Nightlife in Mechanicsville

Amid the hum of live entertainment and sleek leather couches, classic American and continental dishes doused in dressings such as spicy garlic, key-lime barbecue, and sweet teriyaki sauce or cucumber-dill aioli convene with more than 85 martinis, beer, and wine. The drinks clink beneath strings of colorful lights, rustic barrel arches, and six 48-inch plasma TVs glimmering with sports games. Six nights a week, guests can raise their glasses to live entertainment ranging from local musicians to line-dancing lessons, all of which offer them a reprieve from lackluster evenings of playing checkers against their goldfish.

Handcrafted mahogany woodwork bolsters the authenticity of this traditional Irish pub, which specializes in heaping portions of shepherd's pie, bangers 'n' mash, and fish ’n’ chips. Friendly servers don kilt-like plaid skirts before they waltz through the dining room, delivering plates of boxty and pints of more than a dozen draft beers from the full bar. Each night, a live-music act regales patrons with songs so catchy they're under investigation by the CDC.