Back before I was blessed with my wonderful children and moved to South Jersey,my favorite place to have a drink and visit with friends was McCormick’s Irish Pub in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Located at 266 Somerset Street, McCormick’s Irish Pub is only blocks from Rutgers University. A tiny little establishment that was easy to drive right past if you didn’t know it was there, McCormick’s Irish Pub has been enjoying a thriving business for decades. I recently had the pleasure of stopping in at McCormick’s Irish Pub for the first time in more than ten years.
With the same dark wood and chess boards ingrained into the tables, I was pleased to see that McCormick’s Irish Pub had changed much less than I had in the past decade. When we opened the door and walked through, all heads in the bar turned and looked to see who had arrived. This definitely brought back memories. McCormick’s Irish Pub is such a popular meeting place and haunt for groups of friends, that nearly every patron of the bar is waiting for someone or knows the newest arrival. Back in the day when I frequented the place, it was not uncommon or unusual for the regulars to just show up alone without any prearranged plans to meet anyone in particular. There was always friends and acquaintances already at McCormick’s to share a beer and conversation with.
Although all the faces were unfamiliar to me, as the regulars from my age group have long since acquired lives that no longer include weekly trips to the bar, it was nice to see that the friendly, local feeling hadn’t changed.
McCormick’s Irish Pub caters to the Rutgers University crowd so prices are low and affordable. Pitchers of beer start at $4.00. For light snacking there is always bowls of pretzels and peanuts available as well as a number of heartier appetizers that can be purchased. St. Patrick’s Day is a huge celebration at McCormick’s Irish Pub, with corned beef and cabbage as well as pitchers of beer being served all day.
While enjoying a pint of Guinness or Harp, patrons can enjoy a game of darts or pool while listening to the many selections on the CD machine. In my time, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction were popular picks. I didn’t recognize many of the artists featured on the CD player this time around, thankfully some selections such as The Rolling Stones, Queen and The Beatles have maintained their place and surely always will.
With a casual atmosphere, frosty pitchers of beer and darts or pool to pass some time, McCormick’s Irish Pub is a wonderful place to spend a few hours with friends. McCormick’s Irish Pub can be found at 266 Somerset Street in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
