Galway Bay

Best dive bar/​Irish pub in Chicago. We frequent this place — always a good crowd. The bartenders are awesome (especially Bill!)
Don’t expect much in the bathrooms… they are pretty gross, but always functional.
Good atmosphere — will continue to visit here often!

The best dive in Chicago. Can’t beat the games and popcorn.

A nice non-​douchey dive bar, in a part of Chicago that needs a LOT more bars like this. And too often, feel fratty and douchey when you go inside them (ahem Duffy’s or Durkin’s). And a bar that’s sometimes overlooked since it’s a basement one, is a good plus for me. More I thought about it, more I realized this was good for the 700^th review.
It’s in a location where it’s just east enough near the lake that I often forget about considering visiting here, but I still love them for having free popcorn, darts, and I believe the pool table in the back also is free (couldn’t confirm, but I believe so). I’m sure the douches do occasionally spill into here from Duffy’s, but that factor didn’t seem as bad as some other area dives in Lakeview and Lincoln Park I’ve checked out and was a turnoff, thankfully.
It isn’t the greatest selection of micros ever, but as long as they have decent micro seasonal beers available (i.e. Temperance Greenwood Beach last summer), I’m happy. And like others said (couldn’t confirm they had a Super NES, but they oddly had SNES carts anyway), gratis NES, Genesis, and N64 games to play (selection of games isn’t bad, and heh I’m sometimes tempted to take a personal Genesis and/​or N64 game from my own residence to play here), with a surprisingly good selection of games already here at ‘G Bay’. What isn’t to like?

Great drinks for an unbelievably cheap price, but the bartenders, owner, & patrons is what really makes this place special — not to mention free popcorn. Overall, everybody is super nice & there’s a variety of games (pool, darts, Nintendo, Tuesday trivia) that help break the ice with complete strangers who will eventually become your friends.

This is the first bar I’ve ever seen a naked woman in the bathroom. I once met someone who told me that she was pushed off a balcony by her husband– she showed me the scars. You might make friends. You might meet them naked in the bathroom. You can expect friendly people. From Wisconsin, in Christmas one-​sies.

This place is great! The guy behind the bar is a piece of work, really knows how to make a rum and coke. Best rum and cokes in the city.

This is a favorite, go to, bar that somehow you never grow tired of. It’s comfortable and fun. The bartenders take the time and effort to know your name because they know you will be back. You can spend an evening there and not break the budget. It’s a great place to just hang and talk with others or just soak in the character of the place.

I am a HUGE fan of this place. It is pretty tucked away underground, but its a gem. Very old school, wooden bar, wooden pannels and wooden floor. It is great for any kind of occasion. I have gone there with just my roommate on a random night and had a blast drinking at the bar with her and the bartenders. The whole staff is very personable. I went on a date there as well and we played darts and pool and got to know each other. It is a good stop for that fyi! I have also gone there on a Saturday night when it is pretty crowded and still best service, best tunes and best people in the city. I will continue going here and I suggest everyone checks it out!

Good enough selection. Loud. Decent prices.
@ Jessica C: Stop being a whiner. Build a «safe place» with bubbles in your apartment and go suck your thumb when you’re offended or when people think it’s odd that you wear men’s suits.

My favorite dive bar. The crowd on Saturdays/​Sundays is a bit bro-​y for my taste (lured in by the free video games, no doubt), but weekdays are usually a nice mix of regulars. Bartenders are friendly and get to know your name. Drinks are relatively affordable. Not a huge beer selection, but Blue Moon is always on tap alongside some IPA. Sunday karaōke is a must.

My favorite dive bar. Cheap, close and hilarious cross section of people there. Last time I was there my friend and I were hit on by some really funny older gals. Not like 50s types, but just a healthy decade or so on us. They do have video games, darts and pool but as for the drinks, I would stick to beer or shots. Not that I don’t trust the bartenders, it’s just this isn’t a cocktail lounge or an upscale bar. Why would I try an Old Fashioned at a place that sells PBR fo 2 bucks? Just like at a 5 star dining place you don’t get Mac&Cheese.
Not so secret tip… the darts are free. Good cork boards, darts pretty well maintained. Just make sure you know how to keep score or you’ll look a little silly.

The crowd is a mix of college students and working professionals. They serve popcorn, have pool, video games, movies playing in the background and an interesting mix of patrons.
Pros: video games (Super Mario Brothers 3 is one of my favs), popcorn, darts, pool, juke box and blockbuster movies playing in the background.
Cons: not a great selection of single men, fireball shots flowing like wine (which ultimately leads to poor decisions, I saw quite a few people making those during my visit), juke box (this is a pro and a con since some people selected some awesome tunes, while others selected bands like the backstreet boys and 80s love ballads)
I would definitely come back, not only for the entertainment but for the awesome staff. Those fireball shots will make you sorry.

This place ruined my life. Much like an off strip casino, there are no clocks, windows, or sunlight. And like those places, you already lost before you came in. I entered the place in 2008 on a weary Sunday and never spiritually left yet. It is the kind of place that always haunts you in the world leading to being shamed by the villagers for life. Even if you are lucky enough to escape the Guantanamo Bay, your soul is never allowed to leave. It’s in the lost and found usually though, if you ask one of the bartenders. Bottom line, this place is evil incarnate and the walls scream of the centuries of horrors that it has witnessed and devoured.
Although, I disagree with that one girl, their Rum & Cokes are the Tits!

Great happy hour special ($ 1 PBR cans). Tons of old school video games (NES, N64, Sega). Cool atmosphere. Pulp Fiction on when we got there. One of the greatest bars I’ve been to.

This place feels like your grandma’s cozy basement rec room, and I could have hung out on the couch playing video games all night. The way the bar is divided, there seemed to be a more relaxed vibe on the couch/​game/​popcorn machine side, and a different (louder/​weirdly overdressed) crowd back by the pool tables.
Side note: the popcorn machine is self-​serve, so you’re not passing around a stale basket that’s already been touched by multiple bar patrons. I would have eaten it either way, but appreciated the lack of contamination.

This place is super legit! It’s a good place to bring your buddies and have some great reasonably priced drinks. Why bring your buddies? Well they have to top notched dart boards, a pool table, some arcade style games, a Super Nintendo, Sega, and a N64 all with a ton of games!
Bartender on Sunday was really good and was on top of service. My buddy ordered a bloody merry and said it was one of the better ones he’s had.
Bottom line, if your looking for a great hang out place to go and have a good time for a good price. Go here

A truly awesome local dive bar. The drinks are cheap, the staff is super nice, the crowd is cool, and you get free popcorn. FREE. BUTTERY. SALTY. YUMMY. POPCORN. My friends and I went through a few baskets of these… sorry!
They also have a bunch of games for you to play to add more fun to your inebriation — darts, pool, and video games. They have a section w/​comfy couches and 2 TV’s w/​some awesome old school video games (I saw 2 guys playing Mortal Kombat and was super jelly I didn’t get a chance to play one of my favorite childhood video games).
If you’re looking for a good time, Galway Bay is definitely the place to go.

Can’t wait to come back here. Came on a snowy Sunday afternoon after brunch just down the street at Yolk. Cool downstairs dive bar with plenty of ACTIVITIESSSS like old school video games, darts, and lots of cool stuff to look at on the walls. Free, warm and fresh popcorn. The crowd is kinda small but friendly. My boyfriend and I really wanted to play a video game but the people playing them kinda hogged them the whole time. Guess we just gotta get there earlier next time. The very best part is the bartender made flaming Dr Peppers and actually let us light them afire before we drank them… Which I’m not sure he’s legally allowed to do but only makes this place even more badass. No fancy cocktail menu – more of a shot and a beer kind of place – but whatever you want to order the guy will try to make. Average draft beer selection. Overall a cozy bar that would probably be fun any time of day.

Great local bar. Cool staff, couches and games up front, darts and pool in the back (why can’t I make something out of that?), free popcorn, and the crowd is generally good. Thankfully I think that Duffy’s draws most of the d-​bags. This is pretty much what a neighborhood bar should be.

Oh, the bay. My favorite local dive bar. Doesn’t hurt that it’s walking distance from my apartment. They’ve got pool, darts, and an entire section for playing video games. But usually, I just sit up at the bar with cheap drink in hand and shoot the shit. Occasionally I’ll splurge and help myself to the free popcorn.
Everyone who works there is pretty great, but Alden is my favorite bartender. I’ve never had to wait in a line to get in, which is a major plus. Also — lots of cute guys that frequent this underground gem. What more could a young single gal ask for?