This restaurant has become a frequent destination for our group. Food and service has been amazing. Yesterday there was a slight disagreement over channel choices as several games were being aired at the same time. Management handled this with great diplomacy despite a customer attempting to bully them. Thanks for making an uncomfortable situation more tolerable. read more

The bartender Sebastian needs to be retrained on customer service & how to make a proper old fashioned. I ordered three old fashions Whistle Pig 10 year & was later informed that there was only enough whistle pig whiskey to make two drinks. I compromised and asked for the third drink to be made with another brand. He then proceeded to make the old fashions & he obviously ran out of enough whiskey & attempted to just substitute the volume of liquid in our glasses by adding an excessive amount of simple syrup. The old fashions were overly sweet, and the worse old fahions I've ever tasted. I could not finish it and sent it back to him. To make matters worse, Sebastian didnt care when I told him about it, nor did he ask if we wanted to order something else. He simply proceeded to close out our bill and tend to other customers as if I was an inconvenience to him. It is not the type of experience I would expect inside a Bar in downtown Chicago where Im just trying to enjoy a good old fahion. I would rethink visiting this location and simply stay away. read more

They make the rules up as they go. Tried to Come in on Friday night to have a night cap, we had left overs from a restaurant that we previously went to, security said we can't enter because we had left overs. Gave it a second try on Sunday with a party of 3, tried to get a table by the window said we needed a party of 4 for that table. The place had a low population of customers so we could have sat at the window. The Emerald does not value the customer or the customer experience! read more

After walking for 4 hours, we stopped at this place to eat our lunch. The restaurant is in a building 1920 something, a jewelry business place, and still inside a lot of history. The service is nice and fast, and our beyond burger with waffles fries were delicious! The price is reasonable. The Arnold Palmer was really good too! read more

See all

Great atmosphere and reasonable prices and open late. Service was good and quick. Easy access to public transportation. Lively place and will be returning read more

Walked over from our hotel on a Saturday night for drinks party of 4 and they did not mind at all when we wanted to change tables to the bar area service was great and besides drinks we had nachos and they were so good. read more

The food and the drinks was wonderful. The ambience of the place is amazing. I love the style and I also love the relaxed feeling you get when you come here the surface was amazing. The waitress who served us provided excellent recommendations for breakfast spots and suggested some popular tourist attractions for us to visit in Chicago. We appreciate your service. read more

See all

We were staying across the street at Virgin, and they stopped serving food around 10pm on Thursday -- so we were recommended to order here. We decided to dine in and arrived around 11pm and the place was packed! Seated in a tucked away spot, we jammed to the fab early 00s hits and noshed on their classic cheeseburger w/ waffle friends and the grilled chicken sandwich w/ house made chips. Both were bomb!!!!!!! We didn't drink but had a great time and delicious food. Def recommend for late night eats or some drinks with friends nice vibes. read more

Emerald Loop Bar & Grill - Grilled Chicken Sandwich - Irish Pub Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were walking past this place and wandered in figuring we'd grab a burger and keep going. What a great decision that was! It has a nice, warm pub feel, and the staff was super friendly and welcoming. There were three in our group and we were pleasantly surprised to see their menu with a wide variety of options. I had a wrap with turkey, pears, cranberries, and lettuce, and every bite was excellent. One friend raved about her tomato bisque, and the other raved about their blackened salmon salad with grilled tomatoes. I look forward to eating here again! read more

I used to visit this place in it's 'hey day' when it was VERY hard to get in on St Patrick's day, or during the big sports events. I never went for the Super Bowl or World series, but we visited for a few soccer or basketball games. It's much less crowded these days. Could it be just less 'hip', or is the food different? We came in for the morning 3rd place World Cup qualifier between Morocco and Croatia at 10am on a Saturday. I don't think I went in in 2019 during the Women's world cup. We thought an Irish pub would be packed but it was quiet as a church. (the odd smell of the place was like a noise in and of itself!) The service was good, the food was ok. I got the egg sandwich on pretzel bread with hash browns, coffee and beer. I usually enjoy my time here but the food and ambiance have changed in recent years. They have a rewards program that hopefully will be more of an incentive for frequent visits. read more

Emerald Loop Bar & Grill - Irish Pub Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Great menu and variety of offerings, staff is friendly and efficient greeting you as soon as your seated. I tried the corn beef sandwich with side of choice mash potatoes. It came with gravy as well for the mash potatoes. The corn beef fell apart and was on a rye bread with melted cheese. I tried the draft special which was a dark lager. Plenty of tvs to watch the games from any angle. Overall good service and value. read more

Emerald Loop Bar & Grill - Irish Pub Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of the few places open late on a weekday night, so if you are in need of food while late... I would still probably skip this place. The food is mediocre at best and the service was very bad. We were standing there waiting to be seated for about 30 min and seemingly other people who knew one of the servers was seated immediately upon walking in. The servers were also very rude in general, not just the one with preferential treatment. Not a great experience and not a good look. You are better off going to Taco Bell and getting a drink and some food there. It would be faster and probably less hair straining than going here. read more

Emerald Loop Bar & Grill - Sweet Chili Sriracha Wrap - Irish Pub Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My brother and I came here on a whim for brunch. They did both their regular menu plus their brunch menu. Their prices were very good and they had plenty of availability. I tried the All day Irish Breakfast as it looked really unique and I've never really had anything I would consider "traditional" Irish food. Overall, it was good, but it felt like eating a home cooked meal but with maybe more British/Irish ingredients. I thought it was tasty and worth trying because of its uniqueness but I probably would get something else if I came back. We also got a brisket grilled cheese and irish Sausges, and both of those were great as is. The service was great and we came on a Sunday afternoon so it was very peaceful. read more

See all

We arrived at Emerald Loop for an early dinner on the patio. We were greeted right away by a lovely young woman who was still training. I ordered a glass of wine and my partner ordered a cran and ginger (which she misheard as crown and ginger). They quickly brought her the right drink though. I ordered a "beyond" burger with a side of brussels sprouts and my partner got fish and chips. The food was great, came quickly and was exactly what you'd expect from a pub style restaurant. Very good. read more

Service was good! Burger was very large, fried pickles and Mac and cheese didn't have a lot of flavor. Restaurant was clean and bit loud! read more

See all

Great happy hour prices-- Blue Moons, Fried Pickles, Mules, etc. Food was standard, service was standard, but the ambiance was amazing ! Such a great building. read more

Food was great, cider was delicious, very enjoyable spot for a drink and a meal. Lovely ambiance, we were lucky enough to be there just as they were decorating for the holidays. read more

Fast, friendly service here. The steak salad was delicious with a bunch of fresh ingredients and the cilantro lime dressing paired great with it. read more

There was a bit of an issue with our drink orders. The table all requested lemon drop martinis with sugar around the rim with one who requested no sugar at all. Some were brought out with salt and little to no sugar on the others. This was a concern but not an a huge they just requested that the next drinks be made correctly. The server was not great at all. She mentioned well I let the bartender know and carelessly placed on the drink as though that would suffice. I understand that sometimes is not you but it's important to handle those issues with grace and a positive attitude. So long in short very poor service and but decent food nonetheless. Nothing special tbh. The bathrooms also needed to be cleaned. One of my favorite things about the experience would definitely be the ambiance. It's a nice slightly up scale spot to have drinks and relax with a friend. Just as a disclaimer it is pretty dark in most of the restaurant which can be a turn off for some folks. read more

See all

Amazing Irish pub food with the BEST on tap options to fit! (May I please suggest the Magners Irish hard cider on tap if you aren't a "beer person" it's sweet and easy to drink too! The ambiance fits what you think an American Irish pub is without being gawdy like so many fall into. The service fits, I've never had a bad waitstaff personally, either at the bar or table sitting... read more

I'm not too sure how I feel about this restaurant. I've walked past it so many times I can't count. They recently opened back up following the holiday season and I thought it'd be amazing to go with my guy. I came here on a Monday night about 10:30 pm and upon entry there was no one to greet us or seat us. I assumed they were dealing with a office party because it was a large section of people in one area. Despite, I don't believe it gives excuse to not be acknowledged and at least acknowledge that they're busy or short staffed. Anywho... my guy found us seats at the bar in the corner. Perfect! The bartender was a total sweet heart and super attentive despite the large crowd. We ordered some drinks ($13) and he ordered the corned beef sandwich while I ordered the blackened whitefish sandwich. Food: At a traditional "authentic" Irish pub, there's supposed to be sauerkraut on the corned beef sandwich. This wasn't the case and I don't feel the sandwich was proportioned. Either you're going to slab on the meat or make it so there's a nice ratio of flavors between each bite. Didn't happen which is yikes on a bike for me. The blackened whitefish sandwich lacked acidity and juiciness to me. I wanted more slaw and the chipotle mayo. The serving of the mahi mahi was large so that was a plus! But the veggies added didn't make up for the lack of flavor. I just wanted more - I was white filled but still felt empty. Not a good feeling when you're spending $18 on a meal. I'd return and try the wings (heard amazing things) and the bangers and mash. read more

You know how you visit a city and stay downtown at a reasonably nice hotel but it's kind of dead on weeknights and you wander into some nearby restaurant for dinner and a drink, not expecting much? Well I am jealous of people staying in that northeast area of the Loop for some series of business meetings because they are going to wander into the Emerald Loop and have a great meal. It's an Irish pub, but perhaps in the same sense that Olive Garden is an Italian bistro. Not that it's a chain, but I wouldn't say it feels richly authentic. Put all that out of your mind though. It's awesome. Four of us split an Irish sausage roll to start. Super. Not heavy or greasy at all. Tasty mustard and onion jam too. Two of us ordered Old Fashioneds and two ordered the Mark Twain cocktail, sucked in by the literary reference. Too much sweet and not enough scotch for us. The old fashioned was great though, and we all ordered them on the second round. When the entrees came out, we all got uncharacteristically quiet because... wow. I, for one, started eating like it was my job. Perfectly fried fish and chips, and a brisket grilled cheese for the ages. The waiter recommended the mac and cheese and he was not wrong. Entree portions were very generous, yet we ate it all because we Could. Not. Stop. Emerald loop is close to theaters and Symphony Center and a terrific spot for a pre-show dinner. We'll definitely be back, pretending to be out of towners and being pleasantly surprised again by this place. read more

Great place to grab a beer and a quick bite late at night. The Sheppard Pie was good and filling! Crowded but not terrible.

I really, really liked this place. I stumbled in--after a long day filled with airports and taxis--exhausted, desperate for food. At that point, I would have eaten the paper menu they handed me and there was a 50/50 shot I was going to fall asleep in my chair. I didn't fall asleep, but I did have a lovely naan flatbread pizza (I think the dough was even homemade?) with fresh basil and sausage. It filled me up, the bartenders made me a delicious non-alcoholic concoction (and didn't charge me for it), and no one batted an eye at the fact I was obviously tired and casually dressed. This place was busy, but noise wasn't too bad. Sports were on the TVs, everyone seemed happy, and it was literally across the street from my hotel so it was convenient to me. No service issues here, tasty food, they have lots of happy hour specials if that is your thing. read more

Stopped in recently for a Bloody Mary. Was in town for business and had the day to myself so I was walking around the city. The first bartender I saw said the other guy made a great Bloody Mary. When it arrived, it had a skewer with some veg and a piece of cheese, a slice of sausage and a bit of bacon...ugh. I wish I'd thought to ask about the garnish. I'm vegan. So, 5 second rule applies - I took it out & moved on. The Bloody Mary, though, was just not that great. I could've gotten one at least as good from an Applebees or Chilis. It was nothing special. read more

Good selection of drinks and deals, but my fish and chips was average at best. The fries were soggy and the fish was overcooked and way too much batter. My wife enjoyed her Irish Salad though, so we were spilt on the place. read more

I surprised myself and really liked Emeral Loop. I'm not much of a pub person for beverages or casual food but I left thinking I will definitely return. As we walked in, I thought the place was really cute. It felt super clean too. They had put out their fall decor which made it feel very cozy. Our server was fantastic. He was super friendly and helpful. We had people join us later and he handled everyone nicely. We ordered the nachos and truffle fries. Both were large in size and in flavor. Everything seemed super fresh too. I love that they are available for a quick bite for after work cocktails and are open late for after concert or theater munchies or for visitors staying at the nearby hotels. read more

See all

This was a very nice experience! Wanted to go to downtown Chicago my hometown roots and dine outside to help our restaurants during these times ! The waiters name was Scotty who was very nice and from Ireland! I had corn beef sandwich served warm! It was tender and reminded me of a brisket ! Just enough fat and lean to make it juicy! Dark rye and Swiss not a turban ! Fries were good... my daughters sandwich looked good with avocado ! Yum She changed to white bread from wheat! Her waffle fries were crunchy ! They had hand sanitizer and turned on the heaters ! Cold brisk warmth good food and pleasant service calm atmosphere all in one! I will go back when we are normal again or sooner! Thumbs Up! read more

See all

This sports bar was worth the wait. I stayed in line for about 30 min to get a table and I have no regrets. The food was amazing and at a great price. read more

Emerald Loop Bar & Grill - Irish Pub Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Great food and reasonable prices. The restaurant's decor and service are also very good. A must go for late night food in downtown Chicago!

This place was great for us!! We got about 30 appetizers and a bunch of drinks in a nice, secluded area. It was very kind of them to let us all bunch up privately and the waitress was awesome/so patient with all of us! Loved all the food, especially the Mac & cheese classic!! Nachos were great and churros were okay too. I don't live in Chicago but would definitely come back here. read more

Emerald Loop Bar & Grill - Irish Pub Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Great bar and beers... sit outside and watch the world go by! Next time I will try the food as it looks delicious! read more

Emerald Loop Bar & Grill - Irish Pub Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing experience for a group of 8 that the hostess wonderfully accommodated (without a reservation). Service was fantastic, ambiance was wonderful (classic Irish Pub decorated surprisingly well for the Christmas holiday) and our food and drinks were delicious. Our group ordered the nachos, fried pickles, salad, fish and chips, corned beef sandwich, and wraps - everyone had extremely positive reviews. Will be back next time we visit Chicago! read more

Went here with family again. This time to celebrate my graduation! The server and staff was really nice and most of my food was great! read more

See all

Good venue. Parking is challenging. Happy hour specials are nice. Smithwicks on tap! Large space with lots of seating options. TV's but it can get loud. read more

We had a reservation on a Sunday night for dinner and there were only 3 of us. After being sat, no one even saw us for 20 minutes. Then we asked for waters, an appetizer (fried pickles), and our entrees all at the same time. Our app came out and the one drink someone ordered, a Diet Coke, was forgotten about and I had to flag down our server to ask for it again. The food was fine but not worth coming here again. read more

I dIdn't know what to expect at this little joint, but it seemed lively and was across the street from my hotel. So I dropped in for a nightcap. The general premise is that it's an Irish-themed bar. When I arrived (~10p on a school night), it was indeed energetic, busy and pretty loud. The bartender told me they had a large party show up which appeared to be the source of said camaraderie. That's ok, they were having fun! I looked around and there were people of all different ages, backgrounds and genres. They had a decent selection of beers on tap and since I sat at the bar, I saw everything from a martini to a Moscow mule being made. I also had a nice convo with a man from Houston who sat next to me. He ordered chicken wings and remarked that they were quite good. This place reminded me a bit of Connor's Pub in Broad Ripple, albeit cleaner and less divey. I'd come back. read more

Emerald Loop was tasty but the service was lacking. We came on a Sunday at 2PM and it was not busy in the slightest. Maybe 8-10 tables were full with a few at the bar. We got seated immediately and didn't see our server for 10-15 minutes, which wasn't a crazy wait. When he came over he took our appetizer and drink order and then we didn't see our truffle fries come out for 35-40 minutes later. He didn't deliver to food, another man did. I didn't take a picture of the truffle fries because I forgot (I WAS STARVING). Then FINALLY he came back over and asked how it was and took our entree order. The entree came out much quicker (20-ish mins) and was again not delivered by our server. When we got our food he didn't come over and ask how it was or give us more water. The truffle fries were delish and came with 3 dipping sauces. For my entree I got a turkey club and a side of mac and cheese which was soooo yummy (especially the mac). My boyfriend got the steak club with waffle fries. Overall the food was great just the service wasn't the best! read more

Emerald Loop Bar & Grill - Irish Pub Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Food is really done well. Service is not very good. It appears new ownership. Not the same Irish Pub from the past. Sorry to say but this is real read more

This place was fairly busy and lively post-marathon. It's well located near many attractions and the financial district. We only ordered drinks which were standard pub offerings. I opted for a margarita which was just ok. Unfortunately the server spilled 1/4 of it and served it as it was. read more