Paddy’s
About
Paddy’s, known in full as Paddy’s Lunch, is a no-frills Irish pub that has served Cambridge since 1934 and calls itself the oldest family-owned pub in the city. It is a classic dive in the best sense: cozy, unpretentious and affordable, with cold beer, a dartboard and games on TV. It has become a home away from home for neighborhood regulars as well as new passers-by, and it has served generations of Cantabrigians.
The bar’s story is a family one. Founders Patrick and Margaret Fennell immigrated from Ireland and opened the pub after Prohibition. Ownership passed to their daughter Peggy and her husband Bubby Ryan in the 1960s, then to Peggy’s daughter, current owner Ruth Ryan Allen, in 1998. Women from the same family have run Paddy’s for three generations, and the pub plays an active part in the neighborhood, including a long-running 5K for girls’ sports.
What to Know
- Paddy’s won the 2012 Improper Bostonian award for Boston’s best dive bar.
- An In’s & Out’s section shares births, marriages and other news from the Paddy’s community.
- The pub posts news and upcoming events for regulars.
- It is a member of the Harvard Square Business Association.
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