Best Boston Steakhouses for Celebrating St. Patrick's Day
For centuries, the Irish of Boston have helped shape the cultural landscape of the city, and when you think of St. Patrick’s Day, you probably think of beef, specifically corned beef. Still, on St. Patrick’s Day, there’s a lot of wonderful beef all over the city, not all of it corned.
If you’re in downtown Boston to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, you may at some point feel the need to escape the crowds, the parades, the riotous good times that always accompany this, the greenest of holidays.
Here are five exemplary steakhouses, all open on St. Patrick’s Day and all offering some of the very finest cuts of meat – including the corned variety – as well as some much needed respite from the madding crowds.
Met Back Bay Boston Steakhouse. On the other end of the spectrum from the pubs where Bostonians frequently celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Met Back Bay Boston Steakhouse is sophisticated, perhaps a little posh, and a very comfortable retreat from the green-clad masses. Merging Irish and Eastern Seaboard traditions, there’s the Maple Glazed Corned Beef, with coleslaw, Swiss cheese, and spicy mustard on dark rye. There’s also an excellent wine selection, but for a sandwich like this, you’re going to want a Guinness.
BokX 109 American Prime. If you’re in the mood for a somewhat hipper vibe, BokX 109 American Prime is much more casual than your traditional steakhouse – it’s even got a swimming pool for cooling off after a meal of delicious meat, and there’s a lot of delicious meat on the menu. You can start with a traditional clam chowder with fennel and bacon (a Boston dish if there ever was one) and then move into the menu’s meatier options, including steak frites with bourbon molasses butter, grilled steak tips with Bordelaise, and Black Angus filet.
Boston Chops. On the South End, Boston Chops lays out solid chow for hungry people, and after a day of sipping Guinness and Harp Lager, you might be in the mood for some ballast as you sail to the close of day. At Boston Chops, you can get the usual selection of superior prime steaks, and they’re all fabulous, but on St. Patrick’s Day, you might want to make the day extra special with something a little different. On the “Rarely Celebrated” portion of the menu, Boston Chops offers Roasted Bone Marrow, Crispy Oxtail Croquettes, Braised Tripe, and Grilled Herb Marinated Heart. If some of these dishes seem challenging, have another swig of liquid courage and have a go at it.
The Bancroft.The Bancroft boasts a “carefully curated beverage program,” which may be just what you’re looking for on St. Patrick’s Day. To go along with the delicious beef in simple sandwiches or prime steak presentations, there is a cocktail program that promises to emphasize “house originals and classics prepared as they were meant to be.” And if you’re tired of drinking beer on St. Patrick’s Day 2019, The Bancroft cellars a splendid wine selection.
Stockyard Food & Spirit. Though the restaurant is called Stockyard, there are some fantastic fish and seafood options at this classic restaurant that’s been serving the Boston area for over forty years. If you need a break from beef, there’s a “Stockyard classic” lobster casserole with corn souffle, a local favorite. Of course, because this is Boston, there’s outstanding New England clam chowder (pairs well with Guinness).
