St. Patrick's Day Celebration At Tommy Sullivan's Café? Sláinte!

BRANFORD, CT — For the 45th time, Tommy Sullivan's Café in Branford will celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the most authentic way. One get corned beef and cabbage every Thursday year-round at the North Main Street pub. But during the days-long celebration of Ireland's patron saint —no snakes in Ireland thanks to St. Patrick, or the unwelcoming-to-snakes climate — the Irish staple is a must.

In the summer of 2023 when it celebrated its decades in business, Patch wrote about Tommy Sullivan's Café's storied history and deep connection to its Irish roots. Read that story here.

This weekend, the café is pulling out all the stops for St. Pat's Day beginning Friday with what the pub calls, its "proper Irish Whiskey" event. On Saturday, the St. Paddy’s Eve Celebration includes Tullamore Dew, Irish Step Dancers from Lenihan School of Irish Dance, and live Irish music by Paddy Whack starting at 6 p.m.

"We plan to make Saturday, Saint Paddy’s Eve, a wonderful experience for those who either can’t come Sunday, or who want to celebrate a day early and avoid calling out of work Monday," Maeve Sullivan said. "Take advantage of this day if you want our full menu or if you have anyone in your party who may not be up for Sunday’s shenanigans."

Sullivan noted the limited menu for Sunday, and why.

"On Saint Patrick’s Day, we only serve a limited menu which includes corned beef, shepherd’s pie, and Guinness beef stew," she noted. "There will likely be long wait times and a packed restaurant for most of the day and night. We encourage people to join us any other day or night this week/ weekend who are looking to avoid the crowds or who would like to be able to order items off our regular menu."

Sunday at Tommy Sullivan's will feature New Haven County Firefighters Pipes & Drums at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. Sullivan added that folks should be prepared for "long wait times, a large crowd, and a lot of fun."

And Irish fingers crossed for good weather.

Tommy Sullivan's Café is ocated at 240 North Main St., in Branford and can be reached at 203-488-8454.