In a city with many Irish bars, this is a feisty raucous bar that has strong drinks, great beer, and great food. The wait staff is friendly albeit wishing you would order a little faster. We found it easy to grab a high top on a Friday night and get some cocktails and enjoy the atmosphere. They do have TVs, not great to watch the game but a good distraction in case you need to check a quick score. read more

O'Callaghan's is a fun and cool place to hangout. On our first time here, there were no seats until two opened up at the bar. I can't recall the song playing, but some random, lightly toasted guys started singing to it. Next thing you know, nearly everybody in the pub was singing and swaying along with it too. And, no, it was not Sweet Caroline! LOL It was both amusing and entertaining in a kind spirited, everybody's having fun, we're getting along with total strangers sort of way. Since then, we've been back many times and have even brought out-of-town guests here for drinks. Once some random people from Arizona started talking to us. They were bored at some of the more "up scale" places in the neighborhood, until they found O'Callahan's. They seemed to have a great time! And we were laughing with them about it! O'Callaghan's is a dimly lit and divey pub (said affectionately), which is what makes it fun. It's not pretentious; you can be yourself here. The staff also seems hip, friendly, and pretty attentive! I'm sure we'll be repeat offenders. read more

Was just in an hour ago for New Year's Eve. We had a table in the back before my friend and I walked to the front to find our friend who was mingling with other patrons. Both our girlfriends and my friends brother were still at our table. One of the bouncers (blonde haired dude in the SnapBack who looked like a community college baseball player) got in our way and accused us of trying to walk out on our tab. He told me "I'm not stupid, I know what you're doing" and proceeded to say "get out of my face" when I got defensive, even tho this dude was being VERY aggressive. He told us how we looked suspicious because "we all left the table at the same time," despite us literally just standing there and talking, not heading for the door, and half our party still sitting at the table. Then, another worker stood over our table while we were trying to pay our tab even tho our waitress was there and the bouncer was standing between us and the exit I guess trying to block our way out. When my friend and I looked back at the bouncer he gave us the whole "I'm watching you" hand gesture. It was a good night with a friendly, attentive server turned sour by seriously shitty management. The manager went so far as to point out all the cameras in the bar when we got upset that they were accusing us of walking out. All over a 50 dollar tab. Who the fuck do you think I am. I will never again step foot in an establishment that treats me like a thief. read more

It's a pub with a variety of beers and bar food. We live just a few blocks away and if we just want a beer and a quick bite this is the place to go. They have soooo many beers to pick from so its unlikely you can't find something to drink. The food is basic bar food but good. I've had the grilled cheese, mozzarella sticks, fries and wings. All of which have been good. The prices here are super cheap compared to other bars in the area and the servers are super friendly and quick. We keep coming back! read more

Great neighborhood bar. Music could be a bit lower as you really need to lean in to hear anyone.

I was reading other reviews about this place, and a man named Joe stated he liked the idea of an Irish pub being located in River North. I appreciate your opinion Mr. Joe, however I must respectfully disagree. I absolutely HATE that this is located here. It's such an awkward area to have a low key pub to watch a game. I was just at that horrifically upscale tiki bar across the street, and now I'm at an overpriced Bennigan's clone in one of the most expensive cities in the United States. Whatevs. Let's go on with the review. My friend group and I were insanely frustrated as everywhere involved a cover that evening. We were tired. We were out of cash. And damnit, we needed to be in a place that didn't make us feel less than for ordering beer. We finally ended up at O'Callaghans, and we were even able to score a table. That's not small feat on a Friday night. We decided to order a round as well as some snacks because we were kinda hungry. Bad decision. We ordered some mozzarella sticks and two pizzas, and I shit you not, we paid $20 for burnt grocery store Tony's pizzas. Disappointing is an understatement. The reason for 3 stars is that the server was very nice, and we met some interesting people to converse with during our time there. However the dinginess combined with the food quality (or lack there of), had us leaving within a half hour. Maybe I'm just spoiled with O'Malley's in Cincinnati, but this was a sore disappointment, and this place would never last outside of the high priced touristy section of River North. read more

Stopped in for beers nice atmosphere with brick walls to enjoys laughs and beers with friends. Service was good keeping our beers full and they were cold! read more

People seem nice in there. The fish & chips were very crunchy & thin, and not quite sure what the fish was. Not your typical Irish Pub Fish & Chips. Tots were recommended, but there were just normal old tater tots. Few selections for Irish beer (no Harp?). Overall not bad. read more

Listen, I'm a 21 year old with the mentality of a 52 year old man named Albert. When I look for pubs, I'm looking for a warm homey space to converse with my friends. Well me and my boyfriend found this place close to where we recently moved to and I walked in and it was a little to "hip" for me until I was told about the upstairs. By the way, Loved the bouncers. They shoot the shit with you like grown people should talk to eachother not sure why everyone giving a one star got offended by them. Learn how to joke around. But walking upstairs I noticed I was in pub heaven. It was quieter, music was less loud, less crowded and even when tables stated filling up it was still not as loud as the downstairs. The bartender was amazing and so nice. I didn't like a drink and he made me something else without question. He interjected into our conversation about cheese and we bonded. He really made the night worth going out. Me and my boyfriend definetly found our regular pub. And the kitchen is open so late!! Most kitchens close at 10pm but when I'm getting wasted at 12am I want a damn burger and by George I got it. P.S Peter in the comments here on Yelp is my hero I've been reading replies and it just makes me want to go back. This pub caters to all with a popping downstairs for the kids and a nice upstairs area for us older folk. Also CHEAPEST pub ive been to in the area so far, really is a super bang for your buck. Great food, great sevice, great drinks. 10/10 is now my regular spot. read more

Worst experience I have ever had at a bar. Staff and security were rude and judgmental to my entire party for the duration of the time we were in their establishment. I cannot recommend avoiding this location enough. Please find nicer bartenders and bouncers or close your business. read more

I don't post often but my groups experience here last night (August 9th) was worth mentioning. I visited here with a group for a friends' bachelor party. We are all in our early 30s, very respectful and half of us don't even drink alcohol. We arrived around 1 AM to a bar that had maybe 50 people in it (relatively empty with multiple open tables). My group of 10-12 friends are a mix of Korean, Indian and Caucasian. As we entered the 2 white bouncers asked "how many more of you are there" and proceeded to ask us to go upstairs to drink as the first floor was "at capacity". We shrugged off the comment and entered the bar. We were approached again by these bouncers 5 minutes later again saying "Please go upstairs and hang out by the exit sign". We were offended and suggested that this was a racist comment and instead of addressing it, we were given nothing but ridicule and aggressive behavior. "Oh yeah I guess we're racist now" and other loud dismissive comments. We then left the bar. I realize this behavior isn't necessarily representative of the rest of the employees here but it was unsettling in such a diverse city. read more

Even though it was quite buy for a Sunday night, I was still able To find a sole seat at the bar. Was greeted promptly by an attentive bartender which made sure I had a beer in no time at all. Upon placing my Togo food order he informed me of the kitchen rush, with being in no rush of my own I didn't care. It was 2:30am Sunday after a house of blues concert and this is the only late bar nearby; I get it. Throughout the wait for my food I was attentively looked after and never had my drink go low. For downtown, affordable drinks, late kitchen, and good staff. read more

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

Wifey and I love an Irish pub, so, here we are. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Guinness and a shared plate of fish and chips is what's on tap this afternoon. Both were on point. read more

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Great bar for some drinks and food. My boyfriend and I stopped here this past weekend and the staff was very nice. Drinks where very reasonably priced. We ordered the pretzels with cheese and they where very good. Definitely will be back and recommend this anyone who is in the area. read more

Stopped in for a drink with my husband. Very comfortable place. The vibe reminded us of the pubs in Ireland. Laid back, no blasting music & friendly bartender. Unfortunately we found O'Callaghan's on our last night in Chicago or it would have been our last stop each evening. read more

So I stopped in here with a friend to have beer the other day. We were just looking for a chill place in river north to relax and chit chat. O'Callaghan's fit the criteria perfectly. We ended up spending 3-4 hours just sipping on beers and carrying on conversation with other guests and the bartender. Exactly what I would expect from an Irish Pub and it does not surprise me that this place has been open for 30+ years. I didn't get any food here so I can't speak to that side of things, but in terms of service and atmosphere this place is a 5 stars and I will definitely be coming back. Head into O'Callaghans for good conversation, good beer, and potentially some new friends! read more

Good service and good food. What more could you ask for in a bar? The pear moscow mule is delicious. My husband and I split the chicken tenders which were awesome, super juicy and tender. Bartenders are nice and always checking up on you, all around a great place! read more

Whoa, people booze hard on Mondays, indeed. Ok, admittedly I rolled up in here around...oh, 1am on a Monday. So Colleen, NOT. Anyway, I needed some serious food in mah belly, STAT. So, this was it. And I must say...the food was pretty amazing, and that wasn't the 14 martinis speaking either, it was good. Chicken 'n chips: well done! To the group of married guys singing old 80's tunes...well, live and let live I suppose...but really, where are you supposed to be right now? You are very obviously not "industry peeps" cutting loose, and I am fairly certain your wives did not give you license to get rip roarin' drunk in Chicago and hit on unassuming girls with chicken 'n chips. Mmmmk, really. Go home. Or, at the very least...pipe down. I'm trying to get sober up in here, and you are making me want to drown myself in Jameson. I don't even l like Jameson, so this speaks volumes. Besides the (wedding) Band of Brothers...this place was A-Ok. Quick service, waitress was not takin' shit from no one (good), and I can see this being quite a decent late-night stop off... People watchin' at its finest, as its right across from Rockit... read more

A girl never forgets her first icing. I am now a "bro." Oh, and just one question: Why are you stocking up on Smirnoff Ice in the first place? read more

I threw a company St. Patrick's day party here a few years ago, and they did a nice job. The food was good...the upstairs private space was nice...the beer flowed all night long. I've gone back a few times since then and haven't really cared for the place. The service is kind of bad and it's full of frat boy meat-heads. Last month I was looking for a space to throw a party in July and thought of O'Callaghan's. At first they told me we could have the party there and sent me some catering and bar package information. Then a few weeks later I got a call saying that I could not have my party there. They needed to keep the upstairs space free for "industry people." I asked if these people were having a party and she said no, they just need to keep the space open. So, they turned down the chance at having a party for 100 heavy drinkers (read: $$$$$) to keep the space empty for these "industry people" to look at. Weird. Just weird. read more

It still hurts just thinking about O'Callaghan's. Mostly for my brother. He was, um, persuaded to take more Jameson shots than is recommended for any living being. And unfortunately, some of those shots found their way back upstream in the restroom. R.I.P., excessive Jameson shots. I guess that means we should have ordered some of the good late-night munchies I keep reading about in these reviews.... sigh. If only I could turn back time. Anyway, O'Callaghan's draws a steady crowd in the wee morning hours. We actually made it upstairs, the area known for attracting industry folks only. I felt as if I was part of a super-secret club! Ha, not really, but I did enjoy the laid-back feel up there as opposed to the trendy, fake-tanned scene downstairs. And they sure can pour a mean Guinness. Too many of them, but that was our problem ;) read more

Come here every time I'm in town. Great location and always feel welcome. Good assortment of beer at a good price. Fish and chips are great and not overpriced. They do get packed on Friday nights but everywhere in the area seems to get that way. read more

This was the "B-team" bar on my St. Patty's Day adventure. Seriously, there was a line outside of Fado's at 8AM. A LONG line. Crap. What a buzzkill. Since our plan was foiled. . . O'Callaghans was next on the list. This place did not open until 9AM. (Or "9AM - ish" the person on the phone stated). Fair enough. There was still a line outside but this was less painful after a few drinks down the street. To "fit more people in" the removed all the tables. OK, I get it but leaning against the glass is somewhat dangerous and makes me feel like I am squished inside a CTA train. Luckily, O'Callaghan's bouncers regulated well enough to keep the crowd down. Beer was pricey - Miller drafts in plastic cups should never be over 5 bones. NEVER. I totally had waitress envy because our waitress was so SLOW compared to the waitress who served the people standing next to us. SO SLOW. Grrr. This bar IS Irish. And it WAS St. Patty's Day. Apparently that was not a winning combination. Over-priced Miller Lites and slow service is not lucky at all. read more

Loooooooved this place!! After a nice dinner I was craving a good drinking session. Mmmm, beer is needed!! Anyways, saw O'Callaghan's and just walked in, though I'll just come in for one and than continue on. Well, that's not what happened. Sat by the bar and just kept on ordering the drinks... SUPER friendly staff, Matthew and Ramón (!!!!!!) are so awesome, they made sure I was welcomed.. Never waited for my next pint, Matthew was on it and he also brought over some pretzels and water (aww).. Really good Washington Apple shots too... Yuumm Ramón is a sweetheart and he has been making recommendations on where to go etc etc... At first they were showing the game.. But soon after I got there they were playing some cool tunes so the vibe/ ambiance was spot on! I was seriously feeling bad when I decided it's time to move on... Again, I must have sat there for about 5 hrs... But, this is just another reason to be back!! Soon, I hope. :) read more

After writing a rather "cruel" review, I sent it to my sister so she could laugh. She brought to my attention the owner's other comments sent to people, which I thought was definitely note-worthy to update on. The only reason I gave this place two stars is because the owner was at least nice to one person, so I guess there is compassion somewhere there. I didn't bother to discuss my comment because there were too many fallacies in the owner's response. Now ask yourself, to support or not support this establishment? Jennifer W. from Marina del Rey, Ca on 6/26/13 Dear Jennifer the faux customer, First of all we can't allow people to bring water bottles in because a lot of people from Marina del Rey, CA were sneaking vodka in in the water bottles. I checked with my good friends down at Mother Hubbards and they wouldn't have let you in with water bottles either. The fact that you couldn't find a beer you liked out of the 39 we carry further diminishes the validity of your cranky little rant. Next time your in town please stop by, I'll buy you a bottle of water. Benjamin A. from Chicago, IL 5/10/13 Hey Ben, How did you mistake our craphole for a sports bar ? Were a neighborhood pub. We did play all the Blackhawk playoff games with uninterrupted sound with the exception of the game where the issues were Comcasts not ours. Sorry for the annoyance. I guess the tattoo of a question mark on your head might explain your confusion. Elkin P. from Chicago, IL 11/3/12 Hey Elkie, Your comments don't seem to be inline with the rest. Were a neighborhood pub that caters to a rather diverse crowd. I find it strange that you called them all dbags. Sorry you had a bad time. I do find comfort in knowing we will have one less dbag at O'Callaghan's. Matt D from Royal Oak, MI 10/23/2008 Just came across your post dipshit. Let me help you out here. Our doorman don't wear ear pieces. You sound like a miserable prick who probably would have been better off getting a six pack and drinking it at home in a folding chair right next to your bathroom. It sounds to me like you were next door at Social Twenty Five. Our doormen are pretty good at spotting assholes like you and you probably wouldn't have made it past them. Ernesto A. La Grange, IL 8/21/10 Fascinating post. We are a bar and we do serve food so i guess that makes it bar food. We use only the best purveyors in the area and choose quality products.Make one wonder why your post is the only one of its kind. Sorry you feel the way you do. How have things been since "Fantasy Island" ? Brent S. from Chicago, IL 10/3/11 Hey Brent, Peter from O'Callaghan's Pub here, give me a call at O'Callaghan's 312-527-1180. Stopped looking at yelp and was just told of your post. This is the first time I've heard of this situation not being resolved with either the bank or ATM owner. I'll make it good by you. We've haven't been around for 21 years by not taking care of our peeps. Sorry it took so long to get to you. Peter read more

Drinks were watered down and service was rude. Don't recommend unless you want to waste your money and be ignored

We stumbled upon O'Callaghan's after refusing to pay a cover fee at the bar across the street. We were already in the hole $20 for parking in city, and we wanted to find a place that wouldn't dig deeper into our pockets... which would absorb money that could otherwise be spent on better, tangible goods... like beer! We arrived a little shy of 10pm, and were fortunate enough to be able to choose between different seating options... fast forward one hour, and the place was jam packed with mid-twenties to mid-thirty year olds... which made us delightfully pleased to be surrounded by others in our peer group! The 2 different waitresses that served us for 3 hours were sweet and attentive... and the vibe from the crowd was pretty positive... I'll even count the chick who called my fiance "skinny", and then attempted to hit on him while I went to the bathroom. It's all good, she was chubby anyway (ha!). One last thing... only in IL will you find people willing to "electric slide" in the middle of an Irish Pub. Only in Illinois. read more

This was my go-to lunch spot when I was having a rough day in the office. It was a bit of a hike for me, but I took the extra steps to make sure I could have a delicious Bloody Mary or a Black Velvet. My favorite is the fish sandwich, it's simple yet deliciously satisfying. As for appetizers, I'm all about the pretzels with cheese, and love the mozzarella sticks. It is your typical bar fare, so don't expect anything too fancy, but it's going to be some damn good fried food in my opinion! Our bartender on Friday day's is always so friendly. We actually overheard her chatting one day about being in Spain at the same time as my friend, and they exchanged numbers and planned on meeting up in Madrid! I would say this place is great for post work drinks or if you're like me and need one to keep you going through the day, drop on in for lunch too. Be careful as it can be a bit busy, but for the most part you are in good hands! Also, shout out to the owner for his replies to reviews, especially the negative ones, makes me like this place even more! read more

Points for being open late. Points for stellar drunk grilled cheese and tots. More points for being inexpensive The most points for throwing out the dude bothering me and my friend with a head-nod of approval from me. I had a 3 Floyds Alpha King which also enhanced my experience. read more

O'Callaghan's - Grilled cheese and tots with a pickle - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We come here after work a lot for happy hour and they are always very accommodating of a large party. Last night, Goose Island was doing a promotion here: buy a Goose Island product, get a ticket to enter a drawing to win a bike. Awesome! We really wanted that bike, so we bought a lot of Goose Island. Long story short, the drawing ended up being rigged and the promo chick just gave away the bike without doing the actual drawing. Understandably we were upset that we traded our delicious whiskies for mediocre beer and a potential bike, only for the bike potential to have never existed. The owner find out that this happened and did everything he could to try to make it right. He apologized several times and comped our check, saying "I haven't been in business for 23 years by screwing customers." I thought he handled the situation perfectly and we left happy. read more

This is a great afterhours spot, it's always full of industry folks, who are looking to unwind a bit. The only downfall is the bouncers from the other bars, who forget to let their guard down and have fun and get stuck in "prick" mode when they arrive. Decent prices, nothing to write home about, but a good place nonetheless. read more

So after a beer or five at the hard rock hotel, I was in need of some good late eats and alcohol consumption. So the only real game in town apparently within a non-freezing to death distance was O'callaghan's (yes there is a G in that). How to know if the spot you found is good, it's 2 am and there is a line out the door. Good sign. My slightly overwhelmed hostess/waitress Carol recommended the char burger, which you can get cooked to order, and I got the chicken wings (a drinking night mandatory). The beer was a .. Well I forgot now... But it was mildly hoppy, and slightly sweet. Nice combo. So on to the food: Chicken wings: bold, meaty, and spicy. With a crispy skin, tender meat. These wings were damned near a perfect winging experience. Are they worth $8? Yup . And make it a double order. Burger: it's the pretzel bun and the meat that does it. A perfect medium rare that is so hard (impossible??) to find know Los Angeles, I tipped the chef $5 for the sheer pleasure of receiving a burger to my specifications. The pretzel bus had that "soft and chewy" texture of a warm bagel, and that saltiness of a warmed brezel that could have come from a German street vendor. And a tip: eat the crispy-cross-cut fries first. Perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside, starchy lightness on the inside. So what does a beer, burger, and some wings run a guy at 2:30 am in Chi-town? A whopping $30 bucks including the tip. Pretty dang good if I say so myself. For the wings and burger cooking quality, and the overall value, I give this place a rare and well-deserved 5 stars. Best believe I'll be coming here again on my next trip. read more

I went here with some friends for a late night dinner and drinks... This is your average bar, nothing special, but they do what they do well. The servers were on top of things and quick with our order. 4 stars for the breaded chicken salad!! I was really surprised with this. The greens were all really fresh and the the breaded chicken was not at all greasy and had a bit of a buttery taste that I thought was awesome. read more

We ended up at O'Callaghan's after bouncing around a couple of nearby bars for a fun Friday night with my in-laws, husband, and mutual friend. We saw that the outside area was full in addition to the bar area, so we thought we would walk in to see if there was any chance for our large group to be accommodating. After checking our IDs, the bouncer said that the upstairs bar was open, which we were completely unaware that it existed before. What a pleasant surprise! It wasn't that crowded at all up there, and it had a pool table on which we played a few games. The tapped beer featured mostly Irish beers and cider, with a few domestic drafts thrown in. Pretty standard. We were able to order some food to keep our stomachs balanced with food and alcohol instead of just pure alcohol. There was a decent and inexpensive selection for food, not Irish fare, but very good bar food. We ordered some mozzarella sticks, waffle fries, and buffalo wings. All were very good. I think this place is has some Irish elements to it, but not a true Irish bar. However, I still enjoyed the bar experience, so 4 stars it is! read more

I was rushed my entire time I was there. Cannot even have a conversation with friends without the staff hovering over us. Rude staff, bad service. Will not return here. read more

Fun little bar. 1st floor is pretty packed with a good crowd, 2nd floor a little quieter. Great jukebox and pool table, and big TV on the 2nd floor too. read more

I've been coming to O'Callaghan's since I was kid! My bothers and I would go after school (dad works there) they went to FXW down the street. The wings there are so saucy and savory! Oh and the waffle fries are so fresh and crisp read more

This is truly one of the best finds in the River North area. Service is always friendly and attentive. It remains fairly priced (if not sometimes cheap) bar in a slew of overpriced River North joints. Food is better than average and always has a good crowd, They always have decent specials and well worth your time to check out. read more

My old co-workers and I were trying to choose a place to go for a Friday happy hour. Someone suggested O'Callaghan's. I was skeptical because of it's low Yelp rating, but my friend told us that despite yelp's 3 star rating, he gives it a 5. Turns out, our friend was full of crap: he'd never been to this bar, and needless to say, he's never allowed to choose our happy hour location again. Granted the River North area is not cheap, but I wouldn't call a $5 Miller Light a "special." The place itself was nothing spectacular either. If you're in the area and going to spend that much anyway, you're much better off at Rockit where the music, food, and overall atmosphere is much better. The crowd is a mix of working 20-somethings, 30-somethings, and some ladies who got lost looking for the bathroom at Howl at the Moon and accidentally wandered across the street. The music selection was a little off as well- there was a lot of Justin Timberlake, and a lot of Spanish songs. No Irish drinking songs though, which might have persuaded me to give it an extra star. I'm picking the next happy hour spot, which probably won't be for a while, because we're all broke now. read more

Early afternoon beer while on vacation. Not much activity. Seemed to be a typical Irish/American pub. May stop by one evening on the next Chicago trip to check it out. Looks like it may be a fun place in the evenings. read more