St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most food-centric days of the year. With this in mind, it’s vital that all bars and restaurants offer a wide selection of St. Patrick’s Day food. While it’s easy to get caught up in Irish beer and whiskey, you can’t lose sight of the many traditional and thematic dishes you can serve as well.

In this guide to St. Patrick’s Day food menus, we’ll cover numerous dishes that will likely result in high profits. So, without further ado, read on, begin building your menu, and luck out this coming St. Patrick’s Day!

Festive St. Patrick's Day Food Ideas to Try In March

Festivities in March begin with a wide variety of St. Patrick’s Day food. Holiday menus have the ability to help a restaurant business maximize revenue due to the sense of exclusivity they provide. In fact, this is always the result of limited-edition menu types. Plus, they’re a great way to mix things up for frequent customers. So, what will you be serving for St. Patrick’s Day? Read on to discover several ideas that will do well this March.

The 13 Most Festive Food Ideas to Serve During March

When you have a holiday that boasts so many themes and traditions, creating a menu can be overwhelming. But we’re here to help! Check out thirteen delicious options below that guests will surely love:

1. Sliced Irish Soda Bread: Offer this Irish classic already sliced for the ultimate convenience. Whether it’s on the appetizer list or dessert menu, it’ll certainly be a hit.
2. Corned Beef and Cabbage: What’s St. Patrick’s Day without corned beef and cabbage? Whether you’re gathering ideas for an in-house St. Patrick’s Day food selection or a catering menu, this dish must be on it.
3. Guinness Beer Cheese Dip: Put one of your best-selling beers to good use and create a savory dip that pairs well with soft pretzels.
4. Rainbow Fruit Platters: As one of the more healthy St. Patrick’s Day snacks, this one suits the theme pretty well.
5. Stacks of Irish Potato Pancakes: You can’t have an Irish holiday without Irish potatoes! Create stacks of potato pancakes the way you would with regular ones at breakfast.
6. Individual Shepherd’s Pies: For those who don’t want corned beef and cabbage, this blend of meat products and fresh produce is bound to be a hit.
7. Pots of Irish Stew: What’s better than a warm pot of stew on a chilly day in March? Serving stew in pots is also ideal for the St. Patrick’s Day theme.
8. Leprechaun “Bait” Snack Mix: If you want to add something to the kid’s menu, this festive take on trail mix is perfect.
9. Bailey’s Infused Ice Cream: Add some Irish cream to your vanilla ice cream for a sweet and decadent dessert.
10. Irish Coffee Drinks: So many people love to end their meal with coffee. So, go ahead and give this classic beverage an Irish twist.
11. Pot of Gold Cupcakes: From black cupcake liners to gold sprinkles, this might be one of your most aesthetically pleasing menu items of all.
12. Green Velvet Cake: Ditch the red food coloring and swap it with green dye for a beautifully festive dessert.
13. Shamrock Cookies: With the help of cookie cutters, you can turn your favorite butter or sugar cookie recipe into a festive treat.

Festive Holidays Call for Festive Food

These items should help inspire your St. Patrick’s Day food selection. Check out the next section to learn more about traditional Irish cuisine.

Traditional St. Patrick's Day Food

Most people who go all out for St. Patrick’s Day are doing so in support of their heritage. This means that there are many individuals who ditch food trends and opt for traditional cuisine. See below for what a traditional St. Patrick’s Day menu might look like–especially in Ireland.

10 Traditional Food and Drink Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day

Experience a taste of Ireland with some of the more traditional items that are appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day. If you need some ideas, consider the following dishes and beverages:

1. Corned beef and cabbage, which is more of a staple amongst Irish Americans.
2. Irish stew, which more often than not contains onions, carrots, and potatoes.
3. Shepherd’s pie, a versatile alternative to corned beef and cabbage.
4. Dublin coddle, a roboute and savory dish made with sausage, bacon, and onions.
5. Colcannon, a popular side dish featuring mashed potatoes and veggies.
6. Boxty, which is Ireland’s take on baked or fried potato pancakes.
7. Irish soda bread, a staple in all bakeries with Irish roots during March.
8. Irish whiskey, which can be served by the shot and in festive mixed drink recipes.
9. Beer, especially since anything from various types of pale ale to stouts and lagers are suitable for St. Patrick’s Day.
10. Irish coffee, which is simply a basic cup of Joe joined by a shot or two of whiskey.

Traditional Food for Traditional Celebrations

All holidays should reflect its roots and origin in some shape or form. The list above should serve you and your guests well when tuning into the more authentic qualities of St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick's Day Snacks and Appetizer Ideas

Snacks and appetizers are some of the best-selling items a bar and restaurant has to offer. They’re even more important in social settings, such as holiday functions. In the section below, we’re going to list a handful of traditional appetizers for St. Patrick’s Day. Then, we’ll go over some ideas that lean more toward stereotypical themes and aesthetics.

5 Popular and Traditional St. Patrick’s Day Snacks

So which St. Patrick’s Day snacks center around authentic Irish recipes? Get a clear idea from the list below:

1. Irish Soda Bread - a baked good that you can find in any supermarket throughout March.
2. Irish Cheese Platters - something similar to a charcuterie board featuring cheeses imported from Ireland.
3. Mini Corned Beef and Cabbage Bites - all the ingredients in the classic dish, but served in a miniature puff pastry.
4. Irish Potato Skins - one of the most popular food favorites that naturally includes an Irish staple–potatoes
5. Warm Pretzels and Beer Cheese - a savory and addictive appetizer that will complement the Irish beers on your menu.

5 Fun and Trendy Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day Snacks

To create a balance, offer both traditional and trendy appetizers on your St. Patrick’s Day food menu. Consider some of the following ideas for inspiration:

1. Spinach Dip - a classic appetizer all year long that has a natural green hue suitable for St. Patrick’s Day.
2. Popcorn - by dying the oil green and using white chocolate for gold sprinkles to adhere to, you can have a gourmet popcorn snack on your menu.
3. Tortilla Chips - dye the dough green before flattening and cutting it for a festive snack to pair with other dips on the menu.
4. Deviled Eggs - with the help of water, white vinegar, and green dye, you can turn egg whites green for a festive take on a classic snack.
5. Fruit and Veggie Platter - stick to naturally green fruits and vegetables to offer one of the healthiest menu items of all.

Start the Festivities With Tasty Starters

Shareable platters and bite-sized snacks are always available on restaurant menus. But considering the casual dining atmosphere that coincides with holidays like St. Patrick’s Day, they’re essential.

Innovative St. Patrick's Day Food Specials to Boost Sales

Countless people will be searching for a place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. So which restaurant marketing strategies will you implement to capture these sales? During the weeks leading up to any holiday, restaurant promotion ideas and product differentiation must be at the forefront of your mind. Not only do holidays coincide with numerous growth opportunities, but it’s a time when eateries can attract new visitors and nurture customer retention simultaneously.

St. Patrick’s Day Deals and Promotions You Need to Implement

Are you ready to maximize profits this coming St. Patrick’s Day? Begin advertising the following restaurant marketing tactics on your social media pages and website once March 1st rolls around:

• A “luck of the Irish” contest for a gift card to the eatery.
• 17% off the bill for everyone who shows up wearing green.
• Irish heritage trivia for a chance to win fun and exclusive prizes.
• A free appetizer or dessert for the first seventeen people who arrive.
• Flight of all the Irish beer brands you have behind the bar.
• A sampler of all the Irish whiskey brands you have available.
• Shareable platters of Irish appetizers and desserts.

Lucrative Bar Specials for St. Patrick’s Day

Promotions are one thing, but creating limited-edition drink specials is a strategy in itself to attract customers. Various types of alcohol have a higher markup than anything else in a food and beverage establishment. With this in mind, selling drinks is certainly where you’ll experience a surge in cash flow. Need some mixology inspiration? You’ll quickly become one of the best bars for St. Patrick’s Day by implementing the following ideas:

• 17% off any Irish beer brands.
• $1.00 shots of any Irish whiskey brand.
• Green versions of popular cocktails.
• Trendy cocktails inspired by rainbows, pots of gold, and leprechauns

Create Special Deals for Special Occasions!

It’s only right to implement special discounts, promotions, and menu items when there’s a holiday or special occasion. If not, your restaurant’s atmosphere won’t feel any different than it does any other day of the year. Besides, the discounts and unique menu items will help nurture a positive customer experience. Over time, this will benefit the business endlessly. So, everyone wins in the end!

St. Patrick's Day Party Food Ideas to Sell On Delivery Apps

Online ordering integrations empower restaurants to increase their bottom line and surpass competitors. So, just think about the number of people who host St. Patrick’s Day festivities in the comfort of their own home. By syncing a holiday menu with third-party delivery service providers, you’ll be able to make the most of any holiday–not just St. Patrick’s Day.

13 Party Food Ideas to Offer Via Delivery and Curbside Pick Up

Unsure of which dishes to sell via food delivery apps? The following list of ideas should certainly help you draft a menu:

1. Corned Beef and Cabbage: A classic that almost everyone will want on St. Patrick’s Day.
2. Spinach Dip and Irish Beer Bread: The perfect combination of a green food item and something that can be infused with Irish beer.
3. Freshly Baked Soda Bread: The most traditional baked good for St. Patrick’s Day.
4. Shepherd’s Pie Bites: An appetizer version of the traditional Irish staple.
5. Mini Irish Potato Skewers: The perfect side dish that will be super easy to deliver.
6. Green Pea Hummus and Pita Chips: If you’re looking to add a healthy snack to the menu, this one also adheres to the green color scheme.
7. Potato Leek Soup Shots: Instead of heavy bowls of soup, serve two-bite servings as a quick treat.
8. Irish Flag Veggie Platter: Use a rectangular platter to display orange and green veggies on either side of a dip, such as ranch, to resemble Ireland’s flag.
9. Whiskey-Infused Truffles: Yes, chocolate truffles can get even more decadent than they already are! Infuse the mixture with Irish whiskey and you’ll have a rich delicacy that’s suitable for the Irish holiday.
10. Shamrock-Shaped Cookies: Use green food coloring and cookie cutters for one of the most anticipated St. Patrick’s Day sweet treats.
11. Rainbow Fruit Skewers: Don’t forget to add a chocolate marshmallow dipped in gold sprinkles to each end to really stick with the holiday’s themes.
12. Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies: Turn a fan favorite ice cream flavor into an easy-to-transport St. Patrick’s Day dessert.
13. Irish Coffee Tiramisu: Swap out the espresso for Irish coffee for a decadent and thematic twist on a classic dessert.

Luck Out With Digital Ordering Tech Solutions!

Holiday seasons are profitable times in general. But when you add limited-edition menus to digital apps, expect profits to be that much higher. Schedule a demo with Revolution Ordering today to learn how much more profitable your restaurant can be once you integrate your POS system with third-party delivery apps.

Green Food for St. Patrick’s Day

Sure, many St. Patrick’s Day food ideas revolve around authentic recipes of Irish cuisine. However, it’s still appropriate to add fun and thematic items to St. Patrick’s Day food and drink menus as well. In this final section of The Complete Guide to St. Patrick’s Day Food Menus, we’re going to discuss some of the most visually appealing items of all.

10 Green St. Patrick’s Day Food and Drink Ideas

From annual must-haves to new and innovative dishes, we’re about to cover green and delicious menu items. In fact, some of them naturally have an emerald or shamrock hue, so you may not even need to stock up on food dye! See below for eleven enticing options:

1. Green fruit platters, featuring things like kiwi, grapes, and honeydew.
2. Spinach dip paired with green tortilla chips.
3. Matcha baked goods, such as cookies or muffins.
4. Green veggies and dip, such as broccoli, bell peppers, and cucumbers.
5. Guacamole and chips, even though it’s one of the most popular Mexican food appetizers, the color will go with the theme.
6. Green smoothies, which can be a meal on its own depending on its protein percentage.
7. Garden risotto bites, a savory and vegetarian dish turned into a bite-sized snack.
8. Lime coolers, whether it’s one of your alcoholic beverages or mocktails, this drink can be super versatile considering all the different green fruits you can add to the mix.
9. Green beer, which is simply made from lighter beer varieties combined with drops of green dye.
10. Bowls of green candy, from M&Ms to dyed white chocolate, this option is ideal on a catering menu for those hosting at-home parties.
11. Pistachio cupcakes, which will automatically turn out green due to the nuts and pistachio pudding mix that many recipes call for.

Green and Gold Recipes to Be Sold this March

If you wish to operate the best bar and restaurant imaginable this St. Patrick’s Day, it’s vital that you can cater to the holiday’s themes. The easiest way to do this is by serving a selection of green dishes to automatically create a festive atmosphere. Plus, each and every dish will adhere to the St. Patrick’s Day aesthetic when you use photos and videos of them as social media marketing collateral. As a business owner, chef, or restaurant marketer, what more could you ask for?

If you found this guide helpful, download our FREE St. Patrick’s Day eBook for more insight on setting up your bar or restaurant for success!