The vibe: the best run sports bar with CLASS (and ocean animals) This place is such a fucking treat. And will always be my sports go to place if not for other events. I finally got here after walking by so many times and admiring the giant windowed area. I would have been happy just with that, but everything was was great too. They first got me because in the middle of all the sports screens they had one with ocean videos- so WIN. The menu is huge and got me again with the fact that they had MULTIPLE frozen drinks (all made to order not batch made from what I saw). WIN. In terms of service- When I got my beer they gave me the bottle AND a chilled glass. CLASSY. I also appreciated the fact that the servers were nice and efficient but weren't chatting me up or overly friendly. Just let me be. When we got a hot brownie skillet they also gave us the ice cream in a side metal cup. CLAS-SAY. The only thing I wouldn't recommend would be the pretzel with cheese sauce, we just found that to not be as flavorful as we've had other places. But everything else was great - they have my favorite style of fries where they're thin and crunchy. Honestly just wins all around read more

I am extremely lucky to be just a short walk away from this vibrant, beautiful and intriguing landmark of my beautiful Northside neighborhood! The food and drinks are always top notch here as well as the warm and friendly service. The atmosphere is casual and wholesome for individuals, couples, and family, and fun with lively muted sports playing on screens above the expansive bar, trivia game nights, and even magicians who will come by your table upon request and amaze you with magic tricks! You can also tell the owners have a sense of fun and creativity with the outdoor decorations that seasonally adorn the restaurant and on warm days two of the entire sides of the restaurant roll up to add to your dining pleasure. read more

Was there for a party. Food was great. Service was great. Had a great time. Will be back next time in Chicago. read more

As you can see from my past reviews I have been here several times for lunch. I returned here again two times with my family of three for lunch because I really enjoy this place. I will summarize my two most recent visits for lunch here. Both times we ate in the main bar area. At my first lunch I again enjoyed my Elderflower cocktail for $8, Macho Camacho cocktail for $10 and for my first time my Lady In Red also for $10. I like all three of these cocktails. During my second lunch I enjoyed my Franklin Peach cocktail for $9 and Mule Cherry cocktail for $11. I now have all 5 cocktails, which I like. My first lunch I enjoyed my three meatloaf sliders topped with mashed potato, crispy onions, pickles, chipotle mayo and BBQ for $10. My second lunch I enjoyed their daily special Reuben sandwich for $9.50. Both were tasty. My bills ranged $74 to $77 exclusive of gratuities for the three of us. Loana nicely served us both times. Loana was happy with our second return. I will continue to return here for lunch especially during the warmer weather, when the garage doors are open to the outside elements. read more

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Recently dined at O'Donovans on a Sunday afternoon. The food was excellent and the service top notch. They had several local artists selling high quality merchandise. Nice! They had a mix of families and single adults. We sat in the back room where the Bears game was on. It was a very bright and inviting space. We will be back. read more

I've only been here during the Christmas season for a few drinks after work with friends. The bar was lively and well decorated. They really know how to get into the Christmas spirit. I forgot the waitress's name but she was very attentive and friendly. I had chicken tenders and I think my friend had a soup that she said was average. Overall, I would come back for more drinks and atmosphere. read more

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

The spinach artichoke dip is what keeps me coming back every time!!! Also, sitting in their covered patio on a summer day is pretty great!

8/19/2017 - Great place to grab a beer and some grub! O'Donovans has a garden/enclosed patio area that was perfect during our Chicago stay. They have these huge rolling garage doors. The decor is really nice, so much to see here. We ordered a few beers and their mini corn dogs with fries and their pint of bacon. I wished the bacon was a little more crispy but nonetheless I ate it all. We ended up staying longer than expected. Service was wonderful. You can't go wrong here. read more

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Stopped by for lunch the other day with a friend. I was in the mood for a burger and this place had some options. I've also heard some pretty good things about their food. They had big open window (the whole wall style and most of the seating was next to the windows. There were a couple in the middle of the place. All the tables were nice and spreadout so you definitely felt safe. They had outdoor seating as well, in the front and on the side of the pub. The place felt very clean and the staff was great. They have a contactless menu option. You just have to scan the QR code with your phone. Great idea! All the utensils come wrapped up and the condiments in single serving packs. The food: Cheeseburger - I got pepperjack (they had it, whoo!) and asked for it made medium. It came a little overcooked, but overall the burger was pretty good. Tots - delicious, crispy on the outside and potato-y on the inside. well made Blue Moon - my beer was delicious and spot on for the lovely summer day we were having. good pour TLDR: great spot in the neighborhood with good food. worth checking out. Good spot to chill and enjoy your food and good company. read more

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Came here for a debate watch party for Democratic party. Nice bar and I don't explore Irving Park or North center enough. There's a patio to the side and beer garden, regular bar area and a cozy/ charming back room with some TV's and neat memorabilia. Didn't love their craft beer selection that night I came but felt like a regular Joe Six-pack drinking 2 old style tallboys. Had a waiter taking drink orders and he was great!! Had to serve not a ton of people but enough well over 15. read more

O'Donovan's - Beer 1 - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Absolutely loved our experience at O'Donovan's! The indoor-outdoor area is such a great vibe with plenty of seating and TVs to watch the games. Service was quick and friendly, and the drinks are priced well. The inside of the bar is actually enormous and they even have a party room that can be rented out for special occasions (it comes with a dar board and is close to the bathrooms as well!). We only had a small order of fries, so can't speak to the quality of the food here but we'll be returning soon! read more

I wouldn't recommend coming here if you try to be a regular. You will be double questioned if you ask about their pre tab policies. They will be happy to take all of your money and then say, "We can't serve you because you had questions about our double tabs." They also said they had complaints about us/we/them "eating off of other people's plates". No, another couple from Naperville offered us fried shrimp and offered as well would you like buffalo or cocktail sauce? Fix your management issues. Word spreads deep. You have a nasty manager. read more

I wasn't crazy about the food or the service. Then again, it was a pretty rowdy night.

Came here recently to support a friend and her group as they prepared an outing here for women with dogs. I was told the outing would include bottomless mimosas and a brunch buffet so I was all in! As soon as we got a table, they asked if we wanted mimosas or bloody Marys...I wasn't hungover so the mimosa was the way to go for me. By time to leave I can say I would up having about 6 glasses of the juicy bubbles. The buffet here is pretty good as there was a nice selection of goodies. Eggs, spicy potatoes, meatballs, fried chicken (very good), sausage, bacon and cheese danish were all very good! We got a seat in what is called their beer garden...was raining like hell so we could not have the windows open to get a nice outdoor chilly breeze lol! I would definitely come back here for the buffet as it was pretty good. The ice in that final mimosa wasn't whats up though. read more

Stopped by to meet some friends up who randomly stumbled upon this bar and we were very happy with the service Meena gave up! She's very nice and very attentive! she turned all of our days around and for that we will be back read more

Great deal for burgers on Mondays!! $2 Half lb. burger $3 Veggie burger $4 4 mini burgers -All comes with fries (no substitution)! They used to have $1 burger nights, but $2 burger is still pretty awesome. That's just inflation for you. The veggie burger was just ok, tasted slightly burnt and bland. [Side note: I think the amazing veggie burger from Cousins ruined veggie burgers from anywhere else for me.] The half pound burger was way better and the french fries were amazing! Crispy and cooked just right. There were also drink specials and the bottled Coors were $3. There were huge televisions throughout the restaurant. You can even ask your waitress to put on a game you want to watch. PARKING: Street parking is pretty easy, metered until 9p. read more

Best beer garden in town! Great TVs for games and awesome food. Bartenders are as friendly as can be... It's all you would want for a neighborhood spot! read more

Came here Superbowl Sunday morning for a friend's birthday brunch and was pleasantly surprised with their endless brunch buffet and bottomless mimosa and vodka special! Was part of a huge group, but our server was so attentive, and the food was surprisingly good! Upon arrival you walk into the front bar, which is your typical sports bar with a large wooden bar and high top tables, BUT you walk towards the bar and turn a corner and you enter this huge open space, with a glass ceiling and large glass garage doors. I can only imagine how beautiful it is in the summer. But even on a chilly day, it was nice to see the sun and the room was super bright! The buffet is serve yourself, so we could get up when we wanted and grab various plates of their different offerings. Full of your typical brunch/breakfast items. Did note they had both an omelette bar and a waffle bar which was impressive. Overall food was your typical buffet food, which did the trick and no real complaints from me. The best part was that since we handled all the food on our own, the bar and waitresses could focus on our drinks and table. Seriously we never had a moment were we didn't have a drink in our hand, which is impressive. Highly recommended the iced tea vodka pitcher drink! It was delicious. Next time a friend suggests a bottomless brunch spot, I'm suggesting O'Donovan's. Also did I mention it was all only like 40 bucks per person?! What a steal. read more

We always pass by this place and it always super pack. Well we finally decided to give it a try and we are glad we did. We came in on a Saturday night. This place is huge! Even with how busy it was we were able to get a seat right away. They offer indoor and outdoor seating in the beer garden. The food was ok, my husband really like his burger and said it was amazing, but my Cuban sandwich was just OK. They have a great beer/drink selections. The prices are good. The staff was friendly and they were on top of things Is a place we plan to go back again. read more

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

Good food for a bar. Sadly brunch was underwhelming, served overdone cold eggs. Wait staff was excellent. Know this is a neighborhood favorite, but the biggest issue is that it is not handicap accessible. Step's with no ramps, chairs & tables are so packed no way to get wheelchair through. read more

0 stars! We went on a Saturday, the bar was not crowded , still few tables empty. We sat down at one of the tables and waited for 30 mins. Nobody came to take our order or being us water. In fact I think non of the servers even realized we were at the table. All the servers were busy dancing in one corner. Very bad service. We left without being served. Pathetic. read more

We typically go for their bottomless brunch special, and it's one that we consistently come back to. The food is a buffet for the hours during brunch, so I wouldn't come here if you're not into buffets. The food is actually pretty decent for a cheaper brunch- something that you won't find at all places. The patio is definitely the place to sit, it's warm in the winter- so you get a little sunlight and don't feel so closed off. The servers are always attentive and fill drinks before they are empty. Overall, O'Donovan's is a great spot. read more

I ordered 2 appetizers on Friday April 26th and although grub hub was a little at fault for delaying my food order twice..this restaurant never even cooked my quesadilla. My hot pretzel that I ordered came in a brown sack and was cold. My food was cold and soggy and the cheese was not even melted. When I called the restaurant the manager laughed it off and told me it's a grub hub issue. I simply told her my food wasn't cooked and I'd like a refund. Terrible service and even worse management. Do not eat here. read more

O'Donovan's - Soggy, uncooked quesadilla...tortilla peeled right off the uncooked cheese. - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Charged .$.75 for to go container ?? If I ordered in and took leftovers there would be no charge.

I seldom partake in it, but I'm a big brunch fan. Huge breakfast guy in general. I love eggs, I love the breakfast meats-...you get the picture, the meal is wonderful. This past Labor day weekend, a dear friend and I left my place one Sunday morning to head out to an ideal spot to have some brunch. I came across O'Donovan's online, as I've always been curious to check it out since I am in the North Center area regularly as of late, so we decided to eat there. Once we stepped in, we were pleasantly surprised...brunch buffet! Bottomless mimosas! What more can one ask for!? Obviously we took that up, and it was incredible!! The buffet was a wide spread of food, not just breakfast dishes, and the mimosas were on point. The waitresses/bartenders were very alert in giving us our drink refills. The food was always piping hot and ready to be served. Then there's the patio seating which was very gorgeous. I think they referred to it as a beer garden, but nonetheless, we both enjoyed our time there a lot. I'm not ashamed of how drunk we walked out of that restaurant at 1pm on a Sunday morning/afternoon, because we ate good, we drank good, and we shared a wonderful memory at this great place. Can't wait to get smashed there again soon. Maybe with some beer next time! read more

Ooh I love that Macho Camacho Cocktail! Tequila? Check. Prosseco? Check. Spicy? Check. Damn good on a hot day. The food is good too! I had an order of the ribs, they were alright. Not fall off the bone but the flavors were there. Seating is a little wonky right now but where isn't it? The rona has definitely changed the world. The beer garden half has nice big open windows and they have sidewalk seating too. That cocktail though... read more

O'Donovan's - Macho Camacho Cocktail - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So good we went in just for some drinks. I order a hot pretzel it was amazing!!! Our waitress was so funny and friendly the environment all around was welcoming !!! I will return read more

Always love this place. When you come on a non-sport and non-trivia night, it's great for catching up with a friend and getting the biggest pretzel you've ever seen. read more

What else can you ask for!? 3 B's burgers! Wine-o Wednesdays! Oh ya, unblocking the Ramones, Nirvana and others on touch tunes! But that's ok, I still have Weird Science and the Muppets covering Queen! P.S. love the beer garden patio! read more

I'm head-over-heels in love with the new beer garden/enclosed patio space. It's huge, and has rolling garage doors that are perfect for a gorgeous spring day. The decor is fabulous, a combo of mid-century kitsch (think bright pastels and vintage found art) and contemporary industrial (light fixtures of old meta piping and old oil barrels cut into love seats). Pick your place wisely if you're coming for a game; not every seat has a good line of sight to the TVs. The Sunday brunch buffet is wonderful with all the usuals, plus eggs to order, a waffle and omelet station, meatballs, stir-fry, mac'n'cheese bites, chicken tenders & others. Good for kids and adults! The bottomless mimosas are good, too. Our server last Sunday was Brittney and even though we came into her section at the same time as about 50 other people, she served us all efficiently and with a smile. Next time we come, we're going to sit at the sidewalk lounge areas and try the chicken & waffles and mini corn dogs - Yum! read more

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

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I'm sorry to write this post because this is one of my favorite places! The last two Saturdays I went for lunch with a friend that happens to be black. Good food and service were outstanding. At the end of our meals we were presented our check. Both times we paid with no issues. Today my friend went with 3 people who all happen to be black. They requested a credit card upon sitting down. The manager stated this has been their policy since COVID started. Why then did I go there the last 2 Saturdays and I did not have to submit a credit card before I sat down? Seems alittle strange? read more

On Saturday May 14th we had a celebration at O'Donovan's for my granddaughter's 1st Communion. From the first time I contacted O'Donovan's in early March through the end of the day Saturday, everyone that we encountered was extremely nice, helpful, and professional. My emails were answered quickly and any questions I had were addressed timely. I can't thank Ioana and Frankie enough for their guidance through the planning and execution of the event. And our waitperson, Jane, was wonderful; very attentive and friendly. Additionally, the food was outstanding!! We had several of the party platters and everyone loved them! I highly recommend O'Donovan's as a 'go to' venue for any celebration. Sincerely, Cathy M. read more

Rude service. Food has no seasoning and lacked any flavor not even the taste of salt... server stacked our shots on top of each other which is unsanitary to put it nicely. Ordered the most expensive dish for my partner and I to be left both with food poisoning. Would not recommend or be returning. read more

I have visited this place a couple times now and this past time I have just had it with the service. Drinks were being poured in the wrong size cups, attitude when it was brought to their attention, worst mixed drink ever, one was too strong one didn't have any alcohol in it. And to top it off the girl managing the seating with the whole COVID has to have been one of the rudest, snarkiest humans I have ever encountered with. Wings are bomb, but service and hospitality is key for me. Will not be coming back. (I was here on June 17th around 4 pm.) Disappointed read more

O'Donovan's - Worst piña colada ever - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a good place to hangout and get some drinks. Their drinks are good and reasonable price. I like to go there for their wings+fries (so good) and Ofc the drinks. There are Wing nights on every Tuesday and Thursday. My fav bartender is Drina, she's usually there on Fri & Sat as I remembered. She's cool and friendly. I love the drinks she made for me. I ordered mojito last time and it was good. Drina is awesome! But my last visit wasn't good as the previous visits since my friends got some issue with one of the servers there. It was just some little misunderstanding and server was kinda rude to us. I personally still like to hangout there as it's my neighborhood place to chill out. I just hope this place will improve their service to get better, so they can bring more people back. read more

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

A bird flies overhead. A gentle breeze. I fall down. Huh? Sorry. That was just me being knocked over by a feather. Who knew that a sports pub in North Center was hiding great grub? I was genuinely impressed with the selection and service at O'Donovan's. One day I will learn to stop judging books by their covers. No, I won't. In any event, if you come here, you don't have to feel relegated to drinking some brews, watching the game and checking your Yelp app (see what I did there?) to find a place to eat. Come here. Drink. Eat. Be happy. Since this is a sports pub and I don't do Bloody Mary's (what a repugnant name; I don't drink V-8... not even with booze), I stick to beer. You should be okay with both bottle and draft selections. In fact, you will be okay. Get some hops and barley in ya and commit to going to the gym when it gets warm. This is nesting weather. Now that you're sauced, it's time to eat. The star of my meal was the shrimp spring roll. I would have called it an egg roll, but that's neither here nor there. Did you really expect to be chomping on shrimp, corn, avocado, wasabi vinaigrette, and toasted sesame- siracha sauce at O'Donovan's. No. No, you didn't. Stop lying and start eating because these are delicious. The shrimp were well-cooked and, when paired with the corn and vinaigrette, may-I-say-it, a bit juicy. Delicious. I might have eaten my body weight in them. Those rolls set the mood. Followed up by: wings, hummus, chicken fingers, fries, and (turkey) burgers, I was thoroughly sated and very happy. O'Donovan's. Who knew? read more

Happy Birthday Yelp Virgos and Libras! So sorry the server absconded with your Birthday drink money, never to be seen again! Okay, just kidding, but seriously...where did the server go? There's not that much space to hide but they certainly do disappear for awhile. Service seems less than thrilled with a party of more than five... I loved the 80s music when I walked in and loved it even more on their spacious open patio. The indoor area actually seemed really cool with the stained glass art and I will be back to test the Menu. Next time by myself or with a small party as to avoid waitresses with 'tude going AOL, I mean, AWOL- avoiding our next round of drinks! read more

What's not to like about sitting in an enclosed outside area on a cool May night drinking beer and answering trivia with fellow Yelpers at the inaugural Yelp Beer Garden of 2008? O'Donovans fit the bill for the kick off the other night. Nightly drink and food specials like 25 cent wings and $3.50 Amstel Lights draw in the local neighborhood crowd and sports teams. My food, while basic bar food of a burger and fries, was good and the crack bartenders made sure that my glass was rarely empty! Somehow Team Yelp got into a trivia contest that was going on and given the smartness of the Yelp team- we won a couple of prizes! Sounds hokey but was actually fun and brought out our competitive natures. Good ambiance, fun crowd and cheap drinks? Too bad this neighborhood bar is not in my neighborhood as I would definitely stop by more often. And psst . . .if you need to know 4 songs from Prince's Purple Rain album- I can help you out with that as well! read more

I had such a great time here last night that I would like to give O'Donovan's a better review. And in truth, there's nothing wrong with it. If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd probably drop in here for a burger and a beer fairly regularly, without thinking about it. That's the relationship I have with Charlie's Ale House in Andersonville. I eat there occasionally, I'm never disappointed, but I don't think twice about it. O'Donovan's seems like that kind of place. The skinny: big, heated beer garden, which is nice when it's 45 degrees in mid-May. Excellent service, at least from the server we had. Clean bathrooms. Decent beer selection, though nothing special. The food was a disappointment. The chili was okay, but with no heat; the mini corndogs could have been prepackaged; the fries tasted like nothing. The regulars seem to love it, and I envy them their enthusiasm. For me, it was a perfectly serviceable bar, but nothing special. As Gertrude Stein said of Oakland, there's no there there. read more

O'Donovan's - This is what the Yelp Map showed for O'Donovan's on 9.25. I like it! - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a disaster! No customer service to speak! I sat on the patio for almost an hour waiting to be greeted. It was empty, maybe 10 people out there, but I was the only solo. I didn't get so much as a hello for almost an hour. I admit, at 20 minutes, I started to play the game of how long would it take. Finally, I got parched and needed at least a water so I said, "Excuse me" to a curly haired red head (unbenounced to me the manager) and asked if I could at least get a water. She told me, "Oh man, it got busy and we are sorry to not help you." the only problem is, I was here 20 minutes before it got busy! Franky went and got me a beer finally after being here 45 minutes and then thought a piece offering of tortilla chips would make it all better. Seriously, if you want to enjoy yourself and not wait all night on a simple glass of H2O, avoid here as the service sucks! read more

O'Donovan's - Franky in the middle now helping other people when I am still waiting! - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois