St. Patrick’s Day 2011: Parade Route Bar Guide

Aran sweaters, funky hats and green beer, oh my! Yes, it’s that time of year again. In less tan two weeks locals will gather for the annual Staten Island St. Patrick’s Parade. The step-off will be at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 6th beginning at Forest Avenue at Hart Boulevard.

The parade, which will continue down Forest and end at Jewett Avenue, is sure to have local watering holes packed early on for the celebration. The route along Forest is known for its high concentration of bars, and usually draws the biggest crowd. In order to help you prepare for the festivities, below is a guide to the bars along the route so that you can plan your imbibing accordingly.

Jody’s Club Forest

372 Forest Ave.

(718) 727-6338

Jody’s will be hosting an invite-only continental breakfast for local politicians before the parade. The breakfast is being sponsored by Assemblyman Michael Cusick and former Congressman Michael McMahon. After the breakfast feel free to stop in for a drink and one of their $5 corned beef sandwiches or $2 hot dogs.

Black Dog Grill

382 Forest Ave.

(718) 442-8121

Black Dog has always been a popular stop during the parade. They have also recently added to their back room so that ups their appeal even more. There haven’t been any reports on their exact plans for the event just yet, but in past years they’ve opened up their back yard and served barbecue food to the masses of parade goers. Fair warning though, the line has gotten quite long in the past, so try to get there early.

Afternoone’s Restaurant

415 Forest Ave.

(718) 816-6744

At Afternoone’s, they usually stock up on about 300 lbs. of corned beef, but this doesn’t help the fact that they also usually sell out around 5 p.m.

The Wild Goose Pub

530 Forest Ave.

(718) 720-3800

There hasn’t been any word on their official plans yet but The Wild Goose is sure to throw a great party. Their name actually stems from Irish history. In 1691 when 20,000 Irish soldiers left their hometown with no money in an attempt to gaurantee the rights of their countrymen as per the Treaty of Limerick, they were referred to as “Wild Geese.” The soldiers has exiled themselves with no money and since they were skilled fighters they hired their services out to the nations of Europe. Anyway, The Goose (as it’s affectionately called by regulars) boasts an impressive 46 beers on tap, 113 different bottles, and if you still can’t find something to choose from, they have four canned varities as well.

Burrito Bar

585 Forest Ave.

(718) 815-9200

Burrito Bar is always packed on the day of the parade. Along with the two floors they have inside, they will also be putting tents over their outdoor patio and parking lot in order to give the droves of customers more space to party. They plan on having a DJ outside, and will be serving hot dogs and hamburgers to help soak up the alcohol. They are already prepared and are fully stocked with Jameson, Bud and Miller, which are some of their most popular requests on parade day.

Duffy’s Tavern

650 Forest Ave.

(718) 477-9276

Rusty’s Tavern

879 Forest Ave.

(718) 273-5501

On The Rocks

1144 Forest Ave.

Drunken Monkey Bar & Grill

1205 Forest Ave

(718) 273-2267

This is the last bar you’ll hit at the end of the route. It’s gained a pretty solid following since its opening, so it should be busy. They haven’t confirmed their exact plans yet, but corned beef and cabbage should be on their menu that day.