I live within a stone's throw of MC. Â I used to love this place. Something happened to management because the food is God-awful. Â Out of 4 apps we just ordered, all 4 are sloppily made, flavorless, and poorly conceptualized. Â It's not worth 1/2 price we paid. Â I'm never coming back no matter what special they try to lure me in with. Â
If you're going to drink, it's ok. Â Still a little overpriced.
It's your average pub, the beer is fine the food is standard. Nothing really out of the ordinary. I would typically give a place like this 3 stars, for just being average.
However, the service is terrible. It's not like someone will spit in your eye the second you come in, but everything you ask for seems to be a great inconvenience to your waiter/waitress. Nothing too complicated, just ordering another beer or another plate of wings.
Just watch their face as you ask for something, how dare I order food at a restaurant!
This place is great for any kind of party you would like to have...even a first birthday! I had my son's first birthday there and it was just perfect! Everything was set up to perfection! I did the appetizer buffet package and it was great, I never had to ask them to refill anything! They refilled the food when needed and all the guests were so pleased with the food and service. The back room is so accommodating and spacious! Everything went sooo smoothly! I will continue to have my private events here in the future! The staff is great, service was awesome, and atmosphere is perfect for any and all events!
Review Source:I was here with a big group and having a pleasant time while spending a not insignificant amount on beer buckets. Â Around 10PM, this place becomes a "dance club" (quotes intentional), and turned on two bright spotlights aimed directly at my group's heads. Â At our request, an employee in a red-shirt angled the lights slightly upward in a way that still lit the "dance floor" but didn't blind the patrons. Â Somehow, this was unacceptable to the...wait for it...BUSBOYS.
Within minutes of the offending spotlights being adjusted, two spike-haired douchebags ran at the lights as if they were on fire, and intentionally re-aimed them directly in my eyes.  When I suggested  an alternate place where they could they stick their lights, they laughed and told me that if I didnt' like it, I could "get the hell out."  My initial thought was that only a manager would have the audacity to treat paying customers like this and get away with it, but our server (who was very nice) explained that these rude idiots were actually just the head busboys.
I summoned the manager to inform him that the spikey-haired half-wits he employed to bus tables were clearly on  a power trip, but he took their side and did not interpret his staff's command to "get the hell out" to mean  that my paying the tab was optional. We respectfully disagreed on this point so of course I paid the tab, but this moron cost his bar at least the $500 my group would have spent the rest of the evening had we not been messed with, let alone the potentially thousands of dollars that beer-thirsty Chiagoans like us pay bars for the mere privelage of drinking beer in their establishments.  I hope those illiterate busboys had a good time with their lights though.
I live in the neighborhood and walk by Mystic Celt every day. Â I sometimes will stop and eat outside with friends because it is such an inviting atmosphere. Â The food is your average bar food and some of it is fairly good. Â The issue I have with the place is the service. Â I was there a few weeks ago on a Wednesday for lunch. Â Most of the outdoor tables were full and a few inside as well. Â We were sitting at our table for at least 15 minutes before anyone even noticed us. Â The only time we saw the waitress was when we eventually ordered and then when we requested our bill. My girlfriend is 6 months pregnant and we never even got a glass of water! Â I had to go into the bar and pour some myself. Â I think with Dunley's opening next door it will give Mystic Celt a run for their money. I know I will be going to Southport Lanes next time, since I always get great service there.
Review Source:I work for a non profit and we held our volunteer brunch here 3 years in row.  They give us a spacious private back room, our own attentive waitress, the Sunday buffet is fabulous and it's a great value.  We get rave reviews from all who attend.  They carve all sorts of roast meats on the buffet and prepare omelets and waffles to order, and have some lighter fare too.  Caroline and Alison are great to work with, they  make it easy and affordable.  I can't imagine finding a better venue.  It would be great for evening parties too, the room has it's own private bar.  We will be back.
Review Source:I'm sorry that I have to give this place such a low rating. But I had an AWFUL experience there! First off, the food was good. Nothing extraordinary but it was good. The staff was awful. Absolutely HORRIBLE! I'm a server, also at a well known Irish restaurant, so I expected good service when I went there. Nope! The host looked as though she wanted to kill herself because she was at work, was rude, slammed our menus down and walked away without even a smile. Our server was an idiot. After our food was delivered she didn't come to check and make sure everything was okay for 9 minutes (yeah, I timed it). I figured "oh maybe she's busy". NOPE! I look over and see her and about 3 other servers just texting away by their POS. I was instantly pissed and after I boxed my food up and asked for the check we sat there for another 10 minutes for her to come take the check presenter from us because I hate leaving cash on the table. But she never came so we ended up just leaving. I will never go back there unless I'm getting carry out. I never want to come into contact with their staff ever again. Ugh!
Review Source:What's not to like?? Â I love Mystic Celt not only for it's consistently good food and inviting casual atmosphere, but the friendly customer service. Â The girls behind the bar do a great job! (Caroline and Tiffanie). Â The daily specials are always a good deal. Â I've never had a dish I didn't think was great - but strongly suggest the steak sandwich and the roasted 1/2 chicken. Â The wings and nachos are very good too.
Review Source:You know, I really love the food here. Â I really do. Â But the service leaves something to be desired. Â I've frequented the Emerald Loop and Mystic Celt for years the service is both locations is just too spotty. Â I think that is really my main issue with these guys. Â Sometimes the service is amazing but more times than not its just terrible. Â For Instance, one waitress/bartender named Caroline threw a fit when I paid with a gift card and owed $.07. Â I understand, I should have been prepared and only had my debit card which was totally my fault. Â However, when she comped the seven cents and threw my check on the ground towards the back of the bar it was a little uncalled for. Â Loving their food I went back about a week ago...my drink didn't get refilled and when I asked for the check the waitress actually stopped at another table, hugged one of the guests, introduced herself to the table and sat there for 15 minutes before going to get our check. Â It's little things like that that really make me wonder if it's worth going back to. Â I guess with a killer $5 wing night its hard to stay away. Â Also, they seem to treat you crappy when you pay with a gift card. Â I've randomly had a gift card on a few occasions and they always act like its a problem. Â I work in the service industry....I promise I will tip you whether I am using a gift card or not.
Review Source:Went here for a private event in the backroom. Â The Bar tender that worked the party was really great. Â Before coming here I had checked the website to see if I should order dinner while there. Â
I'm a fan of bar apps so I ordered two: Chicken Quesadillas and the Pub Nachos with veggie chilli on it.  Both we good, not great, and  would order again. Â
Saw someone having a burger on the way in, so I went with the Hickory burger (BBQ sauce, bacon, cheddar and crispy onion strings) Good amount of bacon, and the onion strings were a great touch. Â Will be stopping by to have one again when I'm in the area.
I live a few blocks from this place and I'm here pretty often. The Sunday brunch is spectacular. Also the Friday night fish fry is awesome for only 10 bucks. Like Matt A said it's not much of a "really going out" bar. It's good for taking a couple of friends and just hanging out and getting 40% wild.
Review Source:This is an okay bar located right next to the Southport Brown Line. It's an Irish bar and has a few good specials every once in awhile. To me, I feel that this one of those bars is perfect for stopping in after work or going to before "really going out." I am also a fan of their Sunday Brunch Special for a very affordable price for all the options offered. They also have a great Friday Fish Fry Special for all you can eat for around $10.00. Not the best fish I've ever had, but still definitely worth it for the price!
Review Source:Have been here several times, I'd say all in all it's a good reliable place to go. I haven't really had anything spectacular but it's all been good.
The drinks are also good, the staff is friendly, accessible and polite. They have plenty of televisions around for keeping up with games too.
Fun bar. Good food. They have a lot of tv's  so it is a good place to watch a game. The service can sometimes be a little slow when it is busy, typical for a crowded bar.
They serve balmers or magners cider here so my girlfriend likes that. Not a lot of places seem to have that.
The inside of the bar is mostly dark wood. They also have a large backroom where they seat people to eat. The space is larger than you would think. For that reason there isn't usually much difficulty getting a table. Â
They have a DJ here a few nights a week and I'd you get seated in the wrong place it's pretty much impossible to have a conversation.
They pour Guinness the right way, a must for an Irish bar. I would recommend this place to anyone that lives in the area. Â The Smithwhicks is excellent as well, tastes like ireland.
Check out more of my reviews at: <a href="http://www.shawnkemp.yelp.com">http://www.shawnkemp.yel…</a>
I've lived in the Southport area for 5 years now and I have gone to Mystic Celt a ton of times, so I have a pretty good feel on this place including having had most of their menu. Â So, with that being said the biggest thing this place has going for it, is it's location, which is right next to the Brownline in Lakeview, otherwise this place would fail. Â It's one of those places that just isn't good but you end up going there because it's non-threatening and familiar....
Here's the thing.  This place is just too expense for their lackluster food.  All of their wraps are just plain bad, and over priced.  They charge $13 for a subpar Cobb Salad, I mean, come on man.  The only thing that I would say is good and reasonably  priced is the Celt Burger, $10.  But, other then that you won't find much under $10, which would be fine if the food warranted the price.
I never feel good about going here, and I never feel good when I leave. Â I gave it 5 years and it continues to disappoint me... Â done.
Aside from having exceptionally good waffle fries, I'm never really that impressed with Mystic Celt. Â
The space is fairly standard issue. Â Picture lots of dark wood tables, flatscreens galore to catch the game, high top tables, a few random booths... I don't know. Â I always think they could do better. Â It's boring.
Service is always just OK, too. Â The waitresses fly by, drink refills are hard to come by and it takes for-ev-er to get a check. Â Are they just always understaffed?
Food? Â Meh. Â Like I said, the waffle fries are great, but my sandwiches seem to leave something to be desired. Â The turkey burger lacks any kind of grill marks or crust on the exterior, so the texture is weird. Â I'm just never really happy with anything I've eaten.
So yeah. Â If I'm in the hood and it's like, the only option available, I'll swing in. Â But with so many better options on the Southport Strip, why bother with mediocrity?
Mystic Celt is a go to spot for my cousin, usually for lunch or after work with friends. Was I surprised when he asked if I would be "in the area" today? Of course. I can be plied, I suppose. I was more intrigued as to the reason, so off I went to Mystic Celt.
One reason this was the spot was the fact that Monday is half off appetizers, wine, and a couple of choice pints. Okay, was I manipulated? Yeah. But blood is blood.
Segue to the food! Wave those sweet mini cheeseburgers back and forth in front of me and I will listen to why you brought me here. Taunt me with a pretty decent set of wings with amazingly unlimited veggies (thanks to a server that actually seemed to be happy to be there) and I'm intrigued. Share a salad with me and I won't get out my checkbook, but I will definitely listen to what ails you.
Speaking of ale ... this place is not only cozy but it is complete Though his fave, Leinenkugels was not halves's, we made due with Blue Moon. For me, I was pleasantly surprised. In days of yore, he would lament about customer service issues, but all was well tonight. Especially the half off deals.
My take: I think it has a lot going for it in that typical Erin go Bragh way that you so want in an Irish pub. And the food was great. As to the ulterior motives: they pretty much fly out the window when you actually find a place like this that is the perfect spot to kick back and catch up.
This place didnt really seem like an Irish bar, it seemed more like a neighborhood steakhouse. The atmosphere was really disappointing. Even though there were a bunch of college football fans w/ gear on we still felt underdressed.
The food was decent. I had the mac and cheese, my husband had the chicken sandwich. I wouldve had the Shepherd's pie (one of my all time fave dishes) but the description said "Ground beef and vegatable stew, topped w/ mashed potatoes". Stew? Sorry. My Irish great grandmother would smack a chef that called something w/ stew in it Shepherd's pie.
Having Bangers and Mash and something posing as Shepherd's pie on your menu, having Guinness on tap, and having "Celt" in your name does not an Irish bar make.
From the confusing sign specials to the prices that don't quite add up right on said poster, to the watery spinach and artichoke dip, this place would probably get a one star had it not been for the 1. beer/lemonade/vodka drink and 2. that it's an MSU bar.
I'd be willing to go back again, perhaps I'd be in a better mood/not be so critical watching an MSU football/basketball win, but I'm not totally sure how my experience would improve.
As a Spartan alumna, I feel obligated to like this place more...but there are better State bars in the area.
I've visited a couple times, once for an MSU basketball game and my most recent visit for the food and drink weekend specials. For both visits, I had lackluster bar food but decent beverage prices.
What was most frustrating about the place is the fact that they admittedly have confusing signage for specials. The prices for the wings and burgers don't match up on the banner outside of the door with the menu descriptions. It seems like a no-brainer to change one or the other if it's clearly confusing customers and servers.
The wings were nothing to write home about as they were a mix of varying chicken parts with more sauce than meat, and the spinach-artichoke dip had a thin consistency making it seem as if it originated from one of those pouched seasoning mixes. But, I did appreciate the crunch on the wings from the frying and the duo of chip and pita bread on the side of the dip.
A plus is that drink menus provided more options than the typical domestic beers and standard cocktails. My friend and I ordered the Summer Brew - beer, lemonade and vodka so it tasted like a pumped-up summer shandy. We agreed it was an unusual mix that paid off.
Well, the highlight of this place was that there's a huge mirror that my baby likes to look in when we sit in a booth next to it. It kept her occupied while mommy and daddy ate, so that's cool.
But aside from that, I'd say I'm thoroughly unimpressed. The first time I tried to eat there years ago, we were told to seat ourselves and after 10 minutes of waiting on a waiter in a mid-afternoon empty restaurant, we left. Â I'm sorry, but that just sucked. We even got up to look for somebody and called out "hello". Nothing, so bye-bye.
This last time, we figured we'd give it a shot, because it seemed family friendly and we were in the mood for a good burger and thought a pub would be the place to go. Wrong. The burger was the least delicious bar burger I've ever had and the "bacon" was not bacon. I can't remember what they called it, but it was a crazy thick and I could not even take a bite out of it. It was like jerky, and they put it on my burger in lieu of bacon because, wait for it..... they ran out of bacon!!! They comped the burger, but the disappointment of craving a juicy bacon cheeseburger and getting that still lingers. The fries were ok though, the saving grace of the dish, really, but they were nothing special.
The employees were friendly, but not very prompt. Granted it was pretty busy, but there were a few times when our waitress seemed to just ignore us or pass over us for other tables and would disappear for awhile at a time.
And one last thing, which almost makes me want to reduce this place to one star....the bathroom looks nice, until you need to use the changing table. Dirtiest changing table I have ever seen. So gross.
Overall, not the absolute worst food, environment or staff ever, but I don't recommend the Mystic Celt experience, either.
I hate to do this to an MSU bar, but the Celt just didn't impress me. Â I was here for a private event, while the event space was pretty nice and huge, it didn't make up for service and appetizers.
We had a sterno of chicken fritters which were extremely dry and lacked flavor. The other appetizers included a crudite platter, chips and dry bruschetta, all kinda boring. But expected.
Yet what really knocks this down to a 2 star review is that the service was pretty bad. The bartenders in the private event space were alright, not super helpful but poured beer just fine. But after the event we all decided to stick around and tried to get served up front. After heading up to the bar we rudely ignored, and given hostility upon ordering. When we finally ordered the keg was tapped, and the bartender just said "your going to have to wait", then went immediately to the otherside of the bar to help someone else. not giving me the option to order something else. I walked over to where she was and said.. that's alright, we're going to go.
I thought the point of hosting special events was to capitalize on people who stay post the event. I won't be back there are plenty of other MSU bars or generic Irish bars in Chicago to spend your money w. no attitude.
Mystic Celt seems to be a pretty good staple in the Southport stop. Solid food, good service, and great selections (both food and drink). Plenty of beer to choose from and loads of foods from salads to Irish fare. Great burgers too. You really can't go wrong with this place. There's both indoor and outdoor seating, and there are also party rooms in the back.
My only complaint would have to be the music, which was kind of loud and playing Top 40 tunes. Not exactly Celtic if you ask me. Still, a great restaurant and a great place!
Atmosphere: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Food: 8/10
My husband and I had our son's luncheon at the Mystic Celt after his Christening this past Sunday. Â The food, service and private room were wonderful. Â
Alison/Caroline were great to work with on planning and executing the party.  Caroline was able to get  the drinks flowing and our food out quickly when guests arrived 20 minutes early for the party.  Our guests commented that the food was great and they especially loved the Chicken Marsala.
Roxy, our bartender, made sure everyone had everything they needed - she walked around to ask if anyone needed anything to drink on several occasions. Â
Everything was phenomenal and would definitely have additional parties at the Celt.
Great specials. $3 pints on Saturdays is outstanding, as are the $5 for jumbo wings. Speaking of the wings, they are among my favorite in the city. Nothing fancy about them, just well executed buffalo wings.
Solid patio right in the heart of the Southport Corridor makes people watching stupid easy. Specials occur everyday and night. They finally upgraded their TVs so this place gets a solid 4 stars.
Just don't go on St. Patty's Day...
After a day of shopping on Southport, we headed into Mystic Celt. Â It's been a long time since I've been to the Celt.
We were food focused and ordered the fish tacos, dry wings, and a burger. Â We were all really happy with the quality of the food and the prices. Â Service was a bit slow; there was only one waitress working in that area- but she was nice and did the best she could!
I would return - good place to chill out, have a drink and enjoy a meal.
I'm going to see how many one word sentences I can use to describe this place:
Expensive. (Went here at 10ish on a Saturday night, spent close to $30 on three mixed drinks)
Loud. (Music blaring, with lots of drunk girls dancing, and creepy guys watching.)
Okay I give up....I was going to give this place three stars, but it earns an extra one for one of the best mango/pineapple/rum drinks I've ever had.
And clean bathrooms.
The low end of mediocre.
We got bangers and mash (barely warm, underseasoned, the gravy was goopy and tasted gross, sausages were dried out and tasted a little like cardboard), buffalo wings (also barely warm and utterly unmemorable), and a  turkey wrap (I didn't try that one). Waffle fries were the tastiest part of the meal.
The waitress was nice... so, yeah, I wouldn't go here next time.
I co-hosted a private charity event in the back room of Mystic Celt on a rainy Thursday night and overall, it was a terrific experience. Â The manager and the staff were not only extremely helpful and friendly, but they also threw in some extras that helped make the night even more of a success. Â The Manager was attentive to our needs throughout the evening, stopping by on several occasions to make sure that things were running smoothly. Â The charity packages are terrific -- for $25, our guests had 3 hours of all you can drink beer, wine and liquor and 50% of that went directly to our charity.
The fact that Mystic Celt played a key role in making our event a success makes me want to go back for a beer or for dinner. Â If you are looking to host an event, definitely give Mystic Celt a try. Â I can't imagine a better experience anywhere else.
This review is strictly for a private charity event I co-hosted in their private back room. We hosted a charity event for ALS and the Mystic Celt staff and manager were super sweet, attentive and helpful. They made sure all the guests got everything they needed and came over to the hosts multiple times to see if there was anything else they could do to accomodate us.
Overall it was a fantastic night with great food, drinks and service. Having Mystic Celt be so supportive and helpful for a private event like this makes me want to come back for a beer or dinner anytime!
I recently held a fundraiser at Mystic Celt and could not have picked a better venue! Â Alison helped me organize the event, and the process was seamless. Â She always responded to my requests quickly and was very helpful. Â
Mystic Celt offers two packages. Â For $20, your guests have access to a three-hour open bar (beer and wine) or for $25, well drinks are included. Â The package also includes two $25 gift certificates to the Vaughan group bars to help raise money via a raffle as well as light appetizers.
Half of the proceeds (with a 25 person minimum) go to the charity. Â Mystic Celt offers such a generous package with a large portion of the money benefiting your charity.
On the day of our event, the back room (which accommodates up 90 people) was perfectly set up. Â We had one bartender for our group, but they made it clear that they'd add an extra bartender if needed. Â The light appetizers were great and more than I expected - bruschettta, a veggie plate, and guacamole. Â When our group expressed that they were still hungry, Justin, the manager, brought out pizzas. Â He was in and out of the room regularly to make sure the event was running smoothly and everyone was happy.
Mystic Celt is a great neighborhood Irish pub - not just for dinner, snacks and drinks but also to host events.
Cute place. Â The small outdoor seating area was full, so my friends and I sat inside next to the open windows. Â The special of the day was a wrap and fries for $6. Â Good deal. Â We were there on a Wednesday night and so it was not busy at all. Â That is why we were a little irritated that the waitress wasn't around more often. Â We were drinking buckets of beer and we drink fast. Â She was nice and all, but we had to seek her out more than once. Â
Overall, it's okay. Â I wouldn't go out of my way to eat/drink here again, but if I was in the 'hood.....
The Mystic Celt is a solid pub with decent beer selection on tap and some great specials every day of the week.
The food is rather bland, but it is just plain, old pub grub. Don't look for fancy and you won't be disappointed.
The bar is covered in TVs so it is a great place to catch a Cubs or Bulls game. Or whatever game.
During the summer, their patio is ample and you can bring your dog.
Long and short of it is that you go here to hang with friends, catch a game and drink beer. Do that and you'll be fine.
Like most bars in the southport corridor- meh.
Nighttime- pretty lame. It's trying to be a place to dance with blaring music and has a disco ball, but there is hardly anyone there so it's kinda awkward. If it played a bit quieter music and left some of the tables out it could be a decent neighborhood bar.
Daytime- food is very average. They do have pretty good specials, but there is MUCH better places to get good bar food. The bruschetta is really bad- someone always ends up getting it that I'm with and is disappointed. The pizzas are about the only thing I would get and enjoy.
The outside area is a plus on a nice day, but not good enough to make me go.
Went here to sit outside on the patio for dinner on one of the recent warm days. Â We had a short wait inside before a table opened up where we sat at the bar... The hostess told us we could have made reservations but the bartender told us that's not possible, so really not sure how to comment on reservations here.
My group ordered the special which was $6 wraps on Wednesday which come with fries or a salad. The bbq chicken/coleslaw wrap was mediocre in my opinion; the salad was good. Â The service was fairly slow but we had a lot of time so it wasn't a problem. Overall I wasn't wowed by the food or experience but the place is nice inside and outside, and was a nice time to enjoy the weather.
I sat in front of the menu for a solid 30 minutes and still couldn't decide on something to eat. The waitress recommended the corned beef or BBQ pulled chicken with coleslaw, but per usual, I ended up with quesadillas.
They were stuffed with chicken and cheese and peppers and had a delicious side of guac to go with it. I would recommend these for sure!
If I'm remembering correctly, I've also had the BBQ pulled pork and waffle fries here as well. I remember loving the waffle fries.
So I found that this place is spacious, but average on food and drink for the area. It is very friendly for people with disabilities, the person I was with was blind and he was able to navigate well given the layout.
The appetizer platter was decent, the chicken fingers were good, the shrimp was good, and the artichoke dip was above average, however there were not enough pitas.
They have a good 1/2 price monday special.
The quesadilla is good.
I have a pet peeve in bars, it is if they are too loud when there aren't many people in it. I have trouble hearing if the acoustics are off a little. Some sound panels might go a long way in here.
If you just want a bite and a drink, this place is good, but I wouldn't make it a destination.
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