The bar itself: 4 stars. The food: 2 stars. I didn't want to believe all the reviews here. I mean, people dont give dive bars enough credit but damn the food here was questionable. I got a reuben sandwich, and reuben meat is never in perfect slices, but the meat shouldn't be so crumbly that it falls entirely out of the sandwich! Just questionable. Taste-wise, I just kept thinking..man I could see this being a restaurant gordan ramsey would stop by... I will also agree with a fellow reviewer that my food took over 30 minutes to come out. I'll go back for drinks but not much else. read more

Declan's Irish Pub - Reuben - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love Declan's! As a ND fan, i've watched multiple games there and enjoy their food. I've also hosted a private event there and they were incredibly kind & accommodating! The event was fantastic & everyone had a wonderful time! Highly recommend!! read more

I just was here for the bears game with a few friends. I really had no idea I was going to end up here. But my friend who lives in Old Town said he preferred this place over the pour house because it was not as crowded. The service was good and attentive. It should be noted that they have a rather limited menu...something I did not know. I had just eaten breakfast 2 hours before so I was not interested in having a large meal... The Mozzarella Sticks are awesome but there is not much room to mess up there. I shared someone's Hummus platter. I think they make their own hummus. Kudos to them for being able to pull this off at an Irish Pub in Old Town. The guac was sub par. I found the chicken strips to be dried out. For those of you who like to have mamosa's during games or any other sunday you should make not of the $5 mamosa special during this time. For an irish pub to be devoid of a corned beef sandwich is kind of interesting...Call me crazy for thinking that. I think Dublin is way better especially for its variety and service and they are an irish bar. I'm just sayin' They have an interesting patio area that looks like a junior beach area of some sort is the best way I would describe it. read more

We stopped here for a few celebratory beers after my brother found an apartment in the city. I can't speak for the food as we didn't order any but we did have a few local beers on tap. I was a little sad to see they didn't have more local tap options considering Chicago and surrounding areas has such a strong beer scene. This was a typical Irish Pub and it served the purpose we needed for that afternoon. The staff was ok as well as our overall experience. read more

Unfortunately I really wanted to enjoy this place, but the prices are all messed up! Food was dry, no sides listed on the menu, and prices really depended on the waiter. I ordered the chicken tenders (which weren't great in the first place, & one was too hard to eat) and it came with 4 for $14, with such a high price I would have assumed it came with a side, after the waiter listed them for myself, and I went with fries. When the meal came out, it was the $14 tenders + $7 fries as a side. Never would I have paid such price for this menu item. But my friends meal didn't come with a side, but they got one with their wraps.. on the menu it never lists the sides, and doesn't mention which comes with a side vs. not. The waiter could only tell me "I don't make the rules, I don't know what to tell you". Frustrating !! I did really enjoy their buffalo sauce &bucket of beers! read more

Been here twice. Once during a bachelorette party with about 20 girls in the summer and second time on a Sat night with 3 girls in spring. The first time, they were very accommodating for a large party in their patio area. I ordered a Sam Adams beer and it didn't taste right. They needed to change to a new keg and let me exchange for a different beer. The second time, it was a pretty crowded bar on a sat night around 11, but not so packed that I needed to squeeze myself to move around. Since it wasn't too crowded, it was also easy for me to get myself a drink. Good for a neighborhood bar to hang out. Very casual. read more

I went here for a quick drink and it was good. Service was fast and they came around checking in often. Sat outside, pretty good patio area!

I love Declan's! The entire staff is incredible, the food is great (did you know they make pretty much everything in house!?), the drinks are always delicious, and they have a really lovely, spacious patio area! The location in Old Town is ideal! I'm equally impressed by how accommodating and lovely the owner, Dave is, and really just love the entire establishment. If you haven't checked this place out yet, it's as good as it gets! :o) read more

We were really looking forward to going in here for the night cap on this Saturday night (10/24). We understood the New Covid restrictions and all came in wearing masks. (We came at 8:30 for last call) There was so sign to "wait to be seated" and got in trouble for walking in. There was also plenty of open tables. The bartender was so rude to us and so was the server. We felt very uncomfortable and unwelcomed. We immediately left. I used to be a fan of Declan's but won't be going back. read more

Declan's is everything you love about a chicago Irish pub, with good pub grub to match. We had the Wells St burger with sweet potato fries. It was cooked perfectly, and easily big enough for two people to share. They have a solid selection of tap beers, and we were able to sit outside. Great place to watch a game or grab a casual meal and beers. read more

Incredibly slow and rude service on our last trip here (9/25). Ordered an appetizer that didn't come until well after my main. And when it did it was cold so had been clearly sitting out. The server, I believe her name was Orla G, mixed up our order and basically blamed us for it, with an attitude. Had to flag her down for any type of service as she was too busy chatting with off-duty staff to attend to us. Completely unprofessional in all respects. read more

Ordered Carne Asada burger...great mix of flavors from the grilled steak combined with a beef patty, Pico de Gallo, tortilla strips, pepper jack cheese and guacamole. Served with fries. The wait for the meal seemed a bit long but worth the wait. Restaurant has special hours but was open for lunch on Friday. read more

Declan's Irish Pub - Carne Asada burger... - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Came into Declan's on Sunday evening. My boyfriend and I were meeting up with guests from Massachusetts who came to Chicago to run the marathon. We left the options for the night up to these 3 guys, One of which (like my boyfriend) is straight out of Belfast! Naturally we end up at an Irish Pub to start our night! It was my first time at Declan's and I have to say I really enjoyed it! We were immediately greeted when we came in and it wasn't busy for a Sunday night out, it was just how I like it! The bartender was great and super friendly! He was shocked and loved that my drink of choice is straight Neat Whiskey, that night I went with my trusty Tullamore Dew! Before I could even drink my drink our bartender poured us Free Jameson Shots! Again, our bartender was great!! I can see why people enjoy coming here! Everyone I saw seemed to be having a great time, including me and my Irish Entourage! Declan's is the perfect Pub to get the night started for a date and even to meet with a group of friends - they certainly have the room to accommodate! I would definitely come back again! Friendly staff and a heavy pour, what more can you ask for!?! Check out Declan's Irish Pub! I definitely feel inclined to return, I have yet to check out that food menu so stay tuned!! read more

Terrible. I set up my birthday party at Declan's Irish Pub three weeks prior to my party. Initially, I was pleased with the service I received from a guy named Jeff who sets up events/parties at the bar. I explained that there would be 20-30 people and that ideally, we wanted the upstairs portion of the bar (with its own bar in the back) for a casual environment for people to mingle, sit down, not be too crowded, etc... Jeff said that they could definitely give my party the upstairs that evening and that no other party was scheduled and that I did not even need to book a wristband party. Those are just a pain in the ass anyways and no one really likes them. I confirmed with Jeff a few days before the party and I was really looking forward to it, thinking we were set. The night of my party, I get there with six others at 9 p.m, when I was told I'd have the upstairs/tables reserved. We walk in and I speak with a "Jamie." He had no recollection of my reserved party at first, spoke with another guy named TJ behind the bar, came back and told me to go ahead upstairs. Immediately after we walked up there, the bartender up there named Christina told me that my party was downstairs because she had a "wristband" band party that night up there. My friends and I walked back downstairs and Jamie walked up and said that I had two tables downstairs, which was NOT the agreement, nor was I pleased or calm for that matter. If I had known I was going to have two tables downstairs in the middle of the bar, I never would have chosen Declan's. I walked back up to Jamie, told him this was all completely unacceptable and he told me that a "partner" of Declan's or some other dude who was an investor in the bar was having a party and that they had to give him and his guests the upstairs "because of who he was." Okay first of all, I don't care who this person is... the fact of the matter, I reserved the space weeks ago, confirmed earlier that week and I should have been called or contacted prior if there was going to be a complications with my reservation or another party needing the space, etc... A minute or two later, Jamie walked back up to me and apologized, which I appreciated at the time and told me that I was right and that I had booked this weeks ago and that the other "wristband" party would take the downstairs. He did try and rectify the situation, giving us the upstairs, but I was still taken back by his poor customer service and demeanor. As my guests started to show up, I noticed a large group of people not in my party trickle to the upstairs. Then I saw the wristband guy at the top of the stairs and realized that the wristband party was in fact also upstairs. This was complete crap, the people in the other party were complete slime-balls, it was way too crowded, I was stressed out the entire time, and all around it was a terrible experience. I would not recommend Declan's to anyone (sorry Jamie!) and I will not be back. These people do not know anything about customer service or how to run a successful business. Good luck to you guys. Thanks for nothing. read more

The old Spoon...this place is a little on the smaller side venue wise, but it has a great cozy atmosphere. I usually come here on Wed nights for Trivia night, and maybe have been here once or twice on a weekend to watch a game. The service is friendly, but slightly slower... The food is ok...nothing special, and yes vegetarians they do have a Caprese Sandwich and a Portabella sandwich...but its ok... I love the atmosphere and the music is pretty great... Great place to chill with some friends after work. read more

Much nicer than most Irish spots. This was the first stop on a work happy hour and we had the whole upstairs backarea to ourselves. They have a shuffleboard so that's always fun. read more

Fish and chips! Malt vinegar! Cider and Guinness on tap! Oh Declans, for a faux-rish pub you're alright. The staff was friendly and so were the patrons. My gal-pal Angie M. and I bellied up to the bar for some drinks and food. We both ordered the fish and chips, which were crispy and delicious. I had cider and she had a Matilda. Wednesday night is trivia night and we did our best to play along with the questions, with a little help from our new friends sitting next to us at the bar. Declan's is a fun little pub and if I lived in the neighborhood I would definitely be back more often. read more

I unfortunately went here for a quick lunch this weekend. The only good thing about it was that there was no wait for a table. The service was awful.The food took almost an hour with no explanation for its delay. Half of the orders were wrong but we didn't trust them to not take another hour to fix the mistakes. The food was alright but not worth the wait or the price. I will never know what took an hour to make a few sandwiches and a salad, but I do know that I will not be returning. read more

Declan's Irish Pub is a great addition to Old Town. It's pretty small in side but has lots of outdoor seating. There are a few flat screen tv's which are always showing sports games. Seems to be a pretty good crowd and they have great food. Waitresses are cute and staff is really nice :) P.s. this is my first review - How'd I do? :) read more

Went in for a martini, told the woman at the bar what I wanted and she ordered me outside to a table and said someone would be right out. The place was not hopping by any means, just a few people sitting at the bar and a couple at tables outside. Three servers were congregated at the end of the bar chatting. I waited outside for about 5 minute and when no one showed up I left. Its a Monday night for crying out loud and you clearly were busy chatting and not paying attention to customers (which one of those things are you geting paid to do?) I wasn't about to keep waiting because if one of those servers had showed up 10 minutes later how long would I have been sitting there like a lemon waiting for my martini after I placed the order? Sorry but your lazy behavior cost you a good tip on a slow night. I wallked down the street, had a great martini and nice chat with another bartender (who didn't order me outside), paid $10 and left a $5 tip on top. Its not that hard to do a good job serving food or drinks -- you just have to be serious about your work. I know, I used to do it. Of course I'm not 100% sure what the problem was. Perhaps the whole deal was a communication issue, or maybe something went wrong the minute I stepped out the door and they were all called somewhere else to respond to a huge emergency. Like I said though, I know restaurant work and I suspect I encountered a group of lazy gossipy servers. I don't need to know the details and you won't get to make that mistake with me again. I've got cash and two good feet. Buh bye. read more

Went during the Wells Street Art Festival... won't be returning. The menu, probably meant for the festival weekend, was marginal. It wasn't too busy - as there were still empty tables - yet it took over 20 minutes to get our chips and guacamole appetizer... and our glasses sat empty for 15 minutes before our waiter meandered by. The table next to us had 4 people the last of whom waited 30 minutes for her veggies and humus. Regarding the food... Chips and guac was good. The meat on the Chicken sandwich was dry and sparse. The Portabella sandwich had one half with 80% of the mushroom on it. The amount of mushroom resembled the amount used to garnish other sandwiches. The staff was friendly. It was obvious there is a large local crowd because waitstaff and managers all seemed engaged in extended visits while the tables around us sat without food and drinks. read more

I met up with my boyfriend and some friends at Declan's after the Wells Street Art Fair. All of them were already inside when I got there, and there was a brocade (bro-baracade) at the entrance that I tried to make my way through when I heard the bouncers shouting about how they were too crowded and couldn't let anyone else in. I hate waiting to get into places and especially places that shouldn't even require a wait. My boyfriend came out to get me, and they vary graciously let me in after a few people made their way out. We went inside through that back side door, and the place wasn't even that crowded. I ordered a drink and was told they didn't have that particular juice mixer, just one of the 6-7 that were on the menu. Ok, fine. When I went to order a beer, once again, they didn't have the beers listed on their menu, just your crappy domestic beers like Coors Light, Miller LIte, and Bud Light. Once again annoyed. So, another came up to meet us about an hour and a half later. By that time, they were letting people in--the place became unbearably crowded--and charging a $10 cover. Seriously, a $10 cover, give. me. a. break. If we hadn't been in the neighborhood for the art festivals, we would never, ever have gone there. I was not a fan at all. read more

Okay, I already wrote this review on the original page I created before this one was created, and the listing I made was deleted. I was the rightful first reviewer, but I'll let it slide. This place is unneeded in this area. We have very good Irish pubs in Old Town, Corcoran's is a thousand times better. Dirty Bathrooms. Overly friendly, clueless staff. Unappealing music selection. unfresh french fries. Sub-Par Drink list. TINY food menu. go to Corcoran's. skip Declan's. read more

Wonderful authentic Irish Pub! Great place to sit back, have a cold beer and some fresh made comfort food. Whether inside or outside, the ambiance is welcoming and relaxing. Great people and great service. Definite must see! read more

See all

Most of the reviews here seem to be dealing with Declan's as a nighttime drinks spot, so it's worth noting that the place is occasionally open for lunch. Went with my co-workers for a late lunch on a Friday afternoon and we were the only ones in the place (save for a very friendly guy getting drunk by himself at 2:30 in the afternoon. Which, in my opinion, added to the charm of the place rather than detracting. But YMMV.). My friend and I each order the "Hell on Wells" wings, which are reasonably hot - I could only finish five of the ten myself. Service was great, probably because the place was mostly empty. Both the bartender and the cook pretty much came over to our table and hung out, which was fun. My wings were tasty in spite of the heat, and everyone else seemed pretty satisfied with the basic bar food and beer selection. So, if you happen to like standard bar food, and you have a friendly enough job that you can have a beer with lunch, Declan's is worth a visit. It's really the service and the friendliness that sold me. I've been in plenty of mostly empty bars/restaurants before, and the waitstaff often use that as an excuse to hate you - like if it weren't for you, this place would be totally empty right now and they could just relax. So it was kind of nice to have the bartender just come over to our table and hang out. You may or may not like that. Oh, it's also an OU (University of Oklahoma) bar. So, you know. It's 11:07 AM, and OU still sucks. Hook 'em. read more

First time I went it was dead and so the server on staff was able to keep up. We got Fish n Chips, 2 Jameson shots and 2 Guiness and were on our way. I remembered that the fries were exceptional and couldnt wait to come back for that the next time I wanted fish. So I walk all the way down there with a friend after soccer one night specifically for that. They're out of fish. They've also decided to change to "less expensive, new" fries, which are those really big, dry potato wedge steak fries and so they serve me my dry plain burger with those. Terrible. Felt like dipping my burger and fries in my Newcastle so I could swallow it. So yesterday was the best weather all year and since most of Old Town was overpopulated chaos, we opted for Declan's to give it one more try in the hopes of it being more relaxed. We get there to find just that- maybe 50 people between the inside and outdoor patio. In the 15 minutes it took for us to even be ASKED if we were helped yet (not helped, mind you- just asked) I had plenty of time to count the seven servers/bartenders (almost all frazzled-looking dudes) they had. We were sitting at the table closest to the bar too- no excuse- just proactive neglect. Not to mentione the meal recap and addiotional round of bloody mary's the bartender had plenty of time to suggest to the table RIGHT next to us. Mind you- this place is like, EMPTY inside- where we are. After 15 minutes and countless head-down server breeze-bys, I stopped the same server to at least get us a couple of waters since it was 85 degrees out. We drank them and left. And this is not a Yelp review exaggeration- we spent 20 REAL minutes in this hole for 2 waters. We walked back up to a much more capable Irish Pub with 3 times the patrons and a capable staff of hard-working servers and were helped in minutes. This place Declan's is dead to me. Only go if there is no other option. The beauty is in Old Town, there are so, so many options. read more

Went there and found that this is a laid back place great for conversation without the loud sports TV and gangsta rap music that drowns out the conversation. Had some great drink specials and excellent fish and chips... oh, how i dream about them now still.... read more

The bff and I have always talked about going to the city for NYE, staying at a hotel, and hitting up a pub with a package deal for the night. We couldn't decide on what offer to take up this year, so I suggested that we go to the city and use our hotel rewards points this year! She did a simple search for NYE and Irish Pub. See we're allergic to beer, so all we really drink when we're in it for the long haul is cider (we think it's the hops and cider isn't made with hops). Declans was the first and best looking option that came up on the search and, of course, they have cider since they're an Irish Pub! The deal was $60 for 5 hours of drinks and heavy appetizers. So we showed up to the hotel right at check in time to start drinking early and get ready for the night. We head over to the pub at 7pm to have dinner since the site and tickets stated that the package went from 8pm - 1am. Everyone agreed the food was great. We had a couple of their burgers, the sliders, and the portabella sandwhich. We sat at the bar and TJ was our bar keep. Great guy! Apparently the package was posted at the bar waas to begin at 9pm, but TJ started us at 8pm since we had the tickets. We were glad that we sat at the bar for the night. We had great service from TJ and Nicole (the other bar keep)! They indeed added a ton of fun to the night! Though we don't get a waitress at the bar Elizabeth kept stopping by and checking in on us. She was a lot of fun too! The only real complaint that I have would be that the "heavy" appetizers that they promised were only out for a short while at the beginning of the evening (and was only one tray of each offered). If you're going to have people drinking all night there really should be another round offered up later when everyone is half drunk! All in all it was the best night! The staff was really great! We'll be sure to stop in again some time when we're in the city next time! read more

Came here for a friend's fundraising event....well I guess the bar had 'forgotten' that they were coming...YIKES. Or they didnt know they were coming or something...miscommunication for sure. They accomodated so I guess we cant complain too much. Other than that...it was an ok spot to grab a couple of cocktails. There was nothing that was saying that I should come back. It was pretty standard bar....TVs, two different bars...one downstairs, on upstairs. The staff was was...kind of unattentive...however, like I said, no one knew we were coming so maybe they were understaffed. Its a little dark and dingy in there so not the ideal place for a happy hour in the spring, but it'll do. read more

Awesome Chicago Irish Pub! If you're looking for an unpretentious yet classy place to unwind with friends, watch a game (it's an official Nortre Dame bar Chicago) or enjoy a cocktail on a huge patio- this is one of my top suggestions. The namesake is one of the owners who is actually from Ireland and the pub sports decor and art directly imported by him and his Irish family. Adorned with rich mahogany woods (much of which was re-purposed from historic Chicago buildings such as the pillars behind the bar from Chicago's well known Como Inn) plenty of nice high top tables, and a stunning mahogany main bar- this is a truly visually pleasing Irish pub atmosphere. Old Town is a hot neighborhood with a healthy event, bar & nighlife scene so the place (and every-other even half-way decent place in Old Town) can get a bit too crowded for the personal taste of some... but you can't really hold thriving business or being crowded during an event or holiday against a place. There is a second bar and private party room on the second floor, a full kitchen (although a limited menu for the late-night crowd) frequent drink specials, clean bathrooms, and trivia nights. TIP: Try the fried pickles & the burgers are one of the best in Chicago. read more

We came here to grab a bite on a weeknight. the food was fairly lackluster but great sports bar atmosphere. The good: - good place to watch a game and grab a beer. they have a lot of TVs - pretzel bun on burgers! - great tater tots (you can go wrong with tots!) - decent (not great) beer selection the meh or bad: - the wings! Not good...these are not too breaded which is fine. however, the food was a bit cold when it arrived and didn't taste fresh. the mango habanero flavor was not at all spicy given it was considered high on the heat scale per the menu. not a fan of the up charge to get sauce on the side. - we weren't crazy about the carne asada burger....there was nothing to talk about. - generally the food service was slower read more

Dani is one of the best and wittiest wait staff persons of all time. Food and drinks are always great.

Oklahoma Sooners - flock to this place!!! Declan's is without a doubt the OU mecca in Chicago. On a recent trip to Chicago, I was desperate to find a place to watch the season opener that was available on Pay-Per-View only. My on-line search led me to a location that turned out to be the headquarters of the past. The manager was kind enough to point me in the right direction. I'll say! There was a blowup OU player on the sidewalk, they had grilled burgers and a beer coupon specials, the game was on every channel except one (poor TN fan in the corner), OU decorations every where you looked, super excited fans and sponsors, fight song after scoring, you name it, they did it, and all in support of the Oklahoma Sooners. It was really great and the people were very nice - of course they were! - they were OU supporters. The OU club was very excited for football and the staff was extremely supportive and very cool. The burger was delicious, the house made chips too, and the beer was cold and refreshing. I was so glad to be there. Anyway - if I am ever in Chicago and needing to catch the OU game, I will most definitely get to Declan's. Get there early and stay late!!! read more

My wife and I ate here today for he second time. We live on the street. The menu was abbreviated due to the arts festival this weekend. Drinks were weak and barely filled a plastic cup. The house made guacamole and chips were an embarrassment. I believe the chips and guacamole were $10. Small serving with guacamole that tastes like the kind you get in the dairy aisle at the Plum Market. Trying to find a good reason to give them another try in the future, but not looking too good at the moment. read more

Declan's Irish Pub - House Made guacamole???? $10???? Never again! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Declan's is very hit-or-miss. I've had great experiences and poor ones (issues with weak drinks and slow service). But they have pretty good specials. I enjoy their chicken fingers and I love the fish n' chips. The burgers are decent and the prices are within reason. My friends and I really enjoy trivia night on Wednesday. The playlist is stellar, but not so loud that you can't hear the person next to you. The waitress has come to recognize us, and the staff is really nice. They are always willing to take requests to put a specific game on one of the many televisions near you. I've never been to Declan's during the more crowded times, like when the OU games are on. It's just not my scene. But if you're in the neighborhood and need a place to chill and have some drinks and food for a reasonable price, you should stop by. read more

Just got off the phone with my grandpa (18th infantry 1918). He said that storming Normandy was a frolick in the park compared to this bar. This bar makes 9-11 seem like a walk in the park. Sad! read more

Came here for St Patrick's day with my wife and friends. They had a limited menu due to the holiday. I had the chicken quesadilla and my wife a cheese quesadilla. Of course, we had green beer. It was fairly not busy at 10:30am. Started getting very busy around noon. The food was surprisingly very good. The green beer was very good too. It was a good spot for the holiday. Can't talk to other days of the week and weekend. But, imagine that the food would be on par with the holiday food. read more

My friend and I held a charity event here and Declan along with Damien were most helpful. They offered our group many drink specials and even added more as the night went on! They have a great mix of music and make sure to go there for trivia night on Wednesdays! read more

So, what kind of Irish bar plays Country music? Allll night!! With no reprieve. They even have a juke box which we put money in. It took our money and laughed at us and continued to play more country music. They did have a lot of beers though, it seemed. I dont know exactly, as once I noticed Magner's I stopped paying attention. Yay Magners! And they have a dart board. However, it was in a pretty weird and in the way location. read more

You get what you get! It's a pub. With pub food. And loud-mouthed rude regulars who think they own the joint. Drinks were a-ok! Food was great! Staff, while pleasant, needs some training in how to deal with unruly customers. Clientele left much to be desired. Some boozer at the bar - who was obviously a regular - got all sexist-y bent out of shape because the bartenders (male) allowed a server (female) to carry a large bucket of ice. No lie. Seems ridiculous right? Not to this guy. He started cussing about how f-ing ignorant the male employees were, and f-this and f-that. This could have been laughable - but - this guy was not satisfied just bitching. He started harassing other customers - trying to get them to agree with him - and if they didn't - he berated them. Sadly, the spineless staff did nothing to try to shut the guy up. He was also not asked to leave. Which is the real issue here. The staff allowed this guy to bully them. If I'm at a pub and some guy starts acting like an a-hole and harassing other patrons - I want to see his ass bounced out. Period! OF NOTE: The female servers sport a modified Hooter's look. If you're into that - then this is the place for you! Declan's Irish Pub could easily be renamed Hot Shorts and Racks. read more