CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Martin Lynch and John Clarke had Saint Patrick on their mind when they imported mahogany wood from a church in Ireland.
When the doors of their pub in Coral Gables' Miracle Mile opened in 1989, they changed the way alcohol was served in the area with a 20-foot mahogany bar. They also used the wood for the flooring, furniture and fixtures.
Recommended Videos
"We had built a bar modeled after pubs in Ireland, only to discover that we couldn't actually serve liquor at the bar," Lynch said. "It had to be served at a table."
Their John Martin's Irish Pub, 253 Miracle Mile, changed that. The party there Tuesday started at lunch time. Both Miami.com and Miami New Times listed them as one of the best places to be to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
On Yelp, Paul W. and other users agree, although some complained about the acoustics and crowded space.
"This place has agonizingly slow service ... it's so small inside that it's very difficult to carry on a conversation," Paul said on Yelp. But "the food is good, the bartenders are attentive and on St. Paddy's Day ... it does get packed."
The plan was to allow live music to help set the Celtic ambiance, as the menu rolled out the Irish Potato Soup, the Irish Reuben Sandwich, the Award Winning Pub Burger with Irish cheddar, and the Irish Mixed Grill.
The pub has 99 votes on Urban Spoon and 83 percent of users reported having liked the experience.
DID YOU KNOW?
The first recorded St. Patrick's Day parade was held not in Ireland but in New York City in 1762.
Source: History.com
"If you like drinking a smooth, rich pint of Guinness, this is the place to go," Enrique Enriquez said on Urban Spoon. But he warns: "If you are going for the music, I would think twice."
As expected, there will be an Irish bagpiper playing tunes until 3 p.m.
Irish musician Paddy Kelleghan -- who taught himself how to play the guitar, the flute and the mandolin -- will perform until 8 p.m., when the more modern beats begin with Da Infmaous DJ Q until midnight.
Follow Local10.com reporter Andrea Torres on Twitter @MiamiCrime