Total sh*t show! Came here expecting a fun night on the famous blarney island, but left disappointed and mad. The best part was riding the shuttle boat to and from the island. The service there was absolutely horrendous... I could not believe the service my boyfriend and I received from one of the bar tenders. Once I was able to get his attention I asked for a menu and rudely told me they don't have one. So we ordered a drink and he rolled his eyes and just seemed like he hated his life. There is no food really available at the island so we finally ordered a microwaved pizza, after the pizza was done the bartender literally threw it on the counter... The pizza obviously fell out of the paper plate and was on the dirty- alcohol soaked counter. We looked at the bartender in disbelief, he had the balls to tell us and say "well, go ahead" At this point, after dealing with this guys poor attitude and service we said forget the pizza and said to only charge us for the drinks- he looked annoyed with our decision and threw the pizza out. Not going back, can't pay me to go back. Never been treated so poorly! read more

Lately I've heard "Omigosh, you HAVE to go to Blarney Island!" from people who have been there...so, on the 4th, my boyfriend took me there. The drinks were sooo overpriced ($5 for a beer!) and the band was pretty lame (in general, but they DID totally butcher my favorite band, Weezer, ugh). Nothing like seeing a bunch of guys in their 40s and 50s eye-f#(k young scantily-clad girls in bikinis, or juiced up party boys take off their shirts and lean back like they're god's gift. If the ancient underwear stapled to the ceiling churned my stomach, that ridiculousness made me almost throw up in my mouth a little. The bathrooms were also DISGUSTING. Most of the doors didn't latch closed, either. I echo Sarah's "overrated and overpriced" comment! I'll take a dive bar over this excuse for a meat market any day. read more

Dear Blarneys- Your scum between my toes. You make me vomit. Love Alfalfa Why does this bar get 2 stars? because the concept of being on an island in Illinois and live music. The blender required drinks such as pina coloda, margaritas etc are all premade and in a slushi machine. This is a cool idea no doubt but by the time I ordered a refreshing drink I tasted no liquor and all water. Fail. Now I can't blame the island for the people who frequent there but this is not a gay-friendly bar at all. Which made me uncomfortable when everyone around my friend and I had made smirks and remarks. For some reason no one believes in shoes! Everyone was bar foot at the island and the port. Ew. Not sanitary along with the bathrooms. Being out on the water you need to drench yourself in repellent and stay clear of the huge spiders. This bar has a tradition of leaving your bar and/or panties (by choice) to be hung on the walls or ceiling. My only thought is what diseases I could of possibly caught. Needless to say no I will not be returning. I will try for a bar in the pool in Florida or the Tropics. read more

THANK GOD FOR NUDIE PHOTO HUNT What a weekend. Went up to the Chain of Lakes when said lakes were unnavigable due to tons of rain and rising flood waters. This meant we couldn't party out on the boat and couldn't go to Blarney Island. Our next best alternative....the Port of Blarney. Wow, this place was dead. We figured that since Blarney Island was closed this place would be packed, especially on a Friday night. Aside from a few exhausted looking cougars on the prowl, the turn out was kinda sad. But hey, we were determined to have a good time and after a few beers, some nudie photo hunt, and some live music the night turned around. read more

After reading the reviews, i was ready to have a mixed opinion of this place. Now, just like Ravinia, it is on our must do summer's bucket list...We had VIP tickets for a concert which was barely necessary because we arrived at 4:30 to avoid crowds. The VIP tickets get u preferred boarding on boat, your own bar and A special section right in front of the stage which they keep for u. # 1...arrive early relax on the deck enjoy the 2 dollar draft beers. # 2....think vacation and smile and put your guard down. Everyone is welcoming and chatty...they greet u warmly and mean it. # 3...bring a duffle with things to make u comfy...sunblock-sunglasses-maybe a sweatshirt for when it get's cooler. #4....expect a clean nice place...if it get's dirty maybe u r to blame....trash cans r everywhere and guess what.... trash goes there....the ladies room with marine toilets looked fine at 11:30 because we put trash in the trash...we the ladies, did a good job making it nice for the lady behind us...# 5...food is bar food quality and not fine dining but not bad. All in all... it rocks.. arrive early ....enjoy yourself and watch the weather and dress accordingly... I recommend it all the way...wear shoes too ....always a good idea... read more

Ohhhh myyyyy GOD! What to say about this place that hasn't already been said..... I was literally stuck on an island w/ a bunch of d-bags who never moved out of their mothers basement.... I would rather go to wrigleyville because at least I can just take a cab home! One extra star because it was a pretty nice ferry ride to this island...and their beer pitchers are super cheap and you will definitely need to be wasted to deal w/ this crowd! Haha! read more

Overrated and overpriced. Maybe because I've grown up going to the chain, but this place only ever seems appealing to those who have never been there. Once you have, it's nothing special. There are definitely far superior bars on the Chain like The Sandbar or Captains Quarters. Plus they are expensive. We don't get up to the Chain much on weekdays but we happened to be there on a Thursday and decided to hit the races. Hell no! They wanted $30 for us to park the boat and $7 cover for each of us. $44 dollars before we even had a chance to buy one of their small, overpriced beers. We left and for the rare race night, we'll do like the smart locals do and just anchor nearby with a cooler. So go if you've never been, then go somewhere better. read more

If I wasn't stranded here, I'd leave. The 'entertainment' that was there was just plain awful. He wouldn't play songs, but just had some inside joke shtick. The DJ was good, and we were all having a good time, but the act you hired on this day really, really disappointed. And the ice has a weird smell. read more

No matter how high you build a dump, it is still a dump. Please, just let it die, and give your space back to nature, which, by the way, IS the epicenter of the chain, not your dive bar. read more

My friend and I spent extra for "VIP tickets" to see the Bodeans here two nights ago. We love this band and always have a good time dancing to their music, and that part was predictably awesome. At first, we found the raucous crowd at Blarney's Island entertaining, even after I was hit in the head with a hamburger bun (no ketchup, thank God). There were lots of colorful, salt-of-the-earth-type characters, which is the most generous way to describe it - who were hugely drunk before we even departed the main land by boat for the island. I'm ok with tattoos and boobage but there were some real creepers eyeing said boobage and all I can say is, ladies, don't leave your drinks unattended. But some of the people-watching was amusing, and I digress. The real problem with the place was the transportation, or lack of it. I feel like we spent half the night waiting on a boat, first to get to the island, and then again, to get back to land. The concert started late and ended at midnight. We were in a line waiting on a boat for the return trip for two hours. So at 2 a.m., there were 100 or so intoxicated, increasingly angry people on a small island, which suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea. Two Fox Lake marine patrol guys pulled up in a boat and stood with folded arms looking at the line of pathetic, tired, mostly middle-aged people just dying to get home to bed as if they expected trouble. It occurred to me that, if a fire were to break out, we were doomed. Maybe I'm getting a little too old with this, but I would not return. Even for the Bodeans. read more

Dont let the bad reviews fool you. If you like to let loose and party. You come to the right place. You will have a great time. Good food, amazing staff and the overall atmosphere is badass. We had an Awesome time last weekend. Definitely coming back here. read more

I don't think I have seen a group of drunker adults 40+ years old on a Sunday afternoon. It was a cool concept being on the floatilla and watch the helicopters come in but it was chalked full of rednecks (and not the friendly type). Loved the idea of the place but it is just intimidating being there as I felt like a fight could break out at anytime. Would have been fun in college but I am past blacking out on a Sunday. For a Sunday it was pretty expensive too even with the $2 8oz specials for tap beer. Really 8oz beers? I guess people have to drive their boats home so the 8oz can trottle a couple? read more

The food was okay, for bar food. The beer was about average priced. However, the every half hour ferry was really closer to every hour. Not cool when it's 90° and there's no AC anywhere (not even the cook has AC, which has got to be against OSHA regulations). If you like loud bars with a twang of redneck, this place is for you. If that's not your scene, I'd avoid it. At least my friends were finding Pokemon? read more

WORST EXPERIENCE AT A BAR IVE EVER HAD. Every single employee who worked for the Mardi Gras party was incredibly rude to me and my friends. The bartender who served us told us he wasn't going to serve us unless we only used one form of payment.... so me and my friends couldn't pay separately. The band playing was god awful as well. My friend asked for a captain and coke and the bartender gave her a Pepsi with no alcohol???? I will never come back here again. Worst bar. Worst town. Worst people. read more

Dirty, run down and bras and panties hanging on the ceiling...this is my kind of place!! Drinks are overpriced, but they do make a good Margaretta. The bands we've seen here are fun and if you're into people watching...there's some good entertainment here!! Might be a touristy destination these days...but I love it. The best way to get here is to take your boat out and dock...but don't have a boat you say? They do have a ferry that will take you land lubbers out...just eat at the restaurant - free round trip service - if you're gonna pay $8.00 for this service, may as well get a meal from it!! I will admit, we're kinda new to exploring the Chain, and haven't checked out too many places just yet...but for now this is our favorite. Especially when they have the BEST views of the sun going down on the Lake - simply amazing!! read more

This place has SO MUCH POTENTIAL! But it is poorly executed and trashy. I went here for a friend's birthday party. You park your car in a grass lot and take a ferry to the bar. The lake at night is absolutely gorgeous. Blarney's Island is on a wooden pier, in the middle of the lake. The scenery is beautiful. The setup is great. The bar itself? Crappy. It's a hajj-pajj of 21-year-olds (probably some under-agers too), old creepsters, and failing cougars. That night, there was someone who looked 8 months pregnant. The bathrooms are DISGUSTING. No toilet paper and used toilet paper all over the floors. The bar snacks are all bland and deep-fried to tooth-breaking crispness. The band that night was mediocre, I'm sure that good bands do come there. Of course, the scene made me want to leave. But the ferrys only come every half hour, and the ferry line is long. So if you miss a ferry, you have to wait at least another half hour. Therefore, it could easily take an hour to LEAVE the bar! This place could be amazing. It's absolutely beautiful. Partying under the moon on a floating stage is a phenomenal concept! But it's trash-factor and inconvenience ruin what could be a great thing. Live in the city? Forget it. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of taking a break from the city and enjoying some good-old-fashioned scenery. But it's not worth it. An hour fifteen at least to drive there, and a prolonged departure time? Additional ferries, cleaner bathrooms, and a different ambience might induce me to try it again. But what they're doing right now clearly works for them, business-wise. Who am I? Just a late-20s converted city-dweller snob. read more

All the coziness of a shitty bar. The bathrooms are disgusting, the bartenders suck, and food was disgusting. My group (4 people) waited about 20 minutes for our first round of drinks and it wasn't busy. We saw people coming up getting served right away right next to us like we were purposefully being ignored. We just ignored it looking to have a good time and no drama. The second time we were getting ignored my fiance decided to say something out of frustration and the bartender felt it was appropriate to yell almost scream at her. She used to bartend and was shocked by the lack of professionalism with dealing with a complaint. The food was basically a food stand with nachos, weird looking pizza, etc. (late night menu). Cannot speak for their day time menu or service. I've seen cleaner bathrooms in a port-o potty. Blarney's is expensive and it is nothing more than a shit hole. There are great bars in the area that I've been to that have great service, atmosphere, food, and drinks. I was warned about this place and didn't listen but I'll make sure to warn others. Thanks! read more

We were out on the boat, it was evening, on a Sunday, and we needed a place to eat. Having never tried the Port before, we figured we would give it a try. Situated down a long channel off the Grass Lake bridge, I ordinarily would have not traveled down this channel, but I understand it was recently re-dredged and we never touched bottom. We found a decent public dock to tie up to and went in. Despite there being very few patrons inside, it took them 5-10 minutes to get organized and seat us which was disappointing. As others have reported, the food is your run of the mill bar food. I ordered a buffalo chicken sandwich on a pretzel roll. The pretzel roll was an interesting twist (no pun intended) and was actually quite good. I would order it again. The major downside is that they are obviously on an old well there and the tap water was hiddeous. After a day of boating, I love a tall glass of water to rehydrate and their water was rusty and virtually unpalatable. With water that nasty, they should just pony up and serve patrons bottled water. There are better places on the chain to eat, that's for sure. If I'm in the area and in need of some bar food to cap off a day of boating, I will give the Port a try again...only next time, I'm bringing my own water. read more

So fun!!!! We went here after boating on the lake all day and there was food and booze and people having a good time! We got to watch boat races and just chill out! I was actually really disappointed that we had to leave before any of the night time activities started. I would definitely go back! read more

Pretty nice place right in the middle of the lake. Take your own boat if you don't want to use the ferry. Make sure you bring mosquito repellent.... read more

Came from Milwaukee to go to Blarney Island on a Saturday night. We ate at the restaurant (Port of Blarney) first and if you eat there you get to hop on the shuttle to Blarney Island for free. The boat ride to the Island was fun. You get a nice view of the lake. The bar itself was pretty awesome. It is decorated to look like a "Key West" bar and it really does look like one. It is decorated with fake palm trees, torches, tiki huts. It's also good because it's so large that it's not too crowded. There is a variety of people here, young and old and lots of bachelor/bachelorette parties. When we 1st arrived they had a DJ playing music and then a live band came on. I give this place 3 stars because the bathrooms are disgusting...doors don't lock, toilet paper everywhere and just very dirty. However, if you're drunk enough you probably won't mind too much. Also, one of the bartenders was really cranky. All-in-all we had a great time. This place is definitely something different and unique and you won't find any other place like it in the area. Check it out! read more

Always a party! Always fun! Always everything to take you to a place of relaxation and debauchery... Went there for Mardi Gras and the best time people watching... Can't wait for spring! read more

Visited two weeks ago and meant to review!! My server Megan was so amazing, was very friendly and very attentive! Blarneys Island was so fun and surprisingly clean for being out on the water! Would recommend a visit! read more

Been coming to Blarney for years, since I was a little kid is been in that island at least once a year. They've made some awesome improvements. No longer are the days of being a little run down and underwear on the ceiling (though I never complained about that, definitely added character) the whole island has been remodeled, updated and I think even made bigger, or at least it feels bigger. Drinks are reasonably to slightly high priced. The food is decent bar food for being in the middle of a lake and they always have live music going in some form or another on the weekends. If you don't have a boat you can take the shuttle from the port of Blarney on land. Thursdays are prob the best nights to go because they do the boat races you can watch from the island. Definitely hand to check it out if your ever in the chain! read more

I used to go to this place as a kid... back in the 70's... when it was just a small seedy bar in the middle of Grass Lake with women's underwear hanging from the ceiling. Now it has blossomed into a real party center extraordinaire for the Chain of Lakes with a huge deck-like addition added to the old bar including a large dance floor and stage. The place is always rocking on summer weekends with live bands and a crowd of revelers ranging from their 20's to 50's. Kids are also welcome during the day. Though it is an island and only accessible by boat, Blarneys has a sister-bar/restaurant on land called Port of Blarneys that has a shuttle back and forth to the mainland. If you haven't been here you've got to go! read more

REDEEEMED! This is a completely different experience from several weeks ago. We were seated right away. There were many waitresses. Our waitress checked back with us about every 15 minutes. Our order came out correctly. And it was good. I am really glad you improved your business because our first experience was awful--and was exactly as awful as others had described. Now we had a pleasant experience and are much more looking forward to returning. I was glad you ran two shuttles to the Island because by the time we finished lunch, there was a long line of people waiting to get on. Had a great time out on Blarney Island as well. read more

It's July 4th, it's 90+ degrees outside, and this establishment will not give out tap water to patrons. They will SELL you bottled water or provide you a cup of ice. read more

I came here on Memorial Day and ate one thing the whole day which was a hotdog from the bar. Little would I know hours later i would be up for 8 hours puking and have a fever because I had gotten food poisoning. I would not recommend eating here. We also had a friend with a boat that died and there seems to not have any battery packs that are reliable or jumper cables... even though you're in the middle of the water, they should be way better prepared for boat mishaps. Update: 7 months later 2 stomach specialists later and we still cannot find out what I had eaten. We are treating it as a parasite. All from this hotdog! I have NOT been the same since and I hope upper management sees this. read more

updated: #1 destination on the chain of lakes. Access by boat only. Cruise in a private boat or take the hired boat from Port o' Blarney to the island, ran by the sister property. Don't expect a 5 star meal or a 5 star bar menu, its basic and gets big crowds. The attraction here #1 is location, and #2 live music. No other place like it, and no other island bar on the Chain-O-Lakes. The featured band will sometimes dictate the crowd. Nuff said. (They cleaned this place up a bit and no more dirty underwear hanging on the ceiling! No updates to the rest of prior review, copied here.) read more

The owner, Rob, has put a tremendous amount of money and effort into making Blarney's Island the fun, friendly bar that is is today. His care for the bar, and for his customers is incredibly evident. The large amount of pier space, the live music, and the assortment of drinks are just a few of the reasons this place is so great! The addition of the enclosed shelter space when it gets colder is another awesome feature for the unpredictable and unreliable Illinois summers. Can't wait for boating season to return in May. read more

good place! Not Key-West but close! I had the mahi-mahi on toast! The band Deep Six was excellent. Definately a must try experience read more

Gotta love a business that is in the middle of a lake in the Chain O Lakes. You can only get there by boat or the shuttle that operates from their land based restaurant/bar. This place is definitely one of a kind. If you've never been, you don't know what you're missing. Live music on the weekends (starting at 2PM) and boat races on Thursday (early evening, I believe they start around 6PM). Of course, it is only open during the boating season (May through either end of September or first week in October). The current owners have put a lot of money into it and improved things like the bathrooms. They were horrible way back when. Much better now! Great place to come and people watch. You will see all kinds, young, old, thin, fat, beautiful, ugly. All kinds. Also have seen some great music here. Big dance floor. DJ during band breaks and when there is no band playing. During the day there is no cover. I believe for some of the evening bands they do charge something (I've paid $5 to see the Fabulous Janes....well worth it). read more

Atmosphere is loud live music and crowded. Definitely an energetic vibe. Unique because the bar is on an 'island' (it's actually a building on a large dock). Many boat docks surround the island so it's a popular boating stop. Has a slight key west Florida feel to it which is neat. The place is understaffed so crowded means long waits for drinks and food and a stressed staff. Food is mostly typical boxed frozen then fried food consisting of fries, onion rings, calamari and macaroni bites. Sandwiches and some salads available. Food and drinks are definitely not the best deal in town. 12oz drinks, 16oz domestic beers are $5. But not bad considering the unique venue. The ferry takes you to and from the island for $8 cash round trip. The ferry ride is nice. Staff was professional and accommodating. They pay attention to safety as well. If you are in to the typical crowded energetic atmosphere like you would find at a fest grounds with beer tents etc., that is hard to walk through and requires you to wait in lines, then this will be fun for you. If you are looking for a great deal, or a quiet place then I suggest somewhere else. read more

I was here on July 4th and it was a blast! Drinks were great and food was good! I had a really good time and will be coming back again soon!

Great party place in the middle of the lake! Live music and bars! It gets kinda crazy, but it's fun people watching and getting your drink/groove on. read more

Its a real fun place on the Lake with good friends, food, drinks, & good music. What more can you ask for? Lake shake it.

Where else on the Chain of Lakes can you take a boat to a bar and see Sister Hazel perform in an intimate setting? Or The Voice winner Craig Wayne Boyd? Yes, Virginia, it is a party bar as advertised. Deal with it. The staff is friendly, the bartenders are efficient, and the music is the best. Take the shuttle from the mainland at Port O' Blarney if you don't have a boat or friend with a boat. Think of the small fee as a cover charge. Sun, water, live music . . . what's not to love? read more

This is by far the worst bar I have ever been to in my life. As soon as I walked in with my party we were stared down with such hatred. One member from my party purchased drinks and the bartender, she was so rude and racist and had no emotion at all. Every question was met with such disgust (she was a skinny white lady with dusty blonde hair). We did nothing wrong just wanted to have a good time. There was one heavy set guy that was in charge of identification and the boat. He was the only one from the whole island who was actually nice and understanding we had a situation with bringing beer on and he made sure to talk to the rude bartender and straighten a deal out for us. We wanted to leave because we all agreed that it was really bad. After some convincing of my friend we took the boat ride and the rest of the trip seemed fine. But after what we experienced we were just sour with the whole experience. We called it a night very early on. If you are hispanic like us or just any other race that isn't white please do yourself a favor go somewhere else. Support poc not this hellhole, it doesn't take a genius to see discrimination. What a disgusting place. read more

WARNING! The idiot staff will call the police on you if they see you getting into a boat after a few beers. Even told me they're calling the sheriff and sure enough a sheriff pulled me over and I got $340 in fines for not having a charged fire extinguisher, only one horn and my battery terminals not covered up. Most expensive two beers I ever had. It's a good way to lose business. I've told all of my boating friends. Freddie's is a much better place read more

I've been coming here for over 10 years ( actually 20 years since I started coming with my family when I was young and that does not count) Thursday night boat races are the only nights I'll come back now. Weekend nights are getting worse. The trash level has gone up ( is that even possible?!.. I guess so. Eeek!! Dancing cages WtF?!!!! ) and sloppy drunks everywhere. Its only fun if you've been drinking and by that I mean you should have drinks before you even go there to tolerate. I've had my bar tab messed up a FEW time not just one time so I'll only pay cash now. It's been a year since I've got food and it was alright since you can't expect much for a bar in the middle of the water. If a good band is playing it's normally a good time. However I do miss the lower bar since it was a nice get away from the band crowd. Now it's all one level but I understand why they did what they had to do. Only come here if you're planning on partying crazy. Here's your warning if you go sober. A lot of boat parking but need to use two spots sometimes if the water is choppy/ high winds/, your boat will bang around a lot if you don't. read more