This place is a MUST for any Steelers fan! I love coming here and getting some delicious food while I enjoy the game. The atmosphere alone is amazing!
On a non-Steelers related note: This place just has great food and awesome service. The times I come in during the football off season have been almost as enjoyable!
Big fan of the Dark Horse. As a Burgh native in Chicago it is always great to find a place that supports the steelers as much as you do... Not to mention, they have Iron City and IC Light...
One of the best points of the place- Ryan, the bartender. He's awesome. Friendly and funny! I always appreciate a bit of entertainment during my drinking time and this guy is it. My friends and I love him!
If you're looking for a nice cozy dive in Wrigleyville try this spot out, it wont disappoint!
Great place and AWESOME playlist friday nights! I live down the block and was there this past friday and somehow i lost my iphone and a gold hoop earring, which i didnt realize were missing until i got home. I called my phone as soon as i got inside my house and to my surprise the staff answered it and offered to wait for me to come and get it! Im still mourning my earring but im very thankful that i got my phone back!
Review Source:Its the weeknights that this place really shines. Â Never crowded. Â Lots of TVs, surprisingly good music playing (Old school Fleetwood Mac at one point), 4 dollar drafts every night and 6 dollar pitchers every night. Â And always a great food deal. Â My buddies and I seem to go here twice a week on various days. Â Mondays? Big burgers or puleld prk sandwiches for 3 bucks. Â Tuesday? 25 cent wings that are pretty good for the price. Â Thursday? half priced apps - and you BETTER get the Pulled Pork Nachos (and that is a LOT of food fyi). Â
Also the staff is really friendly. Â Emily, who works all the tables most weeknights is super friendly and nice. Â The bar tenders and the rest of the staff are also real cool. Â
I dont often go here on the weekends. Â Not cause I don't like it - good bottle and draft menu (not great, but good and, hey, they have Vanilla Porter) and it gets crowded but not TOO crowded on a Friday/Saturday.
All in all, don't expect some amazing bar, but you wont spend too much money and you'll have a good time with surprisingly good food.
Really awesome specials throughout the week (except for Cubs season). Went here on a Thursday, they had half priced apps. Got a massive plate of yummy nachos topped with pulled pork. Also got a BBQ chicken pizza, which was alright.
The huge negative to this place was the noise. They (like the majority of bars in Wrigleyville) blast music throughout the night. It's hard to hear yourself think, let alone talk to anyone else. So, because of the music, everyone yells. Which makes the enviornment kind of unplesant.
What an aptly named establishment. Â Dark Horse doesn't stand out amid the Wrigleyville boorishness. Â It's tucked away, inconspicuous, holding a secret clubhouse of cool.
I went with a group of five friends on a Friday night. Â No problem getting a table.
Their food is standard bar fare, but I was really pleased with my grilled chicken sandwich. Â Our server was really friendly, telling us how much everyone loves the pulled pork nachos. Â (I wanted to try some, but my friends inhaled 'em before I had the chance.)
Dark Horse won't blow you away, but it's also not a beacon of Wrigleyville douchedom. Â For that, I will return.
(Also, they played Snow's "Informer" on the jukebox. Â Bold move, Dark Horse. Â Bold move.)
This is a great bar that's just off the beaten path in Wrigleyville. Â A good place to go and get some food if you want to talk to friends. Â Also the Irony of Pittsburgh stuff everywhere lets you catch your breath if you aren't Chicago sports fan. Â The best part of this place though is their $5 menu and $3 Bloody Mary during brunch hours.
Review Source:I really enjoyed standing on the patio for over an hour. It was so awesome of them to acknowledge my presence by asking me to move every time one of the people working the bar walked to a table, but I didn't get a single drink the entire time.
I understand that during events it is busy, but I stood there STARING at you. And all you did was ask me to move.
NOPE! I'm sure you extend this level of service to all of the out of towners, but in the future, don't hire such a shitty bartender. And don't train your servers to treat people that would LIKE to be paying customers like shit.
Went to this old favorite last night for the Monday Burger special and saw NO Steeler decor! What?! My roommate and I asked the bar back what was going on and he told us that the bar is under new ownership. The bar is a lot brighter now,and has about 15 tvs on the wall. For now they are using the same old menus, and food quality seemed the same, but the portions were smaller. The space has lost its unique feel, and now seems like every other Wrigleyville bar. We left after one beer, and we used to linger for 2 or 3.
Thanks for clearing things up Dave! We were really disappointed, but will definitely check back again.
A friend and I found this bar on a Tuesday night a few months ago - the sign outside advertised 25 cent wings and $3 drafts. Stopped in and was impressed by the quality service, clean bar and genuine friendliness of the bartenders. They also have a nice patio in the back.
We've since returned quite a number of times on Tuesdays, and a handful of weekends. I avoid it on game days, as it gets very crowded and they don't run specials, but all is fair that regard in Wrigleyville.
I forgot the Tuesday bartenders names, but it's always the same sir and madam and they always have smiles on their faces. Food is great, decent beer selection, and it doesn't get too loud so you can still have a conversation when you're watching hockey.
A+ bar!
We stumbled into this joint before going to a dance performance. Â What a neat place!! Â I ended up have a cider and my guy ordered his fave, Capn' & Coke. Â The total bill was only $13. Â Not so bad for a Chi-town bar!! Â The background music was great (Arcade Fire, The Strokes,...) and a Bulls game was on. Â How cool is that?!? Â
As for the bartender, he was extremely welcoming and warm!!
Would I come here again?!? Of course!!
Was here last Saturday night for a "party" a friend had won. Â A wristband got you dollar drinks, if you gave them your name and e-mail address.
We arrived early to have a bite to eat. Â The bar itself was small and loud, but they had a very nice outdoor patio in the back with a full bar and projection TV. Â This was probably one of the last "nice" weekends of the summer, so we took full advantage of it.
The macaroni and cheese side dish was spectacular. Â Just the right amount of cheese, noodles cooked perfectly. Â Not grainy as some homemade mac & cheeses can be.
I ordered the guinness curry battered fish and chips. Â While they were delicious, for $10, I wish I would've had 4 decent sized pieces of fish, instead of what I considered to be "fish nuggets" (2 bites each piece). Â A friend ordered the chicken fingers, and her plate was overflowing.
I would definitely return, probably eat first, and get the mac and cheese as a snack after a few beers!
Dark Horse is sort of, but not really, off the beaten path in Wrigleyville. Â It's sort of a 'tweener, as it's not lined up with the other strips of bars in the area. Â As such, I'm only here once a year because my friend, who used to attend 20 or more home games a year but is now married (RIP) and has kids and consequently is lucky to attend one per year, likes to go here for a quick bite and a few beers before the game. Â
There's not much about this bar that distinguishes it from the 50 other bars in the city it looks similar to. Â About the only distinguishing trait is the Steelers helmet nailed to the wall behind the bar. Â I didn't think much of it until I read the reviews later on Yelp. Â So this is a Steelers bar? Â Is this entire city comprised of carpetbaggers who all have their own special bar for each team they support? Â I can see a bar supporting a college team, but a pro squad? Â That amazes me. Â Is there a Bluejackets bar in town as well? Â How about a Reds bar? Â
Anyway, the food here is decent for a pre-game snack. Â I've had the chicken fingers a couple times and this latest time had the pulled pork nachos. Â Be hungry if you order the latter, as they throw a giant heap of barbecued pulled pork on top. Â It was a bit heavy for a snack, with probably half of it left on the plate when I was finished. Â The chicken fingers get a thumbs up. Â They seemed to be fresh, not frozen.
Go to Dark Horse pre-game if you want a quick snack and a less rowdy crowd. Â
It's 3 1/2 stars.
Closest tavern (hetero) to the palace. You know what that means...... Â That's right, it's the official neighborhood pub! This place was a 5-star when it was a Michigan bar, but now all the Pennsylvania transplants pack this place whenever the tiresome Steelers, Cindy Crosby, and/or the recently pay-rolled Nittany Lions are playing.
The staff consists of wives. I like that. Â Approachable life-long targets, not the 'almost-made Playboy but just came up short' girls who are recycled season after season with the next batch of "I wanna go into Business" Echoing Looks Like A 10, But Sounds Like A 2 models that we meat-heads over-tip for no good reason other than to contribute to that elusive mythical fund that'll eventually grow to the point to finally get her to one day say "come pick me up and walk me back to your place tonight." Wow, that was a mouthful, moving on......
Wake up Frat Boys (myself being a former) wagging your tongues up and down the Clark Street establishments every waking second doing just that, they won't be there long enough to hit that point. Â Come here and tip a real lady......
Staff is great. Â I'm not one of those neighborhood bar guys who overly buddy-buddys up to the staff to define territory for the non-neighborhood visitors that walk in on any given night. Â I suppose I could, but I small talk it on my most loquacious of evenings. Â The staff is real, so it's all good.
Along with Mullen's, the food is the best of the best amongst bar food, and I hear they have a patio, but I don't ever go back that far. Â I wanna keep my eyes on the streets to see who is going where, since I'm usually only here for one drink and or a meal.
Come here for Dollar Burger Mondays. Â It'll blow out your sodium intake for the rest of the month, but they are DELICIOUS. Â Drink a coconut water from Whole Foods when you get back home to right the ship, and call it a night. Â
I love Dark Horse as a place to start early and finish late. 5 star with Michigan affiliation, four star now. Â It is what it is. Â This is our hood.
"I can't believe I'm on the feckin train on a feckin cold Sunday night after no feckin sleep to go to feckin Wrigleyville to watch a feckin Steelers game. What the feck am I thinking?"
That was the train of thought running through my mind this past Sunday as I set out to meet some of my fave yelpers for some football. I just kept telling myself, self, you love Bailey and you caked out on the after party with her last weekend. You also love Arlene and wanna hang out. And there's some folks that I hear are pretty cool, so stop feckin whining and just go.
Here's the skinny kids. This just isn't my scene. $5.25 for a Heineken is just feckin nuts. Seriously. So is the "special" being a $3 bud lite can. The service was spotty. And, it's a goddamn Steelers bar. Those 3 things just don't add up in my book. They score points for the killer mac n cheese and the gas lamps that kind of warmed up the patio. They also get some cred for the giant projectors and, of course, smoking on the patio.
I may return, but only to support (read: heckle) my lovely yelp Steeler fans and crew.
Last time I was at Dark Horse they didn't honor their advertised specials and I didn't have the energy to argue with them about it. The bartenders were nice, they had Smithwick's and mediocre eats. Whatever. Then the bags-playing/jeans and heels crowd showed up and we got the eff out of there.
Last night Craig and I hit it up for their Thursday special: $1 PBR and Busch Light cans. The back patio, while shaded and really quite lovely, is not the place you want to have a serious conversation at rush hour what with the el going by every three minutes.
Anyway, we ordered some nachos which were just ok but I personally find the sour cream snake a little disturbing - can't they fan it out or something so it doesn't look like a long, white turd lying across my chips? Ask for salsa, they don't come with it.
It's a nice patio until about 9pm then it gets mighty white in there. Eventually the place got packed with the aforementioned stereotype and we bolted next door to Nisei.
A few classmates and I came on a Monday for their burger special. Â Everything was pretty good. Â I remember the fries being especially tasty. Â Also got the mac and cheese. Â It was described as topped with breadcrumbs, but did not arrive to our table as such. Â May I suggest a little attention to detail?
Also, being a petite lil asian w/ an appetite that is quickly satiated AND quickly ressurected, I only ate half of my burger (I usually don't ever finish a whole burger in one sitting). I asked for a box for the remaining half of my burger and the waitress said, "We don't do that." After a confused look from me, she continued, "We don't give to-go boxes for our specials." Â UMMM, hello!!! I'm not ordering a whole one and getting an untouched one to go. Â Anyway, I tried forcing myself to eat the burger, to no avail. Â What a numb-skulled rule!
This is the bar I hung out in during the Steelers winning season. It was probably the most fun I had ever had at a bar during football season, EVER! It is a Steelers Bar, and the crowd is totally into everything Steelers, from the specific PA beer served for those loyalists. Most of the people that hang out here are either from PA originally, or are just super fans. The patrons bring stuffed animals of whatever team the Steelers are playing and they toss it around during the game. Also, there are Steelers songs and chants that the bar encourages and plays over the CD Player throughout the different plays. It is hysterical. You can't help but be an honorary Steelers fan for the day. It was pure hysteria when the Steelers won the Superbowl. I think we got three 3 hours early to reserve our
table. Â
The bar itself is really tiny compared to how many people cram into it on Sundays, but it is worth it. The food isn't too bad for bar food and the staff is pretty attentive, as they try to keep up with the demanding football crowd. It's a cute neighborhood place, perfect for football watching, beer guzzling, and wing eating!
Your run of the mill Chicago wanna be Irish bar complete with the new polished dark wood everywhere. Nothing terribly remarkable, but then again shouldn't we all be striving towards mediocrity at times?
Small beer garden, but it did the trick on a Tuesday night, in which it wasn't too crowded. Only God and the weekend patrons know what it would have been like on a weekend.
Nice unmarked specials - I got a beer and grilled cheese. I thought the sandwich was going to be over 4 bucks, but it was only 2 bucks with the purchase of a beer. SWEET! And the grilled cheese was 2 different kinds of fancy schmancy cheeses and was quite abundant. SWEETER!
Yummy meatloaf sandwich. The waitress was incredibly efficient. But, no matter how good a "tavern" is in Wrigley-ville, it all seems so artificial. Like when they opened up they had a carpenter sand the floor so it looked walked-on.
I recommend going there to fill up before drinking at the Nisei next door.
I'll always remember the Dark Horse as the place I lost my Yelp virginity. Â Walked in to find the Yelp crew cheering for the Cougars (what guy doesn't?)
Dinner and drinks last night at this CLASSIC neighborhood tavern. Â Huge, long wooden bar with a dozen or so stools and maybe 10-20 four top tables. Â HUGE selection of beers to choose from served by a friendly, attentive waitress. Â After enjoying a draft or two, I had a delicious, juicy Dark Horse burger which was a perfect medium rare.
This is my kind of place. Â Quiet enough that you can talk to your neighbor, but lively enough to make for good sightseeing while you eat, drink and be merry.
Slainte to my new Yelp friends. Â Thanks for being so welcoming (even if I am from the 'burbs.)
I regularly drink at the Nisei next door, and started coming here because hey! Â Drink specials and food menu!
This is a Steelers bar, so during football season you'll find yourself drinking (and likely standing unless you show up an hour before the game) with ex-pat Pittsburghers. Â Iron City specials on game days, good for those with an iron stomach.
I have to say, I find the food to be very hit-and-miss, and mostly just average. Â Your grilled cheese may come out on Texas toast, or it may show up on regular old white, soggy on one side and burned on the other. Â They used to (and may still) have a 10 cent wing night, and my friends would sometimes find that they were nearly inedible. Â Other times, they were great. Â So, average bar food, which I guess is what you would expect but I'm often a bit disappointed. Â I doubt you can go wrong with the $1 burger special on Mondays. Â I don't eat burgers, but that's cheaper than McDonald's.
They have a pretty standard selection of beer on tap and decent rotating specials, my favorite being the $3 Guinness/Smithwicks night. Â In the summer there's seating out front and a nice back patio with a bar and televisions.
I think it was March when I found this place; I do remember freezing my ass off. Â Anyway, I had just moved to the neighborhood and was beginning to hate every freaking bar I was going in to, I have never felt so old in my life. Â I was walking home rather dejected, cold and sober (A really crappy combination), when I heard live music coming out of the Dark Horse. Â
The crowd that night consisted of the bartender, an acoustic singer who was pretty darned good and one other customer at the bar. Â After several beers, some shots to shake the chill, a very tasty burger, and some pleasant conversation I left in much better spirits. Â At this point I would have given the place 4 stars, for having substantially better than standard bar food and a comfortable setting.
What happened next is what pushed this place to 5 stars in my book. Â Business took me out of town, so I didn't drop in for another month or so. Â The next time I came in the place was packed (it is a small place, so it doesn't take a lot to fill it up). Â Expecting the normal wedge-yourself-into-the-crowd-in-front-of-the-bar-Âand-scream-for-a-beer scenario, I was shocked and amazed when the same bartender greeted me by name and handed me my usual without asking! Â
Every time I have returned since I have found new reasons to love this place; the food is consistently good, the crowd is pleasant and a nice mix of ages, and the beer garden is great in the summer (albeit loud every 4 - 10 minutes when the red line rumbles by). Â Unlike some other reviewers, I have always had excellent service. Â The only times when it can be difficult is on game days, like every other bar in the neighborhood.
I read that this was a fun Steelers bar. Â So being a huge fan and new to the city, I thought I'd check it out. Â Unfortunately I didn't get the big Steeler family welcome that I thought I would get - not like back when I lived in the 'burgh. Â
Apparently they were slow on waitstaff so getting a beer was like pulling teeth. Â The burger and sandwich we had were ok, but the fries were burnt. Â
I'm going to give it another go next weekend, perhaps if I can get a seat inside near the bar it will be better. Â Go Steelers!
Stopped in on a Sunday afternoon/early evening for some food and the Cubs game. Â They have a good amount of TVs, good seating, and a outdoor patio. Â Service was ok, nothing special. Â The staff was setting up for the pre-season Steelers game. Â The decor was good...not your typical pub splattered with sports banners, but rather classy black and white sports photos.
The food was really good! Â The salad was excellent...exactly what I wanted....and the burger was really tasty (Dark Horse burger, highly recommend).
I will be back...for food or just a drink!
I was looking for a place to watch the game and I hadn't been to The Dark Horse before so I thought I'd give it a try. They have a good bottled beer selection and a decent (by bar standards) menu. The food we had, a couple of appetizers, was pretty good. Not particularly memorable, but good.
When we first got there we were waiting for some one else, so we took menus and sat down. The waitress checked to see if we were ready to order 6 times in 30 minutes, each time she was told that we were in no hurry and wanted to wait for everyone to show up but each time she came right back with the same question. When we finally ordered, our food took forever, and the waitress gave me the impression she had forgotten we ordered. The passive-aggressive service was weird, but we got our food and drinks, so no harm done. They have fried chicken on the menu, so I think I'll go back for dinner one night.
I've been here twice - once last year prior to the Crosstown Classic, and again this past Friday night after a work happy hour.
The food is pretty decent - and has been mentioned, the green beans are excellent. I don't remember what I had to eat last year, but I do remember the green beans. On Friday night I had a burger with bacon and green beans on the side. The burger was really good, but bear in mind that I consumed it after about 9 Bud Lights, so my tastes were questionable.
The outside area is funky and neat, however, the proximity to the Red Line tracks does make it difficult to hear your co-conspirators at times. But the prices were reasonable, and the service was friendly if not the quickest in the world.
I stopped in here the other night for a little pre-booze food. Â You have to build a base in your tummy before you drink with Yelpers.
My friend and I had been drinking a little too much lately so we decided to have some soda with our meal instead of beer. Â The waitress brought us each a teeny tiny cup of soda. Â We sucked that down and waited patiently for her to return. Â She made two trips to the table next to us...one trip to ask them if everything was ok...and didn't even look in our direction. Â Before we could flag her down she was gone. Â When she finally came back she didn't say a word to us, but grabbed our empty cups and took off. Â We both looked at each other and made the Soup Nazi joke "No soda for you!!!" Â
She came back with two more teeny tiny cups of soda and we placed our order. Â Beer battered chicken strips and cheese fries. Â The food came and it was underwhelming. Â I don't expect much when it comes to bar food, but this didn't even meet my low expectations. Â
So, with sub-par food and bad service I can honestly say that I won't be going back to Dark Horse.
I used to come here all the time when I lived in the 'hood.  I always got  the burger but the best part was the green beans that accompanied the burger!  Yum! Â
Came in here on a game day, and service was disappointing. Â I got served and as soon as food came, I had to move because it was the eighth inning and they were getting ready for the crowds to come in. Â Overall I was really disappointed today.
I might come back, but only if someone insists on it.
The Dark Horse is pretty good. I have been here on several occasions, but for some reason I have been here on a Sunday more than any other day.
They have good deals, $3 PBR tallboys on Sundays, which is always good when you blew your wad at the bar the night before. Their burgers are pretty good, but very salty. Which is a mighty devious plan to make me drink more, but it usually works!
The music is always wicked good too... Overall, laid back on weekdays, packed on the weekends.
The Dark Horse is my favorite neighborhood bar (and not just because the location is very proximal to my apartment)!
My favorite time to hang out is during the week when it is less crowded. Â They have photo hunt. Â The staff is the best ever (especially Joe of course!). Â I will forgive them for getting rid of Blue Moon on tap, only because they replaced it with a pretty decent white ale instead.
Oh yeah, music is great. Â They play Bruce, which makes my roommate very very happy.
8/1/07 Â *Note: I believe Blue Moon is back on tap!!
This is a small place that is fantastic to just hang out and eat great food or catch a game on their TV. Â I avoid it on Cubs game days since the crazies seem to come out of the woodwork and invade any bar in the area.
But the servers are nice and there is always a good crowd of smiling people. Â
**Their nachos are pretty damn good, too.
My friends and I hosted a Fat Tuesday party here a few months ago. Â We worked with the owner, Jon, and he put together something with great drink specials, flaming hot jambalaya, and even threw in some decorations to make it fun! Â You can fit about 100 people inside and another 100 outside if you're looking for a place to host your own party. Â Everyone had a great time and the Jagermeister girls even showed up! Â
I think it's safe to say that any bar that you go to in Wrigleyville after a Cubs game will be filled with Cubs fans. Â That's what's so great about the area! Â That gives me an idea about a List... hmm...
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