O'Donovan's has such good vibes! The beer garden here is so cute. I met my mom and one of her friends here for lunch on a pretty summer day and it was a perfect spot to enjoy the nice weather and sunshine. My mom and I decided to share the asian chicken salad and the turkey club. The salad was super yummy, the only downside was that the sesame oil flavoring in the dressing was very strong, so next time I think I would ask for it on the side. The sandwich was also good -- I just don't love when there are 3 layers of bread because they are always hard to eat. The fries are double battered and sooo delicious! Overall a decent meal, great ambiance, and friendly service! I will be back! read more

Decent sized bar, great for watching sports. The bar is one big open layout with TVs above the bar and 2 jumbo screens. There's a parking lot too. Came here with some friends to watch some March Madness games. Our server was great! Food was decent - nothing spectacular other than your average bar food. I got the tilapia tacos which were cute and small. Comes with chips and salsa. read more

O'Donovan's - Tilapia tacos - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This neighborhood favorite had typical bar food fare but filled with neighboring customers. The food was delicious and satisfying. The staff were super friendly. This restaurant allows local shops to sell their items ie jewelry and other items. The decor of the bars was beautifully decorated. read more

O'Donovan's - Bar area - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was good, but they do t pay attention to allergies so be forewarned to double check that what you receive is actually correct. I ordered gf and it came on a regular bread item. Once they fixed it everything was fine. No ambiance, but it's outside/inside with TV's. read more

Took a bit for me to decide bc all of their food is good. With the Bears game going on (great game, sad OT loss) we weren't in a hurry. Started with the grilled garlic bread (listed under "Sides"). Husby and I split the mini cheeseburgers. Upgraded to an extra cheeseburger for worth while leftovers. read more

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Stopped in while on the job. Usually a quality stop but not this time. I had a burger which was below average. Service was below average as the server brought me my food and didn't stop by once to check on how things were. It wasn't that busy and it pains me to leave this review because I've had positive experiences here but not this time. Come on guys , I know you can do better , a lot better ! read more

O'Donovan's - Tasty yummy Cobb salad - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wednesday I hosted a luncheon for 12 ladies of the Purple Passion Majesties chapter of the Red Hat society. Original reservation for 26 but ladies canceled due to weather. Firstly it is decorated to the nines for the holidays. Snowflakes, twinkling lights and hanging ornaments looked so festive and welcoming. The tables were set up for us. It's a more than decent menu but you can not beat the $10.95 daily special. Wednesday was philly cheese steak with fries or chips and a soda. I never had one before but for $10.95 how bad could it be. Well bad it was not. It was delicious and huge. With choice of fries or chips I recommend the chip. So food, prices and ambiance a definite A. Howeverr the service? Have to be A+++. Our server Jane was a total delight. One of Santa's elves I think? She was attentive, efficient, well Informed on the menu and with just a bubbly personality. We all loved Jane. read more

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I don't usually write reviews and if I do I like to put a positive spin on things. This place sucks! $11 for a Guinness is absurd. Especially when it's poured in one pull of the tap. The bartender did everything in her power to not look my way while sitting at the bar. I shouldn't have to raise my hand waving at the bartender who is over chit chatting with her friend at the end of the bar. Even strangers at the bar were whistling her over. Bad service. Food was mid and overpriced. O'Donnovan's went from cute local bar in my neighborhood to a counterexample of what a bar should be. read more

Everything about O'Donovan's is excellent people are nice, waitstaff is great, bartenders are awesome. It's always decorated very nice. It's always clean. People are very social and the skeleton makes you smile. read more

Sam was our lovely waitress for this fine Saturday afternoon! She was so attentive and was so kind to us and my dog! She immediately brought my dog water and treats, and was super helpful with the menu! read more

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O'Donovan's first caught my attention around Halloween with all their over the top decor, yet I had never been. Later, with friends in the hood, we decided to meet up there. Arrived and ordered a round of drinks. Checking my bank account to make sure I had enough money to cover, I noticed that they precharged my card for the round of drinks. Then we ordered food. When they brought the bill, I paid it in full via Toast (not a fan); the bill included drinks and food. That bar pre-charge for the round of drinks then proceeded to sit on my bank account for almost a week after before dropping. I am not a fan of this practice. Small businesses will claim CYA when you call them out, but the bottom line is that I am not here to provide you financial CYA at my expense, i.e. I am not bankrolling your small business. Based on this experience alone, I would hesitate to return. In addition, there was a gentleman magician working the room, going table to table with magic tricks. Claimed it was an O'Donovan's tradition, idk. He was pleasant enough but it was a bit disruptive to our group. read more

O'Donovan's - Prost! - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was not great, not flavorful and tasted as if it was spoiled ( I don't believe it was). Service was quick but the server seemed to be confused the entire time he served us and he wasn't exactly comprehending what we were asking. Drinks didn't do it for me and tasted bad, it tasted like pure syrup. The setting of the bar was great, dim lights with Chicago based music playing. Bartender was a nice lady at first, but my husband told me she was snappy after I forgot my purse and he came back to grab it. She stared at him knocking on the door even though we weren't even gone for 20 minutes, she also was not by herself . read more

I just sent the following email to this bar which explains it all... To whom it may concern, I ran the marathon yesterday. It was a huge accomplishment and took months of training. Weeks ago when asked where I wanted to celebrate post race, your establishment was the very first place that came to mind. Up until yesterday you were my favorite bar in the city. I tell everyone that all the time. My friend Sarah Rose emailed you weeks ago to inquire about reserving a spot for around ten people wanting to celebrate at 4:00. I can only assume she didn't get a response that said that wasn't possible since she said we were all set to go, but you can read that exchange in your inbox. What I do know is that from the moment we arrived we were met with rude disrespectful employees. When we got there we asked a server where they would like us to sit as per the sent email. Only one server knew of the email and rudely replied, "we don't reserve tables". At that point I was just thankful there were any tables available. We politely asked if we could "take these three" and another server said "yes". We started to push those three together wrongly assuming that she'd understand we'd want to sit together. (This entire time not one server said "congratulations" to me with my medal around my neck, which seemed like such a simple thing to do). The server came back and told us that we couldn't push the tables together as we'd obstruct the path for the servers and we'd pushed two tables together assigned to one server and one assigned to another. So, we calmly and politely asked, "ok, where can we sit?". She pointed to tables directly behind those. I immediately and very politely asked "can we push those together?" and she very curtly said "no" and stormed off. So, my friends sat at three separate tables and I floated between them to spend time with everyone. Then my least favorite moment happened...my friend from out of town who had gotten there before all of us, to an unfamiliar bar, all by herself said to me "Is it always like this here?" I said, "like what?" And she said, "from the moment I arrived everyone who works here who I came into contact with has been so rude!" How embarrassing. I chose O'Donovans for my lifelong love of your bar. And, you proceeded to sour one of the most accomplished and exciting days of my life. Now, here I sit in the middle of the night typing this because I couldn't sleep thinking about the negative treatment we received. I wish after the first rude employee we would've turned around and went somewhere else! How easy would it have been to reverse this situation, see my proud face and medal around my neck and cheerfully accommodate us? Instead we were met with curt pushback and constant negativity. I will not be returning to your bar which is no longer my favorite bar in the city. read more

We're never let down when we go to O'Donovan's! Daily lunch specials keep us coming back. They have some larger tables in the back that are great for lunch meetings, food is always on point and comes out quickly! All the Servers / Bartenders / Manager are super nice and fun to hang out with, Solid TV and Audio setup as well for watching Cubs games. Or just stop in before a Cubs game if you are headed to Wrigley Field. read more

It was the day after Christmas and I can't get enough of festive gatherings. This place has it all - colored lights, ornaments, tinsel, specialty seasonal drinks, big screens to watch sports for all to gather. The vibe is fun, lovely and appreciated seating for our group of 8 as walk ins. They made it work for us even though it was crowded. read more

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Great spot! Motorcycle Monday. Pint of bacon and Little Kings cream ale. What else do you need in this world!? The bartenders were all very friendly. The bacon and beers were awesome! Good place to hang with friends. Outdoor area was great. Lots of bikes in the lot! Cheers read more

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

we went here to watch that crazy Bears Packer Game last Saturday. Meena was our server and she was great . Food, Drinks, and great fun seemed to be the situation at every table . Very Cool spot and i'm glad i went.... read more

We've eaten here several times over the years. I do enjoy the side area that feels like you're dining outside. Service is hit or miss. On our last visit, we waited quite awhile for a server to come over. And we saw that server exactly two other times - bringing our food and bringing our check. And we had to track her down for the check. And no, it wasn't busy (or so it seemed). The burgers are our usual go-to here. They're pretty tasty. Some of the sandwiches are good to. It's got the standard pub fare. Beer list is decent and includes some local breweries, which is always nice. read more

O'Donovan's - 3 B's Burger - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The spot my family and I had dinner after my niece's high school graduation. Fitting how there's a huge skeleton hanging out front to greet unsuspecting visitors because the food here is scary good! The ribs here are among the best I ever tasted. I'm not sure where they were grilled or cooked in an even, but they were awesomely fall-off-the-bone tasty. I also can't get over how each bite of the meat came with a surge on sweetness on my overly sensitive palette. When devouring those bad boys, however, you must have stacks on stacks on stacks of napkins. Sidebar: I really dug the music wafting throughout the venue to where I was Shazam-ing quite a few times. read more

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Best service AND ketchup in Chicago. Now, I could go on and on about the ketchup here. The secrets as to why it's the best ketchup in chicago. But you'll just have to come here and see for yourself. Shout out to Charlie for knowing what's up! read more

Great pub! Server was very nice and gave great suggestions. Had the turkey club and it was great! Also tried the wings after another table near us ordered them and couldn't resist after experiencing their aroma! Very good! Great variety of drink options to choose from. Enjoyed their dirty martini with blue cheese olives. Cute ambiance throughout entire place! Did eat indoor due to cooler weather but had a great night here! read more

O'Donovan's - Great bar with plenty of options! - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Big ass bar. It's actually more like two because there's two sides, just like to a story, so here's a story about our time on a recent to visit to this North Center hangout. O'Donovan's is a good place for chilling or wilding out, depends on when and where. Enclosed bar is calm except when a party is using it and the screeching girls sing bad pop lyrics. The patio is the better one because of the fresh air and more room to even move. A good decision the last time here was coming earlier, because it wasn't as busy. It gets lots of parties on weekends, for birthdays and other events. The enclosed bar is okay when it's not crowded, which is on weekends. Patio is usually open on weekends if the weather is okay. That's the bar's better side. I like the breeze. The menu prices aren't as likable, but these aren't as bad as many places. It's about $10 for a cocktail. They have quite a few. My favorite is the James Bomb. This is some good shit. It has banana rum, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and Tropical Red Bull. Last time we each got a Beyond Burger, because it's one of the few vegan friendly good items. It's about $13, so not cheap. This came with a choice of a side. Good place to have a party or an event. It's also a unique bar because it has a few areas to choose from. The inside bar is great for parties and the patio is fun for relaxing and whatever. read more

O'Donovan's - James Bomb And Beyond Burger - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The service was really bad. When you come in, they ask to hold your credit card. The waitress assured me that they would not charge my card, but they went ahead and charged me, overdrafting my bank account. That is no way to treat a paying customer, and they should tell you that they are going to put a hold on it. All the waitresses were real snotty, and it was just a bad experience!! They totally acted like they didn't care at all because it's not their bank account! She told me that the fee for holding the card would be off of my bank in 3 to 5 business days, which is totally insane! By the way, I did pay cash for the meal! Take my advice it is a horrible place! read more

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

Met up with a buddy for beer and a burger before heading to a show nearby. The atmosphere was very pleasant with the open air vibe on a beautiful night. Being a bit a of a blue cheese freak, I was immediately drawn to the 3 B's Burger, which features BBQ Sauce, Bacon, and Blue Cheese. The burger was solid and it came with a good portion of fries. The selection of beers on tap was adequate and the prices were fair. Overall, this is a solid spot for a bite and a beer in a chill setting. read more

O'Donovan's - The 3 B's Burger... BBQ, Bacon, & Blue - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'll start by saying that we've been loyal O'Donovan's customers for 13 years since moving to the neighborhood. We've gone dozens of times over the years because it's close, festive, and has a decent burger. We stayed loyal through the years while the burger size shrank--and the price ballooned--because it was "our place." Apparently O'Donovan's doesn't feel the same way, as we were turned away for dinner the other night because we had our teen and pre-teen kids with us. Apparently now there's a "curfew" of 7:45 after which point kids are no longer allowed. So we will be finding a new restaurant to be "our place." Let me clarify that I have no problem with, and encourage, "adult" spaces. There are many of them in this city, and I frequent them myself when I want to be away from kids. O'Donovan's is welcome to decide it wants to become one of those places. But I'd offer that pulling that move with a once family-friendly place, that was once a go-to spot after ballgames and school activities, located between three schools smack in the middle of a neighborhood teeming with kids, may not work out as well as they expect. read more

Saturday and Sunday is bottomless mimosas at O'Donovan's, and let me say the price of their drink menu is AMAZING! $15 Bottomless mimosas? I'm coming back every Saturday this summer. Their indoor/outdoor patio was cute, with huge garage doors pulled up and plenty of TVs on the wall if you were looking for a game. Everything I've tried food wise has been great. Buyer beware, they MEAN giant on the Giant Pretzel. Could easily feed 6 people. Service was decent even as they were getting pretty busy right before a big soccer game. read more

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Call before you come here! Their closing times online are different based on who's working it seems. The beer isn't that expensive but still it's not that great of a place to go. Unfriendly service, not that interested in helping people out read more

Fun place, lots of TVs,easy parking, great service. Street parking and a small parking lot next to the bar. Came after a Friday afternoon cubs game so parking was really easy. Liane was our server. She was awesome- helpful, attentive, professional and fun. I drank the Sauvignon blanc to start. My husband had the bells Oberon. The drinks came so fast. I ordered the mini turkey burgers with tater tots. Yumm. Tater tots are excellent. My husband got the O'Donovan's burger and loved it. He said he would get the tater tots next time instead of the chips. Interesting music playing- loved the variety. We sat by the window which made things more interesting. Come here for excellent service, great bar food and and overall good experience. Thanks Liane- will be back!! read more

O'Donovan's - Three mini turkey burgers with tots. Yumm! - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was introduced to O'Donovan's during a recent visit to celebrate a friend's birthday. I was thoroughly surprised by the size of the outdoor patio. It has ample sitting to accommodate multiple size groups. I was surprised they didn't have a fan to create some type of airflow on the patio. It was hot and thankfully there was a breeze every so often to keep me coolish. The inside of the restaurant gives off a dive bar feel because it is so dark inside. If you opt to eat inside they have ample, not as much as the outdoor space but you would be able to find a table if a few of the tables were taken. I was surprised by the cost of the food due it to seeming like a dive bar but not too surprised due to the area. If you are allergic to shellfish I would avoid anything fried at the restaurant because the waitress informed me that they fry everything in the same fryer. Unfortunately I couldn't try the fries or anything fried on the menu. The burger I had was okay. It was what I would expect from a dive bar type place. It came with fries but I got them on the side and gave them away. The fries basket was large so if you do love fries the burger will get you your bang for your buck. I came on the night they had trivia. It was very lively and the place was packed. I would recommend checking out the website to see if they are having an event that night because it was very loud. I would definitely go back on a cooler day for drinks with friends on the patio! read more

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I drove by this place and ended up making a U-turn because I was attracted to the restaurant's open garage-door windows. The O'Donovan's building takes the definition of open and airy to a whole new level. I couldn't help but take a lot of pictures. I visited on a weekday in the afternoon. When I arrived there was one guy sitting at the bar so I had the rare opportunity to fully enjoy the bar and the beauty of sitting inside even though I felt like I was outside. I ordered a beer and a hot pretzel, thinking the pretzel would come out quickly since I hadn't planned on staying long. Strangely it took about 20 minutes to get the pretzel. With so few customers I was perplexed why it took so long but it's likely the cook was on an afternoon break as well. The bar staff seemed very friendly and attentive and I had no problems getting my beer quickly, the most important thing, and my check. With the COVID-19 pandemic still surging I can see O'Donovan's as a Covid-friendly go-to spot during these times due to the outdoor-indoor feel, plenty of space, and familiar menu items to choose from. read more

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Love O'Donovan's for every occasion!! Whether it's to watch the game, dinner with small children, or a reunion with friends, one can always rely on friendly service and delicious food. Where else can you get a soft pretzel bigger than your head?! read more

O'Donovan's - Soft pretzel - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really like O'Donovan's. I've been here several times for brunch'lunch to watch some games with friends. It's an Old-School type of neignborhood. The waitstaff is always accommodating & friendly. The food is pretty typical bar food but I'd say it's above average. The brunch buffet is really good too. Lots of brunch fare choices & plenty of brunch drink choices as well. Bloodys, Mimosas, etc. I also like in the summer/fall, when they open up the back garage-style room. It's very breezy & pleasant with lots of TVs to watch any games. O'Ds is a great neighborhood pub. I'll be back soon. read more

Came here for a few drinks on Fathers Day. The atmosphere and service was amazing. Kaitlyn was our bartender and we couldn't have asked for a better one! read more

We go to O'donovan's almost every St. Patrick's day and random days throughout the year. The appetizers are consistently delicious with good size portions and the drinks are good. I can't speak to the entrees since I've never tried them. It's been pretty busy every time we've gone, but very easy to approach the bar. Great place for apps and drinks. read more

O'Donovan's - Reuben Rolls - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Caitlyn is a great server! I wish they offered some type of point system for rewards.

5 stars for the musician and screwball old fashioned. Food was pretty good too but the drink and entertainment were the stars. read more

Located in The North park neighborhood of Chicago, O'Donovan's is a sports bar with bar food menu. Very spacious inside and out as they have a large patio. 4 out of 5 stars. read more

I thought it odd - when I first moved to the area they charged a .75 cent per to-go box fee. I chalked it up as covid related. Nope. They've since added a 2% restaurant fee - less outrage, more money. Used to be a 3% "environmental fee" as I've read in the comments below. Here's where it really gets me ... Where do you get off charging $23.75 for a chicken wrap? The whole menu is inflated and I'm as understanding as the next guy regarding inflation. This is owner gluttony and not how you do business in the industry. When they talk about price gouging and greed in this inflationary era - this is who they're talking about. read more

I used to live down the street from O'Donovan's and it's still one of my favorite bars in the city. Plenty of beer on tap with tons of TVs and a lot of space. Their classic burger is one of my favorites and it's always consistently good! Never had an issue with bad service either. Kudos for the excellent Halloween decorations every year as well. read more

O'Donovan's - O'Donovan's Famous Burger - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went here for drinks with some friends and we ended up staying to watch a game. The service was decent. I had to wait a little longer than usual to order and it wasn't busy at all, so that was a bit of a letdown, but once our server made her way to our table, she was good about coming to check on us. The food portions were formidable and the drinks were strong. Overall, I'd recommend it as a good place for drinks and bar food. read more

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

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