Alexandria VA Irish Pub
Some nights call for a real Irish pub: good food, a proper drink, and a room that is not trying too hard. Maybe you want to catch the game without hovering over a bar stool, or sit down to a proper meal that is still coming out of the kitchen at 10 PM. That combination is harder to find than it should be.
McNamara’s Pub and Restaurant is at 567 23rd Street South in Arlington, five minutes from Crystal City and a straight shot up Route 1 from Alexandria. It runs as both an Irish pub and a family-friendly sports bar, with a full kitchen that stays open until close every night of the week.
Irish Pub near Alexandria VA
Sports Bar near Alexandria
McNamara’s wears two hats, a proper Irish pub and a real place to watch games. The screens carry all the major American sports, from NFL Sundays to NBA nights to college football Saturdays, and the room always has an opinion.
It stays family-friendly early, so dinner and the first half work fine, then loosens up as the night goes on. Come for the food and the opening drive, or claim a stool for the finish.
Irish Restaurant near Alexandria
McNamara’s takes the kitchen seriously, which is reason enough for you to head up Route 1. The Irish side runs from shepherd’s pie to fish and chips to a beef stew built on a Guinness stout broth, and the American side keeps burgers and wings honest. Consistency is the key.
It works for a proper sit-down dinner or an easy lunch, with salads and lighter plates alongside the classics. Nothing here is an afterthought. The full menu is online before you make the trip.
Trivia Night
Monday trivia at McNamara’s is the good kind of competitive, and the good news is that it’s right up route 1. Trivia night runs from 7 to 9 with five themed rounds that test memory, pop culture, and the odd corner of knowledge you forgot you had. First and second place take home prizes.
Third place gets something sneakier: the right to pick a category for the next week, which keeps the regulars honest. Tables fill fast, so arrive early, and a team of ten or more needs to reserve. The full trivia rundown is online.
Whiskey & Wine
Wednesday is the night to slow down, and for Alexandria it is a short run up Route 1 to do it right. To help you slow down, McNamara takes 50% off bottles of wine and 50% off select whiskey all da. This turns an ordinary midweek into something worth lingering over. Even the Opus One comes down, 25% off for the occasion.
It is social without the weekend noise, the kind of evening built for comparing pours rather than shouting over them. Order a bottle of whiskey and wine to share or work through a few drams at the bar.
Karaoke
When the weekend lands, McNamara’s hands over the mic. Karaoke runs Friday and Saturday from 9, with regulars, first-timers, and a few brave friends taking turns. It is loud, upbeat, and gloriously hard to predict.
Some nights you get a real singer, some nights you get pure courage, and both are worth the price of admission. Come to sing or come to cheer.
Bingo Night
Tuesday is bingo night, and it makes an easy reason for you to hop in. Eight rounds start at 7, prizes get handed out all night, and there are no teams to assemble and nothing to study beforehand. You grab a card, order a drink, and wait for your numbers to land.
It is social first and competitive second, which is exactly what a Tuesday calls for. The room fills with regulars, so bar seating goes first come and a bigger group should arrive early to sit together.
Specials
McNamara’s keeps enough specials going to reorganize your week around. The daily happy hour runs 3 to 7 on weekdays with $2 off food and drinks, real cocktails and every appetizer included. Tuesday makes any sandwich with fries and a soda $13 until 3, and Thursday does the same with burgers, a draft for $5 more.
Weekends keep pace, with brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 2 where one mimosa earns dollar refills for two hours alongside an entree, and a Sunday drink feature that right now pours $6 Tito’s and Jameson all day. There is also a fresh set of monthly menu specials worth scanning before you drive up, all posted on the specials page.
Online Ordering
Some nights you want McNamara’s without the drive up from Alexandria, and online ordering handles it. The full menu is available for pickup or delivery through Seamless, Grubhub, Uber Eats, and the other major apps, from fish and chips to burgers, wings, and the Irish staples.
Pickup is easy if you are already heading this way, and delivery covers the area for the nights you are not. A bigger group order goes smoother with a little lead time, since availability shifts with how busy the kitchen is.
Special Events
When a celebration needs more than a table, McNamara’s has a private room that seats up to 30. It handles birthdays, retirements, and anniversaries, with the full kitchen and bar in house so there is no outside catering to coordinate.
The space stays part of the pub, private without feeling cut off from the room. Choose a buffet or a plated dinner to fit the occasion. Reach out for any special private bookings.
Alexandria Irish Pub FAQs
How do I get to McNamara's from Alexandria?
Head north on Route 1 or the GW Parkway toward Crystal City, then over to 23rd Street South; the Blue and Yellow lines also run straight up from Alexandria.
Is McNamara's close to Reagan National?
It sits roughly a mile past DCA, so an arriving flight or an airport pickup turns into a five-minute detour.
What is the food like?
Traditional Irish plates such as shepherd’s pie and a Guinness beef stew sit beside burgers, wings, and salads, so the table rarely argues.
What is the daily happy hour?
From 3 to 7 on weekdays you get $2 off both food and drinks, with cocktails and every appetizer included.
Why Alexandria Residents Choose McNamara's Pub and Restaurant
Alexandria has no shortage of restaurants, but a late Irish pub with a packed events calendar and a kitchen that means it is a different thing entirely, and it is only a short drive north.
Whether it is a Tuesday pint, a family dinner, or a back-room party, McNamara’s covers the range and still feels like the real thing from anywhere in the city.