Where to score March Madness specials in the suburbs
Calling all college hoops fans: The NCAA basketball tournament is here. And suburban bars and restaurants are ready to host fanatics and casual watchers - it's always more fun to watch buzzer-beaters with a crowd - for three weeks of college basketball with food and drink specials.
Here are some options we found:
Bar Louie
619 E. Boughton Road #A, Bolingbrook, (331) 246-0500; 17W350 22nd St., Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 478-8040; 5300 Touhy Ave., Skokie, (847) 763-3056, barlouie.com/. Watch the games while enjoying $3 green beer, $4 Jameson Sidecars, $5 Guinness draughts and $8 Irish Old Fashioneds on Friday, March 17.
Beacon Tap
1374 Lee St., Des Plaines, (847) 715-2772, thebeacontap.com/. It's Saint Madness Weekend March 16-19 when the bar is combining St. Patrick's Day and March Madness. Watch all the NCAA games while dining on brunch specials, including corned beef hash, O'Briens omelet and corned beef skillet, or the lunch and dinner specials featuring the corned beef dinner plate and sandwiches. Or consider the burger of the month, the corned beef patty melt with Irish nachos. Wash it down with $5.75 Irish beer, $5 Irish whiskey, $16 domestic buckets, $9 domestic pitchers or $3.25 green beer drafts. Plus, on March 17, enjoy performances by the Chicago Guarda Pipes and Drums, Trinity Irish Dancers, and music from Fast Eddie at noon, Good Green Fun at 3 p.m. and The Messengers at 8 p.m.
Brick House Tavern + Tap
1461 Butterfield Road, Downers Grove, (630) 963-1104, brickhousetavernandtap.com/. There are 30 TVs to watch all the games while drinking one of the 30-plus beers. During March, nosh on the St. Patrick's Day Reuben and add on a Jameson Hitch to any beer for an extra $4.
Chili's
Locations across the suburbs, chilis.com/. It's Marg Madness at Chili's during March, with three new drinks on the menu. Consider the Henny 'Rita (premium Hennessy V.S. Cognac, Teremana Blanco Tequila and fresh sour for $12), Mexican Candy Shot (Teremana Blanco Tequila shaken with watermelon Schnapps and a dash of hot sauce for $5) and Sangria 'Rita (frozen classic margarita swirled with red wine sangria for $6). Throughout March, order up the secret Lucky Jameson Margarita for $6.
City Works
1850 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg, (847) 584-2500; 929 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills, (847) 984-3571; 365 W. Dundee Road, Wheeling, (847) 941-0990, cityworksrestaurant.com/. Watch all of the NCAA games on the nine HDTVs on the walls through April 3. Grab a group of friends to share the 96-ounce Mega Mules, available in Tito's Texas Mule, Dutch Mule, Kentucky Mule or Cucumber Mule. Plus, there will be scratch-offs during the tourney offering the chance to win City Works gift cards. Through March 17, dine on Irish loaded fries ($14), pastrami Reuben ($17), and Irish bangers and mash ($20).
Coach's Corner
152 Biesterfield Road, Elk Grove Village, (847) 956-1818, dacoachs.com/. Dine on a corned beef and cabbage sandwich ($12.99) or a Reuben-style sandwich ($14.99) while drinking green beer March 16-18.
Evviva Bar & Eatery
1017 Front St., Lisle, (630) 241-9955, evvivalisle.com/. Take advantage of daily food and drink specials while watching all of the March Madness games.
Finn McCool's Irish Sports Pub
1941 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, (847) 303-5100, finnmccoolschicago.com/. Watch all of the games through April 3 while enjoying daily food and drink specials.
Kings Dining & Entertainment
5505 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 233-0099, kings-de.com/. Kings will be showing all the March Madness games, with drink specials such as $3 Bud Light pints, $5 New Amsterdam Vodka Soda, and High Noon and Bud Light buckets.
McGonigal's Pub
105 S. Cook St., Barrington, (847) 277-7400, mcgonigalspub.com. On Friday, March 17, the main level will open at 9 a.m., The Loft will open at 11 a.m. and Fork & Cork will open at 3 p.m. featuring NCAA tournament games on the big screens, Irish music, bands, food and beer. The limited Irish-themed menu will feature corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, Reuben and corned beef sandwiches, Irish lamb stew, pub fries and more. The fun will continue Saturday starting at 11 a.m. in the main level and The Loft, and noon in Fork & Cork with NCAA viewing, a McNulty Irish Dancers performance and more. Free admission.
Miller's Ale House
778 N. Route 59, Aurora, (630) 332-8574; 455 Butterfield Road, Lombard, (630) 241-3371; and 1300 N. Meacham Road, Schaumburg, (847) 598-1090; millersalehouse.com/. Come hungry - really hungry - as Miller's March Madness menu features the Big16 Burger - two half-pound patties, three hot Zingers, three mozzarella sticks, bacon, American cheese, onion tanglers, marinara, queso, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles, all sandwiched between two buns - with two sides of fries for $24.99. If you can finish the whole thing, you'll win a Miller's Gone Mad bucket hat. Or there's the BBQ Pork Mountain Melt, which includes chipotle barbecue pulled pork, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, applewood smoked bacon and scallions over seasoned fries, for $14.99. Beer specials include the $9.99 Miller Lite and Coors Lite pitchers and $10.99 Yuengling and Flight by Yuengling pitchers. Specials are available through April 3.
Moretti's
Locations in Barrington, Bartlett, Edison Park, Elgin, Fox Lake, Hoffman Estates, Lake in the Hills, McHenry, Morton Grove, Mt. Prospect, Rosemont, Schaumburg, Chicago; morettisrestaurants.com/. Throughout the NCAA tournament, Moretti's will be showing all of the games on the big screens. March Madness Happy Hour specials from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday (Monday through Thursday in Rosemont) include $3 Coors Light drafts, $4 craft of the day, $4 glasses of select wine, $5 featured cocktails, $6 pizzas and half-price apps (Brussels sprouts, baked spinach and artichoke dip, coconut onion rings, fried calamari, fried shrimp, mozzarella sticks, bruschetta, golden fingers). Other Irish-themed drink specials in March are the Irish Mule ($8), Green Tea Cocktail ($9), Dublin Drop (ICB) ($9), Shamrockin' Shooters ($5) and Jameson Original ($6).
Old Town Pour House
1703 Freedom Drive, Naperville, (630) 448-6020, and 8 Oak Brook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 601-1440, oldtownpourhouse.com/. For March Madness, OTPH opens early at 11 a.m. March 16-19 and 23-26 and April 1 and 3 so fans won't miss the games. Besides apps, burgers, sandwiches, entrees and craft beer, this year fans have the option of sharing the 96-ounce Mule Madness - Tito's Texas Mule, a Dutch Mule, a Kentucky Mule or a Cucumber Mule - for $45.
The Piazza
85 Executive Drive, Aurora, (630) 978-2088, piazzaaurora.com/events/ncaa-march-madness-kickoff-weekend-2. Enjoy daily food and drink specials while watching all of the games on Piazza's giant screens.
Real Time Sports
1120 W. Devon Ave., Elk Grove Village, (847) 534-5000, realtimesportsbar.com/. Heading over to watch the NCAA tourney on Real Time's 50 TVS? Beer buckets are five for $20 throughout the tournament. Through March 17, dine on a St. Paddy's Day Platter with corned beef and cabbage for $17.95 and sip green beer.
Spartan Ale House
1032 Prairie St., Aurora, (630) 340-4546, and 3032 English Rows Ave., Naperville, (630) 536-8163, spartanalehouse.com/. During March Madness, watch all the NCAA games while taking advantage of the game time double cheeseburger special ($10) and $4 Bud Light aluminum bottles. Plus, in Aurora, bag pipers will entertain the crowd at 7 p.m. Friday, March 17. And in Naperville on St. Patrick's Day, Spartan will be opening early at 9 a.m. for Kegs & Eggs and an Irish-style breakfast, with bands and bag pipers performing throughout the day starting at noon and Junkyard Groove headlining from 7-10 p.m. Other specials include corned beef and cabbage ($16), corned beef sandwich ($13), Reuben sandwich ($14), Irish nachos ($12), Guinness pints ($5), Big Gingers ($5), Smithwick's bottles ($5), Jameson ($5) and Bud Light Irish-themed St. Pat's cans ($4).
Tap House Grill
Locations in Algonquin, Hanover Park, Lemont, Oswego, Palatine, Plainfield, St. Charles and Wheeling; taphousegrills.com/. March Madness dine-in game-day specials include $12.99 wings (bone-in or boneless with sauce, including the limited time Nawlins Lickers, Parmesan garlic or Houston Heat), $4 Sam Adams drafts and $15 buckets of Miller or Coors, available March 16-April 3 on game days, except March 17. On St. Patrick's Day, head over early for the Kegs & Eggs breakfast menu or buffet at 10 a.m., $4 green beer, live music and NCAA game watching. Now through March 19, Irish specials include Reuben sliders ($14.99), Reuben rolls ($13.99), Reuben sandwiches ($15.99), and corned beef and cabbage ($19.99).
WhirlyBall
3103 Odyssey Court, Naperville, (630) 932-4800, whirlyball.com/. Game day specials include firecracker chicken egg rolls ($12), Philly cheesesteak egg rolls ($13), mini Chicago dogs ($14) and the bucket special (five domestic bottled beers for $18).
Yard House
2301 Fountain Square Drive, Lombard, (630) 495-1912, and 1880 Tower Drive, Glenview, (847) 729-9273, yardhouse.com/events/ipa-madness. IPA Madness is on through Monday, April 3. Sample a flight of four new IPAs - Rogue Dead Guy IPA, Goose Island IPA, Oskar Blues Hazy Blues Juicy IPA and Ommegang Neon Rainbows - and then choose your favorite to enjoy as a pint for $15.