O'Brien's Irish Pub and Grill

Located just a few steps from Time's Square, O'Brien's is truly in the heart of New York City. It's located on West 46th Street between Sixth Avenue or Avenue of the America's as tourists call it and Broadway.

This is a great spot for a midtown lunch, a few pints after work, a cocktail before the theater or a late night spot. It's always friendly and the kitchen is open late.

Our favorite dishes here are the old pub stand-byes, the shepherds pie and the Chicken Pot Pie and the Guinness Beef stew. All three dishes are hearty and definitely crowd pleasers. They have a full sandwich menu, including burgers and wings but they also have some specialties like crabmeat and asiago gratinee and fish and chips.

The coolest thing at the bar is beer delivery system. The taps are actually a big block of ice that insures you beer is poured cold. Of course the Guinness is served as it should be, not as cold as a lager, but chilled with a good head.

O'Brien's is owned by Des O'Brien, a member of the New York Rugby Club, who also owns Langan's just a block north on West 47th Street. O'Brien's is sort of the home office for the New York Rugby Club and O'Brien's is sponsoring New York with sets of kits for all the teams. The club holds most of their team events at O'Brien's and it's not uncommon to see a player at the bar after work.

Upstairs in the Sin Bin, the walls are covered with jerseys from several teams while the signed All Blacks jersey may be the most impressive, my favorite it the newest one, the game jersey from the local old boys side, the Gentlemen of New York. Also on the wall is a jersey from Munster Rugby, the venerable Irish territorial side. In fact, O'Brien's is the home of the North American Rugby Supporters Club and the group holds several events there a year.

Right now, O'Brien's isn't able to show the big live international rugby matches, but they do show rugby and there are plans in the works to show more rugby on any of their 12 screens throughout the bar.

A favorite spot in the bar is actually outside of the bar. There is a small patio balcony on the second floor that gives you a good view of Times Square at the end of the block. 

So whenever you find yourself in midtown Manhattan or need a place to meet away from the crazy tourist spots in Times Square, just walk around the corner from 46th and Broadway and stop into O'Brien's for a pint and a chat with Cormac. Tell him your a rugby player and before you know it, you will be drinking with friends.

Cheers!

 

 

 

Walk past the long street level bar, head towards the back toward the "The Sin Bin" sign. This is the most rugby friendly bar in New York City and the jerseys on the wall only tell part of the story.

Meet Cormac McCormack

Like the good Irishman that he is, Cormac is always ready to greet a rugby player at The Sin Bin.