Restaurants patiently wait for the green light on St. Patrick’s Day

Local bars welcome customers despite COVID-19 restrictions on St. Patrick’s Day. Hongreddotbrewhouse/WikiCommons

As COVID-19 cases decline and vaccines become available throughout the nation, restaurants in Orange County don’t know what to anticipate for St. Patrick’s Day

O.C. restaurants are taking it day-by-day, waiting for the green light to move out of the purple tier for St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Los Angeles County restaurants have stayed open under strict COVID-19 guidelines and are still in the purple tier. This tier is the most restrictive but allows restaurants to remain open with outdoor modifications. 

“The county is still in the most restrictive purple tier but gets closer each week to the red tier; its case rate fell from 20.7 to 11.9 last week,” said Katie Murar of Orange County Business Journal. The county needs a case rate below 7 to exit the purple tier.” 

Many restaurants look forward to welcoming customers regardless of any Covid-19 restrictions that will be mandated. Here is a list of restaurants in the O.C. and L.A. County area that are known for some St. Patrick’s traditions, Sláinte!

Muldoon’s Irish Pub | Newport Beach 

People all over O.C. have been coming to Muldoon’s for decades and take St. Patrick’s Day very seriously. This five-time winner for best Irish pub opened in 1974 as a small business and has grown over the past 47 years into a restaurant with a dining room, patio, and two full bars. The pub has a cozy, intimate setting for pints, and darts while the Celtic room has a newly renovated sound system for live bands and plenty of room to dance. Muldoon’s opens at 6 a.m. and will be at 25% capacity for indoor and outdoor dining and never falls short of a good time. 

Hennessey’s Tavern | Laguna Beach

Hennessey’s Tavern is located within walking distance of Laguna Beach and is also a longstanding local gem. Hennessey’s opened in 1976 and is known for its live rooftop music venue. The outside patio will be available for full-service dining on St. Patrick’s Day and is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the week. 

Silky Sullivan’s | Fountain Valley

Silky Sullivan’s has been around for over 40 years and is still keeping up with their outdoor dining traditions. They open at 10 a.m. and are looking forward to what has traditionally been the biggest day of the year for the restaurant. Silky Sullivan’s traditionally has multiple tents outside for live music and dancing, which they expect to be available this St. Patrick’s day.

Restaurants in O.C. and L.A. are still waiting to see how the government will respond to the recent pandemic numbers. As cases are declining, there is a possibility for more seating and entertainment in the days ahead. 

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