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Category: Gastropubs
Neighborhood: Lakeview"I went back here this past weekend and watched some NFL games. They have a bunch of TV's and 3 different rooms to watch the games. AWESOME!!…" read more »
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Located at the headwaters of the Corridor, Cullen's flows clean without the pollutants dumped into Southport by some of its southerly neighbors.
The crowd's more thirtysomething than spring break, but that's not to say it isn't a fun bar. The decor is good, most patrons have won their personal battles against douchery, and the bartenders, many of them from the Auld Sod, know how to pour a Guinness.
Only a couple of minor quibbles with Cullen's. One, it's a bit of a hike,
but this probably helps keep the bad element away. Two, it's on the expensive side, but again, the bad element. Three, the layout can be a bit frustrating. The inside of the place is in the shape of a U, and the bar and the bathroom are on opposite ends. If you've delayed your trip to the washroom on a crowded Friday or Saturday night, you may be tempted to pull a Juggernaut and run through the wall to get there faster.
Stopped by last night after catching a flick at the Music Box Theatre.
I had high hopes of some good bar time making up for the shortcomings of the film. A fine pint can cure just about anything, no?
We walked in and grabbed two seats at the bar. It was a relaxed, quiet scene on this Tuesday evening. Exactly what I was looking for after watching people behave erratically in intensely bizarre, artificial environments on screen. Guinness for me, Guinness for him. Well-poured-- these bartenders are legit.
My friend ordered the chicken strips appetizer. Though we both hadn't ate in 10 hours, I barely picked at mine. The breading was just... off. He eats everything and anything so the chix strips bode well with him. Men-- they're so simple!
I'd return I guess... though next time I'll follow Yelp suit and order the much-hyped tuna melt instead!
The first time I went to Cullen's as far as I can remember, I just graduated college (more than 10 years ago...sigh!), had a job downtown, and my colleagues insisted one night to come to Southport for happy hour instead of the usual places downtown...namely because it was the same pour for more money downtown.
From the happy hour perspective, there is a good selection of beer. They also have a full bar for those who don't drink beer.
I have been back since, and one time we stopped in there for lunch. I ordered a Reuben sandwich...and although it was not bad, it was not good either. I found the food to be quite bland based on that experience...at least the fries were edible.
I must say the bartenders and staff are quite friendly and social.
If I were to go back, I would stick to my liquid diet!
They will be kicking off Karaoke on Nov. 5th 2009 10 P.M.-1 A.M. And will be a regular Thurs. night event. Awesome!
I went there tonight ( a saturday) witha couple of friends. The cover band was playing in the front window and the sound was terrible-- no bass, no real amplification-- plus all the songs were super cheesy and generic. I suppose it did it's job, but it's nothing to go out and see.
The drinks were reasonably priced if you got past the cranky bartenders. I also felt the outdoor patio was closed way too early. Meh. Not the best place to go.
This is a great place to meet singles in their 30s +. I got introduced to Cullens in my early 20's and kept going because I had alot of friends that were older and flirting with 30 something gals can be hot. Good times during nights with live music and drinks were usually poured with a heavy hand. Something I never got used to was the pricing, always expensive. Best times for me were Wed to Friday nights. Always have a sweet spot for Cullen's.
Parking is hard to find, all on the street. Wed and Thursdays nights it wasn't so bad if you got there early.
Disclaimer: I've never had their food.
HOWEVER, last night I, along with about 100 others, went to Cullen's to enjoy a libation or two in celebration of St. Paddy's Day. It was packed but the bartenders were really hustling and I didn't wait too long. When he handed me my Harp, the bartender said, "Seven dollars." SEVEN DOLLARS?! This bar was clearly taking advantage of people on a holiday. I should have stayed at Barley Corn (not a phrase I thought I'd ever say) for their $3 pints.
Cullen's is a little expensive normally, but on St. Patrick's Day when I was there, I think they raised some of their prices. I mean, why not take advantage, right? The corned beef was tough and fatty, but the carrots and cabbage were tasty.
All the people who work there stayed nice, even though it was a busy, chaotic, night. This counts for alot in my book.
Mac n cheese is AMAZING! Piping hot and super creamy! So, so good!
The grilled ham and cheese is delicious as well.
Tons of patio seating, super friendly and attentive service...doesn't get better than that!
Love, Love, Love it! Will certainly be back!
This gets 4 stars - 3 for the food/drinks, 1 for being less than two blocks from my house. If I didn't live so close, I would probably find another Irish pub to lunch and cocktail at.
The food here is always solid - great reubens, mac and cheese, fish and chips, soups, chicken pot pie, etc. They have Magner's in big bottles and know to bring a glass of ice. Service is usually prompt and friendly. Great neighborhood spot, nice outdoor seating in the summer.
The food is light years better than Mystic Celt, and they don't make you order food in order to have a few beers on the patio (like Mystic Celt).
Cullen's falls into the category of bars on Southport between which I cannot differentiate. You know, Mystic Celt, Messner's, SoPo, Blue Bayou...
Recently I planned a going away party at Cullen's. It fell on Halloween weekend, so it was hard to find a bar that could accommodate us. But Cullen's was happy to do so. We arranged a $33 you call it package from 7-10pm in the back room area.
I guess the one thing that I forgot about Cullen's is that it's attached to the Mercury Theater (which can be blamed on the fact that I had no idea which bar on Southport Cullen's actually was). So we walked in at 7:00 ready to get hammered and the place was full of old people. Like, older than my parents old people.
The old people left by 8:00 when the show at the Mercury started, and all was well from that point on. A few of us sat at a table and ordered some wings; they were average, but the garlicky bleu cheese dressing that came with them was awesome. We started hording it so that when my friend's burger and fries came later we could use it for the fries. Our server was friendly and attentive, as well.
The size of our party ended up being about half of what we expected and just a handful of people actually bought wristbands for the open bar deal, but the party planner and bartender didn't seem to take issue with it (I must have drunkenly apologized for having lame friends at least a dozen times).
The bartender, Maureen, was super friendly and poured great GG & sodas. By the end of the night I was so drunk that I couldn't speak--scary, but at least I got my $33 worth right? She also wasn't anal about people getting more than one drink at a time, which is always nice (and dangerous) at an open bar. Maureen also warned us that when their soup of the day is something w/sausage, it usually just ends up being cut up hot dogs. Gross, but hilarious.
While the layout of Cullen's isn't ideal for an event, the service was good and the drinks were strong. I'm sure I will be here again someday (without realizing what bar I am in) but probably would not choose this spot for a party in the future.
Love the food here and have had more than one great night drinking with friends at this Irish bar.
We didn't mean to come to Cullens. We were on our way to somewhere else when we walked by Cullens and my friends knew the guys working the door. We stood around and chatted with them for a few minutes. There was a band playing, and they didn't sound good. At all. Even the guys at the door were less than enthusiastic about them. Yet somehow we found ourselves walking in... After practically tripping over the band playing (why would you put the stage right next to the door?), I took one look around and said to my friends "ok, this is not my thing, I'm going to use the restroom and then catch a cab home." My friends nod.
I returned from the restroom (that was about 120 degrees) ready to say my goodbyes and get out of there when I see it. Another drink at the table with my name on it. Great. Thanks for listening to me when I said I was leaving guys, really.
So, I resigned myself to the fact that I would be there for a little while longer and sipped on my VERY well poured drink. Yummy vodka, I love you, and the bartender you came from. The band's set ended, thank god, and we just sat around chatting. I don't think anyone knew what to think of the place... It had a weird layout. It wasn't very crowded and it seemed like everyone there knew each other, which is a good thing, I know. The music played between the band's set was pretty good and not too loud.
But then the band came back, and their break and the amount of vodka I was consuming didn't make them sound any better. I looked at my friends, sucked down the last of my drink, and got the hell out of there.
Cullens, you are what you are... and you are not for me.
While our server was Irish, and was very nice, the food was still not traditional or authentic, which disappointed me.
I had the fish and chips, which weren't bad, but the fish was in little pieces- not one whole large piece like you'd get from a real chip shop. Also, it was accompanied by tartar sauce- ugh. The chips were steak fries, and good, but again, not chips like home. The curry sauce was all right- however, it tastes essentially like the Bisto curry sauce granules you can buy at Cost Plus World Market and make at home. They also gave us brown sauce and malt vinegar for the chips, which was good.
While our meal wasn't bad and the beer was definitely good, if you're searching for truly authentic Irish food, this simply isn't it. Sorry, Cullen's.
Maybe I was mistaken and thought this place to be Irish? Their menu only had a handful of Irish dishes... you know, like authentic teriyaki sandwiches.
I had the Irish-style curry and was very disappointed. One would think there would at least be potatoes in it, right?! I felt like I was eating a stewy Chinese dish, with bell peppers galore.
My roommate ordered the Shepard's pie which definitely did not live up to it's $15 glory (or whatever it was). That being said, service was alright, probably not that above-and-beyond great since I can't even remember one nice thing to say about it.
I came here for lunch. The iced tea was delicious, but the curry chips=not into it, and the buffalo chicken sandwich was breaded nastyness that you couldn't cut/fit into your mouth bc it fell apart.
disappointing for lunch, but I am not surprised by such as it is a bar.
Terrific pub food at Cullen's. The mac & cheese was the best I have ever had. Chicken pot pie is large enough for 2 or 3 to share. Sandwiches looked okay, nothing special. Stick with the homey specials.
Prices were reasonable and the service was attentive. Our server kept our drinks refilled.
Cullen's was a good choice for a pre-theatre dinner at the Mercury Theatre.
NO KITTY!!! THAT'S MY POT PIE!!!
Second thought...you can have it Kitty. I had high expectations for this big-as-your-head chicken pot pie, but was disappointed to find it bland and under-seasoned. I was also not a fan of the crust which wasn't buttery at all and was a bit overcooked. The shepherd's pie was better but not as good as the Grafton. Also, a big thumbs down for the curry chips which had an odd watery-vinegary taste to them.
Honorable Mention: The servers are very friendly and the bartenders pour an excellent pint of Guinness. I'll come back in a heartbeat to drink, but not to eat.
Some moms use code words.
These code words describe Mommy only activities. One of our mommy code words is -Mary- as in "let's go meet our friend Mary for lunch."
Who is Mary you ask? What does Mary mean? What started this mommy lunching phenomenon where we are craving Cullen's at all hours and running there as soon as the doors open? BLOODY MARY's. They make a killer Bloody Mary that is topped off with Guinness, celery salt rimmed, spicy hot AND they give you a beer chaser. Hello Heaven! We happened to get one on a whim one day and have been addicted ever since.
You can't just have the liquid lunch at Cullen's though, you have to try their Tuna Melt. It is big enough to share with a friend. Comes on Rye bread has three different cheeses, avocado, bacon and tomato and comes with a choice of side dish. Yummerific.
Cullen's is authentic Irish, even the waitstaff has Irish accents. They are so friendly and give great service. Cullen's, makes this mommy and her mommy friends very happy.
Live music, decent beer specials, and terrific food. The owner is a true irish woman, and it shows. Friendly bar staff adequate service.
The only problems here are that it gets WAY too crowded, and there is absolutely no chance in hell that you're going to find a parking spot anywhere near this place. Impossible unless you have the Parking Gods on your side.
Other than that, it's a fantastic place!
I've been hearing that Cullens has great food and I finally tried it with my boyfriend the other night and we loved it. We live in Lincoln Park, but will be a frequent visitor at this bar. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I'm Irish and love the food and the Guiness.
A great place!!
I used to frequent Cullen's when I lived in the hood, but I hadn't been in about a year. Last Sunday, the bf and I headed there after a fruitless effort to find parking in other areas for dinner.
The great part was that we found parking on Southport.
The not so great part was that Cullen's was an extreme disappointment this time around.
The outside was buzzing as usual, but we preferred to sit indoors, which was kind of dead for a Sunday night. We were seated, given menus, then waited 10 minutes before I flagged down a waitress. Mind you, we were seated near the kitchen, so they walked by plenty of times to see us sitting there with rumbling tummies.
The bf ordered a cherry coke - so out came a coke with a cherry. No grenadine. OK, fine, they're Irish, maybe they don't get it. Since he was so hungry, he finished his plate of chicken strips and mashed potatoes with no problem, though he did comment that the chicken strips looked more like fish, whatever that means.
I ordered the chicken sandwich with a side salad. The bun was so dry that it chunked off when I took a bite, and the salad was mostly made of the part of iceberg lettuce that most people throw out. ICK!
Of course, they had no problem serving us speedily with the check. And we had no problem tipping them accordingly.
Went on a Sunday night because it was really close. If it wasn't so cold, we would have sat outside, but instead went inside. Like most bar & grilles in town, the tables were really close together and the music was way too loud for any sort of conversation without getting face to face.
We both ordered salads and they were decent. I got the blackend chicken caesar. The chicken was good. The greens were decent. I'd go back, but I think I'd want to sit outside so I could at least have a conversation. It was a Sunday night after all.
More Irish than a lot of "Irish" bars in Chicago, so that's a plus.
Decent food, good bands playing, fun people.
Every time I've been here, I've had good good times.
Haven't eaten here, since I'm not a fan of Irish food (bland, greasy, bloated, etc). I've gone for drinks, and it's definitely an "Irish pub". Drinks are good, bartenders are nice, people in the bar are friendly. There are some little coat hooks for you to hang your coats / purses and not leave them on the floor. I like bar stools and high tables rather than sitting at a table. So that's a plus.
The bar area is smaller and the restaurant area is much bigger. I remember this one musical "act" from a few months back. Distinct synthesizer action, varied vocals, sounded like maybe three or so guys as their own "band". My friends and I were placing bets on how many people made up the act, and when we finally peeked over, it was one guy being his own early-90s airport show. Too funny! It seemed like he was well-received by the restaurant though. Guess folks up for an Irish pub like that sort of stuff! I'm still chuckling about it.
People. Seriously. What are these reviews? Who goes to Cullen's to eat a salad and have a good conversation?!
You go to Cullen's to eat massive amounts of the world's best Mac N Cheese and drink Beer. You then roll home, unbutton your pants, and think damn I can't wait to go back there and eat some more mac n cheese.
I think I've ordered a few other things on the menu but Cullen's is a pub. An Irish one. So stick with pub food like onion rings and order a Guinness. The shepard's pie is pretty good as is the pot pie. The waitstaff is pretty cool and actually mostly Irish. They get busy so be patient but the food comes out pretty quickly. I like it best when the outdoor seating is available but mac n cheese being a winter comfort food you do what you have to....
Good Guinness and great onion rings!
Mac and Cheese lovers this is a must try.
Service can be a little on the slow side depending on the time of day, crowd, etc... But usually it not bad.
A friend and I went to Cullen's after a Cubs game, not for any reason in particular other than I wanted to stop walking. I wasn't too sure what an Irish pub would have to offer but she had been there before and said the food was good. It's a pretty large space for a bar, there looked to be several rooms in which to roam around in. The first good sign was their fountain coke. If you serve the perfect blend of syrup and carbonation in your Coca-Cola, then you will have me as a customer for life. I ordered the tuna melt and my friend ordered the mac and cheese. Her mac and cheese came out BUBBLING HOT, I'm not a particular fan of mac and cheese, but this would have made me a convert. My tuna melt was on dark rye with crispy bacon, cheese and avocado and it was super hot and crunchy. The mashed potatoes that came with it were superb, some of the best I ever had. If you're looking for a pub with a little more to offer than greasy burgers and chicken sandwiches, then try Cullen's.
Cullen's isn't my favorite bar, but it isn't horrible either. To me, it's just another typical Irish bar. There has been live music playing pretty much every time I have been there, and last time the band played covers of 90's alternative songs, which was kind of funny. I don't really think they were meant to be a joke, but we were laughing anyway. Also, the last time I was there the bartender didn't really seem like he was in a good mood. I can't remember if this is common there or not, but it was a little irritating.
Another thing I noticed was one room of the bar seemed to have all the ugly people in it and the other had all the not-so-ugly-but-still-not-great people in it. This place doesn't really seem to cater to any beautiful people for whatever reason, which is probably why I was there.
service was great. food was pretty darn good, boasting homestyle food.
i had the pot pie which was really good. :) others at our table had meatloaf.
what won me over was the music. totally made the atmosphere. if i was a local, i would be frequenting this more often.
Good place you know, but with as many Irish bars as there are in Chicago I just don't see this one really standing out. I tried some Curry Chips while there, the fries left a little to be desired. Try the Wasabi Burger though, love it. Too bad everything costs a lot a this place. Go here and have fun drinking with rich people before they drop $50 on a theater ticket at the Mercury Theater.
This place usually gets packed at night and is starting to become a hangout among the young Wrigleyville crowd. You may have to wait a bit for a table depending on the day of the week and whether the adjoining Mercury Theater is hosting a show. (I was here on St. Patrick's Day once, and it was extremely packed--body-to-body.) They have live music Sundays, Tuesdays, and I think Wednesdays too. You can park in the school lot across the street, but if that lot is full be prepared to spend a half hour looking for a spot.
The menu is mostly Irish cuisine. Prices are reasonable for this part of town. Personally, I'd recommend the shepard's pie, meatloaf, or the fish and chips. Beverage offerings include Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks, Bass, Newcastle, and a slew of domestics. A good number of the staff here are from Ireland, and I have met people from Ireland visiting the establishment. How's that for authentic? The interior is highlighted by a mahogany bar and tin ceiling. Pictures of famous Irish folks cover the walls.
I try to get to this place as much as possible. It's easily one of my favorite watering holes in Chicago.
Cullen's is one of my favorite Irish pubs in Chicago. Snuggling into a beautiful, private wooden booth for a pint and some food is so cozy in both winter and summer. I love the huge, flakey pot pie, baked Mac and Cheese, fish and chips, many soups--everything I've had was delicious (except the onion rings and that's only because I prefer mine smaller). My boyfriend also loves the hamburgers and fries.
Bonus--some of the waitresses are really Irish!
The beer is good of course, and they have decent specials on weeknights. They usually have a game on the TV, so you can catch up on the scores.
I usually pop in here before or after a movie at the Music Box and then grab a cupcake a couple doors down at Sensational Bites.
Street parking is fairly easy.
First time goin here and it wasnt bad at all! I had the steak burrito and it was amazing. The gf had the tuna salad sandwich. The only complaint there was that the toast was burnt, so if you get any sandwich ask them to lightly toast the bread. Anyway, the service was ok, a little lackadaisical but other than that, good stuff.
Revision: This is a regular spot for lunch now, tuna melts, chx tenders, and build your burger are the jam! The food is great but it can get pricey if you're boozin, drafts are 6 or 7, woah.
If I lived closer to Southport, I'd be at Cullen's every night out once the smoking ban goes into effect.
I didn't try the food, and I was only there for one drink, but I know immediately when I'm not feelin' a bar.
The sidewalk outside this place was covered four-deep in fake Christmas trees adorned with ribbons and lights, and once we walked inside it was more of the same: garlands wrapped around every possible surface, ornaments everywhere... And yet, somehow, it wasn't tacky. It just felt warm and welcoming.
My boyfriend and I grabbed a drink in here while we were waiting for a table at Tango Sur; I have a feeling a LOT of people do this. My Sapphire and tonic tasted great, and the boyfriend was ecstatic with his black and tan (heavy on the Guinness, just as he requested).
The crowd was friendly (even though half of them were smoking; I'm so over it), bartenders were conversational, and all the food that was coming out of the kitchen LOOKED hearty and delicious.
I'll be back to have a few more drinks and try a burger and some of those thick steak fries.
The food is a MAJOR disappointment here. The bar is...well, a bar.
It's the standard "we have no original ideas, so let's make it a Irish bar" type of place. It's too small to really move around much, and despite the volume of people it draws, it's usually boring.
The people that give this place a good review likely come here with their own group and don't socialize much.
The actual crowd however....wow. If there was a Worldwide Ugly Convention, it should be held here.
I absolutely ADORE this place! The food is some of the best "bar food" I've ever had. Some highlights are the tuna sandwich on pumpernickle bread with bacon/avocado, the beer battered chicken strips-mmmmmazing, and the oh so creamy mac and cheese. There's always great music playing and the staff is crazy authentic! GO HERE.
Admittedly, I'm not of the crowd this place appeals to.
I went here once for a going away party on a Friday night. It was the fifth circle of hell but the mac and cheese was good.
I can't imagine Frank McCourt hanging out here but maybe thing's are different not on a Friday night.
This is one of my favorite pubs on the Southport Corridor. It is always a good time. It gets a bit crowded in here on the weekends, which makes it tough to elbow up to the bar. It isn't a huge place so it is tough to find a seat unless you make it here early. The drinks are good, and the live music is usually fun too. People seem to create a dance floor in front of the musician/s, which is fun to participate in or watch. The crowd is a bit more mixed than what you would find on the Clark Strip, which is refreshing.
One of my fav. Irish establishments on the Northside. Cullen's surpasses traditional pubgrub and provides you with uber-tasty treats of good ol' meat & potatoes type fare. And the beer, oh the beer... how I love my Irish brews!
I generally settle into one of the hidden booths across from the bar where you can have an intimate conversation and watch a game too. Expect to see plenty of Irish patrons & servers.
The man & I tend to frequent this place during the week when it is a bit less rowdy & we can enjoy the live Irish musicians they host.
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Cinema
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Pubs
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