Get your St. Paddy's Day garb, grub on with festivities at local eateries and pubs

As the song says, get you ready quick and soon. St. Patrick’s Day approaches rapidly, and it may be celebrated with Irish-American or actual Irish food at restaurants throughout the area.

Some, of course, serve Irish-style food year-round. Others have added dishes associated with the holiday to celebrate it. Regardless, there’s reason to enjoy what they will serve without ever having to hoist a green beer or raise a toast.

The premier St. Paddy’s Day party, of course, will take place as always at Meg O’Malley’s Irish Restaurant and Pub in downtown Melbourne, and the party actually will start March 10 with live music, Irish coffee and whiskey, etc. The following day, corned beef and cabbage, that most Irish-American of dishes. will be served, with more music and the Ancient Order of Hibernians’ annual parade Saturday, March 16.

The music, bagpipe-playing, dancing and other delights will continue through the feast day, which is what na Féile Pádraig is, with Mass to be celebrated at 8 a.m. Sunday, March 17, by Roman Catholic priests from Florida Institute of Technology Campus Ministry, complete with band. The Irish breakfast buffet will commence at 9 a.m. and food trucks will open at 10 a.m. The Gaelic bacchanalia will end with a concert by Hot Pink from 6 to 10 p.m.

That says little about Meg’s food, which includes the likes of sausage rolls, Scotch eggs, shepherd’s (actually cottage, but ...) pie, beef and Guinness pie, Irish stew, bangers and mash and colcannon every day.

Meg O’Malley’s is located at 812 E. New Haven Ave. Call 321-952-5510. www.megomalleys.com/Events

Other restaurants at which St. Patrick’s Day will be celebrated include:

The Cottage Irish Pub, 1385 Highland Ave., Melbourne. Eau Gallie Arts District’s resident, full-time, born-in-Mayo Irish restaurant will be the center of a street festival from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 17, complete with food trucks, Irish music and dancing, face-painting and, naturally, beer. Go before then and avail yourself of bangers and mash, cottage pie, Guinness beef stew, curry chips and other specialties associated with the Emerald Isle. Call 321-610-1935. www.cottageirishpub.com.

Hogan’s Irish Pub, 200 Willard St., Cocoa. Hogan’s is owned by the Hogan family of County Mayo, which also owns the Cottage, and though it definitely is not a pub with no beer, it also serves the likes of an Irish Pub Sampler, with beef stew, a banger and mash and cottage pie; as well as fancy spuds and an Irish brunch every Sunday. The celebrations will start at 10 a.m. Sunday with Irish music and dancing as well as corned beef and cabbage. Call 321-806-3568. www.hoganscocoavillage.com.

More: 60+ fun things to do in Brevard in March, from outdoor festivals to St. Patrick's Day

The Irish Pub & Eatery, 125 Harrison St., Titusville Live music, dancing with a limited menu of Irish favorites (corned beef and cabbage, reuben rolls) will be on the bill and all three bars will be open to celebrate. Should you decide to dine in advance of the day, the pub serves a full menu of traditional fare. Call 321-264-0311. www.irishpubtitusville.com

Nolan’s Irish Pub, 204 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway., Cocoa Beach. St. Paddy’s always is huge at Nolan’s, a pub owned and operated by more actual Irishmen, with craic every day. Irish music will sound through the preceding nights, but Sunday the fun will start at 9 a.m. with Brendan Shanahan, followed by the Brevard Police & Fire Pipes and Drums. A limited menu will be served, but, again, fare associated with Ireland and Irish-Americans (chicken and chips, bangers and mash, pies) are served every day. No reservations. Call 321-783-8499. www.nolanscocoabeach.com.

Twisted Birch Sports Bar & Grill, 1279 Admiralty Blvd., Rockledge. Just because Twisted Birch is not normally seen as Irish doesn’t mean it can’t salute that which is, and it will do so with an all-day party Sunday, starting with a full Irish brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and corned beef and cabbage and bangers and mash, among other things, on the menu. A lady bagpiper will play at 1:30 p.m. and the Lowell Country Duo will perform. Call 321-208-7616. www.twistedbirchgrill.com.

Urban Prime, 2435 Metfield Dr., Viera. Irish-themed special foods will grace the menu, Irish music will be performed by that gentle Irishman Finnegan Tim, a golf cart contest will take place and Sláinte Irish whiskey will be featured from 5 to 9 p.m. March 15 through 17. Reservations strongly suggested. Call 321-499-1188. www.urbanprimefoods.com.

Lyn Dowling is a freelance food and lifestyles writer based in Melbourne. Join the conversation at facebook.com/groups/321FlavorWhereBrevardEats.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Ready for St. Paddy's Day fun? These eateries, pubs are ready for you