Mitch E.
Yelp
Irish Bars in New York City are fairly common. Some of them are truly authentic. And others are run by some guy who has never been the Ireland, then slaps an Irish name on the place, and it become a typical Bro bar. You have to be careful.
Where Irish bars aren't so typical is Bed-Stuy. For Saint Patrick's Day this year I figured I'd check out something close to home and hope for the best. And that's exactly what I got.
Desires for Saint Patrick's Day include, avoiding packed crowds, having some tasty Irish beers along with some whiskey, chowing on some genuine Irish food, and avoiding Manhattan at all costs (Its amateur hour)
After some research I figured Hartley's was the place to start the day. I knew it wasn't that big but if we got there at the right time, we'd be good. We arrived around one and it just right. Not dead, but not crowded either. The bartenders were doing their thing, slinging back beers. After a bit we got a table and ordered some grub. Soda bread, Irish Stew, and one of the most unbelievable beef sandwiches I ever had.
Eventually it was starting to get too packed and some guy starting waltzing in wearing some frat boy outfit and started to give me PTSD of a Saint Patrick's day of long ago in Manhattan. It was time to go. Passed by later and saw people were falling out of the place. We beat the crowd.
But I'm glad I came. I'll be sure to come back, their brunch sounds great. The staff is friendly. The prices are right and it's a charming place.