Green beer, safe rides on tap St. Paddy’s day

Don’t count on the luck of the Irish if you have a few too many green beers or pints of Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day and then try to drive home.

The county’s Regional DUI Task Force, which includes officers from the Maricopa Police Department, will be out in full force. The task-force officers are specially trained to spot impaired drivers.

For revelers who plan to stay in town Saturday night, there is a free shuttle to pick Maricopa residents up at their front doors, drive them to either Native New Yorker or O’Shays Pub and Grill, both located near Bashas,' and then drive them home when they’re ready to call it a night.

The free rides are provided by the two bars every Friday and Saturday night 6 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. by Maricopa Stagecoach, a local transportation company operated by James Dawson.

“Basically we’ve been doing this for 4 1/2 or 5 years with Native New Yorker, and since O’Shays opened up, we’ve been doing it for them,” said Dawson, who owns a small bus and a 12-passenger van.

While the shuttle may pick up people one at time from their houses at the start of the evening, Dawson said for trips home the driver usually waits until there are several people who need a ride.

“For instance, we might pick four at Native and then maybe six at O’Shays,” he said.

Dawson said his company also provides service to the Headquarters Lounge and Harrah’s casino, but there is a charge that varies from $5 to $20 one way depending on the distance.

“I feel it is a great service,” he said. “We’ve been doing it for five years and a lot of people in town really love it.”

Native New Yorker’s owner, Pat Kieny, said the shuttle service is worth the expense.

“It is definitely a good deal,” he said. “It keeps everybody safe. We do it every weekend and special holidays like Christmas and New Year’s.”

The AAA auto club also is helping motorists statewide find their ways home Saturday night whether they are members or not.

The program, called Tipsy Tow, provides a one-way ride for the driver, one passenger and their vehicle at no cost for up to 10 miles. Service will start 6 p.m. Saturday and end 6 a.m. Sunday.

O’Shays, Native New Yorker and the Raceway Bar & Grill on Papago Road are offering themed food and drink specials and entertainment to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

At O’Shays, an Irish-themed pub that opened in September, the “wearin’ of the Green” begins Friday with a prime rib buffet from 4 to 8 p.m. Outdoor live music starts at 5 p.m. and ends at midnight.

On Saturday, the festivities begin at 3:30 p.m. with live music until 12:30 p.m. A deejay takes over the sound waves from 12:30 until closing at 2 a.m. The headliner for both nights is Tommy Rocker, who frequently performs as an entertainer at his own bar in the Las Vegas area.

There is a $7 cover charge Friday beginning at 8 p.m. and Saturday beginning at 3 p.m.

Drink specials include domestic green beers, Guinness Stout and Harp Larger and “Irish car bombs,” shots dropped into a glass of Guinness. Corned beef and cabbage will be served Saturday.

“There will also be prizes, promos and giveaways,” said Shay Deverse, who co-owns the bar with Ted Schroeder.

Deverse said O’Shays is donating a portion of the cover charge to charity.

Members of the Professional Firefighters of Maricopa Local 4561 will be at O’Shays starting at 11 a.m. Saturday to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Association, and there will be a raffle with proceeds going to charity.

Deverse said this is the Irish pub’s first St. Patrick’s Day event.

“This is the first year and we will see how it works,” he said. “If the community likes it, it will get bigger next year.”

O’Shays is at 20800 N. John Wayne Parkway, Suite 101. 

The Native New Yorker also is going green for St. Patrick’s Day.

The bar will be serving Miller Lite and Coors green beers and corned beef and cabbage on Saturday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.