicians performing every night of the week.
There’s a dictionary of Irish foods on the menu, including colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage, bacon and leeks) and bangers (pork sausage), along with hearty favorites like shepherd’s pie and beer-battered fish and chips. Beer is free-flowing behind the bar, too. Along with Guinness on tap, you’ll find the largest selection of Irish beers—and Irish whiskeys—in the city, including staples like Harp and Smithwick’s.
JJ’s Alley
Another go-to for nightly live music, JJ’s Alley is a small pub tucked away in Bricktown, where pizza comes by the slice and acoustic sets lend a soulful soundtrack. Look for the giant “pub” sign out front to find a narrow nook of a bar, where the walls are covered in guitars and knickknacks, the beer is cheap and the hours are late (until 2 a.m.).
Skinny Slim’s
Elsewhere in Bricktown, Skinny Slim’s is a British-inspired pub with more than 60 craft beers, a patio, football (as in soccer) on the TVs and flags and banners draped from the ceiling. It’s a small bar with a big personality, opening early—sometimes as early as 6:30 a.m.—to air European games and pour pints. You’ll find requisite Guinness, along with an impressive selection of local and international craft brews.
McNellie’s Pub
Another OKC icon, McNellie’s Pub feels like something right out of Dublin. The vast, multi-story Midtown space is outfitted with hardwood tables, barrels and Guinness toucans, while the huge bar supplies one of the lengthiest beer lists in the city. Along with Guinness, you’ll find Irish ales like Harp Lager and Smithwick’s Irish Red, as well as ciders, beer flights and unique beer “mixes” (like the Snakebite, which pairs Harp with Angry Orchard cider, or Black & Blue, with Guinness and Blue Moon). Anyone who eventually orders 100 different beers gets to join the Centennial Club, and earns a T-shirt. If you order 200, you get a $100 gift card and a plaque on the wall, and if you reach 300, that wins you a mug. The food, like whiskey burgers and Reuben sandwiches, is pub perfection.
O’Connell’s Irish Pub & Grille
Part sports bar and part pub, O’Connell’s Irish Pub & Grille offers the best of both boozy worlds on Campus Corner in Norman. The comfy wood-paneled space is known as much for its sports on TV as it is for its shuffleboard, trivia and karaoke nights, adding a “something for everyone” element to go with burgers, wings and bacon cheese fries. You’ll find green beer for St. Patrick’s Day, along with an ever-present selection of Irish, British and international ales.
