Butch McGuire’s

I must start off with the positive: the food is pretty good. The negative, however, is quite overwhelming.
I have been here three times, but lets start with the last time… that was a short visit. Actually, they didn’t let me in because I was wearing a tank top… I am not sure why this is. This place is by no means a classy establishment. My friend noticed 2 women sitting near the entrance with tank tops on, and upon pointing this out, we were informed: «yeah, it’s a double standard.»
But let me move beyond my prejudice… and talk about the service.
The first time I came with a group of 5 people and it took about 45 minutes to get our food. And the place was half empty. Then the waitress (who was actually very nice) took about another 20 to bring us the bill, 20 to pick it up and another 5 to bring it back. I was less than please to spend 45 minutes of my life waiting to pay.
The second time… the exact same thing happened… another 45 minutes to get the food and another 45 min to pay.
Why did I go back, twice? Well, I assumed the first time was a fluke, everyone has off days. Plus, the food was actually very good. And the third attempt? Well I was just outvoted, my friends really wanted 50 cent wings.
Either way, I shall not return and I would not suggest this lovely, classy, establishment.

I dig it! I actually didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did. I live in logan and don’t typically hang out in that area — so my opinion was biased before entering. The bouncer (s) and servers gave off a good vibe instantly. Drink selection and food items were great. We took advantage of the half off tequila and two dollar tacos. Yum! Very well seasoned and very much enjoyed. Tasty guacamole too (which can be a make or break situation for me). The memorabilia was fun to look at and an overall unique way of decorating (including the bathroom:) I did not give the full five stars because I was not completely blown away. However, I will definitely go back and recommend to others. Cheers!

Awesome bar. I’m from California and recently visited. Nice place to have drinks and had good music later at night. The people who work there, Steve and Luther, were super welcoming and nice. I’d definitely go back!

Love this place. It holds a special place in my hear as my grandfather had close ties with the place. Coming from an Irishman, no better place to come and sit, have a beer, and conversant. A lot of love in this place, and the that classic Irish pub to go with it. Defiantly recommend if you’re out and about on the Gold Coast … Or if you just enjoy a good Irish pub

My scale:
5 Stars: I recommend this without any exceptions. I will come back (more than once) and bring friends!
4 Stars: I recommend this under certain circumstances. Worth going, but ONE thing was off.
3 Stars: I was ok, but in a city like Chicago you can find better places. I wouldn’t come back.
2 Stars: Disappointed. I wouldn’t come back, even if it was the last place in Chicago.
1 Star: Don’t go here! Rip-​off, Tourist-​trap, dangerous, or something like this. Please close this place.
Dont expect too much. It is a pub. I like pubs.
BUT
They have a legendary magician on Friday nights!!! Ask him for the floating cigarette… It is the craziest thing I have ever seen! I am definitely coming back, just because of that!

Very good selection on beers and the trains that rail around the rooms are mesmerizing. Even though it’s kind of a dive bar, the bartenders are very nice and wear crisp white shirts and ties.

During our recent trip to Chicago, we wanted something quick and unpretentious when we arrived in town. At the recommendation of a bouncer from another bar, we stopped into Butch McGuire’s. This place was lively, and everyone there seemed to be having a good time. Our waitress was nice and helpful in telling us about the menu.
We ordered the Irish Eggrolls, which were basically eggrolls filled with Reuben sandwich fixings, served with a side of 1,000 Island Dressing. They were fantastic, and paired well with the steady flow of Jameson shots we were enjoying. We also had the slider trio. No complaint here. The sliders were juicy and flavorful. The toppings were good. Overall enjoyable. Last we ordered the wings. They were fine. Nothing out of the ordinary, but held their own in the world of wings.
A table of about 6 or 7 younger guys and gals sat down, half way through our meal and started playing a drinking game. They were having a great time, and were a lot of fun We even stopped and chatted with them before we left, and they invited us to play their game with them. Overall I recommend Butch’s for a fun time!

Butch McGuire’s is the spot to be during the holiday season. I’ve heard it described as «the place where Santa Clause threw up everywhere» or «it looks like someone shoved a Christmas tree through the roof of a bar». However you characterize it, Butch McGuire’s is topped to the brim with Christmas cheer. Decent beers on tap will be found. If you can come early, find a spot, avoid the ugly sweater crowd and try not to get poked with reindeer antler hats, good times are to be had at Butch’s. See you next December, Butch McGuire’s!

Was on rush and division for Halloween night and boy was it super jam packed. Amongst all of the commotion sat butch McGuire, which wasn’t banging like all the other bars and I decided to start my night there. For one I loved the fact that they have not your father root beer on draft (and free matches also). All their drink specials was $ 4-​$ 6 and they also have a mystery shot. Good music but no dance floor (although that didn’t stop couple of people). Overall a nice place that I would add to my rush and division bar hop stops.

I love that it looks like Christmas threw up all over the place here. The Christmas songs and decorations make this the perfect holiday pub. I actually came here for a Goose Island release party — - everything was great until two dumb bitches next to me took and my friend’s drinks that we waited forever for. After I told the bartender, he just took my tip money and said «It’s really busy here, we’re trying our best.» Um, comp me a couple of free drinks then since those dumb broads took the drinks that were supposed to be for us then. I would totally love to recommend this place, but that bartender really pissed me off.
Other than that, bar food here is decent. Bartender up at the main bar was much friendlier!

They have some great Christmas decorations!
Staff hangs around for years so you run into the same friendly faces year after year.

I’ve been a few times over maybe last 20 years, but tonight was first night I’ve had the food.
It’s a crowded Irish bar. Let that sink in for a second. That means it can be totally laid back and chill, or filled with drunken idiots (which isn’t always a bad thing depending on your mood). It depends what time you go and what is going on in town at that time. So in that respect it’s on par with 90% of the Irish bars I’ve been to in any city.
I went in expecting bar food, and while that’s pretty much what we ordered, it was really solid, far exceeding our expectations. But it didn’t stop there. Of all the restaurants I visited while I was in town this time, I got the best service from our waiter, Zac. That I definitely I did not expect, especially considering it was pretty late for dinner. It was approaching busy bar time and he was also had a few large tables, and this guy was still all over it.
I’ll also echo the other comments about the Christmas decorations– these guys put some work into it and it shows. Cozy, festive, and good food.

Great location. Drinks were a little pricey and I think I might have been overcharged for my bourbon. They offer two prices one neat and one mixed. I ordered on the rocks and was charged neat price. Whatevs. Interesting venue but kinda awkward arrangement. Can be overly cramped at entrance and then wide open in back. I went in on a chill Sunday afternoon and there was a decent crowd. TVs were awkwardly placed as well.

Old school bar in Chicago, best time to go is during the Christmas season, can get really crowded, but its so awesome.
Love the tortilla soup, sweet potato fries, burgers, nachos, and late night pizza!

Really great neighborhood bar. Great tequila and tonics. Tara and Paige are the best servers.

Oh, Butch’s…
I’ve been coming here for more than a year because I love everything about it. Good music (jukebox that plays eclectic styles periodically throughout the day), friendly staff, and good food. Also because of their industry discount, to which I’m hopefully tipping out fairly since many industry workers take advantage of that.
The beer selection isn’t huge but what they have is great! What is huge, though, is their whiskey selection. Plenty to choose from, including great top shelf selections.
Their food is great! I haven’t had the chance to experience the whole menu yet, but I highly recommend the Pollo Picante, a definite staple, and the tacos ($ 2 on thursdays).
All this is a review if you wanna go during the daytime, which I recommend unless you want to wait in line to get into an Irish dive bar just to drown in a sea of obnoxiously loud, drunk college students. This is mostly only true on Friday and Saturday night, though. During the week it’s quieter.
And yes, the Christmas decorations are top notch and worth checking out if you have the time.

Full disclosure — my daughter is a server at Butch’s. But my review is not influenced by that fact.
In the 30 years I’ve lived in Chicago, we’ve never been to Butch’s until now. What a pleasant surprise. First of all, the servers are all friendly and like to talk to their patrons. Given that Sarah knew everyone I’m sure we had some special treatment, but I did observe similar interactions at other tables.
Butch McGuire’s is a true Chicago institution. It is a traditional Irish Pub. Even though it is in the heart of River North, their prices are quite reasonable. Their menu has something for everyone. They have typical bar food, food you would expect at an Irish Pub, steaks, chicken, etc.
It was pretty late when we arrived for brunch so crowd had thinned. We were quickly seated and ordered drinks. My wife and daughter each had Mimosas. These were much larger than I’ve seen at other restaurants. I did have a taste and they were very good. I was good that day and only had a coke.
For my ‘brunch’ I had a burger and fries. It was a burger so I can’t say too much about it. I will say the meat was very good. I’m not sure where they get their beef from, but it was certainly prime. The fries were hand cut and fried to perfection.
My wife ordered a turkey Reuben. She said she loved it. It was so large, she took more than half of it home. Our daughter had the breakfast burrito. (actually, they shared their meals between them.)
It was a top notch experience. I’m eager to return to try their dinner menu.

Typical Irish bar in what’s becoming a fave city of mine. It’s totally decked out for the Grateful Dead since they are playing in this weekend. Steve our bartender is great! Cheers!

Me and some buddies usually get together here for an unofficial «Holiday Party» normally on the 2^nd Thursday of December. We do that because at the time our company did not fund an annual outing for us.
We normally have a nice sized group and head over there around 3:30−4PM. It sometimes tough as everyone doesn’t get there at the same time and there are other official holiday parties taking place. It can be difficult moving around the joint actually. Our servers we get are usually good at getting us our orders in a timely manner whether its food or drinks. They have a decent rueben here as well as sliders in terms of bar food. A classic joint in a classic area of Chicago

Let’s be real. Butch McGuires is an institution in this fine city of ours. And during the Christmas season, this place is always a great place to get in the holiday spirit!
You can’t help but feel like a kid when you walk in with the ceiling covered in Christmas lights of every color, trains circling the ceiling, huge Rudolph displays twirling from the ceiling and Christmas carols blaring from the speakers. Go during the day for then you can even take your family to marvel in the displays. But be sure you are gone by 9pm as the crowd goes from «family friendly» to «drunken frat boy» pretty quickly.
And this same frivolity also exists around St. Patty’s day where the lights change to green and shamrocks and leprechauns take over.
Rumor has it that the holiday decorations came from the now defunct Marshall Fields displays which, even if not true, adds some folklore to the place.
The food is typical bar fare with burgers, nachos and fried foods taking prominence on the menu. And their Sunday brunch adds Eggs Benedict, omlettes, French toast and some terrific bloody Mary’s to the line up!
We had a terrific server named Amanda on our most recent visit And some of the people who work here have been here forever so you might even get a hug on your way out.
Not an everyday spot and I wouldn’t step in the place after 9pm, but during the holiday season, it’s a great place to go to find your inner child and remember just what makes the holidays you remembered as a kid so special!