March is the one month we can all feel as lucky as the Irish as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! So if you are looking for some corned beef and cabbage—an Irish American tradition by the way—you are definitely in luck as several places in the Skagit Valley offer wonderful renditions of this March favorite. Plenty of Guinness to be had too, of course. Put on your green and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Skagit County.
The Fairhaven
100 N Burlington Boulevard, Burlington
360.746.3183
The Fairhaven in Burlington always has a Ruben on the menu anytime you get a craving for corned beef. Theirs is made with slow-cooked corned beef, melted Jarlsberg with 1000 island dressing and sauerkraut on country rye bread. March 17-20 they will also have some specialty menu items in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Items include lamb shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage hand pie and colcannon dumplings. What’s colcannon? It’s a traditional Irish mashed potato dish and it’s incredible.
Brown Lantern Ale House
412 Commercial Avenue, Anacortes
360.293.2544
The Brown Lantern Ale House has a wide range of Irish spirts, so they are a great place to go for St. Patrick’s Day in Skagit County. They offer Guinness Stout and Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale on draft. They also have Iron Horse Irish Death, bottled. For eats, the Brown Lantern Ale House have a faux-Ruben for those who are not big fans of corned beef that’s made with pastrami instead.
The Brown Lantern Ale House has a heated and covered Beer Garden. Thursdays are open mic-night, so there should be plenty of entertainment.
Trumpeter Public House
416 Myrtle Street, Mount Vernon
360.588.4515
The Trumpeter Public House in Mount Vernon has some great Irish food on the menu, making it a great pick to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. You will find house-made corned beef and cabbage, cottage pie, fish and chips, Rubens, and more. “Since we do things seasonally and make our food from scratch, we will add additional items for the day of St. Patrick,” says Paul Springer of the Trumpeter Public House. The Trumpeter Public House caters to those with dietary restrictions and offers a lot of gluten free items, including their fish and chips.
Billy’s Cafe
316 E Fairhaven Avenue, Burlington
360.755.9988
Check out Billy’s Café for their corned beef skillet and start your St. Patrick’s Day off right! The skillet featured homemade corned beef grilled up with country potatoes, peppers, onion and their homemade country gravy and two eggs any style. They serve this all day, so even if you get a late start you can still head there to try this hearty breakfast.
Mr. T’s Family Cafe
503 W Fir Street, Mount Vernon
360.848.1000
Mr. T’s Family Cafe in Mount Vernon has Ruben sandwiches on their menu year-round. Made with sauerkraut, 1000 island and Swiss on rye, it’s perfect whenever you get a craving for corned beef. Served all day, Mr. T’s also offers corned beef hash made with homemade corned beef, potatoes, and grilled peppers and onions.
Swinomish Casino and Lodge
12885 Casino Drive, Anacortes
888.288.8883
Swinomish Casino and Lodge is a great place to dine and play on St. Patrick’s Day in Skagit County. This year, they will be having a festive feast in the Carver’s Café and the Swinomish Sports Bar & Grill. Featured menu items will include corned beef and cabbage served with colcannon and glazed carrots. The dish will be served from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Carver’s and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Sports Bar. Wash it down with their special St. Patrick’s Day drink, the Fuzzy Leprechaun, which features vodka with peach schnapps, blue Curaçao, orange juice, and pineapple juice.
Then head to some gaming with their Feelin’ Lucky promotion! On March 17 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., play the slots and you’ll be eligible for instant hit drawings and hot seat drawings, with $3,500 being given away in promo play. Hot Seat Drawing winners will also be given a pot of coins to draw from, draw the gold coin and you’ll win a $250 cash bonus. Find full details on the Swinomish Casino and Lodge website, including guidelines and rules.
