Irish Eyes

Bad Guinness, which for a bar with the word «Irish» in the name is just unforgivable. But– they have photo hunt! We spent more money on that than beer, and we felt it was well worth it.

Dropped by this bar before going to see a show at Apollo.
It’s an Irish Dive. Drinks are more reasonably priced than other bars nearby (i.e. Provst) and they have specials everyday of the week that consists of your bottom dweller drinks: PBR, Wells, other domestic drafts, fireball, etc.
We came in while Blackhawks were playing but there was a guy with an acoustic guitar setting up to play until close on a Friday night.
Bartenders were fun.
It is what it is for what it is.

What can I say about Irish Eyes?
It’s one of those places that you could easily pass because of the amount of bars in the area, but you’ll be making a huge mistake. I was introduced to Irish Eyes through my roommate, and we’ve had a lot of great times here. It’s truly a family atmosphere where drinks are cheap, there isn’t a cover charge, you feel like a regular the 2^nd time you walk in, bartenders remember you, and you’re even allowed to bring pets (this one chick brought a snake once… but that’s another story).
Try it out for open Mic night on wednesdays, that was some solid free entertainment. They also usually have someone playing live on weekend nights, and they’re usually pretty good.
This place is definitely easy to meet people, the crowd varies night to night but everyone is just down to have a good time without all the crazy top 40 club music and expensive drinks. They don’t serve food here but they’re totally cool with you bringing in food from another bar– again, this place is very low key.
All in all, it’s a fun place to come and relax and meet some people.

Irish Eyes is your local, hole-​in-​the-​wall bar with cheap drinks, lots of Irish-​themed stimuli, and televisions to keep your eyes on the game. The bartenders are cool, the open mic comedy and live music nights are a lot of fun, and the owner likes to come in earlier in the evening and give the room some charm. Also, try your hand at the punching bag and see how much more you need to drink to impress your friends, or how much more they need to drink to be impressed. It’s no Chicago landmark, and it sure as hell isn’t a place to put on the map, but it’s a place you can go to feel at home in Lincoln Park.

This is a dive that fully embraces the fact that it is a dive. It’s sort of collegy, sort of loud music-​y, and well priced for the amount of cheap booze that seemed to show up on my credit card bill the next day. It’ll attract the sort of people you probably knew in college, but who are still in college. It’s infinitely better than Forza down the street. They have big buck hunter.

Went here last Saturday night with some friends. Had a fun time and enjoyed the live music. Drinks were fair and bartenders were fast and attentive. Only complaints are the bathroom and sticky carpet floor but as far as a dive bar goes, that’s what you’d expect.

Oh, Irish Eyes. They’re watching you. In the best way possible.
We often come here after an evening of live music (courtesy of my husband) at Lily’s. Lily’s generally sucks as a bar so we want to go somewhere cheaper and more fun.
Irish Eyes, on a Friday or Saturday night, always has a super awesome old due playing classic Irish tunes and some 60s covers. He’s great. Sometimes, after him, there’s a younger cover artist who plays a lot of John Mayer. Meh, say I.
The beer is cheap (er) and the bartenders are generally responsive to all customers standing around waiting. This places gets INSANELY douchey after 12 a.m., so go down the street to Dilinger’s or something.
Oh, and play that crazy boxing game. It’s a money suck but it’s ridiculously fun. And don’t forget to be that guy and put $ 20 in the juke box.

Say what you want, but I cannot turn down a dog friendly bar. This place is awesome. Drinks and live music only make the place even better. Weekends can get really crazy with the DePaul students flocking over here, but during the week the crowd is chill and relaxed with local flavor all over the place.
They have darts, and a boxing machine (but don’t be the douche who starts playing with it, it’s kinda weird.) The beers they have on tap are top notch, and the bartender and service is as well. Make sure you take care of the bartenders because they get college tipped frequently (a dollar an order rather than a dollar a drink) Come during the week to really understand that this bar is a great place to be in. Dogs are welcome and their specials can really amaze and astound you.
If you are really feeling young and free, try the hatorade.

After frequenting here recently, I realized I had yet to leave a Unilocal review for my most favorite of dive-​ish bars. I cringed as a I searched for The Eyes, fearing what other Unilocalers might have to say about its (endearing) carpeting, dim lighting and questionable stench, but was pleasantly surprised to find so many other fans of this place!
I love Irish Eyes because it offers something different than most bars in this area. Free live music, an unpretentious crowd and a friendly staff. There is never a cover charge and the beer is cheap, cheap, cheap. Great place to hang with friends, make new ones and impress strangers with your punching skills (on the punching bag that is). Every time I come here I have a wonderful time and am always itching for an excuse to drop by again. And every new person I bring here loves it, carpet included. Two thumbs up!

You gotta know what you’re getting yourself into: it is a dive bar. Don’t bring your Prada here, have it spilled on, and complain on Unilocal about it. It’s a dive bar. Let’s move on.
Decent specials:
Sunday Specials
$ 1 Drafts, $ 5 Pitchers
Monday Specials
$ 1 Drafts, $ 5 Pitchers, $ 3 Southern Comfort Lime Shots
Tuesday Specials
$ 2 Domestic Drafts, $ 2 Mixed Drinks
Wednesday Specials
$ 2 Craft Beers
Live Music
Thursday Specials
$ 2.50 Domestic Bottles
Friday Specials
$ 10 Buckets, $ 2.50 Busch Bottles
Live Music
Saturday Specials
$ 10 Buckets, $ 2.50 Busch Bottles
Live Music
Come for the specials, stay for the divey-​feel. I love this place for game days. It’s chill, and you can come alone or with friends and talk to the regulars and cheer on da Bears together – free hot dogs and snacks during game days!
Oh, and FourSquare check-​ins get you any shot of your choice for $ 3. Get a free beer of your choice on your fourth check in.

This place screams Irish Pub, and it is what it is. Been occasionally stopping in for the last 10 years and have grown fond of the place for my early evening medicine. What happened to Bernadine?

A great bar and anybody who thinks this is a dive needs to get their head examined. The bartender Sunday nights is really friendly and this seems to be one of the bars in the area that does not have this attitude auro to it. A very spacious place that gets very busty on the weekends. Even on Sunday nights I have seen this place packed. The place looks good inside and ranks very high in what a bar should be.

Great place to pop in before a show at the Apollo Theater across the street. I think otherwise, I would never have come in here. The crowd seemed to be the older ones waiting for their Million Dollar Quartet show to start, while we were waiting for the offbeat comedy show.
Decent priced drinks, Foursquare check in specials and Green Line on tap make it A-​Okay in my book though if I’m in the ‘hood!

I don’t think Irish Eyes is terrible. It’s a dive bar and I wouldn’t want to put my purse down on the floor (I’m so glad that they have purse hooks under the tables), but the staff is always nice and they have a few decent beers on tap.
Irish Eyes has become my go-​to meeting place when going to see a show at the Apollo Theater across the street.

Oh Irish Eyes, you never fail to leave me wondering what exactly happened the night before when I wake up on a Saturday morning with a splitting headache and no cash left in my wallet.
Irish Eyes is a fabulous dive, with live music on the weekends performed by the owner himself, Jerry, and another younger guy who is awesome as well, I’m just always a little to tipsy at that point to ever remember his name. Jerry sings all sorts of crazy Irish songs you can sing along too, after the first chorus you’ll have the words down pat. They now except credit cards which is a huge plus and they also have a punching bag game which is a very fun drunk activity, my wrist may disagree but at the time it always seems like a great idea.
Its a small space that offers an amazingly good time!

Irish Eyes is a dive bar in the middle of Lincoln Park. As dives go, it hits all the marks. Bad décor, check. Dim lighting, check. Slightly dingy, check. On the weekends there is usually some live music and it gets pretty crowded, its a small space, with college kids singing sweet caroline. I don’t remember the beer being too overpriced or a steal. Nothing about Irish Eyes sticks out in my mind.
Except of course, the whole reason I went here — real darts. I’m not even that good at darts but after a drink or two, if there is a dart board in the room, I want to play. Playing darts here only works when it is not crowded as the dart boards are right next to the door for the men’s room.

I think I’ve been in Irish Eyes five times, which is five times too many. The only occasion for going into Irish Eyes is post-​lube following the Taste of Lincoln Avenue. Irish Eyes benefits a few days out of the year due to the captive audience built in with TOLA. Otherwise, I don’t see how this pit remains in business. It does, however, have the honor of holding a unique connection to two (2) exes. Heh.
First, the positive about Irish Eyes. Yes, that’s positive singular. It’s the air conditioning, stupid. End of positives section.
The problems with Irish Eyes are the overwhelming crowd post-​TOLA and the damned bathroom situation. I’ll just say that they might as well not even have a door on the mens’ bathroom. You might as well just drop ‘em and pee out in the bar area because everyone can see you in the bathroom. Gross. You’re seriously better off using the portable loos situated for the fest.
As for the music post-​TOLA, it’s always the same old dude with a guitar and a possibly faux Irish accent. After that many beers it’s hard to tell if the accent is genuine. He’ll always be playing this tune:
. And the kids will fill in the gap by responding, «Alice? Who the fuck is Alice?» Pardon my French.
Eh, it’s 1−½ stars. I’ll round up to two because I caught the Katie here. That’s a neutral. Heh.

Irish Eyes feels a lot like a high school rager in Ricky Connor’s parents’ basement. There’s a little puke, someone’s usually making out, and everyone’s a little worried about the cops coming through the door at any given moment.
We used to come here with some regularity when Whitey O’Day was playing. Now that he’s not a regular anymore, it doesn’t have quite the same appeal for me. Kind of expensive for a spruced-​up dive, too; I think a Guinness is $ 6. It’s not like they’re in River North.

Ended up here on Friday when drinking with a bunch of the guys. They have 2.50 beers which is always a plus… but is was Busch. I can’t really complain because I was going as a red neck for Halloween so it just seemed like it was part of the costume.
They had some dude with a guitar singing OAR songs instead of music. While he was just okay in my opinion, it was a nice change from the bars in this area that are blasting hip-​hop way too loud.
They got the punching machine, which is neither good nor bad… its not my thing but I always get a kick out of seeing drunk guys feed 10 – 15 dollars through the night to punch a bad that tells them how strong they are. I don’t get it…

Wound up here one Friday evening when a friend of mine suggested it. They had a live band playing, which was ok, but I just wasn’t into the music. It drew a pretty strange crowd (I was told the place draws attractive women, but was not the case the night I showed up).
They did not accept credit, so I had my buddy buy my beer. I stayed for maybe 30 minutes and left.
Maybe will try another time, but not in the near future.