Jack Desmonds Irish Pub

I ignored the overall low ratings for this place and had pretty high hopes. It looked cute from the outside. I figured how bad could an Irish pub be. One day I will learn.

There were a few positives. It's cute. It's pretty clean. They play Irish music. They had a pretty extensive menu from what I saw. I didn't order food though.

My real problem is the beer selection. The most exciting options they have are Guinness, Harp and Shock Top. Yep, it's downhill from there. I settled on a Harp. No craft beer selections in sight. Not even an Irish cider.

The bartender was pretty much just that. She dropped our beer off and then the check when we asked for it. I don't think she said two words the entire time we were there.

The crowd seemed to consist of mostly drunk men (on a Sunday afternoon). I got the feeling it gets loud and obnoxious in here. I gave it a shot. I live nearby but I'll probably never head there again.

I ate there today at lunch and was very surprised that on Friday at 12:30 I was the only customer.  There was even a guy working on refinishing the other end of the bar from where I sat. The food was passable, far from home made. Cream of Broccoli soup was actually Milk of Brocolli. Crab cakes billed as sauteed where obviously deep fried frozen hockey pucks.

I'm being a hypocrite by saying this, because I actually have met a lot of people at Desmond's. But, that was a few years ago..... Super douchey crowd here.

When I was underage, this was the place to go. I felt cool because nobody checked my ID. Now that I'm older, I've become 'that person.'  I just don't want to be around under-ager's getting wasted, and get a headache from a local dj's annoying house music.

About two years ago, there were awesome cover bands, and loud irish music. You could actually have a conversation, sit down, and hang out here. Now it's kind of... clubby?

This is Chicago Ridge, not downtown Chicago. Put away the miniskirts and nylon dresses. What I look for in a place like this is a relaxed environment, where you can show up in casual clothes and get a few beers. Now there's just a strange scene of people lurking around..

PS - location is perfectly placed next to the police station. Don't drink and drive!