I've been to many Iowa Hawkeyes Bars in the city of Chicago before but this was ABSOLUTE BEST experience in an Iowa Hawkeyes bar by FAR!!! We ordered the Maple BBQ and Buffalo wings, tacos, and tater tot nachos: everything was PHENOMENAL! The buffalo sauce and tator tots in particular hit the perfect gameday spot! The service was exceptional for how busy they were and Laura took the best care of us all day. She recommended the perfect sour beer and it was so good we drank the bar out of it! Great overall bar selection, the Bloody Mary and Margarita pitcher were also top notch! Stop into this great little place for an Iowa game or wanting to sit back and have a good draft beer. read more

The few times I stopped in was for the half-off Tuesday deal or to grab a few drinks before seeing a show at the iO Theater. You can't be the Tuesday deal which everything is half off except for the expensive stuff (not valid when there is a Cubs game). Nothing super special about Merkle's. A good place to catch a game and slam some beers. The burger was pretty tasty laid on a pretzel bun with crispy fries tossed with parmesan which kicks them up a notch. They did have a $6 burger basket deal during the Cubs game on a Tuesday. I've only visited this establishment before the night crowd moved in or never showed up, not sure. But overall I had a good experience with the bar tenders and wait staff. So no complaints there. I don't see myself heading out of my way for a night out at Merkle's. If you're in Wrigley and looking for a spot that's not so crowded for some sporting event this is your place. read more

It's ok. The specials are ok. The food's ok. The service is ok. Really, I can't think of anything else to say. Not bad, not great. read more

Let me sum this place up with a few experiences and statements: Big dude gave me the I-wanna-beat-you-up-face just for existing. I can't walk in or out without doing several shots. Bartenders are cool. The KFC man is in there. You can dance after you've had all the shots and have lost your inhibitions. Other big dudes may wanna fight. Girls rub their fake ones on you. Just have fun and nobody will get hurt. read more

"No Pizza only Khal Kalash" is one of my favorite lines on the Simpson's. I feel like this guy should serve up a warning about the food here. Only Khal Kalash probably wasn't this bad... or maybe again it was. Appetizer Sampler ordered for a bunch of friends: the potato skins were still half frozen, the wings were soggy, the fried cheese wedges only half warm, and well at least the pretzel bites were almost decent. My burger was a soggy mess that was almost palatable, but my stomach seemed to disagree. The beer selection is paltry and I don't know why anyone would go here over the other wrigleyville choices. They really hit a boner on this one. I guess the dollar bills tacked up all over the walls should have been a sign. Oy. In short: "No bar food only Khal Kalash!" "What do you have to wash this stuff down?" "We have mountain dew and crab juice" "Yeckh thats disgusting, I'll take the crab juice" Heck the crab juice might have been a better choice then the food and drinks here. Avoid at all costs read more

I only go to Merkle's for their Fred's Friday Afterwork (still think it is called that), so this review is of that. . . 3 hour, $10 all you can drink including Bud Light? - Check Free Chicken Wings and Pizza? - Check Sport on TV's? - Check (usually) Big Buck Hunter Machine? - Check Only qualm is that they don't do this deal during Cubs afternoon games (but I can't really blame them for that, I wouldn't offer it either). I know people complain about the "return your glass to get a refill rule", but if you are nice to the waitresses they will bring you a beer while you finish the one you got (if you can't finish it while they are going to get another then don't ask for it . . in fact, just leave, you obviously can't drink a beer). I personally think the staff is cool. The first two times I went there I got too drunk and I forgot to tip the waitresses. When I returned I apologized b/c I felt like a dick and one of them said "it's cool, the way you were slamming those beers I am surprised you found your way home". Now on out me and the normal waitresses have a deal that I tip them before I get my first beer. read more

Sophie is the best bartender ever!! She was so fun and took such great care of us. Just wish she would've shown more tit. Just kidding. Love her. read more

Uh oh, Look what the cat dragged in (SMH). That's right, good ol' Merkle's. Unless you're a University of Iowa grad, 25 or under, 45 or older, don't even bother. Think Jersey Shore and multiply the douche factor times 1.5 and you have Merkle's. But wait, I'm a Jersey Shore fan, so maybe I should strike that from the Review. I'll get back to you all on that. Moving on..... Admittedly, I've come here willingly when every place on Clark Street is packed and I feel too important to wait in line, and Cubs days it is a much better crowd, but if you are in your late 20s or 30s, pass on Merkle's, just say no. Lots of Born and Raised in the Midwest young girls who are bombed all the way into next Tuesday, so it's always train-wreck great for people watching, but please don't show up here expecting to be productive. Define productive in anyway you see fit. As always, I think it's important to point out for college affiliated bars in Chicago: If you root for the University of Iowa, this place is a 5 star. Get in here ASAP! If you have no money and/or are 21-25, this is a 3 star on price alone, 4 star if you are two sheets to the wind..... Everyone else, come at your own risk. For me, it's a 2 star, but I can't rate it as such simply because I am NOT their target audience, so I have no one to blame for coming here but myself, and won't punish this establisment for running it the way they want to and making countless kids orgasmic over who knows what. That'd be liike me going to Hydrate and rating it a One star. Not fair. I also hate their pre-warnings/last call announcements for closing. They act like they're closing down Hip Hop night in Watts. (lights flashing violently) "Beware of Douche's gone wild, please exit in an orderly fashion with your hands out of your pockets, it could get dangerous!!!" Child Please...... Come to think of it, if you are here closing down this bar, you need to seriously re-evaluate your social life. If you fit the profile detailed above, head on in and drink yourself silly. You won't find me there (cough cough). read more

My first time in here was with some of my younger friends (25-27, I'm 30). Not that I'm an old fart, but I felt like should have had a cane and a Mr. Roger's sweater. I'm willing to bet that half the clientele that evening swiped their older sibling's ID to get in, or had graduated from Iowa earlier that afternoon. This actually brought on wave after wave of memories from my 21-25 year old days, and I wondered, was I this ridiculous? But I tease the kids because I love them. Anyway, the bar, I couldn't figure out. I get confused when the decor of the bar indicates "Neighborhood Pub" but then they are blaring The Chronic 2001 over the stereo system. The food was good, however, and we got very good service considering the busy state of the place. This could have been because our waitress recognized the fact that we looked like we had been promoted out of the mail room and would actually tip her more than $4. But hey, that's how the world runs, I guess. I'd go back, but probably only for a drink or twenty. read more

I can't stand this place...I have been here on several occasions, keeping thinking, "Oh it will be better this time". NOPE! The staff is awful and always has an attitude...bouncer, server, bartender, whoever. The women's bathroom had only 1 working toliet on a Saturday night out....and the staff was pissed the line was 15 women long. The food is decent (only had the $1 burgers served with a free attitude from the staff b/c we didn't get drinks). Beer is overpriced. Good place if you are wasted and don't care what is happening around you. I will take my business elsewhere. read more

Holy Jesus does this place blow. Maybe midnight on fourth of July isn't the right time to go, but judging from the other reviews, this place just kind of always sucks. The clientele is super weird- lots of late 20's to mid-30's sloppy folks awkwardly getting their groove on. It's not pretty. I mean, that's it. It's just a hole-in the wall sports bar in Wrigley. Not a place to see and be seen, just a place to drink and make bad decisions with slightly unattractive people who are past their prime. Too honest? Ouch. Sorry. We were supposed to go to Justin's. I'd suggest there over Merkle's any day. read more

Merkles is a fairly low-key, no frills bar compared to the other spots in and around Wrigleyville, but gotta give them props for offering up $5 burger & fries during every Cubs home game, which is noble considering all the other bars on Clark really take you to the bank when the Cubs are in town. There's no better deal to get a bite to eat before the game than Merkle's. Also props to their wait staff for being friendly inviting folks. Oh, and try their wings...probably the best wings I've had in Wrigleyville. So ditch the hype and go to a real bar and get some real good food at a great value. Props. read more

Compared to the other bars located near Wrigely, this was cheap and low-key. They offer up $5 burger & fries during every Cubs home game. This bar has a college feel to it, which makes it perfect for watching Iowa Hawkeye football games. Looking for more Iowa Natives to review this bar, though. read more

Maple barbecue wings and tenders were outstanding. Cheese curds were good, plenty of beer to choose from. Staff was friendly and attentive, lots of TVs to watch all the sports. read more

I stopped in prior to seeing the Mets play the Cubs at Wrigley. Met fan-friendly bar (although none of the bars I went into had antagonistic fans) which was appreciated. Awesome mac and cheese bites and even better tator tots-- crispy, golden brown, dusted with what seemed to be kosher salt-- they evoked fond memories of my high school cafeteria. Nice selection of beers on tap and fun atmosphere. Service at the bar was a little slow, but expected. Great place for some food prior to the game. read more

Merkles!!!! It's the start of the Bears season and I thought I was going to my favorite bar that has Bears brunch. Nope. I am so disappointed. I had to go to Dueces. I hate Dueces! But it doesn't suck as much as Merkles without Bears brunch. read more

Merkle's - PS if you are going to suck and not have Bears brunch - take it off the website!!!!! - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is amazing for being in the heart of high priced wrigleyville. They sponsored our broomball team and that night happened to be $3 you call it and $2 dollar burgers. So after a winning night on the ice we had a meal and tons of drinks for around $15 a person! Wait staff is awesome for the amount of people they tend to. Our favorite waitress covers the whole back room and she is fast and never writes anything down. I dunno how she does it! Looking forward to winning the flip cup tourney! ***Update*** The Flip Cup Tourney is off the charts awesome! You get some much free booze and food and flip cup love.. I just hope people wont be sad when I beat every single one of them! Come to Merkles on a sat and you wont be disappointed! read more

I've only been here once, so maybe this review is unfair, but I wasn't impressed. My boyfriend had a friend coming to town, and we thought it would be fun to get the night started with some trivia before going out on a Friday night. We looked up what bars had trivia on Fridays, and there was only one -- Merkle's. We were stoked because I live in Wrigleyville, and this bar was only about a block and a half from my house. Also, the website listed an all you can drink special for $15 as well as a sweet deal on wings. It couldn't have been more perfect if we planned it! Why the negative review then? Well, we show up and ask the bouncer when trivia starts. He says it's been cancelled. Disappointing, but what can you do? We decided to stay anyway. There was a band, and the guys were hungry, so why not? Our waitress comes by and while screaming over the super loud music we ask "What specials do you have tonight?". She says, a little rudely I might add, "None". No explanation, or elaboration or anything. Here is the thing, I'm not super high maintenance or nit-picky when it comes to bars (especially not Wrigley bars) but if you say you are going to have something -- be it an event, a special, or whatever, is it really so hard to just to have it? My boyfriend ordered the tacos, they were all right. His friend ordered a grilled cheese and fries, which he says were pretty spectacular. The fries and the band (which was loud, but played good songs) are why they get two stars. However, we left feeling disappointed and frankly a little cheated. I'm not saying I'll never go back, or that this is the worst bar around, I'm just saying it wasn't a good experience and when there are thousands of other bars to pick from, ones that actually deliver on what they promise, Merkle's will never be the top of my list. read more

Probably best 'party' bar in Wrigleyville. I define party bar that can get kinda loud and has college age and post college crowd trying to have a good time. Also a No-Blazer zone. Great if you're trying to avoid the adjoining hell holes known as Mo's and Barleycorn read more

Leo - By far the best bartender I've encountered in decades. This guy can read his customers and cater to them providing the friendliest environments to customers and contribute to the success of this Tavern. Food- 1/4 lb bacon cheeseburger with avocado. Best F*&N burger I've had maybe ever. Fries were AWESOME Thanks Leo!!! Malort - will do man. read more

I've only ever been here on a Friday night, so I can't comment on how gross this place is on Cubs home game days or during weekend late-nights with the gross bro crowd. Friday night at Merkle's is trivia night! From 6-9 p.m., the bar offers a wristband special: $15 for domestic draft beers and wings or $25 for better beers, well drinks and wings. This is a great special to have on trivia night because I can definitely drink $15 worth of light beer and have a few wings, which makes that entire bracelet worth it. Trivia gets pretty busy, so arrive by 630 to grab a table for trivia at 7. Parking outside sucks and its terrible, so don't even plan on that as an option. Take a bus, train or cab. The bar seems to empty out around 10 since trivia is over, but I'm not sure what happens later in the evening. Come for trivia - it's worth it. read more

EWW. I walked in here yesterday to meet someone, and the entire floor was coated in a sticky substance. Not sure what it was, but I'd be willing to guess it's a cocktail of jager bombs, rum & diets, vodka crans, and whatever else all the college kids are drinking (or spilling) these days. To top things off, one of the bathroom stalls was having technical difficulties - and people were still using it. I'll spare everyone the details but suffice it to say that at that point, I almost puked in my mouth. After spending exactly five minutes in this dump, I abandoned my brand new drink and got the eff out of dodge. If I ever return, I'll have to be dragged back in. read more

Dear Merkle's, You are like my favorite tshirt that is always my go to when I don't know what to wear. You put me in a good mood when I am blue. You nourish me with great food and beverages. I feel like I may see a goldfish after consuming many fishbowls. Col Merkle is almost like a family member. I love you Merkle's. Love always, Katrina read more

Merkle's may be a bro dude attraction on the weekends but on weeknights it's really laid back and a nice place to watch a game or have a conversation. The food is above average bar food, but they do have some stand outs. The soft pretzels are by far the best app they have and come with a variety of dipping sauces. The spinach dip is also a appetizer favorite. Their Tuesday special knocks food and drink down to half price which is a great deal considering the outstanding tap they have. The craft beers are only 25% off on Tuesdays but it's still a great deal. They frequently update their page on beermenus.com and keep their own website pretty up to date as well. Service is always stellar and with a smile. Even the bouncer will take time to have a conversation with you if he gets a chance. read more

Wrigleyville isn't really my scene, but once or twice in the summer I will make my way up there for some good old laid back day drinking. Merkle's was our first stop on the day drinking trolley this Saturday. Pretty standard bar. It wasn't super packed and I liked that. We were able to find a table pretty fast and get drinks and food ordered. LOVED the mini corn dogs. I would come back. Staff was nice and attentive. Drinks were ok and reasonably priced. read more

I've been to Merkle's several times and generally I like it. The food I have to say is always great. I've never been there and been disappointment. I was however disappointed in the service. There were literally two tables (a total of 4 people) and we had the worst service. My friend I was getting up to walk the 4 feet to the bar to get our drink since our waitress was clearly not going to come over to get us another drink. I talked him out of it because I feared our waitress would get rather insulted. Well I shouldn't have talked him out of it. Sadly it took her at least 10 more minutes to come over and get our drinks and then we waited forever for our check. I will be back because I like the food, but I'll probably sit at the bar. At least the waitress was honest when we were asking her opinion on the food (we were trying to eat something different from what we normally eat.) She was dead on with her suggestions. read more

Fred Merkle must have been a very average man and ballplayer. This is how I sum up Merkle's: it's not good, it's not bad, it's just there. There is nothing that really separates this place as being unique. I've never had an amazing time there, I've never had a bad time. The drinks aren't expensive, and they are not cheap. The food is standard bar food, some things being above average, some being below average. I do have to say I've always had great service from the bartenders and waitresses here, and it's a chill place to watch a game. The bartender on football Sundays is very friendly and attentive. If I'm walking by this place, chances are I'll stop for one, since, you know, it's there. read more

This is hands down one of my favorite places to go before the Cub's game. It's also great for hangover Sunday's, but first and foremost, before Cub's games. Why? Well, most importantly they have Magner's. ~A cider from Ireland that is more bubbly than apple juice and not as tart as Woodchuck-it's the best stuff on Earth! It's called Bulmers in Ireland. You can do an entire bar crawl on Clark going to places that serve Magners. Back to Merkle's. They have the absolute BEST grilled cheese sandwiches ever!! They are huge, really huge. Two people can split unless you are over zealous and think you can take it all down yourself:)If you want a really fatty go of it, get ranch on the side. It's the perfect start to a day game or night game and all the fun that coincides with either. read more

Omg. My friend just got a grilled cheese sandwich and the entire corner of the sandwich was green, literally green with mold. The staff said that it was grease, wtf. Since when was grease green, wtf. They replaced it but it was such nonsense. Do NOT eat here. read more

We ordered from Merkle's around 12:30 from Grubhub. They did not show, but marked it was delivered. When we tried calling Merkle's, no one picked up. We waited 2 hours, had to call Grubhub and reorder from another restaurant. Don't waste your time or money. :-( read more

This is my hidden gem spot for pre-Cubs game sustenance. I say hidden because even though this is featured on the Clark street strip of Wrigley bars, I never have trouble finding a table. The deal you say? $6 burger and fries before Cubs games paired with $3 drafts. Say Whaaaat? My reaction exactly. The burger is just your standard burger, but the fries are crispy and the food comes out quickly. If you've ever been to a Cubs game, you know the importance of padding your stomach with a hearty meal and this is a way to do it to ensure that you do have a little money leftover for those $6.75 beers at Wrigley. PS: their wings are really really awesome. read more

This was the first wrigley bar I have ever been to and love it. It's narrow but cozy. We would always come on a Friday night because they have $15 all you can drink wells and beers wristbands that also include free food ( usually pizza and wings). The deal last as long as their trivia does and it's a lot of fun! We usually try to get a group of 6. Of course, there's always a bunch of people cheating but one one really takes the trivia too seriously so it's a good time. I really suggest this place as a bar to start out at. read more

This is a generally average wrigleyville bar. I probably wouldn't normally come here very often, except they're sponsoring my rec soccer league team so we're obligated to. They have an average beer list, average food, and and a friendlier-than-average staff of servers. It attracts a younger crowd (less than 25, it seems). Nothing wrong with this place, just nothing exceptional! read more

Before the rush of the post-Cubs game crowd flooded this place we had stellar service. Once the people began pouring in our service went to hell in a hand basket. I'd avoid this place during any busy time. It gets packed and the people become continually more rude. However, before the fill up, I was able to take down a fantastic burger. I think it was called the moo oink tweet burger. I love burgers with egg on it and this one (as well as the fries) were delicious. read more

We go to Merkles every week after our glamorous Broomball games on Tuesdays. They have great specials, plus we always get the same waitress and she remebers what drinks we ordered the last time we were there. It makes me feel warm and special inside to be honest. And there is always some very interesting people watching.... read more

This watering hole is a great place to stop by after a Cubbies game. Wooden tables and bar give Merkle's a touch of class on a street that is littered with breeder bars. The prime location is one of the window seats -- during the summer they open into the street and you can get some good people watching in while you're drinking. The music selection is pretty unique because it's everyone that works there's iPods plugged into the speakers. Have yourself a Bootie Call -- but beware, they just may kick your booty! read more

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It certainly helps that I am a big Hawkeyes fan, but going to Merkles provided a very nice happy hour experience. Drinks and food were half off last night (Tuesday Night), so that made me happily surprised when the check came. I had the Spicy Chicken Wrap, and it certainly lived up to the name - it was very spicy, and quite tasty. The waitress was attentive and very sweet. I would definitely go back - this is one of the better happy hour / Wrigleyville locations I have been to. All in all, it's really clean, the food tastes good, it has a casual and relaxed environment, and there's friendly service. Recommended!! read more

This rating is in comparison to other bars in the area, and doesn't necessarily reflect it's overall rating in the realm of Chicago. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by my first visit here as I wasn't being grinded on by 18-21 year olds who were completely drunk and obvious to the rest of the world (yes - this is why I generally avoid bars in Wrigleyville on non-game days). There were a good mix of people, a decent selection of beers on tap, and it wasn't overly crowded for a Saturday night. There were plenty of flat screen TV's, and we arrived as games were wrapping up and tables were getting taken out to make way for the "dance floor." Luckily, not too many people were partaking until about midnight, after they had a souple of rounds of liquid courageto break out some dance moves in public. I noticed all the Hawkeye memorabilia, so it's definitely an Iowa bar if that helps anyone out during sports seasons. I'll probably be back for a lower key night, or just to watch a game. read more

Ok, so my friends and I are loyal Merkle's brunchers...on game day or any Sunday really. Here's the deal, the owners don't know what a good deal is, drink wise. The brunch is pretty good and a decent deal. It's $10.99 for all you can eat til 3 and at half time they put out lunch type foods, where it's mostly breakfast stuff before that. However, the drink special makes no sense. It's $30 dollars for unlimited drinks during the Bears game on Sundays...so essentially it's $30 for drinks from 12-3. Ummmm, you have to have 9 beers or 7 mimosas or bloody marys for it to be even worth it. So you pay for brunch, $10.99 and if you come before noon, you buy your drinks, then you pay another $30 to have unlimited drinks...NOT A GOOD DEAL AT ALL. I have been loyal to Merkle's until today, when I realized the waitress didn't explain it correctly to us and we thought she meant it was $30 for brunch and drinks and then when we also asked the manager and he was like, did you see how much food we put out? as his response. He's a nice guy, but what does how m uch food you put out have to do with the ripoff "drink" deal you sold? Um, here's a hint, I'd suggest you go to Duffy's where it's $30 for brunch and unlimited mimosas and they have crab legs! (and I don't even like Duffy's, but at least their "deal" really is one and they don't change it from week to week so you get stuck with a $47 bill for one person for brunch and drinks during the noon Bears game!) read more

Came here for the Friday night trivia, bombed it. Though the staff was nice enough to bring out a table for my party. Very nice. The beer was cold and fast. They also had a great wristband deal going on. 15 bucks for 3 hours of draft and well drinks. The food was regular bar fare, nothing spectacular. Good bar. read more