Great place to hang outside. Hugely understaffed. Not sure if staffed called off or owners didn't hire enough staff but the bartenders are running their ass off to provide the customers while trying to stock what a barback should be doing, keep coming, great place! read more

Great place for a pint ! Will never forget the excellent service I've received too ! Gaelic Park is a staple to Oak Forest !

At a party tonight. The worst food I have ever had. And I'm sure they paid a lot per plate. Would never recommend.

I attended my high school's 50th reunion at this venue (it was for Mendel Catholic High School's class of 1973 but this alumni association currently does class reunions only every 2 years). Gaelic Park turned out to be a solid venue for a family style dinner for some 270 folks. Our event was held in their Emerald Room but the site also houses a standalone restaurant called The Carraig Pub. The beef, chicken, and pasta dinner was quite decent and the open bar manned by 3 bar tenders handled the crowd pretty efficiently. Parking was convenient and plentiful. Overall, I can see why this is a popular south suburban venue for the alumni association. After 50 years (actually 51), I'm glad name tags and photos were provided, as I would have only recognized a couple of my former classmates, myself included, lol! Go Monarchs, you Men of Mendel! read more

See all

We reserved part of the GORGEOUS, INCREDIBLE, covered beer garden for a 70th birthday celebration for 20 of us. (It should be noted, the age range was from 22 to 73 and EVERYONE had a blast!) We cannot say enough good things about the venue, the food and, especially, the service! Tara took care of our party and she knocked it out of the ballpark! It was the first time many of our guests had been to the beer garden and they were just WOW'd! Tara was so good, everyone thought she was a family friend, even though it was the first time we had met her as well. We never ran out of food or drinks. There was even free, live entertainment that got us dancing for the first time in 33 years!! The music did not drown out the ability to visit. To say we had a perfect evening would be an understatement. i can honestly say that we opened a new world to over a dozen people that know there is no place like Gaelic Park and WILL return. Thank you for all you do and for providing such a beautiful, comfortable place for one person or dozens of people. And remember, this is also a place for actual events like weddings and work events. We had a work event here a year ago and Gaelic couldn't have been more accommodating. The best gem for the southside of Chicago! read more

We headed out here for an exceptionally large 90th birthday party. Just under 250 people attended. Create music open bar and the food was spectacular. The staff was incredibly helpful and very friendly. The prime rib is up the best i've ever had. The vegetables were perfectly cooked. nothing was overseasoned. All the vegetables for the salad were crisp. There was an array of desserts, and everyone was indulging. read more

Gaelic Park hosted our daughter's wedding this past weekend. Gaelic Park did not simply meet what was desired; they exceeded it - by a lot. Everything was absolutely perfect, from the food, to the service, to the setup exactly as she asked, to the working with her through various details in the pre-wedding stages. Beginning with when they were looking at venues, all the way until the day, Renate was fabulous to work with. No ask was too big or too small for her to do. Letisha on the day of ensured everything went perfectly throughout the evening. What has been lost in so many places in recent years is customer service, and knowing how to work with the customer. Gaelic Park has not lost that. They understand exactly what it means to work with their customer, to achieve what their customer (our daughter and son in law) wanted. They exemplified how other businesses should be run. I am not aware of ANY detail that was missed. Anyone looking for a venue in the Chicago area would be making a mistake if they didn't check out Gaelic Park. read more

Gaelic Park Beer Garden was so much fun! The service (Maggie) was spot-on, the live music was Craic, food was delicious (salad, pizza, Shepards pie), and foliage was really pretty! read more

Chicago Gaelic Park - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Oak Forest, Illinois

My friend and I went here for the Mix and Mingle event in December. There was a 2 hour food buffet and 4 hour open bar. The banquet hall was absolutely beautiful. The dance floor was huge and the dj was playing some jams. The decor from the centerpieces, to beautifully decorated Christmas trees, etc. were stunning. The food was pretty good. The pork loin was very dry and tough though. Other than that, everything else was great. If you're in need of a banquet hall for your next event, I'd recommend checking this place out. read more

See all

Very nice park and restaurant facilities ... but you have to break it into two places. First there is the Carraig Pub on the left side of the building, and second there are the large reception rooms on the right where you can have a catered wedding, funeral meal, or other such larger event. Both sides are connected and nice, just remember the left side Carraig Pub is the walk-in restaurant and it has its own entrance. In fact, to be complete there is a third part and that is the grounds where they hold outdoor fests and fairs and the like during the summer months. All in all the food is 3 star good on both sides of the building, and they serve you pretty quickly for receptions. In the Pub it can be a bit slower depending on the crowd, but it is a nice place, has good ambiance, and a great selection of beers. The grounds are spacious and they hold a number of outdoor fests during the year, which are worth trying out ... but if you go to a fair it will be county fair food, not as good as what's inside. Lots of parking available also. The Pub has live music at times, so it is worth checking back to see what is in town. In the Pub we had the Shepherd's Pie (3 stars nice with well-seasoned meat) and the Fried Chicken (4 star nicely fried with a great skin). Our daughter had the 5 star Garlic Cheese Fries and the 3 star Mozzarella Sticks - good as appetizers or a meal. Next time you are out this way - or lost out on 147th Street in Oak Forest - give this place a try, it is worth the trip. read more

I had a nice day at the fest today, but it's not all that I hoped for. There was good entertainment in music. The food was meh. Lots of carnival rides for the kiddos. I've wanted to go here for years and finally made it. Next year I'm going back to camping for the long, holiday weekend. The parking was free, but the fest wasn't worth giving up my holiday weekend. read more

See all

I've been coming to Gaelic Park for the last 20+ years or so and over that time, it's become a sort of "home away from home" for me. Recently, we met up with a table full of my oldest friends in the Emerald room to enjoy the annual Wolfe Tones concert. As usual, they brought down the house. Their traditional Irish rebel music is always both solemn and rousing to the point where they have total control over the audience. The song "James Connolly" always brings a tear to one's eye and even if you're not completely Irish, "My Heart Is In Ireland" will have you swelling with pride. Anyone walking in there for the first time that night had certainly left longing to return. But Gaelic Park has so much more to offer than just concerts. Wedding receptions, a local pub (the Carraig), Irish theater, Dancing, Irish Fest (over the Memorial Day weekend), Hurling and GAA games, to name but a few of the highlights you can enjoy while visiting. There is simply so much here to do for a person of ANY heritage, no matter what yours may be...but if you're not careful, you just may learn a little something about mine while there. Don't worry, though, it won't hurt a bit. read more

Chicago Gaelic Park - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Oak Forest, Illinois

Gaelic Park is a great wedding venue. Their attention to detail is wonderful. Marian, who is the General Manager, is always sweet, kind and does an amazing job. The sales offices is fantastic to deal with! Renate is the manager, she is no nice, she cares about her couples and is on top of things. This is a wonderful venue to take your photos, be married at and have a cocktail hour and reception your guests will love. I am an officiant and see a lot of venues. I love Gaelic Park! read more

They say that people do not go to receptions for the food. If they are referring to the reception I went to at Gaelic Park, I would have to agree! Normally at a wedding served family-style, the plates get refilled at least once or new plates are brought out. This was the first wedding reception where people took absolutely none of the food off the plates because it looked so bad. The two stars are because the bartenders did a great job. read more

Beautiful venue but awful service. I choose banquet service because I wanted to have people get up and get whatever they wanted. There was only one banquet table and the last group got 2 1/2 hours later. We were so embarrassed. I blame Dorothy McCabe for setting this up. She asked me how everything was after we walked out that evening. After.it ruined the whole celebration. read more

Great place to have a giant family party, company party, or any type of event you want to hold. I believe they have 3 halls downstairs and at least one upstairs, but nothing beats Seneca Food Mart, come for the food, stay for the friendly conversation. read more

We just had our wedding at Gaelic Park and everything was perfect! I am not a person who is super in to the pinterest wedding, but Gaelic Park was still able to create a beautiful presentation for me and my guests! They were thorough on the diagram set up, making sure everything was set to my liking :) The food was perfect- people are still asking about the filet from the Gourmet Family Style dinner. They coordinated with our flower vendor and DJ for set up, so we literally did not have to lift a finger. AMAZING! The whole team was involved from ceremony to reception, and it couldn't have been any better! Thank you, Gaelic Park! xo, Colleen & Mondo read more

Attended a family wedding here 9/22/18. The venue is nice. Tidy all around. The food was just ok. It was edible. Service was badly lacking from the serving staff who looked confused most of the time. Tables in the back of the hall near the kitchen never received salad dressings. Beef was on the menu but we received pork instead. Coffee and cake was not brought to the tables but that might have been something the bride and groom agreed upon? The wedding cake was never cut. I know for sure that the bride and groom took it home. It is a shame that couples pay good money to feed a large crowd and the service side of the business lets them down. The bartenders seemed to manage and seemed to be tipped pretty well. It was a great fun wedding despite the food and low service. read more

We went to our first event since the beginning of Covid!!! Our Family celebrated the Wedding of my Nephew. From the time we walked in the door at Chicago Gaelic Park everyone could not have been nicer!! The bartenders handled the crowed during the Cocktail hour quick, and poured a Great Drink! The hors d'oeuvres came out hot and fast and were delicious - enough to go around for everyone! Our Dinner was Prime Rib and it was cooked to everyones preference! Over all, with many Banquet and Restaurants having issues with staff, Chicago Gaelic Park did not have any issues!! Highly recommend Chicago Gaelic Park!! read more

I went there for the Saint Patrick's Day buffet. There was some nice entertainment and some options for food. I was disappointed that there was no buffet at the Saint Patrick's Day buffet. read more

I went to luncheon in The Emerald Room. Lunch was to be served around 1PM. My group of 50 goes to Gaelic every year. As tables around us were receiving their meal, our tables were not. Dirty dishes were not cleared between courses, merely pushed aside. There was a split entree, our server never even looked at the preferences which were in front on each place setting. She brought the wrong entrees to people and we had to exchange plates and "figure it out". Our dessert was finally served to us at 2:45. It took an hour and 45 minutes to get our meal. There was not a manager on the floor. What a shame that a server can ruin lunch for so many. read more

The best Irish festival in Illinois!!! I've been going since 1999! Great bands! Great people!

I've been an annual fest goer for longer than I care to admit (lest I age myself in this review). Here are some things I think you should know: [+] Food/drink. Food is standard fest fare (artery clogging & great for intoxicated people) & after about the fourth full drink, you're down to swallow just about anything they put in a cup. The hard cider is always a good bet (if you're 21 & older, kids!), but come on...you can't go wrong in a beer tent. Period. [+] Carnival. You've got kids? Or you're just a person who digs rides? Good variety here. All the rides seem reasonably safe (well, as safe as a carnival can be), so yeah...no complaints. [+] Parking. Easy as pie (& free, if memory serves me right). [+/-] Merchandise. Eh...mixed bag. They've got some good stuff here, but expect to pay. The merchandise tent is always crowded, but not unbearably so. [+/-] Entertainment (bands only, as I have no experience with any of the other offerings). Another mixed bag, but pretty standard. Many, many years ago, I could swear I saw both The Tossers & Dropkick Murphys (different years), but that's usually not the kind of performance you'll find here (sadly!). Black 47 tends to deliver (although I much prefer the aforementioned two bands) & the lineup is mostly what you'd expect given the "Irish Fest" moniker. [+/-] Accessibility. This is straight up NOT the most accessibility-friendly event. Uneven surfaces & considering the fact that it almost always rains...ugh, a mess. Not the fest's fault by any means, but just one of those things to keep in mind. [-] PRICE. Oh good grief, admission is astronomical. I mean...seriously. We have five kids and honestly...the price we pay to get in vs. the time we spend there? Not the best ratio. Like, at all. Cha-ching. Sticker shock fosho. In short, it's worth it for the experience and tradition but don't expect a cheap endeavor, especially if you're rolling deep with littles. read more

This is where I started my career as a professional Irish Drinker... When I was 4 years old, I started Irish Step Dancing in the basement of Gaelic Park with Kathy and Danny O'Connell. It probably looked more like a goofy little girl jumping up and down than actually dancing. Cross Keys School of Irish Dance was located here. I then went on to Irish dance for almost 8 years, but will never forget the little basement of Gaelic Park. Gaelic Park also hosted very large Irish Step Dancing competitions full of curly haired girls and boys in kilts that I always frequented even after switching dance schools. Brought up with an 100% Irish father, I have always been really into my heritage and the Irish culture. I have tried to make it here every year since I was a young lassie until now for the Irish Fest that occurs every Memorial Day weekend. When I was younger it was impossible to get me away from the carnival rides. Now, it's hard to get me away from the music. The grub is great, the kegs are a-flowin', and the music is what really brings people here. Over the years, I have seen Tommy Makem, The Chieftains, Solas, Flogging Molly, The Dropkick Murphy's, Gaelic Storm, etc. read more

This is the location of our recent holiday company party. The exterior is nice and there appears to be plenty of parking for vehicles of all sizes. It appears to be a popular spot for parties, weddings, and get together events. We were in one of the event rooms which we noticed had a setup bar and dance floor. There was an event DJ and some festive lights placed around. The tables and chairs are what to be expected from a banquet hall. There is also a bar in the middle of the two event rooms. It appears to be the spot for all the adults to meet up before the events. Overall we were pleased with the venue based on it's location and amenities. But we do recommend having larger tables or seating less people at each table. When being served a family style meal, we had to put the food dishes on top of each other and in our laps. Stop by this venue for an event or a drink if those are desired. I am not sure on the costs but I assume they are competitive with the area based on the business they do. read more

We had my nieces wedding shower last weekend at Gaelic Park. Everything was perfect! The food portions were very generous and delicious. The servers helping were very attentive, Jimmy was one that we had helping us. I would highly recommend for a private party! read more

I hosted a company holiday party at Gaelic Park in late November. The staff including the Banquet Manager, the servers and the bar staff were all excellent. The venue was fully decorated for the holidays, was clean, well lighted and the food was fantastic. I've had many positive comments from our employees about how good of a time they had at the party. read more

We had our wedding in the Tara Room at Gaelic Park. The crew at Gaelic Park was with us every step of the way. They made sure we felt comfortable and confident as our big day approached, and it gave us a sense of calm knowing that we were in good hands. Leading up to the wedding, I called quite a few times with last minute questions and requests, and never once did I feel judged, or that I was annoying the busy banquet department. Renate and Lorraine organized and facilitated the ceremony, set up the reception room (to a tee!), touched base with us multiple times throughout the reception to make sure we had everything we needed, and were having the best time. They broke down the entire reception room and had it all on a cart waiting for us the next day. The Tara Room was gorgeous, the food was delicious (and plentiful!), and the staff was OVERLY accommodating. I can't speak highly enough about our experience. I wish we could get married there every weekend! We continue to receive numerous compliments about it. Gaelic Park really knocked it out of the park for us, on every aspect of our wedding day. read more

This premier venue has it all! Gaelic Park set in the lovely forest preserves of the southwest suburbs has a first rate pub, excellent banquet facilities, surrounded by beautiful decor and topped off with great meals. I've used this facility for performance as well as private parties. It just gets better and better! Thanks, Sister Bernie's Bingo Bash Mary McHale read more

The Carriag is the best bar I've ever been to. And I've been to a lot. Friendly staff who recognizes their locals, great Irish food, good atmosphere and great music. On Thursdays, the local Irish dudes grab their instruments and jam in the corner. The owner even let my instrumental post-rock band play here once. My first legal beer was here, and all my celebrations are here. New jobs, new milestones and accomplishments are always cause for the gang to head to the Carraig at Gaelic Park. read more

Even though I live in Park Ridge & Edison Park area it is worth coming all the way from the North side to the South side to go to The Fest on Memorial Fest all four days. They have a awesome field to do a run a thon kind of like Turkey Trot but they call it Carraig Challenge no worries about traffic. read more

I took my wife and daughter here for the Irish Fest over Memorial Day and we had a blast. The set up was great. Unlimited rides for the kids (and parents) included with admission. Usually these carnivals charge per ride or offer a $20 wristband and then charge if the parents want to (or need to) ride with the kids. Not here. Great selection at the beer tent. Smithwicks, Harp, Bass, Guinness along with all the domestic garbage. Great food options. Traditional Irish (Corned beef, meat pie, etc) and the usual fair stuff (corn dogs, pizza, etc.) The performances were enjoyable. Irish dancers, modern Irish rock, and traditional Irish folk music. Lots of music and dancing. It was well organized and everyone was well behaved. We will be back for more at Gaelic park and we will be back to Irish fest next year. read more

Throughout my life it seems I manage to attend at least one event a year at Gaelic Park: Fundraisers, a Sunday Mass, Irish Fest, Weddings, Showers, Concerts, or just a drink in the Pub. Choosing this place for our wedding reception was just so easy. Jodi helped me coordinate exactly what I was looking for. Our evening started with hors d'oeuvres that our guests seem to love during the cocktail hour, followed by soup, salad, and family style dinner. Then desert (which I personally missed out on due to pictures), crème de menthe ice cream that I heard was delicious! The very reasonable prices were a huge help to our budget. Would strongly recommend this place to anyone! read more

We had our wedding here 10-12-13 and everything was amazing! Jody and Jan were beyond helpful, Jody even helped us with figuring out how to decorate within our price range. Jody even was helpful with suggesting vendors for us. We felt for how great the food was (we did family style) and how awesome of a space it was (we had the Tara room which also had an outdoor area), we couldn't be happier! The room was really quite nice, and we loved the two bars (even though we only used the main big one), we really did not need to add too much decor! Our guests raved to us about the food, the service, and how great they thought Chicago Gaelic Park was. Plus you can have your guests go to the Carriag Pub inside after the wedding! The after-party located in the same place? Perfect for us! Even the clean-up crew were lovely and helpful people, making sure not to throw away anything and letting us keep things in a closet there overnight to get in the morning. Highly recommend! My only advice would be to make sure you remember your final payment needs to be made with a cashier's check, we totally forgot this part and it was a little bit of a hiccup, but we were able to get it all taken care of. read more

I'm not Irish but this place makes me feel like I am each time I get the chance to visit. The annual festival is wickedly fun! The authentic music sets the tone for a great night. read more

Had my wedding here and I was so happy with everything. The staff was fantastic and the food was amazing. I never met such a generous staff. Everyone raved about the food as well. Very helpful throughout my planning and they accommodated all my requests. The servers were very accommodating to me and my needs. I was very anxious and they made sure I stayed happy. The bartenders were absolutely wonderful. Never a long line.... Even after dinner was over... They flew right through everyone. I had a fabulous time. Fantastic venue. read more

My son and daughter-in-law had their wedding 10/6/17. This place should be the blue print for wedding receptions. The whole staff was friendly. The food was hot and delicious. The food serving was perfectly timed. Sharon the co-ordinator was there at 9:45 am to help us with items that needed to be dropped off for the reception.[mind you the reception was 6:30 pm and she was already getting things together]. The bar was plenty big, nobody had any problems with their drinks, and the wait time was minute. Anybody getting married needs to stop in and have a look. Thanks for giving the bride and groom the perfect wedding. read more

I had my wedding here in July of 2014. I will say this. I am happy with the end results for the most part. Our reception was amazing. It was a great venue to hold our wedding, and very reasonably priced for everything that was included. However, the week before my wedding when I finalized all my details I left there very worried. Jody rushed me through everything I needed to ask, or details I wanted her to know for our big day. My only complaint is in regards to the plated dinner. I was very organized, and gave Jody a sheet listing exactly how many chicken dinners and vegetarian dinners should be served to each table. I found out the day after my wedding, they ran out of chicken. I mean WAY ran out of chicken. 3 full tables were offered the vegetarian option because they didn't have any chicken left. We had 211 people at our wedding and it was about 30 less plates of chicken available, that is ridiculous. The head waitress was aware of the problem and supposedly offered to have the chef make more, the guest who chose that option had to wait another 20 minutes for their meal. It was disappointing to hear our guests didn't not have great meals after all our planning to make sure everyone got what they ordered on the RSVP cards. I will say I was very pleasantly surprised that the reception room did look exactly as I had hoped. Her and her team do know what they are doing and made it the room look perfect. I will also say, the head waitress was wonderful. She was constantly checking on my husband and I to make sure we had everything we needed, and even offered to heat up our plates since we were greeting guests when it was served. Not to discredit Jody completely, she was very helpful in most of the planning stages and did respond to all emails I sent to her. Most importantly, the drinks at the bar were great! All my guests raved about the wonderful pours of the bartenders. Overall, I would reccomend this place as a wedding venue. read more

In short, I love Gaelic Park. My wife and I had our wedding reception here and The Carriag is our favorite local spot to go out and grab a drink. We've always received excellent service from both the banquet side and the pub side. The Carriag has much better food than the average bar. If they are busy the wait for food items might be a little longer but I've never received anything that was under or overcooked. Irish Fest is a southside staple over every Memorial Day weekend and is something that shouldn't be missed. Overall a great place to throw a bash or have a drink or two. read more

My sister had her wedding reception here in May and it was fabulous! The staff were great! The food was delicious! The room looked beautiful! And the servers were great! Everything went as planned we could not have asked for a better, more joyous, night! read more