Restaurant Review: Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day at North Center’s Mrs. Murphy and Sons

As Chicago gears up for the nation’s largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 11 (and again on Friday, March 17),  celebrate the day at a well-reviewed North Center pub that’s Irish year-round: Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro , from the owners of Murphy’s Bleachers in Wrigleyville.

Open since 2005, they’re the place to go on weekend mornings for an early Irish breakfast, Premier League soccer games, & 6 Nations rugby tournaments, washed down with a shandy soda (lemonade and orange, in a can) or a pint of Guinness Stout. 

At its core, Mrs. Murphy’s is as advertised: a family-owned Irish pub with “uncommonly good” pub food and an authentic atmosphere with “proper” pints, over 60 Irish whiskeys, and Irish music.

If you want to take the kids to an authentic celebration, sans Chicago River-dyeing, but a true Chicago community experience, Mrs. Murphy’s is your place! 

Start your Irish adventure with a Sausage Roll, which pairs a banger sausage with fragrant rosemary, garlic, rolled in puff pastry and tangy stout mustard.   Or, their Guinness Mac & Cheese with Irish cheddar, stout reduction, and elbow macaroni. Their Potato Leek Soup is truecomfort food, festooned with scallions, and served with homemade Irish soda bread and Irish butter. 

As a main course, nothing beats their hearty Irish Breakfast, with two scrambled eggs, a banger (sausage), Irish bacon, Black & White Pudding, (As a native advised me at a Dublin pub many years ago…don’t ask, just eat!) tomato, mushroom, baked beans, and  Murphy’s homemade brown bread (made fresh daily). Unless you try their Corned Beef Dinner, with stout-braised corned beef, cider-braised cabbage and boiled potatoes, with a mustard pan sauce. Bangers & Mash goes traditional, with Irish sausage, mashed potatoes, caramelized onions, a Guinness reduction, and stout mustard. Finally, their Fish & Chips are bathed in Dovetail Lager beer batter, and served with tartar sauce, (spicy) curry ketchup, and chips.

“Great people, delicious food, fun atmosphere. There’s always something going on!” gushed a Google reviewer. 

Mrs. Murphy & Sons is located at 3905 N. Lincoln Avenue. For St. Paddy’s reservations on Saturday, March 11 and Friday, March 17, click here. 

Éirinn go Brách!

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago