This is going to be your typical late night bar ambiance and feel where you can easily become a regular. We ended the night here New Year's Eve to see the ball drop in the east coast. It was strange to see so many of the empty tables here reserved. We did ask the bouncer about this and in turn was asked how many was in our group and he took off one of the reserved signs and seated us. Our waitress was very friendly and energetic. The prices for drinks were reasonable. It's nice that there was also a pool table here if you wanted more than tv for entertainment. read more

This place rocks! The bartenders are THE BEST! Megan, Lauren, and Dennis definitely know how to make u feel welcome and pour an awesome drink! As someone in the industry for 12+ years these three could teach other bartenders a thing or two! The food is great and Mother's is a nice chill place to unwind after a long shift! The door staff is very polite and make sure you get a table if there isn't room at the bar! Over all there aren't many places in this area where u can go to unwind and it not be crazy or clubish! Again the staff are for sure 90% of what makes this place so awesome!! Management and the Owners most definitely have the right people in the right places! Job well done Mother Hubbards!!! read more

Mother Hubbard's - Ice cold beer!! - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not a very good experience for people who used to be regulars there. We just got our food and 2 of us haven't even had a sip of our drinks yet, when we got kicked out of the place. It triggered some of my friends I was with it being unfair when we know how it is working in the industry. One of our friends did have an argument with the server which we all apologized for after their argument then few mins later, we weren't even doing anything and they kicked us out. We wanted to understand what was going on so we wanted to talk to the manager which was ONLY a few steps away from us. He answered his employee saying "I don't want to deal with this" with an attitude. Everyone in our table heard it loud and clear. He walked passed us yelling back and forth with my colleague and told her she was making a scene when he, himself triggered it. Half of our tables are managers and seeing that was very unprofessional. 11/3/17 read more

The bar was pretty standard but I wanted to compliment the bartender, Dennis. He was so nice and attentive! Would go back just for him.

Ty the bartender at this place is incredible! So personable and very friendly! Can't wait to go back! Drobs says what up Ty!

Mother Hubbard's, Downtown Chicago. 3.5 Stars based on 3 rounds of drinks... Two friends and I went to Mother Hubbard's after a lengthy day of tour-bussing around Chicago as well as taking in some culture at The Chicago Institute of Art. Mother Hubbard's is an excellent example of what a dive-slash-sports bar would be in a metropolitan downtown like Chicago's: FUN! With a horse-shoe shaped bar with surrounding tables, 3 pool tables, and a dining area that looks like it could seat 40 comfortably, the place was pretty raucous as patrons watched and rooted the [college] football game on a number of televisions throughout the bar. There is a juke box as well as a Golden Tee arcade machine (what self-respecting sports bar doesn't have one?) as well as a carnival-esque arcade machine that measures how hard you can punch it... The bar itself was well staffed with 3 -on this night - very cute blonde and bodacious bartenders... [cue T-Pain/Akon song...]... and the tables and dining area was tended to by, at my count, 5 waitresses [also all very attractive... this place knows what works for its clientele!] who were very friendly and attentive. Speaking of which... the clientele here is really diverse depending on when you go in. Everything from the sandals-caps-T's crowd who are there to watch sports, to the sleek and chic downtowners who are just getting their night started. And I thought this was just a cheesy Board of Tourism slogan, but Chicagoans (Chicagoites?) are really friggin' nice. They're open to conversation and buying rounds and hanging out with no cares beyond the moment. Seriously, they're NICE-nice! So don't be too put off when people just lean over and start conversing to you... not hollarin', not spittin game, not pillowtalkin,... really conversing... Actually makes my distaste for bar scene around home (Bay Area, Cali) a little more pronounced... We didn't have anything to eat, but we did see some of the food and portions... burgers were ginormous and sampler platters looked pretty hearty with wings(full on drumette attached to the wing type wings), onion rings, cheese sticks, and ribs. While we were posted up by the last pool table near the kitchen door, we saw a pretty constant stream of waitresses bringing food out - that's gotta say something. 5 pints of Bodington's, 1 Jack w/a Coke back, 1 Maker's Mark w/a Coke back...? $38.... not bad at all. read more

Pretty run-of-the-mill sports bar, but it stands out because it's in tourist central in River North. For that alone, I give it props. The staff is all really friendly... haven't had any food but really, you're there for the beer and the TVs. read more

Reading the other reviews I realize that I must have come on a really good night or had really good luck. The only downsides for me were that our waitress botched our food order (and when it was to come out) because it was so damn loud. The Blackhawks game was pumped through the speakers, which was awesome and people sang along to the national anthem. Even when the regular music was blaring, people sang along - which is something you don't hear everyday at a restaurant/bar. As for the food -- the wings are big but a pain in the ass to eat. Break your wings down people. Giving me the entire wing/leg connected isn't doing me a favor - it just made a mess and gave me less wings in my belly. But then came the burger. The burger was really, really good. It was cooked correctly and it was filled with flavor. I think the burger is what moved the needle from 3 to 4 stars. We almost walked right by because of outside appearance, but like a book, don't judge it that way, just take a stroll in and have yourself a tasty and loud good time. read more

So I finally visited Mother Hubbard's (1) sober and (2) to actually drink. Therefore, I felt I should update my review. I like this place...a lot. It was kinda busy, but the service was top notch. The waitress was really excellent, very friendly, very efficient. I stuck to bourbon and diet coke and it was probably the most perfectly poured I have ever had. Not too strong, not too weak - the two were in perfect contrast. The girlfriend switched between beer and mixed drinks. We were slightly afraid to see the bill at the end of the night, but it was actually quite a bit lower than we thought it would be! Add that to the TVs and the late-available menu...OK, I think I like this place. read more

A good place to catch a game, eat some bar food, and pass the time with a beer in your hand. This place's chicken wings are HUGE, tasty, and come out quick. They pair well with just about anything else on the menu. Front door staff and bar staff are great--nothing pretentious about the place. Tables are close enough to keep aisles free, but far enough apart that you don;t feel that you're destined to be eavesdropping on their conversation. Will return if in the area and recommend. read more

Tyical large dive bar to enjoy the game on multiple screens in downtown chicago. However, if your not in dire need to watch a ballgame I would stay away from here. I went in looking for the bears game since henry's didn't have the nfl network and wanted to eat and watch the game. The girl didn't know half of the beer selections that were on their menu and ended up settling for a Heineken. Not the worst thing but I wanted a craft beer. I ordered a grilled cheese and an order of wings, since their menu claimed they were rated the best in chicago. Not having anyone else's wings I would still have to strongly dissagree. There wings were under cooked, gummy and the sauce was generic with any other dive bar I have ever been to. Also the wings aren't separated so you get a wing and leg connected and you have to go through this horrible messy affair even trying to eat them. The grilled cheese selections seemed interesting and who can turn down a grilled cheese but there staff don't care enough to write down the order and inevitably get even a simple grilled cheese order wrong. Who chooses wheat bread when there is texas toast around! Come on use your head! read more

So this review is purely based on the cheap incident and gimmick they pulled off. We visited this place on a friends recommendation and we were a group of 9 people. The bill came out to be $480ish and my friend had tipped at the bar about $50 so we tipped another $50 on the bill. We remember signing two cards of $265 each and these cheapsters billed us for $297 each. They somehow manipulated the amounts and billed us extra. The bill that was given was also handwritten and not printed, when asked they said the payroll system was down, we found it weird and enquired but on waiters insistence just paid the bill because they were closing down. Such a pathetic way to just earn some extra bucks taking advantage of us being a little buzzed. We asked the waiter to check and recheck the whole bill twice as we knew something was fishy. This incident happened 2 weeks back. Normally NO restaurant or bars do this!! I am surprised to see a bar on Hubbard pulling this off. Although we had a good time but this has really surprised me and made me put Mother Hubbard on the black list for ever. read more

A neat little sports bar on the North Side. Not going to blow anyone away, but the servers were friendly and the customers seemed cool. It doesn't seem as big or tourist-centered as the other bars in the area. Plenty of TVs, plenty of domestic beer. read more

I just had a wonderful time watching the 49ers beat the Detroit Lions here at Mother Hubbard's Sports Bar. Better yet, service was impeccable and the beers are cheap. I swear I had at least 8 or 9 beers and they cost me less than $40. When you throw in the poppers and the francheezie hot dog I had, you're looking at $56. Wow! In SF the food and 2 or 3 beers alone would easily have cost that much. They've got plenty of screens and I had a good and unobstructed view of the TV. If you're into Football and you wanna catch your game on Sunday, this is the place to be! read more

Hubbard's Sport Pub was okay. Nothing special. Just a tiny sports bar with lots of TVs. I had a cider that was $5.50. I got a Chicago-style hot dog that had everything on it, and it was $7. I understand it's somewhat big and has a pickle and some dressings on it, but it wasn't large enough or filling enough to be a meal. So $7 was kinda lame in my opinion for it. Especially at a sports bar. The waitress was even worse because she couldn't put my stuff on a separate tab. She said "she can't do it" but I find it hard to believe to charge my food and drinks separately. It was fine, nothing to write home about. At least there was no cover and you can wear what you want. read more

This is one of my favorite local hangouts. The service has always been good, its one of those places that the server will remember your drink when you come back. The manager is EXTRA friendly always welcoming with a large smile. I adore the taco salad in which the food is usually served quickly. Drinks are your run of the mill variety, but they do brew there own beer. HIGHLY, recommended for any sporting event they have a crazy amount of TV's. Only downfall is the punching machine, where drunk men get to test how are them punch on a video machine thing. Its very loud and very annoying. read more

I'm visiting Chicago for the first time. It's Sunday night and my friends are all doing med school work. It's game 7 of the ALCS. What's a guy to do? I decided to wander around downtown and look for a sports bar, and I barely got a block before seeing Mother Hubbard's awning: "Neighborhood Sports Bar." It was fate. I spent the whole game there and enjoyed myself, despite the fact that I was by myself. The patrons were a mix of young and old, but all friendly and willing to talk sports. The bartenders and waitresses took great care of me. And there were about 20 tvs and projectors positioned around the bar, so it was impossible to miss what was going on in the game. The food wasn't great. I got the pulled chicken sandwich, one of the chef recommendations, and it was a bit dry and bland. The beer prices weren't wonderful--5.50 for a pint of honker's. But the atmosphere was enough to make me stick around. And the Rays won. It was a good night. read more

Came here for lunch before March Madness started - the place was dead which is generally not a good sign. The food wasn't that great, but we did get free chicken noodle soup. I know this place is pretty packed in the evenings / during sports events, so they must be doing something right (although their bucket / pizza deal is more like highway robbery). If you need a place to catch the game, you don't even need to go inside as they pipe the audio out into the street. read more

This is a great after hours bar. I usually come here after a long evening at Timmy O'tooles and I want to continue drinking. Drinks aren't that cheap but when you want it.. you'll buy it. They have pool tables in back.. you might have to wait a little while to get a spot since it's the place to go to get your cue time in! The area is a little sketchy at night. There is a 7-11 (24 hours) next door if you need to pick up misc things before you go.. like a fresh mint..since by this time you smell like a brewery. I have only been here late at night.. like after 2am & I stay till close..and even then i'm not ready to go lol. Great place to go if you around streeterville. read more

I'd like to give more stars, but it is A-OK. However, it's better than you'd think walking by. The staff is really friendly and make you feel at home. The beer deals are decent (pitcher of beer, basket of GIANT wings free). I usually only order the O burger, which has got a great taste. The prices are decent and never bust the bank. It's a fun place, just wish that they turn some lights and heat on during lunch. read more

In a few words, "Kinda Shady". I walked in and was immediately confronted with the smell of a port-a-poty. Seriously. But I had a 50% off coupon and 2 friends waiting for me so I soldiered on. I wish I hadn't. The place was empty but it took over a half an hour for our food to be served. And then came the kicker- my restaurant.com coupon said 50%. Period. All coupons on this site say very clearly under "Special Instructions" if they apply to food and beverage or just food, what days they are valid, etc. I presented it at the beginning of the meal and wasn't informed until our bill came that they decided to exercise a part of fine print allowing them "discretion" to apply the coupon in regards to alcohol. It's in the fine print, so it's legal, but not mentioning it to us? Like I said, kinda shady. read more

I met some old friends here for some drinks on a sunday night. My hotel was across the street and we all wanted to watch the Blackhawks game. We ended up not ordering food and just had a couple buckets of beer. It was a little slow for a Sunday night hockey game, but the staff was friendly and let us sit anywhere. They did have some trivia games and prizes, which was cool. If I end up staying in the same hotel in the future, I would stop by again for a few cold ones. read more

Visiting from out of town and happened into this local hangout. The wings were good and the place was hopping due to Sunday football. If you're looking for a relaxed sports bar, this isn't it! But if you were looking for a passionate group of locals that were friendly and hospitable, it doesn't get much better!! read more

I wandered into this great sports pub/dive bar. This is a great place to watch sports as they have tv's every where you look. The staff was very friendly and got your beer very quickly. It has a nice neighborhood bar feel. If your a fan of dive bars, stop in. read more

I like Mother Hubbard's. It's kind of a weird place with oddly good Mexican dishes. Their nachos are great, their burger is decent and their cheese fries have real cheese, not the cheese sauce. (I prefer the cheese sauce) For some reason, this is the place that people on conventions come to, so it's busy a lot, but other than that, the crowd is very low key, the staff is nice and it's cheap food. read more

"You're going where?!" My reply to my friends that I was meeting after they got off work in the service industry. Ma Hub's is a fun place that is open late. Downtown and away from the other establishments which makes it a good place for those who work at the touristy restaurants/bars. It usually has a good size crowd without being overly obnoxious. I have had fun when i have gone. But I don't see me going any other time than to meet the same friends down there. read more

There are lots of TVs on the walls making every seat a good seat for the game. I are some nachos, which were fine. There are pool tables and servers making rounds frequently. The location is great for people staying downtown or visiting downtown for some reason. read more

To begin with, let's start with the bouncers. They do feel like they own the place, on multiple occasions we were not able to get it in due to having too much fun waiting in line to the bar and bouncer assumed we are drunk despite the fact we didn't even have a single drink yet and one of our friends did not get in and had to go elsewhere. So word of advice, act like you're waiting in a line at DMV I guess? When we did get in, the staff is just rude, they take forever to get whatever you're ordered and it's just unpleasant experience. The only good thing about this place that I can recommend is the buffalo wings, for anything else please go elsewhere. read more

I moved here from Boston a year ago, and the staff has treated me like family since the first time i went in. Great for watching any game. They are happy to accomodate you with whatever team you are trying to watch. Sundays during football season are so fun! See you there! read more

Mother Hubbard's - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Kick ass place place to go just about anytime of the day. Great food & drinks. Pool tables & seating in the rear & bar/high tables in the front. We usually show up to watch the game, wait a short bit for a seat near the windows, than enjoy the game, crowd, waitress, & people going by on the sidewalk. An earlier review summed it up perfectly, Mother Hubbard's is a great local sports dive bar with good food late into the evening served by a friendly staff. read more

Is it odd that this dingy hole-in-the-wall has amazing food and excellent service? Please look past the exterior, the interior, and the smell. Settle into a high-table or grab a stool at the bar. Watch the game and order wings (there is always a beer + wing special). People-watch all the random people around you. Never thought a place like Mother Hubbard's would elicit 4 stars...but the place is fun! Great food and great service. read more

Still a great place, but I came here recently and the bar was just a mess. The table cloth smelled like vomit, so we had to get it replaced and the beer was kind of warm. The free wings are now 1/2 price wings with pitcher of newcastle and staff is still great. Just needs to keep up with the cleanliness of the business. read more

Man, the service is really good here. Waitresses are funny, attentive, and knowledgeable about drinks and the menu. My co-workers and I were here and our waitress and bartender was awesome. They kept up the small chats and the funny jokes while maintaining their service time. Aside from that, this place has tons of TVs and awesome for game watching. Groups are welcomed since it's pretty big and their tables are good sized for groups. The added bonus is the fact that the crowd and wait staff are lookers. read more

Stopped in before going to a club to grab some food. Got a burger and a pitcher of beer. Spent $35 total. it was pricey but it's hubbard street so you can't expect cheap. The burger and beer were both delicious. Service was fine but the place was pretty packed and not easy to get a table. I think we squeezed 7 at a table meant for four. read more

Cool pub with great wine and liquor selection.

We stopped here because they are open late. The bar itself was fine but they employees there were just mean and rude. No matters and quite honestly ruined the whole vibe which could have been good. I wouldn't come back. read more

This place has a phenomenal burger. I mean one of the best in the entire city.

Went to this establishment on a Tuesday night! It was so cool and chill! For sports lovers definitely a good place. I enjoyed the drinks and food (needed a little more seasoning) but good overall! Inexpensive and the staff was awesome!!!! Very clean! I would recommend this place always!! read more

Came in to escape the overcrowded area bars that a friend chose for his birthday and grab a bite to eat. I've been hearing about the place for years but had never been, so I was excited to finally check out a bar that has a reputation for being a legendary Chicago dive - exactly my type of place. We got seated right away and within just a few minutes we had our drinks. After a few more minutes, we placed our food order - an order of wings, and some nachos. Food came out and was decent, and then we ordered two bombs to get us ready to head back out into the chaos down the street. The bombs came out and were absolutely pitiful, but that's honestly pretty common, so I didn't worry about it...then the bill came. $65 for 8 wings, 2 shots, and 2 drinks. I was a bit unsettled by this, since this place is renowned for its deals, but what can you do? I tried to see how the bill was so high, but there were no items or prices listed. Just a total. Seemed a bit sketchy, but again...what can you do. I paid my bill, and left a $5 tip...less than the 20% I would typically leave, but we literally came in for a drink and couldn't have been there for more than 20 minutes. I would be very surprised if our waiter worked for us for more than one minute total. We were seated directly next to the kitchen, made a VERY simple order and we were gone. As I stood to get up, our waiter yelled across the restaurant to me to get my attention and when I turned he said, in some sort of attempt to shame/guilt me, "five dollars huh? Was the service that bad?" I dismissed it and kept walking out, but I will never be returning...we were the easiest table anyone could ever deal with. We made no special requests, we were were out in half an hour, and the service was completely average, so I tipped accordingly. I wasn't embarrassed, and It's ridiculous that this entitled waiter thinks anything under 20% gives him the right to scream at a customer. Had we ordered a full meal and several rounds, or if the restaurant was slammed, I would have tipped 20%, but that wasn't the case. When he wasn't with us, he was standing around chatting. You can have a dirty outdated bar and employ a rude entitled wait staff and still be a great dive. But if you're doing that and STILL charging a premium like the classier places in the area, you're not a dive. You're just a ripoff. Tl;dr - Obnoxiously entitled middle-aged waiter yelled across the restaurant at a paying customer because he got tipped $5 and thought he deserved more. read more

$40 for 2 drinks? Never again. Like literally never paid that much at a football game never at the most expensive restaurant, and have been to many high end restaurants. Wow. Also, women's room smelt and no toilet paper. Wasn't passing for the ambiance. read more