Time for a star upgrade for great, friendly bartenders and free food on football Saturdays.

I've had many excellent servers throughout my days as a customer, but never have I ever had such an OUTSTANDING server as Michael. I'm still SHAKING with glee....I don't know if he was trained at the finest restaurants in Paris, or if Gordon Ramsay himself taught Michael everything he knows...but one thing is for sure...THE. KID. HAS. TALENT. He has poise. He has grace. His kind soul and gracious tendencies had me QUAKING. This pub is great and all, but with a server like Michael? They are DESTINED to be one of the top bars in all of Chicago. I want global domination. We need to be training ALL of our bartenders to exhibit such extraordinary and phenomenal services and behavior like Michael. Bravo. Well done. The boy was raised right. God remembered when he made him. (I cried while typing this tbh.) read more

Never understood why folks like to mess with a good thing. Bar is lowkey and waitstaff is pretty solid. Spent many an afternoon posted up solo at the bar killing time with friendly barkeeps. I used to be a regular here. I live down the street on Wellington and loved crushing a CBTA panini with a bucket of beers on special. Hell, I even paid $5 for the Loyalty Rewards Card, that's how much my cheapass loved this place! Now, the $6 every menu item special is gone, as is THE ENTIRE MENU. What were you thinking? Goat cheese, fig flatbreads, creme fraiche (South Park, anyone?), and ceviche? Just an awful menu revision. Went from a local, neighborhood bar with affordable, tasty eats to a local, neighborhood bar offering...stuff I would not eat on Fear Factor (if it were put back into syndication). I should have known an Ohio State bar would ultimately end up sucking! read more

The neighborhood Cleveland Brown's bar. Had the HD tvs but didn't have games in HD, which is a HUGE no-no in my opinion (really 'grinds my gears', as Peter Griffin might say), so if you want to watch non-Brown's games here, probably find another place. Otherwise, a pleasant chill place that would seem to be a great alternative to Kirkwoods/Mad River if you're out around here late night. read more

Cute little neighborhood bar in Lakeview. They have food and drink specials every day. We went on a Tuesday night and they had live entertainment starting around 9:30/10pm. read more

Vaughan's Pub is a good place to go for a couple drinks. I typically meet a friend there and we like it because it isn't packed with people and we can almost always find a seat somewhere. The atmosphere is pretty typical. They have your standard beers and you can order food in from anywhere. The only thing I would say is they need to get HD. We were watching the ND vs. USC game there last night and had to watch it on a tv where everyone looked like the had miniature legs and the flat screen's had pretty poor pictures. read more

You get a mixed bag of regulars here, from rugby folks to Irish beer-type people. There are, like, a million Irish bars in the city, and this place is neither inauthentic or intimidating, and I think that that speaks a lot for it. The jukebox has a pretty good spread, and the bartenders are very friendly if you engage them in conversation. I generally find the staff to be very warm and helpful with the possible exception of the doorman. I used to go to the open mic every week, but somehow my passion for that has petered out...that has nothing to to with the bar, just with me. I still normally stop in at least once a week for a couple of beers. read more

This pub is no where in my neighborhood, and that's why I like to come. i can get away and not recognize anyone, drink a few beers with some friends and chill out. It's a very comfortable pub, and I like to sit at the bar, near the windows, especially if they're open so the smoke isn't so bad. Or if it's snowing....it's so awesome to drink a pint and watch the snow fall through those windows. Also, complimentory tampons in the ladies restroom. I had to use one once, and it was beyond appreciated. The bartenders are always friendly, and you can order a sandwich too (from a nearby bakery). I also like their location on NW Highway. I actually like that one a lot more, but it's even farther away. It has more character. read more

Bartender was a total jerk off. Short hair glasses, seemed upset that we were his 1st customers of the day. 5pm, however the website says opens at 3pm. He didn't open till 5. Stunk like bleach in there gross. We asked for a warm drink he said no, than walked away with zero sales skills to keep us there. We went across street and bartender was so nice and place was great. read more

Not bad, nice little pub with a good beer selection (anyplace with Fat Tire and Guinness on tap scores points with me). I figure it's more of a weeknight place, but an agreeable one with the game on TV and a chill vibe. I happened to catch an open mic night, which was of variable quality as you might expect. I like it. Definitely a lincoln park crowd, but not the dudebro hi-fivin' kind. Strikes me as a place for the older bar crowd, late 20s and up. read more

I've been to Vaughan's more times during the day than night. I like the Irish brogues of the bartenders. I like the dark wooden bar and authentic Irish touches. This is the only place this side of the Atlantic where I will drink an imperial pint of Guinness. It just tastes really good at Vaughan's. Their $5 bloodys are tasty, too. I like mine spicy and the barkeep is always happy to oblige. read more

This place is the size of my bathroom. The booths are nice and comfy but the service was really good and when I went they had a heineken girl going around giving out free beer and my friend and I grabbed 7 at a time. Plus she gave us a bottle opener and was a good spirit about our glutony even though she hated us inside. It wasn't the best bar, wasn't the worst bar but if a friend said they wanted to meet there I wouldn't protest. Don't think Id plan my night around it though read more

The bartender was super nice! He could hear my calls from across people and the bar. I was quite impressed. They had great tv coverage (of all the games) and the place was packed with boys. :) However, one boy threw out the "I know you from somewhere!" line that I guess in the end was simply amusing (not revolting). One of their tvs is distorted and makes people look as if they have egg-heads, which after several drinks is frightening and nauseating. There was also a really strang mix of music, which I adore. I was always surprised by what came on next. There could have been a juke box...I recommend for a couple drinks with friends, as it is just a good ol' average bar. read more

V's is the bomb! Great bartenders, music, and drinks. V's is unlike any of the other drinking establishments on the block, its not TRENDY! Plus, you can't go wrong when everybody knows your name! read more

Love this place! Jeff & Andy are amazing bartenders and it's the best place in town every Friday...and just about every other night!! Enjoy Yourself at Vaughn's!! read more

Oh Vaughan's Pub....my local watering hole. Started frequenting this bar in late August and it has been my staple since. Can't beat the Wed. night bucket deals and Friday happy hour buffet. Andy is possibly the greatest bartender in the land, makes a great stiff drink and always has a bucket and pizza waiting for our group on Wed. nights before we take a seat. The 2 other bartenders are awesome as well, can't beat it whatsoever. Pretzel rods and bowls of spicey pretzel mix from the wall are great touches. The atmosphere is great and low key. People are always welcome and you can actually hear the people you're talking to. ..shout out to the guy who plays guitar and sings on Wed. nights, can't remember your name, but you've played plenty of songs for our group for beers haha! Good times at Vaughn's always. read more

Fantastic! Went into this place after horrible service next door at Mad River, and was greeted, seated & waited on immediately. The bar tender, who was a temporary waiter for the time, memorized all our orders, polite & gave us all free Cokes. The food had more variety in options & was pretty good! They played great music & prices were fair as well. They also had little games, like Jenga, at some of the tables. We left a big tip because we were so happy with the service & definitely would go back there again! Highly recommended. read more

I've only lived in the city for a short time, but this has been my favorite hangout since I moved here. The bartenders have been really nice, the Tuesday open jam is a good time, and it's just a great neighborhood bar. Highly recommended. read more

vaughan's is a wonderful neighborhood bar literally around the corner from my apartment. here, you'll find great daily specials, some of the nicest bartenders in the city and live music on some days. when it comes to food - order a pizza, snack on some pretzels or party mix, or take a look at the panes menu - yes, the ultra-delicious panes delivers to vaughan's. score. more importantly, if you're from cleveland, vaughn's is your spot. great lakes is almost always on tap (can you say christmas ale?!) and you can catch all cavs, indians and browns games here, in the company of other clevelanders. i love coming here for games week after week; after a few visits, you'll recognize everybody - it's like one big, disgruntled family - thanks to our sports teams, not the bar. make sure to show up before game time to snag a table. read more

This was the 2nd year in a row that I went here for Saint Patrick's Day. I was little more disappointed this year though. Last year, when we went, it wasn't overly crowded and we were able to enjoy the bar now. Plus, most of our group went to Ohio University, and they are known as an OU bar. I was really excited to show my boyfriend there since they had an OU flag up. Unfortunately, this year, it was jam packed, you could barely move, and they took the OU flag down. It was still a good time, just not as relaxed as last year. read more

Solid. Excellent and prompt service with a smile. The giant pretzel is truly giant and served hot and fresh. The Big Ginger is great and comes garnished with a piece of tasty candied ginger. Definitely stop by here if you're looking for a drink and snack. read more

All I can speak to is the one bartender and a couple beers but I dig the place... and it's a Cleveland bar!

Not huge into bars with large televisions but enjoyed my blackberry pear cider on draft!

I'm so sad about this place. I've been here a lot and I've enjoyed it every time except for the most recent time I went. We went on Saturday to watch a football game. When we got there only 2 people were in the entire bar. Yes, it's an Ohio State bar, but you know what they had several TVs, we were watching the small one without HD and they changed it. They were extremely rude and unpleasant. We were quite annoyed and left and I won't be going back because the bartenders and managers were so rude. read more

Vaughan's is one of my favorite bars in the city. Each of the bartenders I have encountered there has been friendly and has kept my glass full. The atmosphere is very comfortable and the people who hang out there are nice. There is no kitchen, but the mini-pizzas they have are outstanding, and you can order in sandwiches. Great place to watch Browns or Ohio State games on the seven or eight TVs they have. read more

Had a 20 bday gift card so we stopped in for lunch. My flatbread was served without the arugula as described in the menu. When I mentioned it, I was told they were out of arugula. I wish they had told me that before serving it to me. It wasn't very good so I ordered the cheeseburger sliders instead (they cost $1more). Those were served and the cheese wasn't even melted on top. Not sure if they ran out of slider sized meat or if it is always twice the size of the bun, but it was strange. We also ordered the empanada that were supposed to be tossed in chimichurri and served with garlic aioli. The empanadas tasted exactly like floppy pizza rolls and they weren't tossed in chimichurri. It would have been nice to have some small discount since there was a mistake in my served meal. read more

I do like this bar, We went on an Acoustic Wed nite, and I really liked the Singer/guitarist. The beer and drink specials were definitely worth it also. If you want a place that isn't too crazy and has also a very good selection of beers and scotches, check this place out. read more

I am not from Ohio, nor am I necessarily a fan of Ohio sports teams. With that said, I've only been to Vaughn's to watch the Cleveland Browns play on any given Sunday, mostly due to the fact I have friends from Ohio and I'm supportive. That and Vaughn's is one block from home. That and Vaughn's serves up a damn good Bloody Mary (they add a shot of Guiness, which makes a difference in texture, delish!) That and they have jumbo sized pretzel sticks at the bar. Hm. read more

Our initial impression of this place was unfortunately the smell. We wandered in here a bit by accident, because on a Saturday night, our original destination (Kirkwood Tap) was crowded to the tune of a huge line out the door. Given the low temperature and the hour - we were definitely not in the mood to wait. The smell, as I was saying, was likened by one member of our group to a smelly gym sock. Unfortunately, I agreed. I think it was a combination of all the people crammed in plus some very excited dancing going on. Luckily, as we ventured a bit further in, the smell dissipated (or we just great acclimated to it!) By some incredible stroke of luck, our group of four was able to snag a table in the back, which late at night in Lakeview is practically unheard of. I actually never even saw the menu, since my husband just ordered me a glass of wine, so I can't even speak to the selection, but whatever he chose was pretty satisfying! I did love the ambiance here. The population seemed to be pretty heavily favored toward females, and they were having the time of their lives! The DJ was playing some decent music - a good mix of 80's 90s and more. On a different night, I most likely could have been found cutting a rug myself, but we were engaged in our conversation (which somehow despite the crowd and the music, we were still able to carry on pretty well!) We weren't here that long, but I had fun while we were there :) read more

Vaughan's isn't just another Irish pub in lakeview-it is a community hub where strangers can gather and feel like they are automatically friends. The prices are reasonable, and the pour is extremely generous. I am not generally the type that goes to a pub and orders a marg, not appropriate as a general rule, but these you cannot miss. Go for the weekly beer specials to try new imports that you would normally pass up in favor of the routine BL on special. The bartenders make great drinks, and are super friendly. Can't say enough-love this bar! read more

Great pub in the LakeView neighborhood. We often visit this bar after work and love that they give Illinois Masonic employees a discount. (Show ID or business card) They normally have great drink specials and offer a free buffet on Fridays. If you are looking for a nice small bar with awesome pretzel sticks, I highly recommend coming here. read more

Been meaning to write a review of this place for sometime, as we (me and the wifey) have been coming here for years, like 10+. One daughter and her hubby lived down the street some years ago near that huge bar on the corner Kirkwood (another story). To escape the kids (daughter, husband, baby) we would stop here on the way back to River North, and later when the kids moved to another boring hood we would take long walks in the city in the summer from River North and often end up here for several, sometimes many (too many) cold ones. Great on a Sat or Sun summer afternoon with the big window open. Always great bartenders, and have been here many, many times and kinda sloshed sometimes, but always treated great. They used to have some kind of frozen pizza which tasted great. Prob after I was sloshed. You would think its a nondescript place, but I think its a great local spot. Can get crowded in the evening. Turned 60 here with the wife and my daughter from Philly, and had a blast that night. lots of memories over the years. As I write this I feel its time to take a walk on a spring sunny day over there and have a bunch of cold ones. Place next door is OK (whatsitsname??), Kirkwood downastreet is OK, don't know about the new place on the other corner where Sopranos was-looks trendy, but this place is non-trendy, just a comfortable Chicago bar and one of my favorites. Reminds me of a lot of Boston bars where I grew up (usually dangerous places, ha,ha). Go. Sit by the window. Have a bunch of cold ones and enjoy the day. read more

Vaughan's really doesn't deserve five stars, except for the fact that compared to others in its immediate surroundings (that goofy beach-themed place, Kirkwood and Mad River), it's soooo much better: prices, people, service, non-douche factor, less crowded, more friendly to those over 26 years of age. It's a solid three-star place, but the extra two are for reasons stated above. Oh yeah, and we went there in a BIG group (unannounced to the bar) after a big corporate IL Masonic party, and they handled the crowd without a hiccup. Major props for that. read more

Best all you can eat fish on Fridays. Beer battered light and flaking Cod, comes out of the kitchen hot and not sitting under a heat lamp . Good size potions ,if you find yourself on the northwest side of chicago on a friday, go for the fish, you will not be disappointed . Excellent , great atmosphere, but the fish is is #1 . read more

Superb selection of beers on tap, quaint atmosphere and a great location.

BEWARE! Watch out!! The staff here will steal your money. The Bartenders and wait staff will take --steal--your money if you leave it on the bar. After sitting and hanging out at front part of the bar for two hours, I got up and sat 3 feet away for @ 3 to 5 minutes------in full view of the bartenders and worker behind bar at all times. I went back to my spot after a few minutes, and all my money was gone. The bartenders acted like there was never any money left there. I highly suspect that they do pull this stunt often, as there were no apologies and I was treated horribly when I asked them where my money was. read more

THe edamame hummus was to die for!! We all had different sausages & LOVED them!!! We will go again & again!!!

Was in last Saturday afternoon for the 1st time...WOW...what a fantastic place! The bartender was exceptional, I think her name was Beth, had dark brown hair, very courteous, very knowledgeable, very good at her job. I don't usually write good reviews on these sites but this bartender exceeded my expectation in providing the kind of service that most places only aspire for. It's nice to know that good, quality service still exists. Thank you read more

chill place, laid back crowd, music is at a good level, TV's everywhere a little older looking of a place but perfect college type bar but also late 20's to late 30's hang out here too on sundays they have a $5 thincrust pizza, it is like a thin crust jewel style pizza, but is perfect to go with your draft beer they have carlsberg on tap, which is cool!!! so sit back and enjoy some suds at Vaughan's!!!!!! read more

They are always super nice. Sometimes at other bars the male bartenders can be jerks. But the guy here is always super nice and personable. Great atmosphere and I love that it's a smaller local bar read more