When this place first opened, I thought it had one of the best Fish & Chips in the area. It's still very good, and it is my default dish.
The Guinness Cheese Soup had some promise but ended up being too salty for my taste.
Shepherd's Pie was also a little salty for me but still decent.
Corned Beef and Cabbage is always pretty good.
The kid's Mac N Cheese is actually really good, as is the Wings O Fire appetizer.
The best part about this place is that it is never overly crowded. It has a nice pub feel with outdoor/patio seating options year-round. It also has a decent beer and drink list which is also a big plus.
Good environment to enjoy a meal and drink.
I dropped in for an evening drink(s), and I would say 4.5 stars for the pub environs and beer selections. Â In other words, I liked it! Â I did not try any food, but heard it was quite decent, and it looked so from what I saw. Â Judging from alternative reviews, and unit proven otherwise, Â I'm thinking this may be the best pub in Skokie. Â They have good draft selection, and also have beer blends (combos) - black and blue (Guinness and blue moon), and black and tan (Guinness and Bass ale). Â Prices are good - about $5.50 for a pint. Â I also tried their Grand Teton Lost Continent Double IPA - despite being 8.0% ABV, it's still the same $5.50 for a 16 oz pint - so a great deal! Â It's a nice place to chat, and if they could have turned the music down just one notch, it would have been perfect. Â My partner says that was nothing though!
Review Source:We've been to the Skokie location at least 5 times and the fish and chips is definitely our favorite meal. The fish planks are huge, crunchy on the outside while nice and hot and flaky on the inside. The place is cozy and the bar area is very prominent. They also have an outdoor area with outdoor heating. There's always available street parking and this pub is quite popular with the lunch time crowd. Â Now they could use a few framed pics of U2 and the place would be complete.
Review Source:We waited about 15 minutes for the bartender to pay attention to us and take our drink order. There we only a handful of people there and no one else was taking away her attention ordering anything. She just paced back and forth not looking in our direction, and then was talking with the other people that worked there.
Not giving a damn about your job is a huge understatement.
Other than that when we finally did get our drinks they were ok, the salad was very fresh and tasty though.
I've had take out sandwiches from here before, so brought in my family for an early dinner with their Groupon..
The corned beef, as always was excellent! Â Everything else though was put together with little thought. Â The chopped salad was not chopped and had overcooked chicken. Â The fish and chips were "fair." Â Ordered the chicken quesadilla only because wanted a bit more and they had 1/2 price appetizers at the time - it was not too good - only worth half the price. Â Then, they charged us full price only because we had a Groupon - even though the Groupon covered all the full priced food we already ordered. Â When I pointed this out, the server told me how, if they gave me the discount, management would take it out of her paycheck.... really? Â So, I talked to the supervisor (the manager was out) and she said the same thing. Â I called the manager later and she denied this...and she didn't care about the comments on the dicey food...commenting about my Groupon's fine print, yada yada.
So....if you go there to eat...stick to the traditional Irish dishes and forget the rest. Â As for service...this seems to be one of those places that gives a Groupon and then blames the customer for 'taking advantage' of them...and taking money out of the servers' pocket... great way to win customers.
Having recently been to Ireland there was a nice authentic feel to the pub. Â Cozy, comfortable, Â and friendly with lovely Guinness signs all about.
We arrived early on a Friday night and the place was already pretty crowded. Â We ate in the bar area. Â Began our meal with one pint of Guinness and one of Smithwicks. Â Both authentic just take your pick.
I had the fish and chips and my husband the Ruben sandwich. Â The fish and chips were good. Â Fairly decent for America, just a bit greasy but the coating was nice. Â The tartar sauce was not good and the "chips" average. Â The Ruben sandwich was fine and the corned beef of good quality.
Once our waitress arrived the service was very good.
I used to come here quite a bit when I worked near here. Â Haven't been here in a couple of years but when I walked in, the atmosphere was the same...very friendly, welcoming and laid back. This is your standard Irish Pub with a good selection of beer on tap and always a good special. I've had the fish &chips, burgers, etc and they were all good. Today I had the potato soup (special) and the Reuben. The soup was creamy and chunky and all around thumbs up. The Reuben was loaded with corned beef with just the right amount of sauerkraut and dressing...also a thumbs up. The beer was cold...what more can you ask for. Our business lunch ended up lasting almost 3 hours so they must have been doing something right to keep us there!
Review Source:It's an all right place, I did go there near last call and it was pretty empty. I guess bars in Skokie aren't busy on Thursday nights like ones in the city are. Typical line up of Guinness, Harp and other Irish beers but they did have Revolution and Half Acre on tap. It's all right, I guess.
Review Source:Less than impressed, and clearly lots of others feel the same way because this place was empty on a Saturday night.
Food: Fish and Chips, instead of fries had mashed potatoes, bf had a burger
Drinks: Lemond drop martini, bf had Blue Moon
The fish was extremely fried on the outside, the inside wasn't bad, very soft and pretty tasty fish. The mashed potatoes were okay, they weren't hot as I would have preferred.
My boyfriend was not a fan of his burger. He has tried burgers at many places, so this was for sure one of the worst. He even noted that I had to mention in my review that the burger sucked.
The lemon drop martini was probably the worst I've ever had. It just tasted very watered down, not very lemony, not sweet and not liquory. I love lemon drop martinis and get them at many places, this one resembled nothing of a lemon drop martini. The blue moon was a blue moon, the restaurant couldn't mess it up.
I did like the patio outside. It was heated and it was clean. I am a fan of that.
Overall the food wasn't impressive nor were the drinks. The only positive I found here was the patio and the fact that its an awesome space to meet with friends because it can accomodate lots of people.
Outside seating was awesome for summer  weather. The food was pretty good. Our group had a bacon cheeseburger, grilled portabella sandwich, and fish and chips. Beer/drinks were delicious except the mojitos. Only drawback was service was suuuuuuper slow. That's why I give it 3 stars instead of 4.
Review Source:Over time, the Curragh has lost their Irish employees, and service for a single female is less than stellar. Also their St. Patrick's Day menu and set up isn't the greatest, with a greatly reduced menu, printed instructions that state customers have only a limited time in the restaurant to "make space for other customers", and very little in the way of entertainment. They were offering what looked like green jello shots that day, but the waitress never even stopped at our table. Why is it that female waitresses avoid all female tables?
Review Source:If you are desperate for a place to eat, just go to Annie's pancake house. Â I was shocked at the fact this place was recommended as "family friendly", it is not, it is a pub. Â I made the mistake of following fellow YELP reviewers and brought my family here, major disappointment so I hope I save some families some misery. Â Family friendly is not just having a kids' menu, it means serve the kids first and don't make them wait over 30 minutes for overdone noodles. Â And please please please clean your bathrooms, GROSS! Â I am shocked because I have been at a Curragh Pub in other locations, so not sure what happened with this place. Â The servers were nice, but the food was not worth it. Â Oh, and clean your tap lines, yuck!
Review Source:Popped in here to watch some NCAA tourney and use a Groupon this past Saturday. Â I was a little leary to go in when I saw that there were no cars in the parking lot at 4pm. Â We decided to go in anyways and we were right. Â We had the entire place to ourselves. Â It was cool though, ordered up some Stiegl and had them turn on the games for us. Â People started trickling in as the afternoon/evening wore on. Â
What I like about this place is that they serve a nice mix of draft beer: Irish, German/Austrian, and Regional (IL, MI, etc). Â If you can't find a beer to like here then something is wrong with you. Â We also ordered some apps and sammiches. Â Both were pretty good for pub food. Â I must say that I like this Irish joint better than Nevin's in Evanston, although it is in Skokie =(
Will I be back, possibly, if I feel like driving over to Skokie. Â Food, drinks and waitresses were all good!
A great pub in Skokie that excells on every level. The alfresco dining on the patio in the summer is great and the small indoor bar has a cozy inviting atmosphere.
The beer selection is good with Irish/English, German/Austrian & American microbrews on tap. The food is very good and the quality and portions have remained consistent since their opening a few years ago. Some particular favorites are the mozarella sticks, rueben sandwich, fish & chips and any of their salads. Service is outstanding, food is very good and ambiance is nice. A great place to dine outside on a warm summers eve.
This wonderful Irish-themed pub has been a welcomed harbor for my friends and I for four years now. Â I regret that I don't live closer as there is so much to like about this place. Â It is cozy without being cramped, dim without being gloomy and there is plenty of seating every time we've been there. Â For our most recent annual trip the wait staff was fast, friendly and not overwhelmed by the fact that they had a wedding party on the patio and our show's audience (from down the street at The Skokie Theatre) of 35 or so. Â I've really only had everything on the appetizer sampler and an odd bite or two of some sandwiches and burgers, but everything I've had has been utterly delicious. Â And while I'm not a beer drinker the bartender graciously indulged me in a Lager & Lime request without flinching too much. Â All of my friends who have eaten full meals there have expressed great appreciation for the food, too - and that has ranged from fish and chips to sandwiches. Â
This place is just really comfortable: Â good food, good drinks, friendly staff, good service. Â While it is, at its essence, a pub with food, it is one that you'll want to make one of your regular stops.
Very glad I decided to give this place a second chance!!
First of all.. excellent customer service. Â When management saw my previous review they quickly contacted me and offered to make it right. Â That, in itself, is awesome.
This time around I tried the Fish & Chips.. it was fantastic!! Â My boyfriend had the BBQ Chicken sandwich, which was also great. Â Service was excellent.. food was yummy.. no complaints!!
Huge improvement!! Â Big thanks to Lydia for taking such great care of us.. and Paul for setting it up. Â I will definitely be back!! Â :)
I am not usually the hugest fan of such foods--- pub types, or UK type food... however, I was pleasantly surprised by this Irish Pub in skokie!
First of all, the patio is super awesome. Â It is covered, and they have these HUGE heat lamps so they can keep the patio /outdoor seating going well into the chillier times of year. Â yipee!!
The service is super slow, but as long as you have time to sit, chat, watch a game, whatever... it's enjoyable.
I got a chopped salad which had delicious tidbits of chicken, avocado, blue cheese (bleu? not sure how french the irish are), tortilla strips (hmm random) tomatoes and other fixins. Â It was good! Â Not super amazing salad awesomeness, but tasty and did the job of filling me up without weighing me down.
Mother (who works nearby and I was meeting for lunch) ordered the Reuben but switched out the bread for a french roll. Â Hers came with fries. Â The sandwich was very good! Â The fries were alright. Â Anyway i'd definitely come back for a relaxing meal or to watch a game on the fancy outdoor patio!
Cute, clean and just what the doctor ordered for a dreary Saturday night.
Our party opted for the covered patio, keeping us in the fresh air, and out of the rain. Â The outdoor television kept us entertained when the conversation lulled, and the service was spot on.....our gal was never too far away, but not stalker-ish. Â :D Â
Available beers include Delerium, Smithwicks, Half Acre Daisy Cutter, and several other "fancy" beers.
Stop by this quiet comforable place for a relaxing evening.
Weekday lunches are good stuff. Food is better than the average bar. BBQ chicken sandwich is tasty and served up a bit different than the standard, a big breast piece. Sauce is tasty.
Service, complete other story. Not sure if it's inexperience to handle a rush or what. Weekday lunches can be busy but not where every table is filled. In regards to service for return customers versus new ones, we all get the same service, that same look I gave my co-workers is given by the couple with their baby that eat here a few times a week. A look meaning, where the heck is our waitress and how long will we wait on this food! Â If it's a work lunch, order ahead.
For nightlife there are a few cuties that can be seen in here during the warmer months, but, nothing too impressive about it to get me running to come back. This is a Skokie bar for kids that live in Skokie and want to drink at a better than dive place like, Skokie house. Their beer garden is nice and they have a cover for it during the winter months when it's heated during this time. Beer gardens in the nearby Chicago burbs are hard to come-by, with that said for what it is, its A-okay.
Anyone who has ever found themselves going out to a bar has always looked and hoped to find that place, "where everyone knows you name." Â I have been drinking, legally, since I turned 21 and it took me a good 5 years to find such a location for myself. Â Nothing more feels like a home away from home to me than going into Skokie's little known joint, "The Curragh".
Situated a few blocks down the seemingly busier "Village Inn" on the quiet street of Lincoln Ave, The Curragh is very small, quiet during the week and always quaint. Â Every summer the patio is open and the owner hires bartenders/servers directly from Ireland to keep it as authentic as they can. Â Hey, it's Skokie, they do the best they can.
Inside is a single strip bar on the left side with about 10-12 bar stools with a few scattered tables on the front, side and rear of the establishment. Â The bar's marble top is smooth and cool to the forearms and is a great friend during the warm summers. Â The lighting is exceptionally soothing with it being dim, but not dim enough where you can't see the person's face from across the room in the evening. Â Three flat screen TVs adorn the bar and if you are friendly enough with the bartender you can watch pretty much anything you want. Â One evening my friend and I requested they turn on "Anchorman" on TBS during a slow evening. Â They did. Â On every TV.
A great selection of random beers on tap is definitely a sight for sore, beer thirsty eyes. Â I always seem to smile and nod in approval at any bar that doesn't have "Miller Lite" "Budwiser" and "Coors" as the first three taps on their rail. Â The Curragh has consistently had "Smithwicks", "Harp" and "Guinness" as their first three tapped beers for as long as I've been a barfly at this establishment.
That brings me to the next thing. Â Brace yourselves if you have a particular, immovable opinion on where you can get your favorite pint of Guinness. Â The Curragh, in Skokie, IL has, by far, the best pint of Guinness I've ever drank, anywhere in the Chicagoland location. Â Ever. Â The thickness, coldness and black-engulfing color has had me hypnotized ever since my first pint there. Â The best. Â And I was in Dublin, Ireland in 2010 and went to the Guinness factory and had it straight from the glorious teet it comes from and found it to be just a hair's breath under The Curragh. Â I will repeat for those that may have thought I mis-typed: The Curragh in Skokie=The Best Pint of Guinness. Â Ever.
Now that I've thoroughly blasphemed many people's computer screens I'll move on to the menu. The food at the Curragh has always been pleasant. Â The regular faire; hot wings, nachos, quesadillas, and mozzarella sticks, while at times a bit expensive, are top in their league. Â The mozzarella sticks, especially, were almost an inch wide and FILLED with mozzarella. Â Nothing is worse than eating mozzarella sticks and having the last bite be empty fried bread. Â These are as filled-to-the-brim-gooey as they come.
The rest of the food is also delicious, especially the burgers and corned beef sandwiches. Â My only problem is, again, the prices. Â To charge about $10+ for a burger (with all the trimmings) at a very small pub seems a bit over kill. Â If you can get past the price, and don't mind, you will not be disappointed with any decision on the menu.
If you are in the Skokie area and are looking for a touch of the Irish flavor and environment, head on out to The Curragh. Â You will not be disappointed. Â Unless you still disagree with my Guinness comment. Â For that, I am not sorry.
Went here yesterday afternoon with a couple of buddies to grab a bite to eat. Â It gave off a pretty good Irish pub vibe. Â Being the only person in my group who isn't 21 yet, I didn't order anything to drink. Â However, my friends each ordered a draught Stiegls. Â
I ordered the fish and chips for my entree. Â Pretty solid dish. Â Two large slices of nicely breaded fish, crispy fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce. Â Â If I were to change anything, I would season the fish a little bit more, as I found it just slightly under seasoned. Â Still delicious though. Â One of my friends ordered the Irish breakfast and seemed to enjoy it, as did my friend who ordered the corned beef.
Overall, a good place to grab a bite to eat and have a drink with some Irish flair.
Ventured into Curragh because another local establishment down the road was filled up. Â When i fist saw the size of the place I thought it was going to suck for sure. Â HOWEVER, after walking inside, I was very impressed with the small but functional set up around the bar as well as the extra seating in the patio area. Â
The service was pretty solid. Our server was very friendly and always kept my water glass full, and the food was brought out in a timely manner.
The bar has most liquors under the sun as well as a a decent sized list of craft beers (although only about 3/4 of them were currently in stock).
The modestly priced menu offered the standard pub food, but also offered breakfast options.
For viewing, Curragh three or four 42'' TV's in the bar area, which doesn't sound like much, but for the size of the place it worked, and almost every seat in the house had a suitable viewing angle. Â There are also an additional 2-3 televisions on the outdoor patio.
My one complaint would be the lack of comfort  from the stools around the surrounding high-tables. They were small, had little padding, no back, and had steel rivets in them that were not pleasant on the behind.  next time I will be sitting at the bar (which had backs and grooved wood seats) or the steel chairs on the patio.
Overall, I would definitely return to Curragh. Â I wish more places in Skokie would take a page from their book and put together similar clean and friendly establishments.
Great Burgers...
Skokie generally blows, so you have to consider everything on a non-traditional Skokie scale. Â A regular "7" is a "Skokie 10" whether it's girls, food, bars or whatever. Â The Curragh is def a Skokie 10, maybe higher. Â The patio is really nice in the summer. Â The bar itself is good... not great... and they are a little too much into the fake Irish thing (read: soccer on the TVs and non-stop Pogues on the jukebox) but the staff is friendly and the food is good. Â
all that said... the burger is AWESOME... probably in the top five in the north burbs, up there with Hackneys, Ubaa, Meier's, LWoods, etc.
Good food, good pints. Â What's more to say?
Okay, its comfy if not cozy inside, but also has seating outside for the warmer seasons. Â Staff is friendly and very helpful.
Food, well, haven't had much besides a very good shepard's pie and a very decent fish n chips. Â But will come back to try more as it has a very good potential.
And yes, I will be back since its good to go for all counts! Â But more in the next update...
P.S. Â Is it really true that there is an Irish pub in every city? Â Mein friend says yes...I don't know...
to the management: its the first nice day of spring and you are one of very few restaurants in the area with outdoor seating; based on this logic, wouldn't you expect a busy lunch hour? you should have extra staff on the floor and extra food prepped in the back.
to the chef: it should not take an hour to make 2 cobb salads! in fact, it shouldn't even take 20 minutes. every component of a cobb salad (sans chicken) should be pre-prepped.
and finally to our server: when i ask 3 times about the status of our order and express that i only have an hour before i need to get back to work, i expect you to check on the food and possibly try to speed things along in the kitchen. don't keep telling me that they are grilling the chicken. if it'd been on the grill as long as you say, i would have been eating a grizzled meat puck. and since i've been waiting FOREVER i expect my iced tea to be replenished often and with something that tastes like tea.
step it up skokie.
So I went to high school in Skokie. And I couldn't wait to get the hell out of dodge when high school ended. Skokie is old and boring and nothing ever changes.
Well, thank god Skokie did change and actually added a bar that's fun to go to. The Curragh is that bar. All of my friends from HS say that it's like they took a bar from the city and transplanted it to Skokie. Its bright and clean and has a clientele which is more diverse than the AA flunkies and trailer park types that frequent many of the other bars in that town.
For all the people my age, its a godsend. It is very small, especially when the outside is closed. But now we don't have to fight the crowds at Old Orchard or make the trek to Evanston to hang out with a hipper younger crowd. Curragh is always fun and I'm not ashamed to be seen there.
And the bartender always makes a shamrock in my Guinness foam. I love that little shamrock. And I love Curragh.
Americanized Irish pubbing at its best! Â Oh, I'm sorry, did the sarcasm not come through? Â Well, here I go again, being a pub snob. Â
This is what passes for nightlife in Skokie. Â I don't doubt that this joint is a boon to the locals; however, it doesn't do much for me. Â First off, it's TAENY. Â It's WEE! Â There is outdoor seating, but during cold weather, I don't know how they can make any money because they can only fit maybe 25 people inside the building. Â There are no nooks and nowhere to hide; if you don't want to be bothered by whatever is on the multiple TV's, too bad! Â Secondly, it's too new. Â They went whole-hog on the Irish pub decor, but fresh paint and brand-new wood make it seem too shiny and fake.
I can't disparage the crowd; they're a fair mix of locals of all ages. Â I would come here too if I lived in Skokie. Â
The bar ought to have some more beers available. Â And the barkeep, while sporting an Irish accent, ought to knock off pulling a Guinness like a 22-year-old Iowan at Timothy O'Toole's with a long line of customers.
Oh, and they were out of Tullamore Dew. Â BOOO!
Second best fish and chips in the area after Mrs. Murphy's and Sons.
The waitress was friendly and attentive.
This is an Irish pub so there was little room for those who want to sit at a table inside and eat rather than drink. There is plenty of room outside but the night we went we were warned there were flies outside.
Has a very cozy atmosphere.
This is the best thing to happen to Skokie in a long time. There is an outdoor dining/drinking patio - BEWARE - it closes at 10 pm daily, weekends included, thanks Village of Skokie.
Food - I tried Shepherd's pie and it was really yummy. The portions are large and enough to satisfy any appetite. They have appetizers, soups/salads, burgers, traditional Irish fare, and even desert.
Drink - very reasonable prices. $5 for a pint of Guiness.
Service - quick.
Overall - if you live nearby, make a point to visit
Best pub in the neighborhood with great pub faire and shepherd's pie! Great place to hang out and watch a game, and the outdoor patio is covered, comfortable, and has a nice LCD TV to watch as well. Contrary to Craig S's review, however, I'm pretty sure they do have the standard soft drinks, as I had a Coke when I was there. Maybe it was just a fluke. Dec, Susan, and the rest of the staff are attentive, and the food and drinks are good. Add that to the ambiance and coziness of a local pub and you have a place worth being a regular at.
Review Source:I've been watching this place being built/remodeled for a while now and have been dying for it to open (who doesn't like an Irish pub in the neighborhood). Â Finally got a chance to stop in tonight and wasn't disappointed.
They've only been open for a couple of weeks, but it already has the feel of a well established neighborhood pub. Â We got there at 6pm, snagging the last table in the joint up front. Â Another 20 or so people came in after us and filled the relatively small space to the gills. Â Like most Irish pubs, quarters are tight, warm and friendly. Â There are a number of old Guinness ad tins on the wall and various phrases stenciled around the space (my personal favorite is toward the front: "Here's to the health of your enemies enemies"). Â The crowd is a mix of generations, with kids (ours; nice parenting, huh?) to gray heads. Â This is definitely not the trendy, meat market type pub you'd find down in Lincoln Park.
The menu offers a pretty good selection of pub grub(cheeseburgers, chicken strips, etc.) and traditional Irish favs (Guinness fish & chips, Irish breakfast, corned beef & cabbage, etc.).  We ordered the cheeseburger & fries ($7.49), kids chicken fingers & fries ($5.50) and Shepard's  pie ($9.99).  Portions sizes are generous; food was well cooked and very tasty.
Service was quick and the server was attentive. Â Beer selection is nice, with a number (10 was my count) on tap (Guinness, Sam Adams, Stella Artois , Smithwicks to name a few) and double that amount in bottles. Â They also offer specialty beer combos like black and tan, black and blue, irish american and shandy as well as stiffer stuff ( irish whiskeys and scotch). Â Unfortunately for non drinkers (and kids), no soft drinks are available.
There is an outdoor patio with 10+ tables that looks like it would be nice to hang out on if our dear Chicago weather demon ever decides to give us a warm day. Â Tables inside number at 8 and, as mentioned above, are tightly packed. Â Bar looks to seat 14 or so. Â There is parking in the back as well as on the street.
I definitely will be back again and can see us becoming regulars at this place. Â While I love Nevin's in Evanston, it looks like I'm going to be getting my comfort food and Guinness fix a little closer to home.
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