WELL this place has some of the most rude and abusive staff I have ever encountered in Wrigleyville. They charged my card twice, then gave me another receipt. When I showed them my customer receipt and explained to them that i already paid they started screaming at me, ripped the receipt out of my hands and physically assaulted me. I am a 100lb girl and feel it is completely classless that a large man needed to touch me at all. I filed a policy report and this place will be out of  business in probably 20 days. idiots. SAME shit happened to my roommates - all girls.
Review Source:It's an average "bro" bar in Wrigleyville. But I do like that they have a 'half off' everything on Tuesdays. Made my day a lot better, to be honest. They DO have fishbowls that are the size of your head and are good if you are planning on getting hammered! (I split one with three other girls, ended up drinking the majority of it because I didn't realize how much alcohol was in them-- and proceeded to get really drunk) They do have drink specials on weekends, which is nice (most bars in Wrigleyville don't on weekends.) But it's nice to see there's something going on :) It's average, not the best-- but it's aiiiiight.
Review Source:Merkle's may be a bro dude attraction on the weekends but on weeknights it's really laid back and a nice place to watch a game or have a conversation.
The food is above average bar food, but they do have some stand outs. The soft pretzels are by far the best app they have and come with a variety of dipping sauces. The spinach dip is also a appetizer favorite.
Their Tuesday special knocks food and drink down to half price which is a great deal considering the outstanding tap they have. The craft beers are only 25% off on Tuesdays but it's still a great deal. They frequently update their page on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeermenus.com&s=891a066edccadbf54f84df053544d5b5e79ac5f365385f521d2279d81e9915de" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://beermenus.com</a> and keep their own website pretty up to date as well.
Service is always stellar and with a smile. Even the bouncer will take time to have a conversation with you if he gets a chance.
It certainly helps that I am a big Hawkeyes fan, but going to Merkles provided a very nice happy hour experience.
Drinks and food were half off last night (Tuesday Night), so that made me happily surprised when the check came.
I had the Spicy Chicken Wrap, and it certainly lived up to the name - it was very spicy, and quite tasty. The waitress was attentive and very sweet.
I would definitely go back - this is one of the better happy hour / Wrigleyville locations I have been to. Â All in all, it's really clean, the food tastes good, it has a casual and relaxed environment, and there's friendly service. Recommended!!
Wrigleyville isn't really my scene, but once or twice in the summer I will make my way up there for some good old laid back day drinking.
Merkle's was our first stop on the day drinking trolley this Saturday. Â Pretty standard bar.
It wasn't super packed and I liked that. We were able to find a table pretty fast and get drinks and food ordered. LOVED the mini corn dogs.
I would come back. Staff was nice and attentive. Drinks were ok and reasonably priced.
$10 for a makers on the rocks. Â Oh, and this place, despite being 50% full and relatively small, had a staff of 3 bouncers working. Â AND that's how you know you're in a bar where there are never, never nightly drunken brawls.
Seriously though, it was 40 degrees out. Â One of the bouncers was wearing shorts, t-shirt and a ridiculous backwards hat with the brim flipped up. He was literally hunting for a fight. Â
I'm probably just a crotchety old 26 now, but this must not be my scene anymore. Â I did however, see some ladies walking in who must have turned 21 the second before they walked in. Â So, come here if you're a happy young 21 year old that might want to fight people.
Always a friendly face to greet you. Â The waitresses are super friendly and always prompt and willing to get you what you need.
Love their Tuesday specials - half off your ENTIRE bill!
I've learned that even though it looks packed, go inside and you're sure to find a table or enough space to comfortably stand in with friends.
Came here for the Friday night trivia, bombed it. Though the staff was nice enough to bring out a table for my party. Very nice. The beer was cold and fast. They also had a great wristband deal going on. 15 bucks for 3 hours of draft and well drinks.
The food was regular bar fare, nothing spectacular.
Good bar.
Dear Merkle's,
You are like my favorite tshirt that is always my go to when I don't know what to wear. You put me in a good mood when I am blue. You nourish me with great food and beverages. I feel like I may see a goldfish after consuming many fishbowls. Col Merkle is almost like a family member. I love you Merkle's.
Love always,
Katrina
My favorite bar in Wrigelyville! They have a good menu and there is almost always some sort of promotion so you can really stretch your money.
The pub trivia here is tons of fun. Definitely try to get here on a trivia night.
Their best asset is their great staff. The bartenders are great, down to earth people and they'll make you feel right at home. Overall, a great place to come in and watch a game.
Merkle's is like an escape from the rest of the madness that has become Clark Street/Wrigleyville. A nice little bar with decent food and a great beer selection. The great thing about Merkle's is that everyone can hear each other and enjoy any one of a number of their great beers. The fishbowls are also massive and not too bad of a value either. The service we had while there was great and you never feel disturbed or too crowded amongst the other patrons. I would definitely recommend it for watching a game or catching up.
Overall:
Good Prices
Good Selection
Great for catching up with friends
This is solely based off of the couple times I've been there, which all happened to be Tuesdays. Everything is half off; and what do I think of when I hear half off...?
I always choose rum and cokes as my poison. Top those off with a couple shots of henny and throw some fries somewhere in there. I always leave happy and satisfied with a tab no more than 25. Drunk for 25? winner winner chicken dinner.
The few times I stopped in was for the half-off Tuesday deal or to grab a few drinks before seeing a show at the iO Theater. You can't be the Tuesday deal which everything is half off except for the expensive stuff (not valid when there is a Cubs game).
Nothing super special about Merkle's. A good place to catch a game and slam some beers. The burger was pretty tasty laid on a pretzel bun with crispy fries tossed with parmesan which kicks them up a notch. They did have a $6 burger basket deal during the Cubs game on a Tuesday.
I've only visited this establishment before the night crowd moved in or never showed up, not sure. But overall I had a good experience with the bar tenders and wait staff. So no complaints there.
I don't see myself heading out of my way for a night out at Merkle's. If you're in Wrigley and looking for a spot that's not so crowded for some sporting event this is your place.
They need to change their name, stat. Â It reminds me too much of merkins. Â And not in a good way.
We came for the food, which did not disappoint. Â I slurred to the waitress that I wanted a burger with cheese and bacon. Â God love her, she brought me the most magnificent burger a drunk person can feast her eyes on. Â Their tater tots are fucking amazing as well. Â I only stopped long enough to sing Cee-Lo Green at the top of my lungs, then promptly went back to stuffing my face. Â Good times.
Ok, so my friends and I are loyal Merkle's brunchers...on game day or any Sunday really. Â Here's the deal, the owners don't know what a good deal is, drink wise. Â The brunch is pretty good and a decent deal. Â It's $10.99 for all you can eat til 3 and at half time they put out lunch type foods, where it's mostly breakfast stuff before that. Â
However, the drink special makes no sense. Â It's $30 dollars for unlimited drinks during the Bears game on Sundays...so essentially it's $30 for drinks from 12-3. Â Ummmm, you have to have 9 beers or 7 mimosas or bloody marys for it to be even worth it. Â So you pay for brunch, $10.99 and if you come before noon, you buy your drinks, then you pay another $30 to have unlimited drinks...NOT A GOOD DEAL AT ALL. Â
I have been loyal to Merkle's until today, when I realized the waitress didn't explain it correctly to us and we thought she meant it was $30 for brunch and drinks and then when we also asked the manager and he was like, did you see how much food we put out? as his response. Â He's a nice guy, but what does how m uch food you put out have to do with the ripoff "drink" deal you sold? Â Um, here's a hint, I'd suggest you go to Duffy's where it's $30 for brunch and unlimited mimosas and they have crab legs! Â (and I don't even like Duffy's, but at least their "deal" really is one and they don't change it from week to week so you get stuck with a $47 bill for one person for brunch and drinks during the noon Bears game!)
Before the rush of the post-Cubs game crowd flooded this place we had stellar service.
Once the people began pouring in our service went to hell in a hand basket.
I'd avoid this place during any busy time. It gets packed and the people become continually more rude.
However, before the fill up, I was able to take down a fantastic burger. I think it was called the moo oink tweet burger. I love burgers with egg on it and this one (as well as the fries) were delicious.
There might as well be one of those signs similar to the ones out in Nevada or Arizona that say "last chance for gas for 110 miles" planted at the northwest corner of Clark and Addison for pedestrians on the west side of Clark heading south. Â Why? Â Because you really should think about whether you really want to cross Addison and enter the morass. Â That's a double entendre, and not a positive one. Â Whenever we venture from the north side of Addison to the south side of it on Clark post-Cubs, I know the afternoon is going to nosedive quickly. Â Wrigleyville between Addison and Sheffield might as well just be one long bar without any walls because all of those bars are almost the same.
I've been to Merkle's probably about five times, including two recent post-Cubs visits because one friend seems to like it. Â Our Lady of Victory, pray for us.
Merkle's is just like all the other bars on that stretch. Â The only thing to distinguish it from the others is the requisite guy with the acoustic guitar playing the usual boiler plate anthems. Â You know, Sweet Caroline, Rocky Mountain High, Livin' on a Prayer, etc. Â These people must all also be Dave Matthews Band fans. Â Geeeez!!! Â On a side note, why do all these solo crooners with acoustic guitars all look the same? Â You know, backwards hat, t-shirt, long cargo shorts and...flip flops. Â Oh, it's always flip flops. Â My goodness.
I don't know why I just wasted so many keystrokes on this review of another generic Wrigleyville bar. Â
Two stars.
Uh oh, Look what the cat dragged in (SMH). That's right, good ol' Merkle's.
Unless you're a University of Iowa grad, 25 or under, 45 or older, Â don't even bother. Â Think Jersey Shore and multiply the douche factor times 1.5 and you have Merkle's. But wait, I'm a Jersey Shore fan, so maybe I should strike that from the Review. Â I'll get back to you all on that. Moving on.....
Admittedly, I've come here willingly when every place on Clark Street is packed and I feel too important to wait in line, and Cubs days it is a much better crowd, but if you are in your late 20s or 30s, pass on  Merkle's, just say no.
Lots of Born and Raised in the Midwest young girls who are bombed all the way into next Tuesday, so it's always train-wreck great for people watching, but please don't show up here expecting to be productive. Define productive in anyway you see fit.
As always, I think it's important to point out for college affiliated bars in Chicago: If you root for the University of Iowa, this place is a 5 star. Get in here ASAP! Â
If you have no money and/or are 21-25, this is a 3 star on price alone, 4 star if you are two sheets to the wind.....
Everyone else, come at your own risk. For me, it's a 2 star, but I can't rate it as such simply because I am NOT their target audience, so I have no one to blame for coming here but myself, and won't punish this establisment for running it the way they want to and making countless kids orgasmic over who knows what. That'd be liike me going to Hydrate and rating it a One star. Â Not fair.
I also hate their pre-warnings/last call announcements for closing. Â They act like they're closing down Hip Hop night in Watts.
(lights flashing violently) "Beware of Douche's gone wild, please exit in an orderly fashion with your hands out of your pockets, it could get dangerous!!!"
Child Please...... Come to think of it, if you are here closing down this bar, you need to seriously re-evaluate your social life.
If you fit the profile detailed above, head on in and drink yourself silly. Â You won't find me there (cough cough).
I stopped in prior to seeing the Mets play the Cubs at Wrigley. Met fan-friendly bar (although none of the bars I went into had antagonistic fans) which was appreciated. Awesome mac and cheese bites and even better tator tots-- crispy, golden brown, dusted with what seemed to be kosher salt-- they evoked fond memories of my high school cafeteria.
Nice selection of beers on tap and fun atmosphere. Service at the bar was a little slow, but expected. Great place for some food prior to the game.
Holy Jesus does this place blow.
Maybe midnight on fourth of July isn't the right time to go, but judging from the other reviews, this place just kind of always sucks.
The clientele is super weird- lots of late 20's to mid-30's sloppy folks awkwardly getting their groove on. It's not pretty.
I mean, that's it. It's just a hole-in the wall sports bar in Wrigley. Not a place to see and be seen, just a place to drink and make bad decisions with slightly unattractive people who are past their prime. Too honest? Ouch. Sorry.
We were supposed to go to Justin's. I'd suggest there over Merkle's any day.
Let me sum this place up with a few experiences and statements:
Big dude gave me the I-wanna-beat-you-up-face just for existing.
I can't walk in or out without doing several shots.
Bartenders are cool.
The KFC man is in there.
You can dance after you've had all the shots and have lost your inhibitions.
Other big dudes may wanna fight.
Girls rub their fake ones on you.
Just have fun and nobody will get hurt.
Merkles is a fairly low-key, no frills bar compared to the other spots in and around Wrigleyville, but gotta give them props for offering up $5 burger & fries during every Cubs home game, which is noble considering all the other bars on Clark really take you to the bank when the Cubs are in town. Â There's no better deal to get a bite to eat before the game than Merkle's. Â Also props to their wait staff for being friendly inviting folks.
Oh, and try their wings...probably the best wings I've had in Wrigleyville.
So ditch the hype and go to a real bar and get some real good food at a great value.
Props.
EWW.
I walked in here yesterday to meet someone, and the entire floor was coated in a sticky substance. Not sure what it was, but I'd be willing to guess it's a cocktail of jager bombs, rum & diets, vodka crans, and whatever else all the college kids are drinking (or spilling) these days.
To top things off, one of the bathroom stalls was having technical difficulties - and people were still using it. I'll spare everyone the details but suffice it to say that at that point, I almost puked in my mouth.
After spending exactly five minutes in this dump, I abandoned my brand new drink and got the eff out of dodge.
If I ever return, I'll have to be dragged back in.
Eh, it's okay.
I've been here a few other times before but it was always during the day for lunch and drinks so it was always pretty bearable. I've actually hung out during a cubs game too and it was pretty tame.
Sunday night after a barbq at my friends place, we decided to head over here. Not sure if I'm just getting older or that I just can't stand the Wrigleyville crowd, but wow, I was so annoyed. It was totally packed with people and almost impossible to get a drink. The crowd was less than desirable, to say the least.
Let me say, the reason for the three stars is because I know there are worse places in the area, believe me. And like I said, I've had an okay time there during the day.
Still, it wasn't enjoyable at night whatsoever. I would have much rather gone somewhere where I wasn't being pushed around by drunk post-college grads and actually able to get a drink at the bar. Â Maybe it's better during the week, or on a weekend that isn't Memorial Day weekend, but my experience was not a fun one.
I can't stand this place...I have been here on several occasions, keeping thinking, "Oh it will be better this time". Â NOPE! Â The staff is awful and always has an attitude...bouncer, server, bartender, whoever. Â The women's bathroom had only 1 working toliet on a Saturday night out....and the staff was pissed the line was 15 women long.
The food is decent (only had the $1 burgers served with a free attitude from the staff b/c we didn't get drinks). Â Beer is overpriced.
Good place if you are wasted and don't care what is happening around you. Â I will take my business elsewhere.
To escape the chaos that is Wrigley Field, Lee and I left the game a tad early to grab some food and to continue a little Monday night boozing. Â Walking down Clark Street always presents a plethora of options and it went a little like this, "Bar Louie? No. Â Goose Island? No. Â Mullen's? Â Not this time. Â Merkle's? Â Merkle's. . whaaaa?. . .OK."
Besides having a geeky name, Merkle's was empty and had seats in the window. Â Ah, to enjoy the Wrigleyville breeze (aka stale beer and peanuts). Â The menu looked promising too. Â Seemed like a recipe for success. . .
Nope. Â Service was horrendous. Â No one was THERE. Â I hate it when a bar/restaurant is empty and the servers seem "put out" to wait on you. Â Newsflash: THAT IS YOUR JOB. Â Firefighters don't NOT put out fires because there is no one in the house, get with it! Â As for food, the wings were slightly above average (I can see the appeal of 20 cent wing night, as long as someone is there to take my order). Â My BLT was OK but the fries left much to be desired. Â I'm kind of wishing I got the grilled cheese and if I'm forced to return I will try that. Â Still, the fact that Merkle's has poor service, mediocre food, and difficulty refilling my H2O unfortunately makes it a Wrigleyville "Don't."
I only go to Merkle's for their Fred's Friday Afterwork (still think it is called that), so this review is of that. . .
3 hour, $10 all you can drink including Bud Light? - Check
Free Chicken Wings and Pizza? - Check
Sport on TV's? - Check (usually)
Big Buck Hunter Machine? - Check
Only qualm is that they don't do this deal during Cubs afternoon games (but I can't really blame them for that, I wouldn't offer it either).
I know people complain about the "return your glass to get a refill rule", but if you are nice to the waitresses they will bring you a beer while you finish the one you got (if you can't finish it while they are going to get another then don't ask for it . . Â in fact, just leave, you obviously can't drink a beer).
I personally think the staff is cool. The first two times I went there I got too drunk and I forgot to tip the waitresses. When I returned I apologized b/c I felt like a dick and one of them said "it's cool, the way you were slamming those beers I am surprised you found your way home". Now on out me and the normal waitresses have a deal that I tip them before I get my first beer.
This is hands down one of my favorite places to go before the Cub's game. It's also great for hangover Sunday's, but first and foremost, before Cub's games. Why? Well, most importantly they have Magner's.
~A cider from Ireland that is more bubbly than apple juice and not as tart as Woodchuck-it's the best stuff on Earth! It's called Bulmers in Ireland. You can do an entire bar crawl on Clark going to places that serve Magners.
Back to Merkle's. They have the absolute BEST grilled cheese sandwiches ever!! They are huge, really huge. Two people can split unless you are over zealous and think you can take it all down yourself:)If you want a really fatty go of it, get ranch on the side. It's the perfect start to a day game or night game and all the fun that coincides with either.
This place was decent - we were a bit nervous about parking but then, we got rockstar parking right outside of Merkle's. Â They had some live music there on Thursday night and some beer specials. Â Service was decent - we did have to flag down our waitress a couple times. Â Nachos weren't terribly impressive. Â Fries weren't that great either.
We did get their burgers which were decent at $8 a pop - wonder if those are the same burgers that they have on special on Tuesdays? Â Wednesdays, I noted that they have 20 cent wings & $8 pitchers of domestics, too, so that may be worth coming back for.
Overall, a decent bar experience in Wrigleyville - however, they do sponsor a couple sports teams and that may be a redeeming factor.
This is a generally average wrigleyville bar. Â I probably wouldn't normally come here very often, except they're sponsoring my rec soccer league team so we're obligated to.
They have an average beer list, average food, and and a friendlier-than-average staff of servers. Â It attracts a younger crowd (less than 25, it seems).
Nothing wrong with this place, just nothing exceptional!
This place is amazing for being in the heart of high priced wrigleyville. They sponsored our broomball team and that night happened to be $3 you call it and $2 dollar burgers. So after a winning night on the ice we had a meal and tons of drinks for around $15 a person! Wait staff is awesome for the amount of people they tend to. Our favorite waitress covers the whole back room and she is fast and never writes anything down. I dunno how she does it!
Looking forward to winning the flip cup tourney!
***Update***
The Flip Cup Tourney is off the charts awesome! You get some much free booze and food and flip cup love.. I just hope people wont be sad when I beat every single one of them! Come to Merkles on a sat and you wont be disappointed!
I've been to Merkle's several times and generally I like it. Â The food I have to say is always great. Â I've never been there and been disappointment. Â I was however disappointed in the service. Â There were literally two tables (a total of 4 people) and we had the worst service. Â My friend I was getting up to walk the 4 feet to the bar to get our drink since our waitress was clearly not going to come over to get us another drink. Â I talked him out of it because I feared our waitress would get rather insulted. Â Well I shouldn't have talked him out of it. Â
Sadly it took her at least 10 more minutes to come over and get our drinks and then we waited forever for our check. Â
I will be back because I like the food, but I'll probably sit at the bar. Â At least the waitress was honest when we were asking her opinion on the food (we were trying to eat something different from what we normally eat.) Â She was dead on with her suggestions.
My first time in here was with some of my younger friends (25-27, I'm 30). Â Not that I'm an old fart, but I felt like should have had a cane and a Mr. Roger's sweater. Â I'm willing to bet that half the clientele that evening swiped their older sibling's ID to get in, or had graduated from Iowa earlier that afternoon. Â This actually brought on wave after wave of memories from my 21-25 year old days, and I wondered, was I this ridiculous? Â But I tease the kids because I love them.
Anyway, the bar, I couldn't figure out. Â I get confused when the decor of the bar indicates "Neighborhood Pub" but then they are blaring The Chronic 2001 over the stereo system. Â The food was good, however, and we got very good service considering the busy state of the place. Â This could have been because our waitress recognized the fact that we looked like we had been promoted out of the mail room and would actually tip her more than $4. Â But hey, that's how the world runs, I guess. Â I'd go back, but probably only for a drink or twenty.
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