This place is my 'go to' joint when I need a melted goat cheese and bread dippy stuff appetizer, a burger, and a few New Castle's to round out the evening. I've read the mixed reviews about OD's and I will admit, sometimes the waitresses and waiters seem less than thrilled to be serving you. However, if you show up on the right night, you may be blessed with an old time OD's specialty -- table-side magic... That's right, magicians often pace the place. So, while you are waiting for your food, a delightful man by the name of Jim may just pull a huge quarter from behind your girlfriend's ear. Apparently this is an old Chicago past time. I'll be there... Snippy waitresses or not... read more

This is a beautiful bar to sit in. The wood decor just feels inviting. Upon entering I immediately thought "clean well lighted place" but not in the Hemingway-lonely despair sort of way, but in a friendly way. It has drinks. The bar staff is nice and gets the drinks out quickly. The bathroom is clean. There are other bars you can go to for the same stuff. But if you want someplace beautiful to sit in I would completely recommend trying out O'Donovan's. read more

wanting just a teeny tiny step up from sitting around drinking at home, we decide to go out for drinks. we wanna go OUT, but not OUT, OUT. but we do want to sit OUT(side). that is my main requirement. based on the rave reviews of the beer garden at resi's bierstube we headed there. not only was i unimpressed with the patio (too high expectations, perhaps?), but there was nowhere to sit and give it a chance. sitting inside was out of the question; the vibe in there gave me the heebie jeebies. and dammit, the reason we came OUT was to enjoy the weather. as we walked down irving park to find an alternative, we noticed an adorable, cozy, outdoor seating area (actually 3-4 little areas) along the sidewalk. we looked up to discover o'donovan's. never in a million years would i have selected o'donovan's for a night out. the name had me writing it off as unremarkable at best, full of douche bags at worst. turns out it was exactly what we wanted. i couldn't get over how cute & comfortable the outdoor space was. chairs and couches of various shapes and sizes. pillows. lanterns hanging from the trees. it was utterly charming. as were our waitress, our drinks, and our evening. we were having such a great time, we finished up the night indoors when the patio closed. the decor and crowd didn't exactly charm me (nothing remarkable there), but the music sure did. again, not what i expected from a place called o'donovan's. next time i want to have a laid back outdoor evening, i'll know just what to do. read more

$2 burgers on Mondays! Food is great and the staff here is always super friendly & attentive.. Also a great place to relax on a Sunday for some beers! read more

The Best Bloody Mary(s) I have ever had. Aside from that, the buffet brunch was standard, but got the job done. Nothing was overly amazing, nor was it inedible. I was expecting a buffet brunch, and I received a buffet brunch...no harm, no foul. However, the granola/parfait station was a lovely surprise. For $20, I'm sure I'll be back. read more

I think that I was too drunk when I got there to be able to appreciate O'Donovan's in all it's glory, but I had a decent time. We went for the beer garden at about 10:30 not realizing that it closed at 11...so that kind of sucked. But the waitress was really great. At some point during a long day of shopping, my friend lost her ID, but since the rest of us all had ours, the waitress just kind of let it slide, which was really cool. There ended up being about 10 of us that night, and the wait staff was able to competently and ably handle us all. I had a really good time. Next time I am going to go earlier and more sober so that I can appreciate it more. read more

I wouldn't say I go here for the "scene" or anything, but it's a solid pub not far from my place. It's good for nights when I can't think of anywhere else to go. The inside is cute and they have a great patio. They serve better than average bar food and the beer selection is pretty good. I am a cheese fanatic and the cheese plate here is CRAZY. You won't get expensive obscure imported cheese, but you will get a whole lotta cheese for not a whole lotta money. Way more than one person can eat. Mmmm.... read more

Came here for a private party for approx. 60+ people for their Sunday brunch. The food was decent, nothing really to rave except for their maple pecan bar dessert. That was fantastic. Their private room was very dark and HOT. It was sooo hot from all of the bodies in the room and crying babies and lack of any ventilation system throughout the room. Service was good it would have been nice to be out in the beer garden. It looked like a really nice area. This place would be great to stop by and chill and have a drink, but they definitely need to revamp their private room. read more

ohhhhh SNAP. i forgot about o'donovan's! apparently i go to a lot of bars and i can't remember them all. oh well, all in the name of yelp, right??? o'donovan's purty darn good. good food, reasonable drinks, nice outdoor patio! and tasty tasty food stuffs for my tummy...and easy on the wallet, especially if you live and die by food specials, as i do. i don't get up to northcenter enough...i have to start venturing north of irving park again... read more

Does the owner just oblivious to the conditions in that hole? Your specials are not so special and the whole front bar smells like old beer. The outside is nice however and they do have parking, which is becoming a rare thing these days. Best part is the foreign bartenders that every north side bar seems to be hiring. Clean the place up and have a special that draws a crowd, and you will get one! read more

I recently went to O'Donovan's, after a long absence, and was quite disappointed. It's turned from a nice neighborhood hangout, in to a DePaul Frat Boy beer bar! My husband's burger was dry as toast and the bun was soggy (how'd they do that?) and his fries were cold. What gives the rating a higher score was the service (not too overbearing but quick) and the 25cent buffalo wings! Yummy! read more

This place is pretty cool. Food is good, and the beer is great . Service is good too.

The Patio is pretty, service wasn't great. I was there after the Bears vs Packers game this week and boy-oh-boy were people over-served. One girl literally took off her shirt and was standing there in her bra, the other trying to poll dance on an umbrella (which fell over) and the waitress still was allowing the group to order shots! Not safe :/ read more

Place has gone downhill over past flew years use to have a great staff but lost em all food and then started letting families w small children in Too bad it was a regular stop read more

Thanks for the Sunday afternoon live music! I was just saying that we need to have more live music in chicago ie Broadway st in Nashville

Love love the chef !!!!! The steak and prime rib plus the shrimp are to die for . perfection!! Plus he actually made it a little early for us read more

Small local pub in North Center that gets the job done. A friend set up a drink package after the Polar Plunge and their buffet brunch was perfect. This place is deceivingly spacious. There is an additional side room with bar (this is where we ended up) with what looks like a patio attachment. There was a plethora of choices for their brunch buffet. No typical hot plate stuff here O'Donovans kicks it up a notch with a carving station and chocolate fountain! And yes, as an earlier review mentioned the bathrooms and I myself was amazed by how spacious it was (I actually thought it was going to be a one stall deal). Will have to come back when I'm feeling like brunch after church. Hmmm good thing St Ben's is practically next door. read more

Solid food, and fun pub trivia for those who like that type of thing (which I do). I've had problems from time to time with things like being charged 3 bucks to substitute sides for my sandwich (on a menu item 50 cents more expensive ordered individually). A disproportionate number of cocky douche bags make their way here from time to time, seem to prefer the outdoor seating area. Ohio State is having enough problems these days, let's not make it worse by making fun of waitresses in earshot for trivialities like being "too tall," popped collar guy and friends. You're 46K corporate lacky job doesn't make you special, nor does your frosted hair. read more

I came here for the Valentines champagne brunch, and it was perfect. They had everything on the brunch buffet from fruit filled pancakes to fall off the bone ribs, even a chocolate fountain. Service was great, you could tell the wait staff were really working as a team. I think we found our new Sunday brunch place. read more

We came here to try the brunch with bottomless mimosas and we were very pleased! The food was delicious, great selection, fresh and always full. The mimosas stayed bottomless! The waitress came around often to refill our glasses and clear our plates. Very friendly staff. They have a private parking lot, which is always a plus. Street parking wasn't a problem either. They have an outdoor section for warmer months, which we will be back to try!! Perfect brunch place!! read more

Monday night $2 burgers are delicious! They also have great drink and food specials every night of the week. They have multiple flat screen TVs for sports viewing and there is ample street parking available. I used to come here quite a lot in college to meet up with friends for the $2 burgers and look forward to starting that tradition again. I also find it to be really festive and I love the stained glass details inside the bar. read more

Had the all you can eat brunch here and it might be hard to go anywhere else. amazing......lots of options and an endless supply of lemonade. great food with an omlette bar, that's all I need in life (bottomless mimosas maybe? read more

The bar is pretty roomy. Both the inside and outside area give ample space for a large crowd. The food isn't great but it is edible. Standard beers on tap. read more

This place is kinda retro and a bit dive-y but a great place to sit back, enjoy one (or several) mimosas and eat until you burst (all you can eat brunch!!!). I will be back :) read more

Trust your local St. Paulie Girl...flock to O'Donovan's for a full range of fun. Take in the revitalizing patio, sun, spirits and magic with a gregarious crowd AND late night menu. Welcome to the trendy and accessible North Center Hood. At O'D's There's enough space to explore and to let the evening evolve. If you're lucky you get a special invite upstairs to the Moulin Rougesque room (the upstairs flavor washes over you with a whole different vibe; it depends on the night and crowd...) Right, it suits any mood. I went in with a Magner's cider craving and paired it with tomato basil bisque - it works. I love a tall table for a cozy chat with room to expand and accommodate friends. The menu is complete with comfort food and lively drink specials. Check out a fine menu with great dishes to share; there's a remarkable array from shrimp spring rolls and baked chevre to golden grilled cheese on Texas toast and a crisp pear tart. Have no fear, the desserts satisfy any chocolate craving you can conjure up. Kick back with flirting, people watching and play-off talk all flanked by walls adorned with Tommy guns and a few fish stories. We're already talking about themes for patio nights and for auditioning the Elite Air Hockey Team. Ahh and then there's sultry summer on tap...I'm in. read more

Went here to kill some time before dinner and glad we did. The bar is great and the bartenders are awesome. We def. had a great time. Will def. be back. read more

As far as neighborhood pubs go....this place has what you're looking for. Beer Garden check, Delish Pub Food check, and located perfectly outside of the craziness from Wrigley Field. Outside of the great drinks, food, and people are the decorations during the holidays. The owner really goes out of her way to make this place look festive....seriously she is a talent. If you don't believe me check this place out the month of Halloween-you won't regret it! I know there are people out there that don't appreciate the attention to detail, but I am not one of them. Atmosphere is everything to me and I love that they're hardcore about the festive decor. read more

Been coming here for years. Great beer garden in the summer. Food is good too. Beer menu isn't the best though. I keep going back.

Awesome brunch, they even have Sloopy Joe's sandwiches. How can you go wrong with that? YOU CANT! Plus great bloody marys, white trash mimosas and on top of all that they have a cool outdoor area and some of the sexiest waitresses on the north side. Go here. read more

I've been to O'Donovans many times. It's always been a mediocre place, and the best selling point has always been the patio. If you just want to sit outside and have a few beers, it's a great spot for that. I've always thought the food was just ok, especially entres, but yesterday we needed some quick wings before the Hawks game, and we were close to O'Donovans. At the end of it all I was simply po'd. So we pull up the online menu, and a 20 piece order of wings is $13.50. We order it with celery sticks and extra blue cheese, and ask for half buffalo/half bbq. I get to the restaurant for pickup, and the bill is over $21. I complain, and it is explained to me that if you get different flavors of wings, then it's two 10-piece orders. So basically, after tax, there's a $6 upcharge if you want different flavors of wings. First, that's an asinine policy. Second, if you're going to have an asinine policy, at least make it clear on the menu or explain it on the phone when taking orders. And they charge extra for celery sticks. And they forgot our extra blue cheese (at least we didn't get charged). Anyway, none of the food is that great to begin with, so if you have to go just skip the food and have a liquid lunch on the patio. read more

I mostly come here to hang out with friends who live nearby. I would say it's pretty unremarkable except for three things: 1) $2 burgers that taste like $12 on Monday nights 2) 2 large patio areas with heat lamps for when it's a little cool and 3) a very cutely decorated women's restroom. read more

I've only been here for Sunday Brunch so I can't comment on how this place is as a bar. However for Sunday Brunch, it was very good--a plesant surprise! The buffet is pretty basic but the prices are good and the food selection is more than I would have expected. It is a good place for brunch without the crazy lines of Stanley's. read more

I was in a last-minute search to find a place to watch the Opening Ceremony for the Summer Olympics, and tried the Globe but it was dead, and I wanted to be in a bit of a crowd, so tried this nearby place. They had alot of screens, not the optimal number to make it a crowd, but sufficiently festive with a warm vibe. Wait service was attentive, and I would go back for the beer and wings. read more

This has been our post Shamrock Shuffle destination. The brunch buffet here is awesome! There was 9 of us in total and I was the first to arrive. The hostess said she really couldn't seat us until we all arrived, but she told me to grab a seat at the table by the bar and she will "hold" the two tables for us. We all slowly trickled in, and it was time to attack the buffet. Our waitress was great, and she made sure she had all our omelet and waffle orders. She kept our refills coming, and made sure everything was good. There is nothing like bacon, biscuits & gravy, and waffles after running the Shamrock. I ate so much I needed to take a nap in my car afterwards. Good times at O'Donovans...our official post Shamrock Shuffle bacon destination. read more

Good food, good booze, great service, and a lovely beer garden.

We love going to O'Donovan's. The burgers are delicious and the ambiance is great. A little loud sometimes but that's ok. It's usually due to a game that's on. It's walking distance and across the street from our favorite pizza place! read more

Nice menu selections and very good food. A good neighborhood place to have a nice meal served by nice people.

Went to a private b'day party, it was held upstairs. It was very well done. Of the food, the bruschetta was very good, and the mini-sliders were just okay. I suspect that it was hard for them to serve them hot off the grill so I don't want to be too picky about food served buffet style. Definitely nice enough to hold a party at, can be jazzed up a bit for the ladies. read more

You could do worse, though there is definitely a post-frattish presence. The food is pretty decent if pedestrian bar food, and there's a reasonable selection of beers. The patio is great though, that alone makes it worth the trip. read more

Sat outside on a lovely Saturday afternoon and shared a salad and a plate of mini turkey burgers (minus the cheese) and fries. Plus wine--I was pleased that they offered a sauvignon blanc and not just the ubiquitous pinot grigio. The food was pretty tasty but the service was just okay and the crap rock was blaring. An okay choice and I'd probably have given it 3-1/2 stars if possible. But not 4...not 4. read more