fbpx

We’ve long loved and known of the uniqueness that is The Auld Dubliner in DTLB.

Surely, while wannabe Irish pubs across the country slap on a Gaelic-sounding name on the outside of a joint slathered in flat TV screens, some wood panels, and mediocre grub, the Auld Dub (as it is affectionately called amongst locals) has maintained one of the most authentic Emerald Isle experiences in the region—and CBS agrees, naming the watering hole and Irish eatery as one of LA’s best pubs. It was also the sole Long Beach establishment to make the list.

Owned by David Copley (of Limerick, Ireland) and managed by Chris Caldwell (of Donegal, Ireland), the Auld Dubliner on South Pine has stood out against the otherwise national brands that surround it since opening in 2004. What makes this enclave so spectacularly authentic? From live music almost nightly to pours beyond Guinness to a selection of nearly 70 Irish whiskeys to some astounding curry chips, The Auld Dub doesn’t just set the standard for Irish pubs in Long Beach but throughout the entire region.

”There’s a difference between a pub and a bar,” Copley said. “Bars offer a certain experience, one where you go to drink. A pub… A pub is where you go to socialize, to connect. That’s what we bring here.”

Caldwell, long-time manager of the space and a fourth-generation bartender himself, popped in shortly after it opened and immediately fell in love with what few bars had over a decade ago: craft beer, high-end spirits, and quality boxtys’n’chips that echo the comfort of Irish food (along with its contemporaneous shifts thanks to an influx of Irish’n’proud chefs altering the way the country eats).

“I’ve said before in interviews that what I witnessed really was ahead of the curve—almost too far,” Caldwell said. “We’re proud of what we do here, through and through. It’s honor to be on mentioned on that list.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the Dub has been static since its inception. No: Copley and Co. return to the motherland every year to see what the Irish industry of pubs is doing so he can not only keep up but stay fresh.

Auld Dubliner is located at 71 S. Pine Ave.