Centerstage - Chicago's Original City Guide

Articles Sections >> Arts + Words Bars + Clubs Dating Festivals Fitness Food Lifestyle Music Theater Travel + Tourism Who's Who > View All Nightlife Guides

It takes more than a tap of Guinness to capture the feel and personality of a real Irish pub.

Thursday Jun 28, 2001.     By Erin Brereton

Bars + Clubs Feed

Chicago's full of Irish bars -- but it takes more than a tap brimming with Guinness to capture the feel and personality of a real Irish pub. There's the patrons, the music, the abundance of wood ... here's some picks that have successfully brought a wee bit o' Dublin to the Windy City.

Okay, so I'm Irish-American. Really Irish-American. I like a good pint, I like a good Irish bar. But I've been to Ireland, and I've seen the real thing. So I'm not standing for any old attempt at throwing up some crap a manager bought in the Irish store in the mall and calling it ethnic. No leprechaun trolls, no Blarney Stone decorative plates. I want benches. I want low lights. I want bartenders with accents.

So here's some Irish bars I've found to be pretty McPerfect. Trust me. They're a good time:

The Irish Oak
3511 N. Clark St.
(773) 935-6669

I must say, The Irish Oak does a really good job of recreating the feel of a neighborhood pub -- and since it's one of those "we flew every piece in from a real pub in Ireland," it should. There's little touches (is that a milk jug?) that distinguish it from other Irish bars and the sports scene of mid-Wrigleyville. The Irish Oak is a nice place, really packed on weekends but very sparsely populated during the week. There's live music, too -- Wednesday nights are key. The place also has Irish grub and a drink called the car bomb that is so strong it may just make you laugh even more than the name does.

Tommy Nevin's Pub
1450 Sherman Ave.
(847) 869-0450

No one at Nevin's knows who Tommy Nevin is, and no one cares -- they're just here to have a good time. Actually, the Irish part is pretty irrelevant to the patrons, too (mostly Northwestern kids). They spill out onto the fireplace (hey, it can be a seat) the the two large rooms and sometimes into the restaurant. Irish? Yes, but no one notices (doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, though). After all, a true Irish bar is just locals, anyway.

Glascott's
2158 N. Halsted
(773) 281-1205

Glascott's is so subtly Irish it's almost perfect -- think about it: When you go in a bar in County Sligo, are there signs and obvious pains taken to make it look Irish? No. It's all about the feel of the place, the people (in this case, Lincoln Park neighbors) and the staff (super friendly.) Patrons gather around the long bar or stand by the pool table in back. It's just a place a chill -- and that's all Glascott's wants to be.

Cullen's
3741 N. Southport Ave.
(773) 975-0600

Ah, Cullen's -- so much wood and cider, so little time. Southport-area locals flood in on the weekend (and pretty consistently through the week, too) to hang out, drink and mingle with the staff (some are Irish!) Again, this is just a laid back locals spot. And that makes is quintessentially Irish. Don't you think?

The Abbey Pub
3420 W. Grace
(773) 478-4408

If Chicago has a most-known Irish bar, it's the The Abbey Pub, said to be the most authentic of all Irish spots in the city. Located on the North side, the Abbey boasts a good number of patrons from the homeland (and that helps) ... and food ... and music ... all in all, this bar practically bleeds green.