Murphy’s Bleachers

how can you not love this great pre game place. Always go here.

Between a 2 ½ and 3 stars. Great history in the bar and decent drink/​food menu. To be honest we didn’t eat food. The waitress on a non-​Cubs game seemed a little crusty. Expected better for our 1^st stop on Wrigleyland tour.

We had a huge company outing and used the upstairs room for the party before the Cubs game. The bartender Andrew? was awesome! Food got to us fast, and they were great. Can’t wait to do it again with our other store! The customer was definitely better than we had expected, thanks Murphys!

Fantastic place and the ideal game atmosphere. Sarah and her staff are very accommodating and genuine. While traveling through Sarah assisted me and my colleague and allowed us to store our bags during a game. Wrigleyfield is a gem and Murphys is the same.

Sat at the bar, made new friends, and would recommend Murphy’s Bleachers for a quick Friday drink.

A North Side institution! Surprisingly large, with a ton of outdoor seating, this is THE place to pre-​game for a Cubs game. Though I’m not a huge fan of their food (pretty typical Wrigleyville bar food), the ever-​rotating craft beer selection is always a treat, and they have the best Cubs memorabilia everywhere. There is an initial «gruffness» to the staff, but that’s part of their Chicago appeal, not to mention, they do have to deal with throngs of people in various states of drunkenness and idiocy on game days. Wrigleyville has that reputation for a reason, and it’s not because of anyone who works at any of the bars there. If you don’t be a jerk and show them the same respect you’d want for yourself, then you’ll discover they are great people and will make you feel welcome every time… unlike some other places in the area.
Inside tip: Try to come in the off season. One of the best, low-​key experiences is to sit with a group of friends by the fireplace, or at a table by the huge windows on Waveland watching an afternoon NHL game. Try to avoid coming here when there are Wrigleyville pub crawls — you will be annoyed — but sitting outside, across from Wrigley’s bleacher marquee is a must-​do experience at least once in your life… or often, since it never gets old for me.

Sarah is the GREATEST! We’re here now for St. Pats and I cannot say enough great things. After having worked in the industry for years, I’m rather particular about someone who can kick-​butt behind the bar on a crazy day like today. Sarah is THAT girl. She is wonderful. She can handle a crowd and keep a smile on her face. Job VERY WELL done! Thanks for making this day awesome!

Came in for a beer, next to Wrigley Field.
Nobody here, but I am sure game day this place is a zoo. Love the history of this neighborhood .Make sure you stop by here next time your in Chicago.

Rolled through on a Saturday night for a buddy’s birthday… pretty good draft selection, the music was bumpin’ and they had the UC Irvine basketball game on! Go Eaters! But, the one thing that ruined it for me was how crappy the service was… I literally tried to get the attention of 2 of the 3 bartenders for 10 minutes and none of them would give me the time of day. Super frustrating as the bar wasn’t even at capacity but I felt like I was intentionally being ignored. My girlfriend ended up getting the attention of the 3^rd bartender on the other end of the bar and signaled me to come over for drinks. Prices were pretty nice as I recall I paid around $ 5 per draft beer and $ 7 per shot.
In short, the lack of service ruined what could’ve been a good time… Anyways no cheers for you Murphy, til’ next time.

I used to come here all the time, as I live practically right next door. However, the last couple of visits have caused me to never come back.
1. Lack of service — if you don’t sit at the bar, good luck finding a server that will serve you.
2. Lack of cleanliness — there are fruit flies all over the place, including several that flew into my drink. The place also smells like it hasn’t been cleaned since they opened 100 years ago.
3. Overcharged — so after the poor service and incorrect order, I decided to leave a menial tip. I checked my credit card several days later and saw that they had decided to charge a 25% tip on my original bill — way more than I left. I’ll be filing a police report for the fraud.
DO NOT visit this bar, but if you have no choice and do visit, be sure to check your credit card statement afterwards.

It has been my understanding that Cubs employees are given a discount if they show their ID. First (and last) time I visit tonight. Order a cheeseburger and tater tots. Good tots, crappy tasting stadium-​like burger. But the bummer was I was charged full price. Even after showing ID and questioning it twice.
Never again.

Great bar for a few beers before the Cubs game.
The run a tight ship and pack them in. Service is relatively quick and the staff was genuinely friendly.

Nice big space that’s usually not too crowded. They have this cool area in the back where you just go up to the window and order a dog or a burger and get it right away.
There is also a nice outdoor patio area and a second bar behind the building.

Great location. Nice history. And, that’s the end of the good news.
Service was nearly nonexistent. I heard one staff member Joke to a customer that if you wanted a drink you had to come 15 minutes before or 15 minutes after the shift change. Turns out he wasn’t joking. A staff member literally walked on the bar, with his shoes on, to adjust the fan speed. No one bothered to wipe the bar off, even though people were eating and drinking. There Was also no follow up on the food order.
I would only recommend this place if you are drunk at Wrigley Field and can’t walk more than 20 steps.

What a great way to get ready for or celebrate/​commiserate after a Cubs game. Mingled in our Giants attire with the locals and had a blast. Dropping one star because the drinks were weak.

That’s alot of places you can go to before or after a cubs game, but this is my favorite. Of all the places this spot has a more traditional feel, very cub-​esque you can say. The crowds is not like the crowd at other cubs bars, maybe because it feels like Real fans come here. Fans who care if we win or lose, fans who have been fans their whole lives. Not people who who are «social cubs fans». Sure there are drunk douchebags here too but they are everywhere in wrigleyville. Just a plain good spot to to be a cubs fan!

Murphy’s is a slightly less crowded secret option for Wrigley bar goers.
Due to it’s location, Murphy’s does not necessarily have the larger crowds that a bar on Clark would have. This is not to say that it doesn’t get busy but it avoids some of the over crowding that other bars must compete with. This is still a great option for pre, during, or post game options.
From the outside it does not look too special but Murph’s offers several different experiences. They have the regular bar areas and tall boy spots for groups to sit at. They also have ample space that is outdoor. The coolest aspect of this place is how semi-​open a lot of it is. Much of the bar allows for sunlight to come through providing a great outdoor experience that can transform back into a closed bar.
We were here for a group event that did not require a reservation deposit. It was a cash bar of 50+ people in the private room on the second floor. Again, easy access to the outside patio while also providing an intimate space. They did have two bar tenders but it was not really enough for the large group we had. Not much they can do about that unless they had servers going around taking orders.

The last time I went to Murphy’s Bleachers we brought my 90 year old grandmother. It was a hot day before the Cubs game. Everyone was very accommodating. They made sure my grandma had a nice shady seat and the hotdogs from the grill were the perfect start to our day.
Other times I have been to Murphy’s I always enjoy the townee bar feel. It feels friendly and not intimidating on days when the cubs are not playing.

Pregamed at Murphy’s before a Cubs/​Phillies game on a very hot summer afternoon. We wanted to stay inside since it was way too hot to sit in their outside unshaded eating area. There wasn’t much seating inside and we had to stalk a few tables to grab a seat as soon as they left.
Great atmosphere! I’d like to see what it’s like after Cubs games since it was pretty low key before the game.

I prefer Murphy’s on the slightly more quiet days, since the service is better — but if you have cash and can manage a beer and a brat at the same time, game days are pretty fun. They serve pretty classic and serviceable Chicago baseball food, like Italian beef, brats, and hot dogs, not anything to write home about, but decent examples, and with pretty generous portions of chips and meat. I recommend trying things out on tap, whether it’s Goose Island’s Green Line or the Murphy’s House Ale from nearby-​ish Two Brothers. Popular beers can run short but the bartenders have always been friendly enough to offer recommendations.