Love this place~ I ordered several items to go: 1. Irish Egg Rolls-Love the Thousand Island Dipping Sauces 2. Burger-See my pictures-I was really impressed with the quality of the toppings as well as the roll and burger itself! Both were stellar! I love that they make their own sauces and salad dressings "on-site" from "scratch!" Hope to return to try the Fish and Chips and the Weekend Brunch in the near future! read more

The place can get very cramped on a Saturday night, though that's to be expected. Butch's is known for their holiday parties and, hey, they have their Christmas shot on the menu all year round. They have a modest tap list for beer, though they're good sized mugs and reasonably priced. I'll give credit to their food, it's actually above typical pub quality, though you'll be sorely mistaken if you're looking for gourmet. Again, the food prices are pretty fair. I see they have a different lighting scheme depending on where you are situated in the bar. At the far end, it's pretty well lit with a lot of string lights and Irish fluff, which was super neat. That's where I ended up finding a table to eat. The other parts were generally dimmer, more along the lines of what you'd expect at any bar. Worth noting that in the men's restroom you relive yourself into a large basin. Brought a tear to me eye as I was reminiscing about my college glory days drunkenly standing next to a bunch of other guys collectively peeing on a target. Objective complete. Anyway, fun times. Fun bar. Would recommend. read more

Butch McGuire's - Friday Clam Chowder - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love coming here during the holidays! They really do it up. But it gets so crowded that it's hard to be there unless you have a table, even if you get there super early it's hard to get a table. Great service, servers are super nice, attentive and helpful. Super expensive, probably would only come here for 1 drink if ever again. read more

Incredibly fun & festive environment - shocked at how friendly the service staff is for how busy it is! The food was delicious - prime rib sandwich and Reuben sliders and even the hot dog! Kid friendly. Christmas in Your Mouth was a delight! read more

Butch McGuire's - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We've been stopping in at Butch McGuire's since 1970 it's never let us down the bartenders and staff are the best always welcoming

SEASON'S EATINGS This Irish pub on the Near North Side serves decent brunch amid a very festive atmosphere. Butch McGuire's holds a special place in the hearts of Eric S's parents, as it was the place where they had met 40 years ago. We came here to celebrate that fact on 11/24/19 and brought along Nichole C to kickoff the holiday season with Sunday brunch, all while surrounded by Butch's famous Christmas decor. I wasted no time in ordering a Corned beef hash skillet ($14), a filling breakfast that no doubt makes a fantastic hangover cure. It came with two eggs any way, peppers, onions, cheese, and potatoes with choice of toast. I was happy to see that they offered sourdough as an option. My fiancée got their standard offering ($12): 3 eggs any way with 2 strips of bacon, potatoes, and choice of toast. My mom enjoyed the eggs benedict ($13), a tasty serving of poached eggs with hollandaise over Canadian bacon. They both found their breakfasts delicious and a reasonable value. My dad was the only one who had an issue with his food -- they undercooked his steak 'n eggs on the first try, then had it sit under a heat lamp until it became OVERcooked and at that point all hope was lost. Our server only brought out 3/4ths of our meal, which left one person waiting another 5-6 minutes. Bread = 3.5 Circuses = 4.5 The other reason for coming here was to admire the ridiculous number of decorations, and that goal was achieved. Lights dangling from the ceiling, inflatables rotating above the bar, they even had a fully functioning double-decker TRAIN SET encircling the dining room. Every square inch was covered in holiday stuff. Without question, the single best decoration is Santa sitting in an outhouse, reading a Playboy magazine (perhaps checking out all the "ho ho ho's"?) Who knew Kris Kringle was such a perv?? Naughty list, indeed! * TL;DR * There are a number of great ways to jump-start the holiday season in Chicago: stop by Lincoln Park Zoo and admire the lights, go to the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza, catch a showing of A Christmas Carol playing at the Goodman Theatre......or have brunch at Butch's. Service was alright, drinks came out slower than expected, and messing up my dad's breakfast was a bad move (he's Mr. Meal Ticket), even though 75% of our group enjoyed theirs just fine. The decorations are brilliantly 'extra' and more than made up for that gaffe, especially the train sets and the hilarious outhouse Santa. Definitely check out Butch McGuire's during the month of December. It's a magical winter wonderland! read more

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Happy St. Patrick's Day 2024!! Great service and what a fun place be social at this legendary Chicago establishment. Thank you, Steve for getting us a table right from the start. You and the rest of the staff are the best. Food is good (get the grilled cheese with bacon and tomatoes) and wash it down with a few pints of Guinness. read more

Butch McGuire's - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of my absolute favorite spots in the Gold Coast! Great food and the staff is phenomenal read more

Butch McGuire's - Pollo picante Chicken Sandwich with no bread. Absolutely delicious! One of my favorite meals in Chicago! Oh, and the staff rocks too!! - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is by far my favorite bar in the city. It is a great Irish pub with amazing drinks and food. The ambiance is great especially for being around forever. The service is also amazing. Only reason I'm not giving a 5/5 because I recently went here on Friday with my friends and their was a cover charge of $5 a person. I've been going here forever and travel from the suburbs and not once have a had to pay a cover charge. Another thing is the bouncer told us they were open until 4am. Their hours online say 5am online so they should fix this. Also the bar proceed to kick everyone out at 3am even though the bouncer told us it was open until 4am. Just would be nice if they can get the hours correctly. Overall I will continue to come to this bar! It is one of the best pubs in Chicago! read more

Still great service and reasonable prices. Fun atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating options (and outdoorish while still staying inside). Haven't eaten here in a while, but was good when I was did! You'll feel like you're in your home bar when you stop in. read more

Does this place exist outside of Christmas time? I'm sure it does, but it truly is a must visit for the holiday decorations. HUGE warning though - it gets crowded at all times of the day. We luckily didn't have to wait too long to get inside or get a table on an early Saturday afternoon, but we beat the crowd by a second. Our first round of espresso martinis were way too creamy and sugary, but our second and third round of tequila sodas were much more enjoyable. Nachos were pretty pathetic, but it was something to munch on. Service was actually pretty prompt considering how packed the place was. read more

Must miss for the holiday season and beyond. Went there on a Friday a week prior to Christmas. It was $10 coverage charge, with no perks other than the bar was decorated with some christmas decorations. If you can call a severed mannequin head on a fan a Christmas decoration. Not 5 minutes after arriving a patron passed out onto the floor and the bar staff's way of "fixing" the problem was to have her carried out by two of the bouncers and two of her friends, no ambulance or cops were called. The bartender provided those that attempted to help a free drink for their service. I even watched a couple get kicked out for no reason by one of the bouncers. This is a must miss this season and into the future. read more

Excellent reuben, burger, pollo picante. Very good clam chowder (on Friday), fish and chips. Salads are not their forte. Brunch on the weekend. Great eggs Benedict and corned beef hash. Fun place, pub setting. Don't expect to get separate checks if sitting at a table; they can split a check, but you can't get your own check at a table. They charge a Chicago CC processing fee. read more

A typical date night and we figured we will try a new spot. It's a nice sports bar, perfect for the opening night of the football season but the food is nothing special. We got the fish and chips appetizer and the fish was good. Both the fish and fries were a little too greasy but tasted good. Make sure to eat them fast because they are not edible once cold. For our main course I got the bean burger and he got the pollo picante. He gave his 4/5 so it was pretty good but he would much rather go to Hopsmith. My bean burger was delicious up until the moment I saw the piece of paper you can see on the 3rd picture below. I understand that people makes mistakes and it wasn't a problem and they were kind enough to remove it from the check. It was pretty expensive tho $45 without the bean burger, so about $60. Way too much for the quality of food they are offering. We won't be going back there. Definitely Hopsmith is better and I would recommend it over Here! read more

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Wow! I walked into this place and felt like one of Santa's elves just vomited his yuletide all over me. It was so exciting!! The place is electric with Christmas spirit. You'll find friendly people, busy workers and local celebrities all soaking up the season. We started at the front bar while waiting for a table. The bartenders were super busy but filled with holiday spirit and quick with our drinks. Later we moved to a table in the back where our waitress was fantastic! She was attentive, chatty and made sure our food came out hot. We all had a wonderful time, even the littlest one who took in the lights and decorations. Butch knows how to throw a Christmas party! If you're a day drinker like me, come early for a boozy brunch and hang out and watch football. Then clear out in the afternoon for the late-nighters to come in from the cold and hang out until early morning. This bar should be on every's to-do list for Christmas. read more

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The Irish Eggrolls are Amazing! It's just so delicious! I will definitely be ordering them again. read more

Butch McGuire's - Fish & Chips - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I had an absolutely awful experience at Butch McGuire's in Chicago. My boyfriend and his two friends, all of legal drinking age, tried to enter the bar, only to be rudely turned away by the bouncer. This was a tall, muscular, bald man in his 40s (clearly on a huge power trip) who refused them entry despite there being no line, them having valid IDs, and the bar being very open (almost empty inside). When my boyfriend simply asked why they couldn't go in, this bouncer lost it and assaulted him. He grabbed my boyfriend by the neck, choked him, and even kicked him. My boyfriend lost his gold chain in the process. This kind of behaviour is not only completely unprofessional but also illegal. It's horrifying that Butch McGuire's would employ someone who treats customers this way and doesn't know how to handle a job that involves basic human decency. You don't put your hands on customers, let alone young men. If you want to feel safe and not worry about being assaulted by staff, go to a different bar who's bouncers care about their customers safety instead of being wannabe tough guys. I would strongly urge anyone to avoid this place unless you're comfortable being the collateral damage of an insecure, angry man on a power trip. read more

Awesome spot to enjoy a game, spend time with friends, and take in one of a kind holiday decor. This was my first time at Butch McGuire's and was very impressed with their level of dedication to the holidays. I went with a friend on a Saturday night at 5:30pm and it was standing room only. Granted there were a few college football games on, but it was very busy. While I would normally mind the crowd, it was a great place to enjoy a beverage (which were decently priced -- draft beer $8). Lots of great and unique holiday decor to look at, and good mix of music (not all Christmas music!). I have been to some of the typical holiday bars in Wrigley and have to say I prefer Butch McGuire's to those anyday. Not only are the prices significantly better, but Butch's is overall more down to earth and friendly. It has more of a local bar feel, vs the tourist trap that is the Wrigley spots. Overall, great place to stop in for a drink or two. I look forward to going back post holidays to enjoy a nice sit-down meal, as the menu looked good and I love a good classic Irish pub. Be sure to get there early, as there can be a line outside. No reservations during holiday season. Great find for authentic holiday fun! read more

Awesome atmosphere( decked out in more Christmas decor than the North Pole). Really fun place to grab some drinks with friends, especially around Christmas time. Service was good for being packed read more

Old School style Chicago Irish Pub that's been around since 1961. At Xmas the ceiling is full on lit up and decorated to the nines with choochoo trains. It still is lit up the rest of the year. The Irish Egg Rolls are truly the bomb! As I mentioned under my photo they are the bomb! read more

Butch McGuire's - Irish Egg Rolls. The bomb! Why aren't these available in NYC?! - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love Christmas so what's not to like. This place was packed the night before thanksgiving. Apparently Joe Jonas was here like the same week? Super random but I guess it's a special place. Their holiday shots are something else. Tastes like mouth wash and peppermint chocolate but are the color of a Smurf. read more

Butch McGuire's - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went here on a Sunday after the Avp volleyball tournament nearby and it was a pretty packed place. I've actually never wandered this way even though I drive by it all the time and keep forgetting that Division St is closed there. Either way, I've finally made my way over here and it was only by recommendation from one of my friends looking for nachos. From there we decided to try this place out. Once we get there, I look at the menu and see their amazing special of their pot roast grilled cheese which sounded absolutely delicious. When I say sounded, that's what I mean because I didn't even get a chance to try it. When I ended up ordering it, it turns out the table next to us had ordered the last 3 to which I was on the verge of tears. What's even worse is I knew the table next to me and they kept taunting me with how delicious it was. Okay, get over it. I ended up asking the server what else I should get now that my hopes and dreams were shattered. He recommended the Pollo Picante burger. It was a burger that I did enjoy thoroughly as it was a good level of spice, dripping with cheese, and I also had a good amount of salsa running through it. That's a beautiful trifecta if you ask me. Oh and get this, they also have a good selection of the types of fries you can order and if you check my pictures, I chose the waffle fries. Solid move, that's for sure. Other than the food, I actually really enjoyed this bar. They had fun drink specials and combinations. I believe what we ordered was an Irish handshake which was a fun way to mix things up. I definitely enjoyed the fact that they had some ladies running around giving free tequila shots. I'm not sure if they worked there or were showing off a new kind of tequila but it was very welcomed with the rowdy group that we had. Overall a nice spot for some really solid food, a fantastic patio where they close down the street for the summer, solid drink specials, and an overall Stellar ambiance. The only thing I would take a star down would be for the table that was sitting next to us that was taunting me with their food and the fact that they ordered the last of the pot roast grilled cheese, but that's to no fault of the restaurant. Needless to say, I'll be visiting again to get my fair share of the grilled cheese before it runs out. Be on the lookout because here I come! read more

Butch McGuire's - Pollo Picante- Burger - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tis the Season for a plethora of Christmas pop ups around the City; but don't take my word for it, endure the long line at the door and go experience a true Chicagoan Christmas Bar for yourself!! It's lively, full of cheerful chums in ugly Christmas sweaters, and some of the most festive Holiday decor without it looking tacky. Among my favorite is the fully running old fashioned trains up above the main bar. Expect it to be quirky and cramped, especially near the bar areas but consider it part of the appeal. Barstaff was really hustling and slinging drinks like jugglers just to keep up with all the thirsty patrons. Yelp tip: Go to the far back bar, its a lot smaller but less people hovering over it. Also the restrooms (at least the woman's) is laid out odd and the doors of the stalls you can see right over which is awkward. But hey after a few drinks it might not matter lol Overall its a fun vibe, a locals kinda dive-ish hangout and especially great for people watching! read more

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What a cool place. The bartender at Q suggested we check it out for after dinner drinks and fun. It's loud and quirky and ever changing with guests of all types. The bar staff was amazing. Easy to communicate with at a glance. They understand how to work through the loud and often times stacked a few deep bar crowd. Making my way through the place, it's huge. A second bar in the back had a completely different vibe. And throughout our stay, the clientele changed multiple times from college age to seniors, every lifestyle is represented. A perfect melting pot. Check out the Chicago Dog hanging from the ceiling. Great place! read more

Butch McGuire's - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Fun, good drinks, good food and lights! An experience and a tradition at the holidays! Just a must to go! read more

Butch McGuire's - Their signature holiday drink - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Zero stars. As if it wasn't enough of a shit hole. Zero humanity, I got here about an hour before their advertised closing time during one of the most freezing nights of our generation. They denied my entry and then despite the fact that I showed them that I had already called a cab, they wouldn't let me wait just inside their doorstop so that my fingertips and face didn't get numb. I called 911. I almost died and they didn't care. They continued to yell at me and berate me. Not the kind of establishment I would like to support. I have been to this place many times, and I've also recommended it to countless others even despite the fact that it is so beneath my level but you know it's supposed to be a Christmas bar. But the fact that they were ready to just leave me for dead Fuck this fucking place. read more

The service is always efficient. The food there is delicious and fresh!! The best nachos ever and wings. Don't forget to add chorizo to your nachos. The drinks are also great! Always cool and delicious. Definitely a secret spot. read more

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If you're saying in Chicago you must visit this place and try the food and the drinks. It's been around for 61 years and you feel like it's a home or when you walk in!! read more

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Loved the food and our waitress was amazing! We came as a bachelorette party after some time on the beach and it was a great way to cool off and rehydrate. Would definitely recommend! read more

Music sucks but vibes are great. All in all good time and love the Christmas decor just get in touch tunes and the vibe will change

This is my favorite bar to catch up with friends. It's never a bad time at Butch McGuire's! We love the Christmas all year long theme. There is simply no bar like it. When you're trying to warm yourself up and get into the Christmas spirit, I recommend trying the peppermint patty! read more

A neighbourhood gem for sure, Butch's has been a part of the fabric of the area for decades. Christmastime is a particularly busy time for them as they have an amazing tradition of over the top decorating throughout the space. Check out the years of collecting and building fun holiday items. Be prepared for crowds as this place is a stop for locals and tourists. Outside this time of year it has been a refuge for locals in an ever changing area. Food is great, service is great... yeah, I kind of like the space. read more

Butch McGuire's - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

MEL!! thank you for making my night. So special You are the sweetest person ever. Thank you for your hospitality and kindness. I'll definitely come back read more

Sweet place, great Christmas lights, cheap beer and food. I would recommend to anyone visiting Chicago in the Christmas season. I recommend getting there early for decent seats, you will be stuck waiting awhile in the evening. read more

10/10 place to get drunk with friends. Good vibes and great age age group (not all 22 year olds right out of undergrad like at hopsmith) I also was asked to join a couple in some fun if you know what I mean so if that's what you're looking for... it's the spot. read more

Butch McGuire's - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Butch Maguires Irish- Guinness on tap (Duh) Red line, near Clark and division stop We went on a Wednesday night. Not too crowded. Patrons were friendly. Surprisingly good hamburger on gluten free bun with sweet potatoes fries that My Wife said were outstanding. The bartender was very attentive and friendly. read more

Butch McGuire's - Christmas lights up year round? - Irish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Loved this place. Came in our a speakeasy tour and it was a great time. Never met a more professional and delightful person than Steve. His passion for the city of Chicago is unmatched. He spent time with us making sure we would enjoy our stay and time in Chicago. We took down all his tips and suggestions and will come back here just for him! Thank you Steve! Seriously though, great bar. There was a killer special on a goose island beer that was like $4 bucks. Great decor and just a fun atmosphere. So good eats around here and worth a stop in if you are in the neighborhood. read more

Came in here over the weekend with the wife and friends. Bubbly place with bar and table seating. Thankfully a table was opened and we were not disappointed with our experience! Food was as expected, nothing extravagant but classic pub food. Waitress was attentive and never had an empty glass for long! read more

OMG Christmas!!! 45k lights? Yes please? Christmas music blaring to sing along? Yes please! Great service. Good food too! Would be a 5 but we sat by the kitchen... The place was so loud and festive, we forgot the kitchen noise after a while... So a 4.5. Hubby had a Reuben. Lots of pastrami on that one. I had a picante chicken sandwich. So delish. Warm melted cheese on faccotia garlic bread.. wowow. See pics. Festive. Fun. Good service and food. A winner!! read more

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Best place on earth. The best staff! Great food. Always a great time. Also great with allergies read more