This Beverly staple is known for its Guinness pours (sometimes with portraits of customers’ faces in the foam), though it also serves local brews and cocktails. Warm up near the fireplace and listen to live music or watch either form of football on the many TVs mounted on the long bar and brick walls.

This South Side institutions with locations in Bridgeport and Beverly is the place to be for White Sox games, especially the Beverly beer garden. Only the Bridgeport location serves food; the menu offers the usual lineup of pub fare with a few twists like Irish egg rolls (stuffed with corned beef, cabbage, and cheddar) and a South Side Irish burger (bacon, cheese, coleslaw, and egg).

Founded in 2014 to serve the the South Side Irish community, Porter Cullens’s pride and joy is its steamed corned beef (it’s been known to serve 12,000 pounds in a year) and its perfectly poured pints of Guinness, praised by actual members of the Guinness family.

For a fancier Irish pub experience, visit this Michigan Avenue spot from Billy Lawless, an authentic Irishman. The menu offers the standard burgers and fish and chips, but also steak, prawn cocktail, and wild mushroom pappardelle, all of which can be accompanied by selections from the expansive wine cellar. Make a reservation through OpenTable.

Guinness’ second U.S. pub is a monument to the beer maker’s global brand. A sprawling flagship with a giant wooden harp hung over the bar in the main dining room. This isn’t a quaint corner pub, but it’s beautifully designed by Studio K, one of the city’s top firms, and it somehow magically combines tradition with modern comfort. There’s a full menu with international flavors from Guinness breweries in Africa and Europe. They do not serve cocktails, but there are non-alcoholic options in this full-sized restaurant. Reservations are highly recommended for the afternoons and evenings. Families can sneak in the mornings for coffee and pastries.

Tucked a few blocks south of Chicago Avenue in a residential area in West Town, the Irish Nobleman (which sits on Noble Street) is decorated with red phone booths and other flair that brings a touch of Ireland to Chicago. There’s a pub menu with fish and chips, pizza, and mac & cheese. The Guinness pours could be more consistent, but the bartenders take them more seriously than any of the bro-holes in the vicinity. The two rooms give folks enough room to spread out or to bust a dance more or two if they’re inclined. 

What was once the punk club O’Banion’s is now one of the city’s most popular Irish bars in River North. The owners are actual Kerrymen, though chef Damo Moloney hails from Limerick. Find fish and chips, steak and Guinness pie, and, in a concession to less traditional tastes, avocado toast at brunch. Make a reservation through Tock.

Open for more than two decades, this charming River North pub continues to thrive as the area continues to morph. The menu is a solid variety of American pub food from wings to burgers. A few Irish-inspired dishes, including Guinness brats, Guinness stew, and shepherd’s pie round out the menu. The tap list has plenty of local craft selections with the proper ingredients for a decent black and tan.

The latest entry in Chicago’s Irish pub scene opened in Avondale in 2021. Grab a pint of Guinness and try some of the food made using recipes from the owner’s Irish-born parents including brown breads and scones baked in house and a full Irish breakfast served all day. On Tuesdays, warm up by the fireplace and listen to Irish music starting at 7:30 p.m.

Owned and run by two musicians, one Irish-born, the sounds of live tunes are just as vital as the food and drinks at Chief O’Neill’s. Guests can catch live acts several nights a week and also enjoy an all-you-can-eat Friday fish fry and Sunday brunch buffet. In the summer, the large back patio is a lively spot to kick back and relax over a cold beer and some Emerald Isle favorites such as braised lamb shank and Guinness-infused meatloaf.

Located in the heart of North Center since 2005 inside a formal funeral home, Mrs. Murphy & Sons serves Irish pub favorites including fish & chips, beef and Guinness stew, and bangers & mash alongside a selection of craft brews and more than 70 Irish whiskeys. The large space includes a grocery store and opens early on the weekends to welcome soccer and rugby fans with full Irish breakfasts. Make a reservation through Tock.

Head to the Irish American Heritage Center for some cultural history to go along with that pint of Guinness. Check out an art exhibit or pick up an Irish wool sweater in the gift shop before stopping into the Fifth Province, a traditional pub for folks to gather and enjoy live music and classic fare like corned beef and bangers & mash.

Soccer fanatics can catch all of the big matches every week at the Atlantic. It’s also the home for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. supporters, but on Friday nights, everyone is welcome for live music. There’s also excellent fish and chips and a full Irish breakfast.