Brighton moves at a different pace from central Boston’s visitor district. Multifamily homes, nearby campuses, and small businesses make its pubs neighborhood meeting places as well as evening destinations. Market Street and Washington Street are part of the commercial network the city identifies as Brighton’s core. Around Brighton Center, three venues offer distinct Irish-pub experiences: Irish Village has decades of neighborhood history; Corrib focuses on a full pub-food menu; Porter Belly’s builds its schedule around music and brunch. They are close to one another, but visitors should plan arrival and return trips around the time of day.
Irish Village has the longest documented history and the most visible weekly calendar. The Lee family opened it in the early 1970s, their sons took over management in 1990, and the pub expanded into a neighboring former bakery space in 2023. Its current website lists Guinness on draft, Irish Red Ale, beers, cider, wines, and cocktails, along with trivia, open mic, karaoke, and live bands on Fridays and Saturdays. The added room accommodates private and semi-private gatherings. For live music after dinner or a group event, this is the option with the clearest published schedule.
A short walk away, Corrib Pub has a broader food menu and the feel of a pub-restaurant: fish and chips, clam chowder, sandwiches, burgers, soups, and shareable plates appear on the menu linked by the business group. The Brighton Google Maps listing, distinct from the West Roxbury branch, includes mentions of Guinness, fish and chips, chowder, and attentive service. Porter Belly’s adds another rhythm: weekend brunch, Monday open mic, Saturday afternoon Irish sessions, and bands later on some evenings. Its website separates kitchen hours from bar hours, an important distinction for anyone arriving late for food.
For live music, compare the Irish Village and Porter Belly’s schedules first; for a table with pub food and seafood, Corrib or Porter Belly’s have broader kitchen offerings. Maps reviews mention music, service, and food, although a performance night feels different from a quieter weekday visit. Brighton is a residential and commercial neighborhood, not an area where every pub is served by one station: check MBTA options from your starting point, distinguish kitchen closing from bar closing, and confirm the day’s schedule and menu before going. The profiles of Irish Village, Corrib Pub, and Porter Belly’s Pub add each venue’s individual details.
Check current details and choose according to your budget, time and way of travelling.
Options to compare
These options relate to the question. Read each profile and check current details before deciding.
On Market Street, Irish Village works as a neighborhood pub rather than a stop built only for visitors. Its official history dates the Brighton landmark to the early 1970s, when Galway native Peter Lee opened it; his sons took over management in 1990. The pub describes a room lined with memories of
Guinness on draft, Irish red ale, cocktails, trivia, open mic, karaoke, live music on Fridays and Saturdays, and a private or semi-private event room.
Corrib Pub occupies another Market Street address and differs from Irish Village through a stronger emphasis on pub food and conversation around a table. The pub group lists Brighton as one of its two locations, and Google Maps confirms the 396 Market Street address—a useful distinction because the
Brighton Irish pub with a full pub-food menu, seafood, burgers, soups, and classic plates; guest reviews highlight service, live-music atmosphere, and group meals.
On Washington Street, Porter Belly’s offers a third reading of Brighton after dark: the pub shifts between brunch, dinner, sports, and live entertainment. Its official website separates bar hours from kitchen hours and weekend brunch, a useful distinction for visitors arriving late who want a meal r
Live Irish sessions on Saturdays, bands on some evenings, Monday open mic, jukebox, weekend brunch, and a pub menu; local reporting confirms Guinness among its bar offerings.
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
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Official website of Irish Village ↗
Primary source
Irish Village (official website) · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Corrib Pub ↗
Primary source
Corrib Pub (official group website) · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Corrib Pub ↗
Primary source
Corrib Pub (official menu PDF) · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Brighton’s neighborhood profile ↗
Primary source
City of Boston · Accessed October 22, 2026
The city describes Brighton as a residential area with multifamily housing and small businesses along Market and Washington streets.
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Official website of Porter Belly's Pub ↗
Primary source
Porter Belly's Pub (official website) · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Porter Belly's Pub ↗
Primary source
Porter Belly's Pub (official website) · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Brighton’s neighborhood profile ↗
Primary source
City of Boston · Accessed October 22, 2026
The city describes Brighton as a residential area with small-business corridors along Washington Street and Market Street.
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Brighton neighborhood profile ↗
Primary source
City of Boston · Accessed October 22, 2026
City profile describes Brighton’s residential character, multifamily homes and small business corridors along Market and Washington streets.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Irish Village · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Corrib Pub · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Porter Belly’s Pub · Accessed October 22, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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MBTA trip planning ↗
Primary source
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority · Accessed October 22, 2026
Official route planner for checking current transit connections and return service.
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Official pub logo: irish-village-brighton ↗
Primary source
Official pub website · Accessed October 22, 2026
Official pub logo converted to WebP and stored locally in logoscia-/us/irish-pubs-boston-20261022.
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Official pub photo: irish-village-brighton.webp ↗
Primary source
Official pub website · Accessed October 22, 2026
Official pub photograph converted to WebP and stored locally in fotoscia-/us/irish-pubs-boston-20261022.
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Official pub photo: porter-bellys-brighton.webp ↗
Primary source
Official pub website · Accessed October 22, 2026
Official pub photograph converted to WebP and stored locally in fotoscia-/us/irish-pubs-boston-20261022.
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Exact-branch Google Maps listing and reviews ↗
Secondary source
Google Maps · Accessed October 22, 2026
Exact address 224 Market St. Rating and review count captured 2026-10-22. Review themes include Guinness, live music, darts, trivia and a cold pint; one recent positive comment described an easy after-work beer stop. These are individual experiences, not guarantees.
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Irish pubs around Boston ↗
Secondary source
Eater Boston · Accessed October 22, 2026
Local reporting identifies Irish Village as a Brighton pub, notes Guinness, toasties, weekend live music and karaoke; used to cross-check its pub identity and offerings.
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Exact-branch Google Maps listing and reviews ↗
Secondary source
Google Maps · Accessed October 22, 2026
Exact address 396 Market St. Rating and review count captured 2026-10-22. Google review topics include Guinness, fish and chips, clam chowder and sandwiches; visible positive comments describe attentive service and live music.
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Exact-branch Google Maps listing and reviews ↗
Secondary source
Google Maps · Accessed October 22, 2026
Exact address 338 Washington St. Rating and review count captured 2026-10-22. Review topics include Guinness, fish and chips, wings and open mic; visible positive comments mention a warm welcome and satisfying food.
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Porter Belly’s in Brighton ↗
Secondary source
Eater Boston · Accessed October 22, 2026
Local reporting describes its brunch, New England pub dishes, Guinness pot pie, pizza, and proximity to Irish Village.
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Irish pubs in Boston ↗
Secondary source
Eater Boston · Accessed October 22, 2026
Local reporting cross-checks the three Brighton pubs’ Irish identity, Guinness, food, and event offerings.