The Erin Express is the largest and longest-running St Patrick's Day bar crawl in Philadelphia — a walking crawl that hits 30+ Irish bars across Rittenhouse, Headhouse Square and University City on the Saturday and Sunday before March 17th. It's a Philadelphia institution. It's also easy to do very badly.
Here's the local playbook.
1. Eat before you go
Green beer at noon on an empty stomach is the fastest way to be done by 3pm. Most Erin Express bars don't open until 11am or 12pm — use the morning to sit down for a full Irish breakfast (eggs, rashers, black pudding, brown bread, the whole plate). New Deck Tavern in University City serves theirs all morning. If you're in Center City, Sabrina's on 18th & Chestnut is the move.
2. Start at Headhouse, not Rittenhouse
Cavanaugh's Rittenhouse is legendary, but the line is out the door and down Sansom within an hour of opening. Start your day at Cavanaugh's Headhouse on South Street — same noon-ish open, almost no line for the first hour, then walk or Uber north when Rittenhouse is peaking.
3. Wear real shoes
This is a walking event. Between bars and lines you'll cover 3–5 miles on foot. Wear the boots or sneakers you'd wear to an Eagles game. Not the ones that go with the outfit.
4. Alternate Guinness and water
Every serious Irish bartender in Philly will pour you a water for free. Ask. The Guinness taps are slow — use the wait to drink water. You will thank yourself at 5pm.
5. Have a real dinner plan
The crawl technically ends around 6pm but the party doesn't. Book a table at The Plough & the Stars in Old City for 7pm — it's a five-minute walk from the Headhouse route, the food is genuinely good, and it resets you for a night out at Lucy's or Fadó.
Get your tickets
Erin Express passes sell out every year. Grab them at erin-express.com — wristband and a t-shirt included.