Willie McBride's Pub and Restaurant

I recently went to a three hour open bar birthday party at Willie McBride's in Hoboken, NJ. While the bar looks like your typical Irish pub, after coming home and looking at the package deals they offer for birthday parties, I have to say it really is a good idea for a 20-something to get a bunch of friends to come out and celebrate whatever it is you may be celebrating. The night I was there, there was a small dinner party upstairs (although the upstairs was not blocked off), and the back room was closed off for a party, although it was accessible to use for the restrooms (there is a unisex one downstairs as well as single sex, larger ones upstairs). By the end of the night they opened the door to the back room and allowed people to dance to a live band. The back room setting is small and intimate and the stage that the band plays on is elevated above the floor.

The bar is located on 616 Grand Street, which is about six blocks west of Hoboken's main strip Washington Street. Between 4 pm and 11 pm on weekdays and 11 am and 10 pm/ 11am-9pmon Saturday and Sunday they serve food. As far as the open bar party packages there are several options you can choose from. All are based on the number of guests you have plus 20% tip and 7% tax. There are three options ranging from $17 to $27 per person. (Although the cost was $29 per person when I was there) Option one includes domestic draft beer and wine and soda while option 4 includes Imported and domestic Draft Beer (with an option of 19 draft beers), Wine, Soda, House and Premium Mixed Drinks i. e. Absolute, Stoli, J.D. Capt. Morgan, Malibu, Smirnoff, etc. Once you get to the bar you simply inform one of the female bar tenders that you are there for the party and you are presented with a wristband for the night after paying your amount. You may also add appetizer options to the party, but they did not offer this when I was there. The Willie McBride website indicates that you can also have a 4 or 5 hour open bar if you inquiry with management. I can attest that although the mixed drinks are small they are not watered down like lots of places that offer open bars do. I was buzzed after my third small jack and coke.

In addition to their party packages Willie's is attractive for sports fans as they have $2 Bud Lites during Yankees and Mets games to watch on their 13 Large HD screen TVs. They have $3 Bud Lite drafts everyday as well as $2 Coronas on Wednesdays.