First the atmosphere and service were amazing! Friendly and helpful when needed but not overly pushy' I got the mozz sticks and they were on point. But let me tell you about the grilled cheese! This is no normal grilled cheese. This may have been the best grilled cheese other than the ones my grandma made me as a kid. I chose pepper jack cheese with bacon. The sandwich came out on Texas toast with the perfect amount of crisp on the toast. The sandwich has the best cheese pull and the bacon was perfectly crispy. The waffle fries well I couldn't even finished because I devoured the sandwich so fast. Highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a friendly dive, cold beer, solid bar food, or wonderful grilled cheese! read more

O'Callaghan's - Not your average grilled cheese. Beyond excellent!!! - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came in with three friends and we grabbed a high-top table. We ordered a few rounds and everything was going fine. Toward the end of the night, two of my friends left, and the remaining two of us paid our bill and were finishing our drinks while waiting for our Uber. At that point, the bartender came over and told us she needed our table for a large group. The table wasn't reserved, and we were clearly just finishing up. We told her we were about to leave anyway, but the way it was handled felt really abrupt and rude. What made it worse was that she immediately brought a group over to take our table, and even they were apologizing to us because they seemed uncomfortable with how it was handled. I've worked in bars and restaurants myself, so I completely understand needing to manage space, but there's a way to do it respectfully, and this wasn't it. Unfortunately, this experience left a bad impression, and despite having been here multiple times before, I won't be returning. read more

Checks the boxes you expect for an Irish bar. Nothing fancy but prices are good. The smokehouse burger is very good and tots were the right level of crispy. Bartenders are reasonably attentive. It wasn't busy on the Sunday night I went so finding a seat was easy but it wasn't awkwardly dead. I was surprised the front windows weren't open on a nice day. It's a place I'd go with friends to hangout and not have to worry about leaving to get food somewhere else. read more

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Overpriced beer and food. it's loud! The menu needs a lot of help. If you are looking for a dive Irish bar with good food and reasonable beer prices. Go somewhere else . read more

O'Callaghan's - Dining Room - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We visited on a Saturday afternoon for pre-dinner drinks and loved the convenient, walkable location from our hotel. We enjoyed a couple of cocktails and were particularly impressed by the tasty pretzel sticks we ordered. read more

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I stopped here after a really bad date. I'm a beer drinker so it caught my attention. They didn't disappoint since I just stumbled upon it. There's a wide selection of beer. I tried the IPA's they had on draft. I also got the chicken sandwich with bacon and fries. Very tasty and filling. The bar is small but has tables and a bar top available. Has tv's so you can watch sports. The bartenders were very nice and attentive. Simple bar but I'd go back for sure. read more

O'Callaghan's - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I stopped in here after another party nearby, and I'm glad we did. It's basically a traditional sports bar, but it's a welcome reprieve from all the fancy clubs and other high end expensive places in the area. It may look crowded just peering in, but know that it has a full upstairs area with a bar, and there's lots of space up there. That's where we sat, and we still got fast service up there, and had access to several TVs. Has the usual selection of beers on tap, didn't get to see the food menu, but I'm sure it's all the standards as well, but with some Irish flare added. I'll definitely keep this place in mind if I'm in the area again and need a place to hang out or watch a game. read more

Old Irish bar with good food and friendly service. We've been a few times the chili cheese fries are stupidly good. The bartender yesterday morning was friendly and chatty. We also had some pretzel sticks with cheese. They were also good. They have a touch tunes and were showing the Bears game. read more

Hung out here and got some drinks while waiting for our table at a different restaurant. The service at first was great; then she left for the night. They guys that took over were rude, hard to get there attention, and over charged us for drinks. I don't see myself going back. It had a nice vibe but I can get better somewhere else. read more

We stopped here for a nightcap on a Saturday evening. Once we were permitted to enter we liked everything about this place. Service was fast and friendly, there was plenty of available seating and we took the opportunity to play darts and a few games of pool. The reason for giving only 3 stars is because of their doorman. When we arrived there was really no one in line ahead of us, and when we asked if we could go in or if they needed to see ID or if there was a cover, the guy told us the place was very busy inside and they weren't allowing anyone else in at that time. A second doorman asked if it was just the 2 of us. When I said it was, he allowed us in. We quickly found that the first guy at the door basically lied to us. There were no crowds at all on either the first or second floor, there were plenty of open stools at both bars, plenty of open tables and no wait for service. I'm not sure if the first guy was discriminating against us because of age and he was trying to admit only a younger crowd, if he was unhappy because we were 2 guys with no women in our party or what his problem was. Regardless, we had a good time here..The pool table was level and in good condition which one doesn't always find at a bar. It took quarters only (no bill receiver or credit card reader) but the bar staff were happy to give change. The dart board was a bit dodgy; It accepted bills which was good, but the board wouldn't lock in place and kept trying to spin to the side as we were throwing. Also, they only had 6 darts to give us, 2 of which had broken tips, so we had to keep handing off a few darts to each other between turns so both of us could throw. No matter, it worked for our needs. All that said, the doorman nearly never let us in to experience any of it, and this place deservedly gets a lower rating because of him. read more

Unfortunately there were no more seats available. Their speakeasy is not opened today. I know the game is the main attraction but I was expecting this place to be more "lively". Friendly staff! read more

O'Callaghan's - Crowd watching the Bear's game! - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place is racist. We had 8 people of color in line and they told us that it was "too much for their bar" and they let in 8 white people right behind us. We stood in line for 40 minutes quietly with no issues. Clearly racially profiling. read more

Dive Irish bar in the River North area. It was recommended by bartenders at ritzy restaurant as their go to spot for drinks and food. We met friends to here for late afternoon beers and service was great. I returned later for a carry out Rueben w waffles fries. Really really good. read more

Sat at the bar because it was Friday night and the tables were all taken. I liked the variety of music, the ambience, the atmosphere....and the burger and fries! That burger----was SOOOO GOOD (Char Burger) and the waffle fries were kind of crispy- good! They had an NBA game playing on the tvs. Service from both bartenders was great- Our main server had great attention to detail. (realized they forgot the mustard without me saying anything) All in all- great! (Skip the fish and chips- get the char burger!) read more

My friends and I were kicked out of a table mid-visit because the staff claimed our seats were reserved for a private party. However, no one told us about any reservation when they originally seated us, even though we'd specifically mentioned we were there to watch the Super Bowl game. When I tried to communicate with the owner about the lack of communication and wasted time, he was dismissive and rude. He claimed they had just put up a flyer about the private party, but we had been seated 20 minutes before that flyer went up. He said, "I am the owner, I can do whatever I want." That's what prompted me to say I would leave a review about my experience. He responded by saying he didn't care if I left a bad review because "no one reads or believes those anyway"--basically telling me that I don't have a voice in this matter. To make matters worse, as we were leaving and walking out the owner tried to insinuate we didn't pay for the appetizer we ordered for the 20 minutes that we were there - when we absolutely did. I'm understandably upset because if they'd just told us upfront about the reservation, we could have easily gone somewhere else and avoided the whole situation. read more

Grotesquely gouging. They won't tell you until the bill comes that their whiskey is twice the price even for Chicago drinks. $39 for Oban should be a crime. read more

The worst service I've had! Server was rude at the fact we didn't "leave a tip" yelled at us for not leaving a tip yet didn't even see we left cash tip! Regret even leaving a tip. Drinks weren't good and service was not good. She never checked on us once! Wish I could give this a 0 star! read more

Waited 2 hours to get into this bar on st pats and it was worth it. A small venue with wonderful staff, cool merch, great beer on tap, and feels like you are back in Ireland. Best bar on that strip!! read more

I would die for the bartender Cortez. The nicest man & loves to pour with a heavy hand. Only man I'll tip big for.

I was looking to pop into a place that would have a good Guinness where I could unwind for a little bit and this place did the trick. The perfect Guinness... very mellow spot to just hang out. read more

Thank you O'Callaghan's for such fun last night in Chicago. Went to so many different bars and this was the only one that would let us in we also had great service for food and drinks! Overall I was just drinking water which they have bottled water. My friend was drinking black label on the rock and our server came by multiple times to ask if we needed anything. It was amazing and I'm so happy that the servers were so nice. We also decided to order their chili fries which are made in-house and also came with waffle fries. This was the bomb and delicious. A must for just snacking and enjoying the night. read more

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You can't make one of the most basic drinks at any bar to a point where it's even drinkable and then proceeded to intoxicate my date giving her drinks, kick me out, and then taunt me over the phone. You're lucky I didn't call the cops on you and your excuse of a poorly ran bar. "Not like other reviews" you have a 3.6 rating and are on track to go out of business and deservedly so. read more

We probably weren't the typical customer as we were looking for a very late dinner, and all the other kitchens nearby were closed. So 5/5 stars on that aspect. It was a chill but fun vibe, so would be interested to come back on more of a drinking night out! I will say, path back and to get upstairs felt a little sus. We went with the Reubens and were pleased that they offered turkey in addition to corned beef as an option (although it sounds like the corned beef was better). The sandwiches came with fries which was not listed on the menu, so we had ordered a side of fries = wasted food. They also were out of some of the drinks on the menu. read more

Check your bill before you leave this place!! I went here with a group of friends and got charged for food that I never ordered!!

Bar staff are very friendly. Soup is amazing. True irish bar atmosphere. Highly recommend and will be going back!

Quick service everytime. I love this place because prices are reasonable and it's close to almost all of my fav restaurants. Love for the Irish and my people read more

O'Callaghan's - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cubs win and so does O'Callaghans! The atmosphere was amazing and our server added to that. The shepherds pie reminded me of being in Ireland. The Sriracha wings were perfect with my stout beer. Follow our father-son journey to all 30 MLB parks on Instagram @FatherSonFoulLines to support the dream! read more

Great Irish pub and vibe. Fairly large so you can generally get a bar or hightop spot. Perfect Guinness pour.

Came in looking for a drink and received the slowest service ever. It took more than 40 mins for a drink, I couldn't wait any longer and left. I had high hopes for this place :/ read more

O'Callaghan's is a great Irish pub in River North that is simultaneously a Steelers bar. I came here to watch the Euro finals and had a great time. The bar staff are super friendly and the drinks are super reasonably priced. I was able to talk with a couple regulars at the bar and they were very welcoming. I will probably be back for more soccer in the future. read more

After 3 visits to Chicago since August, I finally found the holy grail of Chicago bars. Perfect in every way. Perfect beers. Perfect cocktails. Perfect service. This is a beautiful bar with amazing staff and owners. Teddy and LB were two of the best bartenders I've ever had,and I've been to a ton of bars all over the country. Family owned and operated, we were made to feel like locals who had been visiting the bar for years. Shout out to my daughter and son, who scouted out this bar ahead of my wife and I. They said you've got to come here and they were so right. This will be a must stop for us each and every time we are in the Windy City. Thanks to everyone for making us feel so welcome! read more

O'Callaghan's - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Staff is awesome. Vibes are immaculate. Great spot for someone playing tourist in Chicago.

We came here after we went from Andy's Jazz. Didn't want to walk far, so we went inside. The place was packed for a Thursday night. The service was great. The server did a great job when my friends asked for a drink recommendation. Honestly though, can't complain. Maybe I'll stop by here again after the jazz club. read more

On St. Patty's Dat, O'Callaghans thrives. The line outside wraps around the corner. This typical Irish Pub was packed to the brim with shamrocks and Guinness lining the walls. Even with it being super busy, the staff was super attentive and came to check on us every 10 minutes, even switching tvs multiple times as games were ending. The corned beef was frankly boring and pretty flavorless but this definitely isn't an everyday item. Super cool pub and definitely helped that I went on their favorite holiday. read more

O'Callaghan's - a crowd of people in a restaurant - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This was a wonderful experience. Tony was incredible. The service and staff are excellent. I do have to say, you should allow staff to kick out disrespectful people. The staff are so kind and considerate, they should not have to serve people who are unkind to them. Great bar. read more

Fun place great drinks, even better wings. The bartenders are always sensational! Great vibes and upbeat music! Delicious cocktails and friendly staff make it a must-visit! read more

Staci was our server and she was amazing! She was able to help us out and recommend fantastic drinks as well as other touristy spots! Highly recommend her as your server!! read more

O'Callaghan's - people sitting at the bar - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped by after dinner with some friends for some drinks. Was surprised to see their drinks were on the cheaper side! I got a plain margarita which was really good and we all did two rounds of mystery shots (for $6, amazing!) the shots we got were like cookie shots? I can't remember what the girl said the name was but they were really good, tasted like a caramel iced coffee! Service was quick and overall a very chill spot for drinks with friends! read more

O'Callaghan's - Mystery Shot - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went to the bar with a group of friends and it was like a typical Irish bar. However, my friends were leaving and I had called an Uber. I asked if I could stand inside while I waited and the bouncer told me no. As a female, standing alone outside of a bar at night is not comfortable nor safe. Especially since Chicago has had a lot of crime recently with fake Uber drivers scamming bar patrons. Not female friendly. read more

First of all, the heat was way too cranking in this place. Save on the electric bill a little. All in all pretty good experience here. I liked the bar, beers were strong and the selection was good. Wasn't thrilled about the guys next to me that kept paying 5 credits per song to get their songs to the front of the line on TouchTunes. I could see why they had to pay so many credits. No one in their right mind would let them DJ. At that point we went upstairs which was a good time. read more