Rí Rá Irish Pub at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place knows all about the “craic,” Irish for good times. For more than a dozen years, the authentic pub has welcomed guests through its doors to toast to Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick and the holiday that celebrates Irish culture and heritage. Come March 17, it’s the hot spot to get your eating, drinking and dancing on. (There is no cover charge.) Rí Rá transports guests to Ireland by way of its immersive décor, traditional food and authentic ambience (even some of the staff is direct from the Emerald Isle!). “It’s big party vibes,” said Scott Sherman, Rí Rá Irish Pub’s managing partner. “We wanted to bring that Temple Bar (Ireland’s busiest bar) vibe and feeling, with a pint in hand and you’re singing the songs. If you want to dance, eat, whatever you want to do for St. Patrick’s Day—we’re the spot for you.”

Dance

Live bands take the stage all week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. On March 11-15 from 8 p.m.-midnight, enjoy Crooked Jacks. Flown in from Ireland, the band is known for playing the Temple Bar circuit. On March 16, both Crooked Jacks and Achill Crossing, an Irish musical duo, perform from 5 p.m.-midnight. And on the holiday, March 17, Dave Rooney and Friends (the house band for Temple Bar) join the other two bands and close out the festivities in raucous style.

Photo by: Christopher DeVargas

Eat

Nom, nom, nom. While you party, make sure to stay satiated with some downright authentic and delicious dishes from Rí Rá’s vast menu. Recommended dishes include the fish and chips, made U.K.-style with a thin, lager-based batter covering cuts of Icelandic haddock. The Reuben sandwich is 6 ounces of thinly shaved meat that is brined in-house for 10 days, and the Scotch eggs are made of bangers wrapped around a hard-boiled egg and deep fried in panko. (The egg yolk is removed and made into a mousse and then piped back into the center.) The most traditional dish is the Irish chicken curry, made with a McDonnells spice imported from Ireland. “If anyone English or Irish tastes it, it immediately tastes like home,” Sherman said.

Drink

Order up the traditional 20-ounce Imperial pint of Guinness—every bartender knows how to pour the traditional way. If spirits sound more tempting, Rí Rá stocks about 400 bottles of Irish, American and Scotch whiskies, with the biggest Irish whiskey collection in the country (about 140 labels). All gin is direct from Ireland, there is no vodka on the menu(!), and for a special treat, order the black velvet, made with Guinness and champagne, or the black velveteen, made with Guinness and cider.

Photo by: Anthony Mair

View

Take time to take in the authentic atmosphere that Rí Rá provides. Décor includes actual pieces brought over from Ireland, including the Shop Bar located near the entrance. The bar was dismantled and re-created inside Rí Rá with all the original pieces and woodwork from Foley’s Bar in Timoleague, West Cork. Built in the 1890s, it served as the town’s pub, local store and post office. Near the Victorian Bar, you’ll see the flooring that comes direct from the Harland & Wolff shipyard (where the Titanic was built); the oak flooring near the Whiskey Bar comes from an old Irish whiskey distillery. Inside the Theatre Room, the bar is filled with displays of salvaged artifacts from the original Olympia Theatre in Dublin.

The Shoppes at Mandalay Place. 702.632.7771. mandalaybay.mgmresorts.com

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