Johnny O’Hagan’s

So we ran into Johnny O’Hagan’s as we were leaving the Cub’s game. They have a nice patio with beautiful flowers and an interesting street view, so we decided to give it a try. There was live music, which was great (and a highlight of the visit), and we found a table right outside the front door on the patio. The service was a little slow at first, but everyone that we spoke to (our server, the bartenders, and a manager) were friendly and happy to assist.

We ordered a round of beers first. They had a special, so we tried two Blue Moon’s on Tap, a can of 312 and a Samuel Adams bottle. The tap beers were hardly cold, and got warm so quickly that we didn’t even finish them. The glasses we not filled all the way and didn’t come with an orange. We asked for cold glasses for the other two beers, and after waiting about 15 minutes for them, were given room temp. glasses. Disappointing.
The menu was small, but we were hopeful that the food would be good. Overall, very disappointing. The Ruben ($ 12) had cold bread, so little meat it didn’t cover the bread with even one layer, and the meat was very fatty. Unfortunately, the worst Ruben I have ever had. The fries were served in a cute metal basket, but were lacking in the flavor department. The Mac and Cheese ($ 12), while hot, was only mediocre in flavor and texture. The Cheeseburger ($ 13) looked good, but when we started eating it we realized that part of it was actually border-​line RAW. Ewwww! The server was very apologetic and tried to make up for it, but at that point we had lost our appetite.
We stopped in the restroom before we left and were grossed out by the smell, all the unknown liquid that was all over the floor, and the tp everywhere.
I did speak to a manager and she assured me that she was sorry about the food (the kitchen staff is new and not prepared for the game day rush) and the bathroom (which she says should have been closed and people should only use the upstairs restrooms). She said she would take care of it on the bill. In the end, she took off $ 14.20 from the bill, so hardly made up for the totally unacceptable food, but maybe there was a break down in communication and she didn’t realize the burger AND rubens were bad. Tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.
It is a shame, because the bartenders and staff couldn’t have been nicer and more accommodating. But just goes to show that when a few parts of a restaurant are not good, it makes the whole experience not good.
I hate to give bad reviews, but in this case, I feel like I should warn fellow Unilocalers.

Criminally under-​frequented but it’s fine by me. Why would anyone ever want to go anywhere else?

Stopped in to Johnny O’ Hagan’s before a Cubs day game for a meal. We stopped in for their Irish breakfast and we were not disappointed. The plate was a great meal. Tasted their turkey burger, in a word, great. It had a mild kick to it and the meat was tender and very tasty. Both dishes worth getting again. Music was a bit loud for the day but the selection made up for it. Nice ambiance and close to Wrigley field about four blocks. Worth the walk!

Great place to hang out during the Cubs game when it’s raining. The service has been great, beer options are plenty and even some wine for those of us who like wine. The Mac and Cheese was delicious. Definitely will be back!

First time here and we loved it. Great bartender, Caitlyn, great brunch, very good spicy Bloody Mary, and good beer selection. We’ll be back for sure.

Caitlin was very personable and fantastic! We came in for the mozzarella sticks, and they food did not disappoint! The mozzarella sticks were gigantic, gooey and crispy! The sauce was a perfect pairing. Ask for Caitlin she was fantastic to add the the experience!

Every time I come here the food is amazing! The first time I came here was June 2014. We had stopped in for some brunch and I ordered the goat cheese flat bread with malt vinegar dressing. It was outstanding! We were able to sit outside on a nice day and the staff was very friendly. The second time I came in was a little after St. Patrick’s day 2016. We ordered 2 Irish car bombs and later found out that the owner had bought everyone their first round of drinks. I ordered the King of Clubs which consisted of thick cut chicken and bacon with a fried egg, lettuce, a hollandaise type dressing and avocado. The atmosphere is always great and I look forward to going back.

Awesome bar! The ambience was great. Bartenders and waiters are great. They had bag pipes and riverdancers for St. Pattys. Even customers are supper friendly. Loved it!

Its no surprise why this establishment is so highly rated. They understand that the balance of food and service is necessary for a great experience. They have built a strong brand that is consistent from any person on the staff.
Oh yeah, the best fish and chips we have ever had!

Great chill pub with an awesome super friendly staff! They have really good Irish coffee with Jameson that I had tried, and love for the cold days. They also have a really cool setting on the inside with exposed brick walls, and a fireplace too! Perfect for hanging out with a group of friends!

My girlfriend and I came here just to try new things. We were fairly excited to try an Irish bar for the food, but there didn’t seem to be anything special. Other than a few Irish words here and there, you would never guess what kind of bar they lable themselves as. However, the food I did get was pretty good. I had a blackened chicken sandwich (which was nothing special), but I never wanted something elaborate. My girlfriend got the Chicken Pot Pie and thoroughly enjoyed it. Going on a Sunday night was pretty dead around 7ish, but the atmosphere while watching an NFL Playoff game was lively enough.
Waiter services always differ from person to person. The key is to stop expecting to get pampered as if you own the place. Our waitress was on top of things, and was engaged with our table and had suggestions for the rest of our meal.

The Guinness is just fine. The atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired. We walked in to bouncers or whatever standing off in the corner trying to be polite but ultimately not all that welcoming. There is no interaction between the employees/​bartenders and customers. Just weird punk music playing in the background. I always appreciate a good pint of Guinness so that gets the 3 stars. The lack of attention and connection gets nothing else. Not very Irish to stand in the corner and ignore your customers.

We were lucky enough to come when the new owner/​manager was rolling out the new menu during staff training and all we can say is wow!
The atmosphere is great and everyone was so friendly — exactly what an Irish bar should be.
After downing some Guinness pints we tried some delicious food.
Onion rings were a great starter! Crispy, great portion and their Rose sauce was EXCELLENT.
My fiancé loved the Irish breakfast– he normally doesn’t like black pudding but loved this one. The potatoes were great and he said the egg was cooked perfectly.
I loved the Reuben! The corned beef was AMAZING. Seriously the best I’ve ever had, the cheese melted in my mouth and the fries were delicious.
We’ll definitely be back for the great service, great atmosphere and great food!

Opens at 8 and serves an amazing Irish breakfast. John, the owner, is very hospitable. Can’t wait to come back at night!

Cool looking bi-​level Irish pub towards the bottom of the Wriggleyville bar stretch. Been here twice for ND games, once when it was really crowded and another time when it was really dead. And I have to say, both times were VERY mediocre. Service was really poor and slow regardless of how busy they were. Our server asked us what we wanted before we even saw a drink menu. Throughout the night she would often check on one person out of our large group and then walk away.
Food has also been very average. I’ve tried most of their appetizers and they’re all pretty bland. The specials they run for the game in particular are pathetic, and way overpriced. The burger you get with the one special isn’t much bigger than an oreo. I even had their chicken pot pie (which they’re famous for) and wasn’t impressed at all. Like a small cup of blah soup topped with a giant croissant.
Needless to say, I’m surprised by how good most of the reviews are for this place. Maybe it’s much better during the week? Could be, but I’m not going to find out.

The food was fantastic. The service was a little… weird? We sat outside, the gal was obviously flustered. I asked her what was in the curried fries, and she acted rather exasperated and told me, «Curry. I don’t know how else to describe it.» When she made her way back with our drinks I asked her how she was doing, and mentioned that she must be the only person on the floor. She turned into a human at that point, she was the only server and it was a hot day. The service was fantastic after that point, and the curried fries were great!

Went with a group of 8 and the staff was excellent. Very accommodating and friendly. The food was excellent too.

Good food and beer and fun trivia!
They were out of mozzarella sticks last time I went :(

The staff are very welcoming. We had the wings-​very decent for .50 on a Thursday. We also had a 311 beer on special that day for $ 4. The curry fries were incredible-​a must order. Great environment… will be back when in the Wrigley area.

Very authentic. Amazing food (Bangers and mash, shepard’s pie, Irish sausage) and atmosphere. Opens at 8 on weekends for brunch and EPL games. Host was very friendly and prices were spot on for the amount of food you get.

Excellent shepherd’s pie combined with a lovely fresh Smithwicks on tap. Soccer on the tvs. Pleasant pub atmosphere right by the el tracks.

We came to this pub after doing the Wrigley Field tour. The place has a charming and comfortable ambiance and you feel right at home. The service was great, the owner was extremely friendly and felt like you were having a good time with an old friend. The food was awesome. I had the Rueben and my wife had the O’Hagan Goat. Both were really good and the food came out promptly. They had a soccer game playing which was fun to watch while we are and enjoyed the enthusiastic response of the other patrons during the game. If I were a local I’d definitely be here regularly.

Slightly above average Irish pub fare, but better than average for that row of places on Clark and Wrigleyville.

Just loved the atmosphere and people. Drinks were great and inexpensive. Food is also good. Clean and friendly.

Extraordinarily friendly staff.
It was a lovely night here in Chicago and the bartender took great care of us.
Highly recommend the Gaelic burger, a proper pint of Guiness, and the friendly conversation.

Open at 8 am for Sat-​Sun Brunch and International Sports. Serious beer and food with a European flare (cloth napkin with sturdy fork and knife).
FIRST DATE VENUE — casual, comfortable old school pub that is spacious with a touch romanticism (fireplace). The perfect place for Sports and Love with flowing Beers. Necessities of a successful date. Who said sports and dating doesn’t mix?
STEAK N EGGS ($ 11) — I’m always happy to see a price that is around $ 10. Ecstatic when it tastes good.
BOTTOMLESS COFFEE ($ 2) — a diner kind at the right price.
SERVICE — John is endearing (the accent, manners and humility). Relax, perfect timing and never neglected.
Next, I shall do a tasting of traditional Irish dishes. 5 more visits to go…

* Great food (like, really really great)
* Geeks Who Drink Trivia (best in the city for sure)
* Not at all too loud and crowded like a lot of surrounding bars
* Decent beer selection
What’s not to like?

I wanted to have some fish n’ chips on St. Patrick’s Day and Blokes and Birds was closed for maintenance so I figured why not try the Irish Pub/​Restaurant down the street? Bad idea. I arrived at roughly 12:20 and sat down at the bar. Front room was NOT crowded. Maybe 10 other people, total, and three others at the bar. Two bartenders working completely ignore me for a good 8 minutes.
One finally comes up. I order the fish n’ chips and a coke. Drink arrives. Literally no contact from either bartender until my order was up. None. No how you doing, no nothing. So my food gets here and they have ZERO idea how to cook fish n’ chips. Outside is fried to a darkness a shade past the way even Long John Silver’s cooks it and they overcook everything. I dig in. The inside is FULL of moisture and once the piece of cod is cut the batter and everything is soaked.
You NEVER fry frozen cod in batter. This is what will happen. The inside will be soggy and the outside will get fried. The fish wasn’t undercooked but it was soaked and turned into a soggy mess. Well, crap. I soldiered through it. The fries were the only part of the meal that wasn’t half bad but they were frozen, too. Don’t come here if you want anything fresh, I guess. Or at least thawed.
Again, NOT ONCE did either of the two bartenders check on me while I ate my meal. good thing I got water because I ran out of coke about halfway through my two soggy pieces of overfried cod.
AGAIN, it took about 8 minutes for one of the two bartenders to notice I was done and pushed my plate aside. After getting one of them to answer me I asked for the check. He brings check. Another 8 minutes until he comes back and picks it up.
I’m glad Blokes and Birds will be finished with its maintenance on Thursday because I’m never making this mistake again.
p. s. I am reviewing this place as a diner, only, I’m sure the whiskey selection and everything is great that’s just not what I came fore.

«I’d rather suck on Malort flavored ice cubes than spend St. Patrick’s day in Wrigleyville.» These are exact words that came out of my mouth about a year ago to the day. Well, I still haven’t come around to aggro 22 year old bros and wasted wooo girls, but I stand corrected on my statement simply because Johnny O’Hagan’s is an awesome Irish pub.
Between the food, whiskey, music, and the fact that the owners are actually from Ireland it’s pretty damn authentic. In a town where so many places throw up some green shit on the walls and claim to be from the old country it’s pretty cool to see them doing it the right way.
There is American fare if you’ve got a picky eater in your group, but I highly recommend something from the traditional section of the food menu. There’s Fish and Chips, Shepard’s Pie, Corned Beef and Cabbage, and an amazing Irish breakfast that’ll have you coming back to eat even when it isn’t the 17^th of March.
Top off your meal with some whiskey and one of the best Guinness pours in the city and you’ll be hooked on O’Hagan’s. Even if this neighborhood isn’t your normal jam either.

Irish pubs are not my usual hangout place, but I came here on Saturday night to see a friend of mine back up Aaron Wilhoft (who is excellent, by the way – he’s fun to watch and does great covers, Irish traditional, and originals). I was hungry so I ordered a blackened salmon sandwich, which had dill yogurt and avocado on it. I know, I know, not very Irish at all. The salmon was pretty overcooked, but the sandwich was generally tasty and I appreciated the creativity. I opted for mashed potatoes instead of fries and they were good. I was hoping for champ, but they didn’t have it on the menu. I tried some of my husband’s steak fries and they were good, hot and freshly fried, but other than that they were standard steak fries that weren’t freshly cut. He ordered their signature burger and said it was good.
Our waitress was great – very friendly, attentive, plus she had the most adorable Irish accent. She split our bill out from our party without us even asking when we decided to leave before everyone else. I have been to much more expensive places and had service that was nowhere near as professional. Kudos to her. By the way, prices for everything were very reasonable, I thought. And the place is clean. Yay. They have a welcoming fireplace in the back, which would be cozy on a winter night.
I used to live very close by but would basically never hang out in Wrigleyville because I don’t really care for the typical rowdy party scene. But O’Hagan’s was pretty chill that night, so I had a nice time. I heard it was an off night, though, and that it usually gets packed to the rafters on a Saturday night. Guess I got lucky. :) But if you’re more into drinking with a crowd, then you may like it better on your average weekend evening.