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Bar Thu Dec 19 2013
Holiday Eats: Chief O'Neill's Pub & Restaurant
Throughout this month, Drive-Thru staffers will be writing about their favorite bars and restaurants to celebrate the holiday, as so much of the holiday is not the day itself, but the days that come before -- the places you end up at after a holiday party, a day of errands and shopping, or just to hide away from the shorter days and colder weather.
Perched along the quiet 3400 block of Elston Avenue is the coziest pub in Chicago. Yep I said it. Chief O'Neill's Pub & Restaurant boasts a crackling fireplace, above which the Chief's portrait keeps a watchful eye over unruly patrons (ne'er to be seen). Celtic knot-themed stained glass line the windows and keep the grit from Elston out of eye sight. Poinsettias and garlands line the booths, tables and bar for a nice festive touch.
Chief's does have a decent craft beer list but I like to focus on the standard Irish bar pours as their Snakebite and Black and Tans taste particularly good while nestled in a booth with friends. The Guinness and Cheddar soup is a must do, especially considering the four block walk you trudged along to get here from the Belmont Blue Line stop. Goat cheese fondue and peat smoked shrimp are other toasty favorites. And the Harp-battered Atlantic cod either in fish and chip form or on their sandwich is light enough that you can handle another snakebite or two, but will sustain you for the walk back to Belmont.
I've admittedly never been able to decipher their music schedule but it's worth a call ahead of time to see if wandering musicians may find their way to the pub that night. Past 9pm, most likely there will be some folks playing something that you can tap your pint to.
Chief O'Neill's Pub & Restaurant
3471 N. Elston Ave.
(773) 583-3066
