Blarney Stone Pub

Mike aka "Mouth" was bartending which is always a treat the guy is  hilarious and is one of the best bartenders around.  The beer was cold, company was good, music wasn't to loud, and sports were on the TV= Good Time.   This place has really good Pizza if you get a chance.  I personally try to avoid it on Fri or Sat nights because it tends to be a younger crowd and gets overcrowded.

Add Shannon to the reasons to go here.. and 120 minute IPA on tap (18.5% of goodness) the other evening.  I walked in in a horrible funk and left happier than dog-turd.

Two stars for the food, but "I've experienced better" sums up just about everything I could say about this place. Come in for lunch, but don't sit too close to the guy with the trach, it'll bum you out (and those things are a lot louder than you'd guess). Avert your eyes from the gambling machines, if that's at all possible, before you cry watching grandpa give away his life savings. Be sure your hat is on straight and your pants pulled up, bro. Don't want to be mistaken for a thug.

Yes they have craft beer, and lots of it. Wow. Anyone with a commercial account can have craft beer, you call the distributor and open your wallet. Do they care about craft beer? Reasonably enough, in that they want to sell it to you and will host events. Do they care about craft beer? Not enough to really keep the lines clean. I've tried most of the beers on tap elsewhere, and the few that I sampled here all tasted the same, a warning sign to my tastebuds.

They used to do growler carry outs. Dunno if that still happens, but if it does, might give 'em another star for being ballsy (it's illegal, considered "repackaging" by IL law).