Paddy Long's

Pro: Bacon everything. Con: You can't possibly try all things bacon in one sitting. I speak from experience. Pro: Occasional live Irish music. Con: If you're not early to get a seat, you could be standing for a while. And possibly challenged to an Irish jig, if you meet the right (or wrong) people. Pro: The 3 Bacon BBQ Burger, which consists of Irish bacon, hickory smoked and applewood bacon, pepperjack cheese, and homemade BBQ sauce. Con: Wal-Mart quality buns. Pro: 18 rotating beers on draft and even more bottled options. Con: HOW do you choose? Maybe they had just run out of their best bread the night I visited, but this Irish/Kevin Bacon-themed bar/restaurant didn't do their amazing burgers justice with mediocre buns. Ah, problems of the first world. Seriously, Paddy Long's made me realize how much a bad bun can ruin a beastly burger, and when one is topped with three amazing types of bacon, you'd want the experience to be memorable (in a good way). Luckily, their Stone Smoked Porter and live Irish music (incomplete without Irish stepdance, which I attempted to provide myself) made up for the bread. Try as much as you can on the menu! Usually, splitting your meals with friends can help add some variety to your experience; there are surprisingly plentiful options for your vegetarian friends as well! Thumbs up for this pig-lovers' eatery!

I'm a red blooded American guy and even I started to think about how many pigs this place must go through in a regular night. They do bacon, they do sausage, and they do bacon and sausage together in a five pound monstrosity called the bacon bomb. Only a handful of people have ever successfully completed the thirty minute challenge, and the bartenders seem pretty surprised when they even hear someone considering it. The tap list is also great, and one of the highlights for me was seeing for the first time an actual pink elephant on top of the pull tab. Very cool.

If you like bacon (and let's be honest, who doesn't?) you HAVE to visit Paddy Long's. It is, by their claim, the "premiere beer and bacon bar" in Chicago. And as far as I can tell, it's the only beer and bacon bar in Chicago. And it is amazing. Before I get carried away, I should also mention that their beer list is really quite impressive. They have Delerium Tremens on tap, which is a rare thing. And their microbrew list is ever-changing and very high quality. But now to the food. Everything on the menu is great. Seriously, I haven't been disappointed yet. And even cooler, they have an entire section of their menu dedicated to bacon dishes! They even have a bacon board, when you get to try 4 different kinds of bacon with a side of pickles and Irish soda bread. I am salivating just thinking about it. So if you like bacon, don't miss it. Seriously. You will not regret it.

What could be better than a delicious, frothy, cold draft of quality artesenal beer? A side of bacon, of course! At the Beer and Bacon Tasting, one of the main monthly attractions for guests at Paddy Long's, you receive 5 selected cuts of bacon paired perfectly with each sample of beer from the extensive craft beers they have on tap. If you are still hungry, or craving even more bacon after the tasting, they also have a full menu featuring, you guessed it, bacon! The bacon wrapped dates are a must have, and the 1/2 pound of bacon that is beautifully stacked on the Gigantor BLT, should satiate your every bacon desire. At Paddy Long's Beer and Bacon Pub, it's all in the name. Great vibe and overall great experience; with nightly specials and their affiliation with Living Social and Groupon, they give you the chance to spend a night divulging in your bacon fantasies at quite a steal.

Many bars try very hard (sometimes too hard) to be your friendly neighborhood bar. Paddy Long’s is the rare establishment that actually succeeds. It has a down-to-earth staff, delicious friend pickles and a lively but never rowdy crowd. What really differentiates this place from other Lakeview pubs is that it’s conducive to conversation. The jukebox has a great selection, but it’s never too loud. You won’t find yourself saying, “What?” every two minutes or unknowingly nodding in agreement to your friend’s praise for Scarlett Johansson Sings Tom Waits. The lighting’s perfect. It doesn’t try to be dark and lounge-y, but you also don’t feel like you’re grabbing a beer at Chipotle. Great place.

Paddy Long's opened in 2007 skirting the line between Lakeview and Lincoln Park, and they've become a city staple since. One of the owners coached rugby for years and the other played rugby and hails from Ireland, so this is a great bar to watch rugby and soccer. They have a ton of beers on tap, and it seems like they rotate pretty frequently. Great bottle selection as well, and they have a great whiskey/bourbon selection. The food is fantastic, and if you want you can dive into their bacon section of the menu. They have beer and bacon tastings often, and a lot of their events focus either around their beer or their bacon offerings. I definitely recommend checking out Paddy Long's for a laid-back, but probably pretty drunken evening.

Paddy Long's is a great neighborhood bar in Lincoln Park frequented by locals, yuppies, bacon lovers, and rugby aficionados. The menu is pretty good, with the specialty being the bacon bomb and other bacon items. They even are hosting a Bacolympics event to coincide with the London games - every time the US wins gold you get free bacon. The owner is a great guy and often at the bar serving a a variety of traditional and craft beers both domestic and good imports. It is also a spot to check out rugby matches as well as European soccer, but rugby seems to be the first love of the owners and many of the regulars who will show up at the proper time-zone-adjusted time to watch. The decor also includes some really cool rugby and soccer posters - there is a great one of Maradona taking on 4 Dutch defenders. The bathrooms are absolutely tiny and a little awkward with the sink being inches away from the urinal and not that private from the rest of the bar. The tables and chairs are standard with some nice tables in the back for larger groups. Overall a great neighborhood bar with no pretension. The crowd tends towards friends hanging out rather than a meat market for singles, but on the weekends you can find both. Especially if your dream girl loves bacon.