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There are many different reasons that you might want to visit an Irish pub (or two or three) during your stay in Chicago. Perhaps you are planning to be in The Windy City during St. Patrick’s Day and you want to do the pub crawl through the area’s most popular Irish pubs in order to celebrate the holiday. Maybe you just moved to the Chicago area and want to find that corner neighborhood Irish bar that you can make your happy hour home. Or perhaps you’re someone who really loves Irish pubs and tries to visit new ones in every city that you get a chance to explore. Any of these reasons are good reasons to find out more about the Irish pubs that are in Chicago. Of course, do you really need a better reason than good beer, great food and a lot of camaraderie?

Chicago is a terrific city for visiting Irish pubs for several reasons. First, there are many of them to choose from so it’s not like you’re going to be unable to find what you’re seeking. There are both historic and edgy Irish bars to suit the styles of different types of drinkers. Secondly, Chicago has many different neighborhoods and each has something of a different style; this style is reflected in the Irish pubs of the city. You can find a neighborhood you like and locate an Irish pub there or you can find a pub and explore the neighborhood around it. Finally, Chicago is just a fun city so it’s no surprise to find that the Irish pubs are fun as well. From trivia nights to sports bars to live music, the pubs of Chicago are popping with activity.

Here are some of the Chicago Irish pubs that you’ll want to consider adding to your travel itinerary:

Abbey Pub - This bar dubs itself “Chicago’s Traditional Irish Pub” and prides itself on three things: Irish Beer, Good Food and Live Music. It’s been operating since the 1970’s but has changed a lot since that time in order to bring the location up to date. It offers multiple menu meals including a brunch menu and offers traditional Irish food (think corned beef and cabbage) as well as more American treats. There are sports televisions and other modern bar features. But the real draw is the live music which can be heard several days out of the week.

Chief O’Neill’s - There are some people out there who want to experience the gist of an Irish bar with something of a more modern, edgier twist. This is the pub for those folks to find. Calling itself “the pub you’ve been practicing for”, Chief O’Neill’s brings some class to the traditional Irish pub. There’s a beer garden that they call “majestic” and a Sunday brunch that includes shrimp and sushi. The live music and events, as well as the beer, give this place the Irish pub feeling that you’re hoping gets hinted at.

Dunkin’s - There are multiple reasons why you would want to make Dunkin’s a place to see during your stay in Chicago. The main reason is because it’s an Irish pub in the traditional sense. It’s a place to go for good beer and great conversation, the kind of place where you make friends with the person at the neighboring bar stool and trade life stories about your travels around the world. It’s a place to go to learn about Chicago. And it’s also got a role in Chicago’s history as well because it’s the Irish pub with the oldest continuous beer license on Chicago’s Northside.

Galway Arms - There are two words that fairly accurately describe this Chicago Irish pub: romantic and trendy. It tends to draw in the types of people who make Chicago stylish and it tends to draw them in most when they’re interested in going on a date with someone else in their social circle. On days when the Chicago weather isn’t too harsh, these folks can be seen laughing and drinking on the outdoor patio. On colder days, they’re probably cuddled in front of the fireplace inside. There are multiple rooms and much offered at this location so if you’re young and hip – or you want a date to think that you are – this place is a good bet.

Ginger’s Ale House - The best thing about this Irish pub is that it always offers promotional specials that make it cheap to both drink and dine here. There’s a beer of the month – on tap, of course – that is offered at a discount. There are also nightly food specials that make it possible to have a meal and still get your drink on. Dart boards, a pool table and sports on TV add an athletic ambiance to the air.

Johnny O’Hagan’s - If you are interested in trying to hunt down something authentic from Ireland, look no further than this spot. What’s authentic, you ask? The bar itself which was handcrafted in Ireland and imported to Chicago in order to make sure that this spot has all of the feel of a real Irish bar.

Mrs. Murphy and Sons Irish Bistro - Irish bistro? Why not? Chicago likes to make everything trendy at one time or another so it’s no surprise that it’s got an Irish bar that does just that. If you don’t think that “Irish pub” and “upscale” are mutually exclusive terms, then you might find that this place intrigues you.

O’Leary’s Public Ale House - There is nothing particularly outstanding about this Irish pub but that’s precisely what makes it perfect. Maybe you’re from another city and you want to find the kind of place that’s going to be so comfortable that it’s already familiar. Or maybe you’ve just moved to the area and you want to know where there’s an Irish pub that you could make your bar and start to call it home. O’Leary’s is that kind of a place.

O’Toole’s - Those folks who are seeking out an Irish bar where they can play some games want to make sure that this is the name that they remember. Electronic dartboards, pool tables, trivia nights, comedy nights, touch screen video games and sports on television make this place THE game place as far as Chicago Irish bars go. There is also free wireless Internet for those people who just can’t be without a connection.

The Irish Oak - This Chicago Irish pub manages to do what many have tried but failed to succeed at – it offers up a pub style that is both historic and modern. Many Irish pubs try to pull off an edgy approach to their design while maintaining the historic charm of the old world style. Most don’t manage to do it in a way that both sides of the Irish world are exemplified. The Irish Oak succeeds. Of course, that’s not the only reason that people like this Chicago pub. In fact, most people like it primarily for the food menu which includes a traditional Irish breakfast that is favored on weekends.

It doesn’t really matter what your reason is for wanting to check out an Irish pub in Chicago. What does matter is that there are plenty of these pubs for you to explore. From the historic to the cutting-edge, Chicago’s Irish pubs offer up a variety of different atmospheres to suit the interests and drinking styles of all of the diverse groups of people who come to visit this city.

Photo credit: tasteful tn, ssgraves, billselak.

Tags: Chicago | illinois | North America | United States