Monsignor Murphys
3019 N Broadway St
(between Barry Ave & Wellington Ave)
Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 348-7285
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Smoking: No
42 reviews
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
"I was here for the 75th anniversary of Prohibition being repealed and celebrated by eating free food and drinking $.75 beer all afternoon.…" read more »
22 Reviews for Monsignor Murphys
Just a really sort of low key place to throw back a beer and maybe chill outside on the wooden deck/porch situation. If you're in the area, it seems like a neighborhood place. I wouldn't make a special trip though, that's for darn sure.
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Monsignor Murphy's is a great neighborhood bar. I love their dart area -- darts deserves more love in Chicago bars.
We came here on St. Patrick's Day and drank a lot. It was $2 PBRs; how could we not? The bartender, Gautam, rewarded our alcoholism with a free round of shots.
All in all, I wish I lived closer -- you can't beat the specials and the atmosphere is very much "corner bar."
I'm sure, as with any establishment, Monsignor Murphy's is many things, to many people. For some, it could be "their" watering hole; a.k.a. Their Cheers. For others, M.M. could merely be a pit stop on the way to another destination...and for some I do believe it to be a destination spot. For me, Monsignor Murphy's is that neighborhood bar that I'm happy to have down the road...You know? Just in case, I need to switch it up a bit. Get my behind off of my regular stool.
It's a bar..and that's about as much as I can comment on the vibe/space/interior. A large, rectangular bar takes up this walk-up bar. High boys occupy one wall and the restrooms are down an old, rickety staircase.. Be careful when drinking and pee'ing. On more than one occasion..I've fallen both up and down these stairs.
I tend to find myself here more and more in the summer. If only due to the small-ish front patio and sidewalk patio. The better to people watch on this stretch of Broadway. I'd love to see some sort of seating on the patio leading into the bar, although I'm sure some yahoo would end up just blocking the way into the bar.
I believe that Monsignor Murphy's does offer some sort of food. Although, I've never ventured there. I do see signs during the summer that they will grill "YOUR STEAK" if you bring it in..then you can sit on the back patio, facing what surely must be the city's dumpiest alley way. I've never understood bars that offer this "SPECIAL"..Umm..if I've got a nice piece of meat, that I bought..I'm gonna cook..Thanks, though!
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This bar is great... if you're completely lacking in personal flair and character.
I was coerced into coming here a few times because it was the nearest bar to my boyfriend's place when he used to live in Lakeview (besides the abhorrent Duffy's). I had no qualms about poopooing this joint.
Irish bar? I'm willing to bet there are bars in Madagascar that are more Irish than this place. Unless you're going by the Wrigleyville Irish definition which just involves wearing a lot of tacky green shit, drinking shitty beer and liking the Cubs...then yeah this place is real Irish.
They have a back patio which I originally though was cool but you have to listen to some Trixie barmaid flirt (loudly) with all the regulars in order to earn herself some tips. Inside you get to listen to some drunken wretch do a karaoke rendition of "I Got Friends In Low Places". Awesome.
I'll give this place one extra start because it was instrumental in convincing my dude that he needed to move to my neighborhood. He'll probably disagree when he reads this.
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I stopped in here one night when I was waiting for the boy to get home. I was hoping he'd join me there and we'd have a few drinks. Nope! As soon as he showed up, we left. I didn't want to spend one more cent there.
I had a beer, and I was pretty hungry so I thought cheese sticks would be good. So overpriced! And awful cheese sticks. BLECH!
A great place to chill out with the locals with a small, cozy bar and outside areas in the summer - front and back. Perfect place to get pitchers of Miller products and watch the game.
Plus I met a cute boy here. That's tops!
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I may not be as qualified as others to review this bar, as i was a little wasted by the time I got there. Basically we got there on a Friday around 11 or 11:30pm - was happy to get a seat at the bar, had a few (i was drinking Beam & Diet) - the people that were there seemed, well, as wasted as we were (not a bad thing) - but nothing really 'popped' about the bar.
In general - if you are looking for a place thats not ass to elbows (was going to say dick to ass, but didn't know if thats appropriate) - to drink up, I would recommend.
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I came here for a friend's birthday party. He happened to know some of the workers....they let him behind the bar...BIG MISTAKE. He made me a jaegar bomb...at some point, we ended up on the sidewalk outside...he tried picking me and another girl up at the same time...we fell over...I threw up on a curb. Someone put me into a car and I slept on someone's couch.
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I went to Monsignor Murphys on my second night in Chicago. There were some dudes playing Dominos at the bar.
I asked the bartender for a porter. He said he thought 312 was kinda like a porter. Being new to the city I had no idea what 312 was. Well... it's NOT a porter.
Now that its summer, they have a little sidewalk patio. It seems like a good place to stop for your basic Bud/Miller/Coors beers. I can appreicate a cold Bud Light on a hot day, but when I want a porter, ipa, dunkel, etc I won't be coming here.
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$6 grey goose and cranberry!!!! Hello heaven! The boyfriend and I stopped in last weekend for a few drinks. I walk by it all the time, but it looks kind of scummy from the outside, so I never tried it. We weren't in the mood for the trendy Halsted scene so we hit up Monsignor Murphys. It's a lot nicer on the inside than you think it would be when you walk by. It's long and narrow with plenty of bar seating, some tables, and a dart area in the back (the boy wouldn't play darts with me, he said something about me being a klutz and he was worried about my aim....) There are a few flat screens scattered around. The music is pretty typical bar music. Definitely fun sing-a-long type stuff. The bartenders were really friendly and greeted us with a smile. I'm so excited that I found this low key neighborhood bar.
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I'm on the fence between 3 and 4 here... I'd like to go 4, but the hair in my pint and the quickly disappearing bartender solidifies the 3.
The gf and I were looking for a place to sit (outside on a lovely Saturday afternoon) and have a pint or two before we did the dinner thing. We had gone past Monsignor's a few times, and it seemed like a decent little place, and that it is. Nothing fancy, which is fine. It wasn't terribly busy inside, and there were still a couple seats out back. Unfortunately, it was surprisingly hot in the outdoor section. So we grabbed a pint inside, then made use of the couple bar stools out front on the patio. That made for some good Saturday afternoon people watching there on Broadway. Interesting mix, to be sure.
At $3 for a pint of (very cold) Miller Lite, it's not the cheapest place around, but not the most expensive by a long shot. Just a good, clean little neighborhood bar. (Minus the hair atop my pint. But I'm a good beer-drinkin man of Irish descent. Didn't stop me from taking it out and drinking.) If I was in the neighborhood, I'd likely go back, although if I wasn't, I don't know if it would be a plan-my-night-around-it place...
One last note: they take credit cards, and didn't have a minimum purchase.
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Monsignor Murphy's is pretty fantastic. It's laid back, comfortable and a little dive-y without being dirty. The crowd is pretty chill and surprisingly open to meeting strangers, and the bartenders are really friendly. Perfect for a couple drinks on a weeknight, as there are good tunes that aren't so loud you can't talk, places to sit, and at a minimum a small crowd.
Oh, and once my friend and I managed to make a boy cry here, which somehow makes it all the more stellar in my book.
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This spot is much nicer inside than I thought it would be!
And your fellow patrons are very friendly as well.
I went on a Saturday night, and it was a very manageable crowd, friends in groups, others playing darts in the back, i'm sure there's a seat for everyone, which is nice. Bartenders very friendly, even got a round for the ladies...which sounds cheesy yes. hahaha
Get ready to hear those songs that everyone likes to sway and sing to, together. My jack+sour was $5.50.
Honey, we're not in boystown anymore.
The longer I live in Lakeview, among the trendy and expensive bars/clubs/restaurant scene, the more appreciative I am of places like Murphys. Not to say that I don't love those bars--but it's nice to be able to chill at a laid back place where you know people aren't critiquing your clothing or haircut.
This bar makes you feel at home and offers an intimate space for small-table discussions.
The dart area and beer garden at also big pluses.
I'll be back.
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Gosh, drinking is AWESOME! I have to admit though, that I've had trouble finding exactly the kind of bar in my neighborhood where you could just go in sit down and have some beer with the good people of Chicago. Monsignor Murphy's has restored my faith that this kind of bar does exist in Chicago. I like being able to go in with a buddy, sit down, and grab a couple of High Lifes. I have no criticism for the more trendier places in the neighborhood, but this place is just more "me". I'll definitely be going back. You should come with me! Later we can get burritos, and that's AWESOME too!
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I liked the small town feeling of this place. It was clean, well kept, and the bathrooms were adorable. I liked their double specials; one beer and one drink.
The truly best thing about this bar was the music. NICE NICE NICE. Classic, sing-a-long music that made me want to dance! Thanks!
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Like someone else said, this bar is good for a weeknight or a starter bar (or an ending bar ...) it's old-school irish pub in front (free popcorn!), food sucks, fun laid-back atmosphere. after going here a few times i finally discovered the back patio which is really cool. i can't describe it except to say it is cramped but probably one of the more unique patios i've been on. very fun bartenders all around.
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Great little neighborhood bar. My girlfriend took me here for my birthday and from what I remember, it was great. We pretty much stuck to pitchers of domestic beer so I can't comment on the food.
The table sizes are a little small so you have a big group of people it can be tough to keep everyone at the same table.
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One of my favorite things about this place is that when I was there, there was a huge variety of types of people there. There were some middle aged women, young guys, trixies (but a limited number) and my group which was some folks in their early 20s.
The only... and i mean ONLY downside is that there's no place for seating more than about 5 or 6 people... but that can be a good thing too.
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This is another "Cheersy" type of bar. It's a great place where everyone is friendly, and willing to help you out. One year for New Year's, we past by and and decided to stay to celebrate the new year on the lower-key, non-clubby celebration. At the time, it was down the street from my apt, and I absolutely fell in love with this place. The food isn't terrific, but they have great prices on drafts, and the bartenders are super friendly!
A run-of-the-mill watering hole with a friendly twist. This place has a couple pool tables and dart boards in the back, plus some high tops and, of course, the bar. The owner is typically bartending and always is ready to hear a good joke. Tell a funny one and he might just buy your next drink! Food is pretty limited and hands on; they'll bring out your sandwich, and you can dress it the way you'd like at the condiment station. A couple widescreen flat screen TVs are mounted on the wall for those who want to catch the game.
Another fun weeknight or starter bar. Strong drinks and friendly bartenders liven up the experience. The dartboards are actually in a good spot. I hate when bars have them near a high traffic area. The only people you'll find by them are those playing. Also have a bunch of random books on shelves. It's always fun to read at bars. Seriously, get the bartender/owner's ear, tell a good joke and you may get a drink. When Audra and I went I used the one about the best part of dating a homeless girl. So you can't. Oh yeah, she used the one about the worst part of rollerblading.
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