St. Patrick's Day was originally a celebration of St. Patrick, a patron saint of Ireland. Although this was a religious day full of services and formal feasts, St. Patrick's Day eventually became the fun-filled holiday we celebrate today when Irish immigrants brought the celebration to the United States. Letting loose with friends, drinking green beer, and wearing green are all essential parts of the holiday, but one of the best ways to celebrate is to take advantage of the St. Patrick's Day food deals that many fast food restaurants have.
Some people are content to simply guzzle down some Guinness, take a shot of Jameson Irish whiskey, and call it day. However, the true fans of the holiday know that the the celebration is all in the food. Some of these food and drink specials are traditional Irish fare like corned hash, while others are sweets and drinks turned a vibrant shade of green in honor of St. Patrick.
Even if covering yourself in shamrocks and partying it up with leprechauns on a bar crawl is a far cry from the religious holiday that this day once was, there's nothing wrong with enjoying an Irish coffee while listening to traditional Irish music and treating yourself to the many St. Patrick's Day specials and deals that restaurants and chains offer to make this holiday as fun and tasty as can be. Although not all of these have been confirmed yet, we're hoping that they will based on what the restaurants have done in previous years. Here are 9 food deals to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year.
1. Arby's
Arby's St. Patrick's Day food deal is one that we're still waiting on confirmation for, but our fingers and toes are crossed that the chain will bring it back this year. For the last few St. Patrick's Days, Arby's offered a free small order of French fries and a small drink with a purchase of any Corned Beef Reuben. The special is usually available for three days and comes in the form of a coupon. Check your local restaurant to see if the deal is on!
2. Applebee's
Applebee's also has a lot St. Patrick's Day spirit, which the chain expresses with its boozy beverages. This St. Patrick's Day food deal is a $5 Saintly Sip, including a Tipsy Leprechaun and a Pot O' Gold Colada. These liquor-filled cocktails are the best way to celebrate St. Paddy's Day.
3. Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts always has our back when it comes to fun sweets, and St. Paddy's Day is no exception. Dunkin has a Shamrock Macchiato this holiday to get your St. Patrick's Day-themed caffeine fix. It comes with and has espresso topped with Irish Creme of course. The delicious green Shamrock Macchiato is said to taste like Irish Whiskey.
4. McDonald's
McDonald's St. Patrick's Day treat is another that's not to be passed up. The fast food chain's Oreo Shamrock McFlurry features vanilla soft serve mixed in with the original Shamrock Shake, Oreo cookie pieces and syrup. The Oreo Shamrock McFlurry and Shamrock Shake are the perfect way to celebrate St. Paddy's Day!
5. Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen always has an exciting new flavor of the month, so of course the month of March is centered around our favorite Irish holiday. This year's March blizzard is The Mint Brownie Blizzard, similar to the previous year's Mint Oreo Blizzard. This sweet treat is made with chocolate brownie, vanilla soft serve, and cool mint, and is perfectly green as well.
6. Krispy Kreme
Although this St. Patrick's Day food deal is also unconfirmed, we're hoping that the chain brings it back this year, since it's normally available. In past years, all you had to do was show up to a Krispy Kreme wearing the color green and you'd get a free Original Glazed Doughnut. Seems worth it to me!
7. Yard House
The Yard House is known for having the largest selection of craft beer in the world, so few places would be better celebrate an Irish holiday. The chain hasn't confirmed yet, but last year hosted delicious food and drink specials for the best Irish holiday. The food specials included traditional Corned Beef Brisket, along with Corned Beef braised in beer, with sides of boiled red potatoes and cabbage. As for the drinks, you could have a Jameson & Ginger, Guinness, or another one of the themed drink specials to make your holiday as fun as possible.
8. Starbucks
The Starbucks drink special for St. Paddy's Day is on the Starbucks secret menu rather than the regular many, but any barista will know what you're talking about. To have a Shamrock Frappuccino, ask for a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, and add peppermint syrup, classic syrup and matcha powder. You'll receive a yummy, minty and festively green Starbucks drink to start the day right.
9. Baskin Robbins
Last but not least, Baskin Robbins recently came out with a new ice cream to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! The flavor is Golden Oreos Irish cream ice cream, which combines Golden Oreo cookie pieces and graham cracker crumbs, mixed in with Belgian Chocolate and Irish cream ice cream. Enjoy this special menu item for a sweet treat after dinner on St. Patrick's Day.
READ MORE: Homemade Irish Ice Cream is a Must-Have for St. Patrick's Day
