As far as downtown Joliet is concerned...this is as good as it gets. Not kidding, and no joking. A fine little slice of pub in an otherwise fairly hum-drum former Rust Belt town/city turned sprawling suburban exurb.
First, you can't go wrong with $3.75 craft beers on tap when that special is running. Â The food the few times I've had has been solid (I go for the tater tots and any burger). Thursdays are probably my preferred day to go, since every so often a friend or group of friends will be at the open mic night. It's a small place (if you want to flatter, maybe "intimate" is the descriptor you would use), so if you come when it's crowded, I hope standing and claustrophobia aren't problems for you. But otherwise, unless you head east (to one of the two Tribes Alehouses-more on them in separate reviews) you won't find a better combo of quality beer and food, and some local music thrown in for good measure. Solid.
For me, everything here rates above average. Food, beer selection, ambiance, and service are all pretty good. They also have some pretty stellar nightly specials. I'd say their sandwiches (especially Irish BLT) are among my favorites. I wasn't terribly impressed by their fish or Irish sausage.
Review Source:Here's the thing about this place. Don't go expecting them to make any sort of remotely complicated bar drink, because they will google it. One of the waitresses completely sucks, she never brings silverware, forgets that she gave you a menu and you're waiting to order, and constantly gets checks wrong. She's been there for at least a year though so the management must like her.
The food is good bar food. The tacos and burgers are good, especially if you go on special nights.
This is really a toss up between two and three stars. Â I'll go with three because of the unique selection they offer here.
I've been here twice, and the food has been mediocre at best. I had a burger the first time, which seemed freshly prepared but overcooked. It wasn't really anything special that I couldn't get anywhere else. Â I had the pulled pork smothered fries the second time, which was a huge soggy mess that I really didn't care for either.
Maybe I'lll give the place a third try. I really wanted to like this place because it's a cool atmosphere with unique menu items, and close by.
This place was almost as close to no stars as you could probably get and there was one main reason. Her name is Katie and I'm not certain she even knows what a waitress does. Or is supposed to do. Â We nearly had food by the time she brought our drinks. The next round of drinks never made it to our table as we left before she got around to bringing them, tho she had made it a point to stop by multiple times to tell us they were coming?!?! She took our drink order and then sat with her friends who had also brought a newborn baby. To a bar. Nuff said.
The bartender woman was equally as horrible. Terrible terrible service to go along with sub par pub food. Throw me a freakin' bone here, Chicago street pub.
This is a lunch review. I've eaten at Chicago Street a few times, but I never really cared for it enough to review it - until now. The food has improved massively. I had the breaded chicken sandwich. I'm not a fan of chicken sandwiches, but tried it at my friend's suggestion. It was perfect. The staff was friendly and efficient. The decor is nice, I love the copper ceiling. Although, sometimes the place smells like a dirty mop.
 It is a good place for a good lunch ... when the place is almost empty. If you walk in and the tables are full - walk right back out. Because you aren't going to get any food. If they simplify the lunch menu (and buy a new mop), this place could easily become a five star lunch spot.
As bars go, this place is definitely a 5 star place.
Chicago Street Pub has the best "bar food" around. The menu is just the right size - not too big, not too small. This is another place I've been to and not had a bad meal. The pork Tenderloin sandwich is my personal favorite, followed closely by the fish and chips. The poorboy is another solid option.
Chicago St. also offers a very respectable selection of craft beers. As a certified beer snob, there are always enough brews on tap to fufil a dinner and / or drinking session. They usually have at least one beer from Three Floyds Brewing on tap, sometimes more. I've been fortunate enough to get in while they've had such gems as Bell's Two Hearted and Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. (The 90 minute was served in a pint glass - that was more than a fair pour for that drink!!)
As of this writing, Thursday is $3 premium pint night and $1 tacos. The tacos are phenomenal, especially the pulled pork tacos. (Recently I had 3 FFF Alpha Kings, 3 tacos, and tater tots and my bill was $12. Where else are you going to find that???!?
This hidden gem in downtown Joliet hosts some great local live music.
Food and brews aside, the owners of this place are great folks. My wife and I have hosted two events there and Mike (Triz) and Kathy made both of the parties great successes. Both events were over a year ago and our friends still rave about the food, atmosphere, and how nice the staff were. I've been going here for years, not as frequently as I used to but when someone asks me to go for a drink, this is my go-to place.
Ignore the negative reviews.
If you look at the location of the person reviewing this place, rarely will you see a resident anywhere near Joliet.
Why is a quiet downtown area a bad thing? Several bars are within walking distance plus the Harrah's Casino is 2 blocks away. Â So DESOLATE may be a little much people. Â However, I am glad I can walk back to my car alone and feel safe.
This place is awesome. Â I have done shots with the owner, and the service and food are consistently fantastic.
MEG YOU ROCK!
Wasn't expecting much at first to be honest. Â Was tagging along with a buddy, who wanted to check out their whiskey selection. Â I'm more of a beer guy. Â Was very impressed by their selection on tap. Â If memory serves me correctly: Â FFF Pride & Joy, Alpha King, PBR, GI IPA, Spaten, Hoegaarden, Guinness, Hacker Pschorr, Dogfish Head pumpkin Ale were what I remember. Â Was there on a Thursday and were offering $1 tacos and everything on $3 pints on anything on tap!
Easily the best bar in Joliet and believe me, there's a lot of them, unfortunately more on the divey side.
If you are trapped in...I mean, VISITING Joliet, this is a decent pub to check out. Â I'm a fan of the non-chain restaurant thing, and I love downtown areas, so Chicago St. Pub fit the bill.
This quaint little Irish pub has a welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, comfortable setting, and tasty food. Â The fried green beans - yes, you should order them!
I was able to enjoy a little live music while I was there, as well, and it helped set the mood even more. Â Authentic Irish songs - totally makes the bar and really gets the crowd into it. Â
Definitely recommend if you are in the Joliet area. Â It beats Applebee's and Golden Corral by a mile!
This is the best Irish pub Joliet has to offer. Â Since my last review I have tried the food, and it far exceeds my expectations. Â I've tried the poorboy/hoagie, whatever it's called, and liked it a lot. Â But the item I was most impressed with was a sandwich called "the Jackhammer." Â Wow! Â It's a sandwich that combines smoked pulled pork with grilled tavern ham and pepperjack cheese. Â It's incredible! Â
I also learned that throughout baseball season they have a special deal between the Jackhammers baseball team and the Jackhammer sandwich, but I can't recall the specific details. Â Regardless, the Jackhammer sandwich is da bomb!
Why is it that every time I go to Joliet I feel like I am in a post-apocalyptic movie like Omega Man or 28 Days Later?
Oh right, the desolation!
While some of the western river towns like Aurora and Elgin seem to be enjoying a bit of a resurgence in the last few years, (to my eyes, anyway) Joliet is the same as it ever was and shows no sign of either sparking back into life or crumbling into dust. It just is.
Which may be a good slogan for them... "JOLIET: The City That Is".
Keep it, Joliet. My gift to you, no charge.
Sure, yeah, it is a city of moderate size. It simply has no population, or none that I have ever seen in the downtown area anyway. This may unnerve some people, but for one with misanthropic leanings such as myself, I find it rather charming, and believe it or not, an additional reason to come back once or twice a year.
Some people think that such desolation would attract the criminal element, but really why would it? There is no one to rob. Not only that, the buildings are all empty. There is nothing to loot. When the river pirates sail down the Des Plaines, they do not stop in Joliet because as they say "No booty thar be!"
But if they did stop, they would find a swell place to eat and drink in the Chicago Street Pub. Even the snootiest of beer snob pirates would sheathe his cutlass and take notice of the sixteen beers on tap. I noticed, and I don't even drink beer. Any pirate that has sailed the seven seas certainly would demand variety in their beers, and they would certainly find it at Chicago St.: English, Irish, Belgish, Germish, Costa Riquish, Jamaiquish, and probably several other 'ishes I am forgetting.
The food is very tasty and reasonably priced, so when you're low on doubloons, you can still fill up for a full night's pillagin'. I had a bacon cheeseburger that was excellent with delicious fries also. With several cokes my bill was less than $8.00. Considering the high quality of the food, this seems dirt cheap to me.
Chicago Street is Irish pubby in atmosphere, but really the best place is in the beer garden out on the sidewalk where you can gaze out upon an empty city where no cars will drive by. I find this very pleasant and relaxing without the rest of the world around, just you and your friends and whatever buccaneers might be inside despite the loot vacuum that exists in this city. It is nice that this oasis exists in Joliet so that I may enjoy the desolation in comfort.
I actually saw the bartender answer the phone, then hand it to various patrons several times during the night. There are a number of non-pirate regulars here also that are comfortable enough to hand out the bar's phone number as a contact number. I had thought such a practice was obsolete, but it is charming in its way.
The PA is not much to speak of. A bundle of mismatched speakers, amps, and mixers that were not functioning properly and actually held up the beginning of the show, since no one seemed to be versed in their operation. Sonic quality was poor, if still functional. This is the one thing holding back Chicago Street Pub from four stars, in my opinion. Minimal investment would make this a fine place to see a show. If I were to judge the pub alone, it would be four stars, no question.
The bathroom was somewhat rickety, but clean, so I have no complaint.
This may be the first review where I have talked about menu and pirates more than PA and bathrooms. If you are still curious if pirates do or do not frequent this establishment, I have to admit I am unclear on that myself, and I am also unclear as to how pirates made their way into this review. So don't bother asking, matey, just go and see for yourself. And bring your club and a bucket of golf balls, because you'll be able to hit them in any direction down the street without anyone yelling at you.
DISCLAIMER-- The Space Cupcake Organization does not endorse the following: destruction of private property, pillagin', use of the term "Belgish", golfing, or loot vacuum.
Thank You.
Small bar and about the only thing it has in common with places in Chicago is the name. It obviously is named to confuse the locals to where they are at. I went one time on a Sunday afternoon and I was surprised how many people were in there. There is nothing special about this place and I have seen a hundred like them. Not a bad place if you are stuck in downtown Joliet, but then again why would you get stuck there.
Review Source:2 1/2 stars, really.
The first time we tried to go here (a Friday night, some months back), it was *so* loud and crowded that we ended up turning right around and walking out. To be fair, these are attributes not surprising in a pub setting, but we're talking yelling people and very loud music (not live, just recorded, though they do host live entertainment as well), and since we were there for dinner, not just for drinks, it wasn't really what we were looking for. Exit, stage left.
So yesterday we were back in Joliet and decided to try again, for lunch this time. Much more subdued setting this time, though there were a number of people partaking in lunchtime fare. It's quite dark (again, no surprise in a pub, but come on, you can't read the menu, and we were sitting right by the big front window!), with typical decor: bar mirrors etched with "Guinness" and "Harp," signs for Smithwicks, a bagpipe on the wall.
I opted for a cup of the potato soup (bacon, cheddar and green onion cost extra on top, but what is it going to taste like without it?) and was interested in the chicken wings with a trio of sauce (original, spicy raspberry and apricot chipotle mustard), but the waittress pointed out that they don't serve wings til after 2 pm (why? apparently they take too long to cook in the fryer and it backs up other orders at lunch time and since people are trying to get out in 30 mins for lunch this causes problems. I would suggest that they get another or a bigger fryer, if enough people are trying to order this item that it has caused a problem.) She suggested in their stead "popcorn chicken," which could also come with the same sauce, so I went with that.
The soup was barely lukewarm, and the predominant flavor note was the bacon. The popcorn chicken was chicken nuggets, which were fine -- white meat, freshly made, but not really what I'd had in mind for lunch that day; the complex apricot chipotle mustard sauce really elevated them. Without it, they would have been Happy Meal food.
One of the other diners in my party got a special: 2 stuffed tomatoes, one with chicken salad and one with tuna salad, served with homemade potato chips and tricolored rotini pasta. She enjoyed this, and I snagged a couple of her chips, which were in the "kettle chip" style and not at all greasy.
The other member of the group got a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, which came on rye (which he thought to be an odd choice), though he thought it was tasty overall; strangely, the ham appeared to be chopped up, though maybe it had been shaved? Hard to tell.
I'd give Chicago Street another shot for lunch; they have a broad menu of sandwiches, burgers, and some Irish-style fare, and I think I just didn't hit the jackpot with my selection. Bring your flashlight for menu perusal, though.
Even if the the sound system has issues once in a while where resident musicians may bring some pieces in for a last minute fix, even if the piano isn't used nearly as often as it should be except perhaps as a coaster, even if the food, though happily nourishing, is your basic pub grub fare....Chicago Street Pub truly warms my heart. Â
I don't go to Chi-St. as often as I should, but the handful of times in a year I do make it down there, they always make me feel like family, even when I was a newbie. Â Like family, it has its quirks and its craziness, but it's all part of the fun and good times (the owners often participate in these wild times, too!). Â This is a place that's very welcoming. Â This is a place where friends become kindred. Â This is a place to feel completely comfortable whever you are, either at a high-top, at the bar, or on the floor by the stage if the dancing bug bites you. Â There's a beer garden/patio out front where you can lounge in the warm summer breeze (or swelter while you smoke -- depends on the day).
This is also a place that fosters and encourages local musicians, which I greatly appreciate. Â Between or after sets, you just might hear your friends on the juke box.
Overall, when I'm ever in Joliet, this is the place I call home.
Nice reasonably priced import beer selection that could easily rival plenty of pubs in Chicago. If you prefer a PBR they've got it. The buffalo bacon blue cheese burger I ate had a nice char-grilled taste and was served with really good not at all greasy homemade potato chips. We also ordered the curry fries for an appetizer which was a big portion and were soooo good. I'm looking forward to going back plenty of times and trying some of the other menu items such as the Irish offerings. While we ate there was a band playing folk music which made for a pretty cool dinner. I was actually sorry that we had to leave to go to the concert we were seeing as this was just a cool place to relax and hang. If you're planning on going here to eat when there is a band there may be a cover charge. We paid $5 each to get in but felt it was well worth it.
Yes, downtown Joliet can be desolate at night as it's mostly offices and a casino. But it's slowly changing and if you find yourself here on a weekend evening park at the free in the evening lot around the corner (find that in Chicago you Chicagoans!), come here for dinner and a little music,  then catch a concert down the street at The Ven-U. You may have fun and pay a lot less than a  similar night out in Chicago.
Thanks to Spencer S.'s  review I checked this place out.  A friend was in town for business and staying in Joliet, so I wanted to pick a place close to where he was staying.  If you're not familiar with the area, downtown Joliet is DESOLATE besides the casinos.  There is NOTHING.
We were there on a wednesday, apparently not a popular night, which was fine with us because we were able to have a conversation and not have to yell.
They pour a good pint of Guinness, which is always a plus. Â I had the "Irish Surf and Turf", which consists of fish and chips and a few links of irish sausage (kinda like breakfast sausage). Â It was great!
Their Black and Tan onion rings were awesome - I forgot to ask how they made them, but the rings had little black rings around them, kinda like stripes. Â YUM.
We got talking with the bartender a bit and told him that my friend was there on business, and that we looked up places on <a href="http://Yelp.com">http://Yelp.com</a> and he thought that was pretty cool. Â Before we left, we ordered a round of shots, and he came to our table and poured the shots there. Â He said "This one's on me guys, have a Merry Christmas." Â I asked him if he had enough in there for him, and he went back and made another shot for himself and took it with us. Â HOW COOL!
That right there is a reason to go back. Â That's just good business.
I give it 4 stars because the parking kinda sucks and the location is weird, but I would DEFINITELY recommend this place if you're in the area!
Probably my favorite Irish pub in all of the Chicagoland area. Â Not only is the food authentic AND fantastic, but it is CHEAP too! Â I especially dig the potato soup and the irish sausage.
Absolutely great selection of beers on tap and in the cooler. Â One of the few places I know that has my favorite brand of beers, Three Floyd's Beer.
If the food and the beverages weren't enough for you, they also have killer music going on almost every day of the week, though I usually only make it in for the Irish folk jam on Mondays.
John, the owner, is a great guy who always makes sure everyone in the place is well-treated and having a good time. Â Bartenders Kelly and Brendan are no slouches either!
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