If you, like Shania Twain, wanna go crazy and forget you're a lady, head for The Purple Shamrock near Faneuil Hall. With entertainment to suit all tastes and a crowd from all walks of life, it's a great place to stop during a pub-crawl.
Patrons just-over-21 flock to The Purple Shamrock on weekends to show off their fancy new clothes and dance moves. Though there is live entertainment every night, on Fridays and Saturdays the raised stage attracts fairly good rock and pop bands playing covers of your favorite radio hits. In between sets, the enormous speakers blast brave dancers with "gym music," or the same songs you'll hear on the Stairmaster in Cousen's.
During the week, The Purple Shamrock serves lunch to professionals working in the area. Tables fill the dance floor and even the stage and tight pants are exchanged for pencil skirts. On weeknights, the crowd is a bit older, attracting tourists and professionals looking for a good time. So instead of meeting a student from the suburbs, you can meet an Englishman from Brookline. Either way, though, you can get in on the action, feel the attraction... and you can go home knowing everything is right with the world.
Even on a rainy Tuesday in September, the promise of flowing drinks, lively entertainment, and - dare we say - stimulating conversation lures otherwise well-behaved citizens from their beds. From all corners of the room, conversations between men and women looking to meet someone can be overheard:
Girl: There are a lot of people with accents here.
Guy with Accent: [blah blah blah] Leeds, England.
Girl: Oh, really?
[Awkward silence, both parties glance nonchalantly around the room]
Girl: So what do you do?
Guy: [blah blah blah] promotions [blah blah] lawyer.
Girl: Oh, really? Do you wear a wig?
The typical cliched singles' scene runs rampant, leaving these two young debutantes feeling a bit like fish out of water. With a tight dance floor on weekends, loud music and dim lights, the stage is set for... romance? Or at least inviting glances.
A raised platform for performers and a partitioned dance floor for enthusiasts means The Purple Shamrock is the perfect venue for - you guessed it - no, you probably didn't... karaoke! Yes, folks, right here in Boston you can sing your own Duets a la Gwyneth Paltrow every Tuesday night. The talent ranges from an American interpretation of an Alanis Morisette song to a Londoner's rendition of "New York, New York," and everyone is welcome to show off his or her talent (or lack thereof).
In between conversations sitting at the bar, female customers will notice the appealing bartenders. In one patron's opinion, they all (at least two-thirds of them) have big butts. And there is no ice cream on the menu, so the whole place is a flop in her eyes. According to another, the bartenders are rather cute and even mildly attractive in an aloof sort of way. And to her, ice cream is inconsequential.
Apart from the blatant lack of desserts, the menu does not leave much to be desired, ranging from salads and sandwiches to shrimp and steak. A few offerings support the premise that The Purple Shamrock is actually supposed to be an Irish bar, such as Irish Bangers and Mash or Bunratty Castle Meatloaf at about $10 each. In the words of one Englishman, "The portions are huge, and it's really great food," but what does that say, coming from an Englishman? Arrive before 9 p.m. if you want to sample the food for yourself, though, because otherwise you'll be met with a hearty, "Sorry! Kitchen's closed."
Though the pub bears an Irish-sounding name, the bartenders admit that it's more of the owner's idea of a "contemporary" Irish pub. And Irish folk agree that it's nothing like a real pub. "It's all bullshit," said one Irish patron. Even more so than Michael Flatley, star of Lord of the Dance. Who would have guessed that the Irish aren't fond of him?
More of a cross between a bar and a club (a "bub," if you will), The Purple Shamrock got its name from the wife of one of Boston's former mayors who used to paint her venetian blinds purple. Then there was something to do with a shamrock, but by that point we had downed a few too many and now we can't read our notes.
Regardless, it's known for its name and location more than its atmosphere. Located right in the heart of Faneuil Hall, The Purple Shamrock is a popular spot for tourists, suburbanites, and students alike. It even drew members of the Yankees during their series with the Red Sox. Said our two new Irish friends, "We met here because we both knew where it is, not because it's an Irish pub."
The Purple Shamrock offers entertainment seven days a week, with live music on weekends and karaoke, live comedy, and other musical events during the week. Though there's a small cover on weekends, the drinks are generous enough that you'll soon forget your money woes.
The Purple Shamrock 1 Union Street Boston (617) 227-2060 www.irishconnection.com Gin and Tonic: $4 Guinness: $3.50
