In homage to the iconic Utica Saint Patrick’s Day “Parade Day” – always the Saturday before March 17 – and March 17 itself, an American celebration when everyone (who wants to be) is Irish, readers were asked to vote during “Irish Super Week” for the best Irish Pub in the Mohawk Valley.
Nine options spanned the margins of the Mohawk Valley, from Tribes Hill to Canajoharie, through Utica, New Hartford and on to Madison County. Voters had a tenth open-ended option to write in a favorite Irish Pub we missed under “Other.”
The results are in and the readers have spoken, voting Packy’s Irish Pub in Washington Mills the “Best Irish Pub in the Mohawk Valley,” winning almost 1 in 3 votes, with 32% of the total vote.
Packy’s Pub has served the Washington Mills/New Hartford community for almost 50 years, open Tue – Sat, serving a full menu with seasonal specials and famously good homemade soups. They offer bar, dining room, or seasonal patio dining. With longtime servers and a roster of regulars creating a welcoming vibe and extras from Paint-and-Sips to selling home baked goods to local fundraisers, Packy’s embodies the purpose of the “Public House” … the gathering of community.
Packy’s will be serving a special Irish menu on Saint Patrick’s Day, opening early – at 11 a.m. They will have a corned beef & cabbage entree’ on the menu all week. Food service till 8:30 p.m. St. Patrick’s Day. The bar will stay open “later.”
Coming in second is Five Points Public House at the Irish Cultural Center, winning 29% of the total vote, so together with Packy’s, garnering almost 2 out 3 votes at 61%.
Five Points is open three days a week, serving lunch on Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., with happy hour through dinner on Thursday-Friday, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Kitchen closes at 9 p.m. every day).
They will be open Tuesday, March 17, for Saint Patrick’s Day, 12 noon – 8 p.m., featuring live entertainment from Crushing June and DJ. Specials. A corn beef & cabbage entree will be offered in addition to their regular menu.
Killabrew Irish Saloon in New Hartford took third, with 15% of the total vote.
Open seven days a week, M-Sat 10 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m. They are a go-to local late night venue, open till 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. if crowds demand on weekends, serving their popular pub-fare menu, crowned by perennially award-winning wings.
The restaurant will offer its regular menu on March 17, where a host of traditional Irish options can be ordered every day, including Corned Beef and Cabbage, Reuben Sandwiches, Irish Beef Stew, Irish Pierogis, Reuben Tots, Bangers and Mash, Angry Irishman Panini, and Shepherd’s Pie. The Slainte’ saloon will be open 10 a.m. – 2 a.m. on Saint Patrick’s Day.
Other restaurants that earned votes were Griffin’s Irish Pub, Loopie’s Irish Pub, Dunn’s Irish Pub, A.E. Dixon’s Irish Pub at Hotel Solsville, Jim’s Irish Harbor Pub and Dick Smith’s (Seward’s) Tavern.
Every pub in the poll got at least one vote with “Other” winning 4% of votes, meaning yet more Irish Pubs were celebrated as Mohawk Valley favorites.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: PACKY’S PUB voted best Irish pub in the Mohawk Valley in readers poll.
Reporting by Cara Dolan Berry, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
