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Merkle's

3.5 (186 reviews)
Closed • 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

Merkle's Photos

Business Info

MERKLE'S ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Juke Box
Loud
Casual
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Merkle's

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Reviews With Photos

Jason K.

Probably my favorite dive bar style grill in Wrigleyville. The food is good and the drinks are even better. What I like the most about going there is the live music after Cubs games. The front door style windows open fully on a nice day and when you add a live artist playing acoustic guitar, it really brings out the vibe of the bar. The staff is super friendly and don't forget to bring some singles so you can hang them on the wall!

Where to go!
Trevor P.

If you haven't been to Merkles for the wings then shame on you. This place is awesome. Old-school Chicago bar great environment and anything you want to drink. Iowa Bar and feels like Dazed and confused! Holly Cows Band plays after the Cubs game. Come check it out. It's legit

The bouncer on 9/25
Nadia H.

I go to wrigley with friends but this the first time in my entire life have I ever been treated so disgustingly and it's honestly a huge wake up call to a part of the world no one should have to experience. I went here with a group of friends, 3 white people and 3 southeast Asian people. We got separated and me and my 2 friends stepped outside to try to call the others in the group and then go back inside. The bouncer last night refused to let us back and said they're closing (it was 1am and the bar closes at 3am). When I asked him to go get my friends since he wasn't letting us back in, he yelled "get the f*ck out of here, I f*cking said no". I have never been spoken to in my life like this. The craziest part is during these interactions, he let 3 other white girls inside and later a black couple tried to get in and he rejected them as well, saying they're closed. My 2 southeast Asian friends and I waited 25 min outside until my friends finally realized where we were and came out. We were all disgusted with this experience and can't believe this bouncer was hired and treating people like this. I really hope Merkles chooses to take a closer look at this bouncer (working on the night of 9/25/21) and realize how is affecting the image of this place and individuals that are impacted by his actions. Edit: I'm seeing past reviews and it looks like this place has a history of hiring racist bouncers. For the benefit of the doubt I was suggesting this was a one time case but it appears Merkles is continuously choosing to run their business like this. I'm sorry to all the people who have been affected by this blatant racism.

Disgustingly racist. I have no trouble coming in. Bouncer would not even look at my id. He told me and my other friends of color that we were not allowed in. After denying us, he laughed and proceeded to let in the group of white people behind us in. My friends and we're not going to be treated that way so we questioned him. His only response to it was "your attitude sucks get the fuck out of here". The manager said they had a one in one out rule, but let four people, white, in when nobody came out. Him and the establishment should find help in bettering their treatment to people of color. By previous reviews, doesn't seem like they give a shit enough to change. I won't stand for the racism & I hope this even just helps turn away one person from going to this place. Wish I could give a negative star.

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13 years ago

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17 years ago

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15 years ago

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5 years ago

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15 years ago

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8 years ago

Fun,fast service.Great sports bar.Hawkeye bar!Kind of divey,but in a good way.Great nachos.

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12 years ago

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8 years ago

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6 years ago

Best spot in wrigley for before, after, with or without a game. Service at a 10, atmosphere and drinks on point

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8 years ago

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18 years ago

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7 years ago

Merkle's is the perfect local sports bar! Always worth a visit anytime you're in the area

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9 years ago

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20 years ago

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9 years ago

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20 years ago

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17 years ago

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8 years ago

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19 years ago

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13 years ago

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19 years ago

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9 years ago

Loved the burger and fries. Probably the best that I've ever ate in a bar/Pub. I'll defiantly be back.

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19 years ago

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16 years ago

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12 years ago

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Business owner information

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Russ B.

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20 years ago

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18 years ago

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13 years ago

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10 years ago

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18 years ago

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12 years ago

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11 years ago

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13 years ago

Lots of beer on tap to choose from , fun place to spend a afternoon, awesome wings.

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Ask the Community - Merkle's

Review Highlights - Merkle's

“This is a great place for any Cubs game, Iowa Game, or if you want good pub food at any point.”

Mentioned in 22 reviews

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BadaBing Wings Zone - Famous wings and sauces.

BadaBing Wings Zone

4.3(169 reviews)
1.7 mi•Ravenswood, Uptown
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Discovered this gem last weekend when sis and bff visited. We've been known to take wing tours and…read morethis place rose to the top! Garlic buffalo, Gambino buffalo & Jerk mild rub - AMAZING!! Sis got the Loaded Sriracha fries as well, holy smokes were they good! Wings were crispy & saucy accordingly. Place is small & the music on the tv was wierd... old Brittany Spears and Justin Bieber playing loudly was our only side-eye. Don't let that stop you!

We used to love this place when we lived in the city. We came back today and left with nothing. The…read morewebsite and doors say they open at 11:30 and the doors were locked and lights off so we decided to go get coffee next door in hopes that they opened at noon. At noon, they unlocked the door, no hello or greeting - just straight behind the counter and to the kitchen for us to order at the screen in the front. The screen was filthy (they just opened as a reminder) we couldn't tell what was in the 'combo' and then when we were going to order the boneless chicken wings, as they were gluten free when we ordered them years ago, I asked one of the women in the kitchen to confirm. She said no, I don't think so. And walked away without any further guidance for what I might be able to eat on their menu. It's not a preference, it's a dietary restriction - so we walked out from there. They clearly had no interest in helping me or our business. A real disappointment after driving 30 minutes out of our way to try and enjoy it.

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Bird's Nest - Birds Bird 's Nest Burger

Bird's Nest

3.7(553 reviews)
1.4 mi•DePaul, Lincoln Park
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Maddie our server was so amazing! She was attentive and had a smile on her face every time she…read morechecked on us. THE WINGS - I have never been a big traditional wings girl, however these wings changed my opinion on this. We got the House Sauce, the Hot Teriyaki, and the Hot BBQ and we couldn't decide which was our favorite. 10/10 will be back! Football - Football on every TV on a Monday, place was busy but still got a table right away!

(Kari's Rating 8/10)…read more Came in on a Friday night about 8 o'clock, and I didn't realize there was a basketball game tonight, so the bar was really packed with IU fans. I heard off this place from an Instagram video from a food blogger. There wasn't initially seating when we first got in, but the bartender/hostess helped us make a makeshift table. We also didn't have a chair so she had to go find a chair and she found one so really appreciate her hustle. The wings came out pretty quickly, the honey barbecue wings were really sweet, and came with a substantial amount of sauce. The ranch was impeccable. It was not too thin and came with celery. The birds nest hot sauce was relatively hot for a medium. I was definitely feeling the spice after two or three. I think there was a little too much sauce on the wings for me, personally, but overall very good. The volume is really loud because everyone was there for the game, so we kinda had to yell over each other to have a conversation. We got our check pretty quickly and the servers were really attentive. I would definitely come back if I was in the area, but I probably wouldn't come all the way from River North for this again.

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Rocks Lakeview - Chicago classic burger

Rocks Lakeview

3.6(716 reviews)
0.5 mi•Lakeview
•$$

Met up with a buddy for dinner at The Rocks the other day after hearing some good things about the…read moreplace. When you walk in, there's a nice-sized bar straight ahead, with tables on both the left and right sides. We picked our table and took a look at the menu, where I spotted the two things I wanted to try. Our waitress came over with a big smile on her face and took our drink order while my buddy was still deciding what to get. I went with the spicy cheese curds to start, followed by the chicken tenders, while my buddy ordered a burger. Since it was a school night for me, I was happy that the food came out pretty quickly. The portion of cheese curds was shockingly generous, and boy, did they pack a punch! If you like a little heat with your cheese curds, these are definitely worth trying. The chicken tenders were good, especially dipped in the chipotle ranch sauce. I ordered mine naked, without any sauce on them, so I could enjoy the tenders on their own and use the dipping sauce on the side. After getting a look at my buddy's burger, I'd definitely consider ordering one on my next visit. It looked that good! Overall, The Rocks seems like a great spot to grab a beer, watch a game, and enjoy some good bar food. I'd definitely come back to try one of those burgers!

They have a great HH that unfortunately they were not doing on Friday afternoon when we stopped by…read moredue to pride fest that weekend (unfortunate timing I suppose). Good drink options and lots of TVs. Got the Schubert burger with sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries were really good. The burger was pretty good too but I think I'll try a different one next time.

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Rocks Lakeview
Rocks Lakeview - White chicken chili and green beans

White chicken chili and green beans

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Merkle's - bars - Updated October 2026

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