| Chicagonights'
Guide to Wrigleyville By Jay Williams
Cubby Bear - This place is probably one of the best known sports bars in America. This is usually the first place to fill up after a game is over, it is especially popular with tourists. At night, it is one of the better night spots in Wrigleyville. A lot of bands will play here - a lot of up and comers or acts over the hill. Slugger's - This is the spot I go usually after Cubs games. It gets packed too after a Cubs game, but not to the point of not allowing anyone in like Cubby Bear. The DJ plays a lot of party music after a game, which is great for a celebration, the same mix of music is played at night, but it gets nowhere near as packed. There is an upstairs floor with a lot of video games and high-ball trampoline type of games. Murphy's Bleachers - Murphy's gets pretty crowded before a game, mostly with bleacher bums. You'll find a lot of people looking to buy and sell tickets here. Murphy's is always pretty crowded around game time, despite it being a relatively smaller pub. Hi-Tops - Hi-Tops is definitely one of the Wrigleyville bars that is known for its nightlife as well as for a good place to watch the Cubbies by day. Click here for Chicagonight's full review or Hi-Tops. Sports Corner - Sports Corner is located across the street from Wrigley, directly in front of the Dante's Inferno-looking new Harry Carry statue. Sports Corner is another place that immediately gets filled just because of it's location across from Wrigley and it's also the bar closest to the L tracks. Sports Corner is a good hangout and it's two floors are always filled before and after games. El Jardin - There's like three El Jardin locations all within a few blocks of each other. Two of the locations are just restaurants, and these places have the best damn burritos in Chicagoland, I swear. The other location is a full blown nightclub which has remained popular forever. The first floor of the nightclub has a wall of bras that women have generously donated there while visiting - so come on guys you know this is a cool place when the ladies are just giving away their underwear. Each location has excellent killer margaritas and they may give you a sombraro if you do a shot of tequila. Irish Oak - This is a good Irish Pub in the heart of Wrigleyville. It doesn't have a million screens for watching games, but it is a cool hangout. If you want to go to a bar where you can sit down and talk to your friends, wait for a table to open up and just chill out. Improv Olympic - Pretty good comedy club. This is not a stand-up comedy shop, but a place that has comedy plays/sketches. I saw "The Fandom Menace" there recently, a musical spoof of the star wars trilogy and it was pretty good. This is not a place to go during the day, but it might be a good place to cheer you up after a Cubs loss. Smart Bar - Nightclub right underneath Metro. Click here for Chicagonight's full review. Other honorable mentions: Sheffield's, Metro, Yaksies, Bernie's, The Gingerbread. Send E-mail to Jay at jasonw@chicagonights.com. |
The Cubs suck. But their neighborhood
doesn't. Each year, some 2 million people will be
flocking to Wrigleyville to watch the beloved Cubs (or hated Cubs depending on what side
of town you're on) try to win a game. Anyone who goes to Cubs games knows
that one of the main attractions is usually not the shoddy product that the Tribune
company tries to put out there in Wrigley Field, but the neighborhood and the party
atmosphere surrounding it. Chances are that if you came all the way down to Wrigley,
you're also going to stop in at one of the many bars and clubs surrounding the ballpark to
prepare you for the game, celebrate a victory, or help you forget the pain of another Cubs
loss. As you prepare to go see Chicago's lovable losers, here is a guide to the bars
surrounding Wrigley….